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The Haciendas of Yucatan
At the height of its wealth, when Mérida was the “Paris of the West” and there were more millionaires per capita than in any other city, majestic haciendas dotted the countryside, testament to the wealth of the area and the importance of agriculture.
These Haciendas were built by the Yucatan’s “Green Gold” – sisal fiber that came from the henequén cactus. In the 20th century, the discovery of petroleum-based synthetic products put an end to it all. By the 1940s, most haciendas were closed down, some abandoned, and the Yucatan’s wealth dissipated as the demand for sisal collapsed worldwide. Today, Brazil, Tanzania and Madagascar produce more sisal than does the Yucatan.
During the last decade of the 20th century, however, people began to take a second look at the Haciendas. They were seen as architectural gems, proud structures of the Yucatan’s history, and there was a movement to restore and refurbish them.
There was one man whose vision propelled this movement: Roberto Hernandez. A banker who made his first fortune when Banamex was privatized, he made another fortune when he subsequently sold it to Citibank in New York. He has taken upon himself to purchase and restore many haciendas around Mérida, many of which are now operated as boutique hotels.
Some former Haciendas are spa resorts, others specialize in weddings, still others are retreats for relaxation, reflection, massage, yoga and meditation. All offer a unique experience to visitors to the Yucatan.
Here is a description of some of the favored Haciendas, all within an easy reach from Mérida. And below are tour companies that specialize in Hacienda itineraries.
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HACIENDA XCANATÚN
A henequen hacienda of the seventeenth century, it was transformed into a luxurious hotel with 18 suites, located in Mérida. A gracious building, no detail was overlooked to offer comfort and exclusiveness to all guests. There is a gourmet restaurant which continues to receive rave reviews, as well as an excellent selection of traditional Yucatecan dishes. Its ample gardens, suitable for taking relaxing strolls, alongside the luxurious rooms and each of which has a spectacular bathroom. There are spa services, a pool, and the concierge can arrange for activities as varied as horseback riding, golf, and visits to archaeological sites.
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ÍNDIGO HACIENDA MISNÉ
The first Indigo hotel in Mexico is located at a nineteenth century Hacienda. The magnificently refurbished structure incorporate all the modern conveniences of contemporary hotels. It has a beautifully restored main house; and the grounds are surrounded by a huge fence that defines the Hacienda’s ample grounds and the splendid tropical gardens. It has 50 rooms, there is a state-of-the-art gym, meeting rooms and a fine restaurant. It is located four miles from Mérida’s downtown, on the way to the road to Cancun. This is a true oasis within city limits.
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HACIENDA SANTA ROSA DE LIMA
Located less than an hour’s drive from Mérida’s International Airport, all of its public rooms and guest suites are within the original building, which has been completely refurbished and transformed into a contemporary boutique hotel. Each suite is spacious, has an independent air conditioning unit and ample bathrooms with modern amenities. One architectural feature of note is that almost all the rooms have 21-foot ceilings. And, as is the custom in the Yucatan, each room is equipped with hammock hooks in the wall, allowing for naps “Maya” style. The ambiance of the Hacienda, comfortable and romantic, is a joy, decorated entirely in the 19th century’s colonial style, with walls are painted in pastel tones.
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HACIENDA SAN JOSÉ CHOLUL
San José is located just 40 minutes away from Mérida’s International Airport. The Hacienda’s rooms and suites have been refurbished to reflect the disposition and style that marked the colony times. The old carriage house, the henequen processing plant rooms, the main house and the administrator’s house have been transformed into cozy rooms with high ceilings, wide walls and large shady windows. The terrace itself is a gracious and luxurious setting to get fresh air in the evening, and spend leisurely hours enjoying drinks or beverages, placid hours of relaxation. Hacienda San José Cholul is a favorite for intimate getaways.
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TEMOZÓN SUR
Located just over half an hour from of Mérida’s International Airport, Temozon Sur is a grand Hacienda. The rooms and suites are contained within the original building, which completely has been restored and refurbished into a contemporary hotel. All the rooms have the name of their original purpose when this was a working Hacienda. Guest rooms are designated “Pharmacy, “ “School,” “Kitchen,” and so on. Each, of course, has air-conditioning and completely modern baths with contemporary amenities. Some rooms and suites have ceilings up to that measure 21 feet in height. All the rooms boast hammocks thereby allowing guests to sleep “Maya style.” The Hacienda’s public rooms are appointed in the style of the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
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HACIENDA PETAC
Built in the 17th century over the ruins of a pre-Hispanic Maya site, this Hacienda is a short distance from Mérida’s city-center. An intimate hotel, the Hacienda has only five rooms. But it offers an exceptional combination of luxury, service and total privacy. Guests are a short ride from Mérida, and they can experience the “rural” setting of an Hacienda. It’s a singular opportunity to experience home life as it was lived in the late 19th century, with the added advantage of the Hacienda’s exotic and lush natural surroundings. Each room has all the modern services one expects: private bathroom, air conditioning, cotton bath robes, custom made furniture for each comfortable and spacious room. The Hacienda can host a dozen guests at any one time.
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SAN ANTONIO MILLET
Hacienda San Antonio Millet, located only 15 miles from Merida, is an astounding architectural work that invites its visitors to tour the gracious grounds landscaped with century-old trees. The Mayas named this place Cerro Rojo (red hill), mul chac. It has been a working ranch (a cattle farm was its first incarnation), dating back to 1667! In subsequent centuries, it evolved into an henequen plantation. Today, it is a private residence with nine rooms, beautifully decorated and meticulously furnished, with traditional hammocks hooks in all the rooms, an homage by which to remember the style of past owners.
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OCHIL
This is an intimate and charming Hacienda which boasts a restaurant, a small gift shop, several craftsmen shops and a museum which has many interesting photos tracing out the history and restoration of Ochil. There are also examples of products and items from the times when haciendas was fully operational and working enterprise.
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SOTUTA DE PEÓN
To visit Hacienda Sotuta de Peon is to travel into the past and go back to the history of haciendas as they were more than a century ago. The is a full day trip is conducted by truck, pulled by mules, with metallic wheels running on long, ancient cauville rails. There is an extensive henequen plantations where visitors can see exactly how the sisal industry worked at the height of the Yucatan’s “Golden Age.” And while Sotuta de Peon may be a working hacienda, there are splendid amenities – a full service restaurant, a wonderful gift shop and a swimming area to cool off.
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| Catherwood Travels specializes in custom tours that incorporate the Haciendas of the Yucatan. A one-stop resource for visitors who would are aficionados of the great haciendas – and life as once lived during the Victorian and Edwardian eras – this is a great resource for touring the Haciendas. For more information, please click on the image to the left.
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