The Paseo de Montejo, Mérida's first great avenue, was an immediate success from its inauguration in 1904. The main attraction then was to watch the construction of the ostentatiously elegant casonas (villas), in the days when sisal production was at its peak. 1960s functionalist urbanism has since marred the ensemble, but the Paseo de Montejo still cuts a fine figure. You can stroll down it to the Monumento a la Patria (2 km), concluding this historical course.