Merida has some cool Roman remnants, but they are all trapped behind fences, which I guess is understandable. But, if you arrive on a day in which they are closed, the fences are also ivied, so you can't see much.
Also, the old town is getting a facelift, which doesn't really make it seem like an old town at all. Perhaps they are readying for hordes of modern shoppers. Maybe I missed the allure, as this was simply a stopover town on our travels.
Had I been there on a day when things were open, I might have felt like I was walking around Rome. But, I also might not have.