Standing before you is the Arco de Dragones, one of the few surviving remnants of Mérida’s former city gates. Built around 1690 during the colonial period, this arch once marked one of the main entrances to the city, defining the boundary between the Spanish-controlled center and the surrounding neighborhoods where Indigenous, mestizo and mulatto populations lived. It formed part of an ambitious defensive project designed to protect Mérida from pirate attacks, which were frequent along the Yucatán Peninsula, even though the complete city wall was never finished. The arch takes its name from the nearby Cuartel de Dragones, a former military barracks that for more than a century housed soldiers known as dragones, trained to fight both on horseback and on foot. Take a moment to observe its form: a rounded arch framed by sober pilasters, topped with a structure resembling a small bell tower and crenellations that recall its military function. In the niche above stands a statue of Saint Anthony of Padua holding the Child Jesus, a reminder that the arch was once known as the Arco de San Antonio. Today fully restored, the Arco de Dragones is one of only three colonial arches still standing in Mérida, and you will encounter another one just a short distance ahead as you continue your walk.