Yucatan, Mexico – August 12, 2024 – To visit Yucatán is to enter a mixture of history and tradition that dates from pre-Hispanic times to the rise of the henequen and cattle ranches.
Of all the haciendas on the peninsula, although many have been semi-destroyed by the relentless passage of time, many have managed to preserve much of their history and structure, making them incredible places to tour or for different activities.
On this occasion we will travel the past through the majesty of 5 haciendas that are still standing and ready to receive visitors, eager to relive the splendor of past times.
In the municipality of Tecoh, just 45 minutes from the city of Mérida, surrounded by henequen fields and lush vegetation, is the Hacienda Sotuta de Peón, dating from the mid-nineteenth century. To visit it is to be transported back in time, to the era when the hacienda was fully functional, since today, thanks to the remodeling and conservation work of its owners, it can be appreciated just as it operated in its glory days.
Today we can tour the property and learn about its operation through its machinery, its house-museum, the henequen fields, the villas, the Dzul-Ha cenote and above all the stories of its people. Hacienda Sotuta de Peón was built at the end of the 19th century and in its architecture and finishes you can admire the grandeur of the “Green Gold” era in Yucatán.
Among the activities not to be missed during your visit are the tour of the main house, visits to the cenote and unique gastronomic experiences; in addition to the traditional temazcal bath and a horseback ride through the surroundings, with which the visitor will feel like a real hacienda owner.
Not so far from there, in the town of Abalá, whose name means “whirlwind”, are 3 of the most important haciendas: Mucuyché, Temozón Sur and San Pedro Ochil.
Hacienda Mucuyché was one of the most prosperous haciendas in Yucatán during the henequen era. Built in the XVII century, its main activities were cattle raising, agriculture and henequen plantation; throughout its productive life, new architectural and decorative styles were added to the extensions of the main house. Guided tours are currently offered to learn about the history of this beautiful place, as well as its secrets.
After the tour of the hacienda, the must-see stops are its cenotes “Carlota” – semi open formation – named after the empress of the same name, first person to bathe in its crystal clear waters and “Azul Maya”, – cavern type cenote – which are joined by a beautiful channel which you can go for a fun swim, or on foot from its stone path. This is the ideal place to take unforgettable pictures.
It also has a restaurant with typical regional cuisine and a large pool with palapas where you can enjoy a hot afternoon.
A few kilometers from there is Hacienda Temozón Sur, which saw its beginnings in the 17th century and achieved its greatest boom a century later, when henequen generated a new social and financial dimension for the Peninsula, through the cultivation and export of the fiber, mainly to the United States.
Here you can see industrial vestiges and elements of the processing of the fiber. The old machine room and the drying patio are preserved. The arcade of the main house welcomes and invites to a placid stay, now converted into a restaurant of select and traditional Yucatecan and international cuisine. The swimming pool, with modern architectural details, looks magnificent in the center of a visual set that projects in the background the building of the powerhouse that gathered in arduous labor of the Mayan peasants. Following this route, in the backyard the visitor will find a beautiful and refreshing cenote.
No less impressive is the Hacienda San Pedro Ochil. Of Moorish style and neoclassical influence, it was built during the 17th century. Here visitor will have the opportunity to tour the grounds, either on foot or by truck, and learn more about the process of henequen fiber extraction.
One of the attractions of San Pedro Ochil is the Amphitheater Tree of Light, which was designed by James Turrell and is located in the middle of a cenote, which makes it attractive from any perspective. This hacienda is located very close to the archaeological sites of Uxmal.
A little further north, between Abalá and Mérida is Hacienda Yaxcopoil, which in Maya means “place of the green poplars”.
Traveling along the road towards the ruins of Uxmal, when passing through Yaxcopoil the most characteristic building immediately appears, its monumental double Moorish arch from the colonial period, perhaps the most beautiful in Yucatan, which opens the doors of the hacienda to visitors, offering a cordial welcome.
This is probably one of the best kept jewels of the state, as it brings together in its history three great periods of the past: pre-Hispanic life, colonial life and the henequen boom of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
From the pre-Hispanic period, Yaxcopoil preserves in its mountains, Mayan ruins formed by numerous pyramidal structures, having the six main ones a height that varies between 6 and 20 meters, a court for the ball game and smaller stelae that are in an approximate area of 8 square kilometers.
The main house with large halls, high ceilings, and spacious corridors, is surrounded by extensive gardens with an infinite range of colors and lush vegetation, which place us in a unique and incomparable environment. It still has original European furniture that gives it the atmosphere of the time.
The henequen shredding plant shows vestiges of the first engines and machines of the 19th century for the agricultural and industrial process.
Due to its buildings of classic rural style, Yaxcopoil is, without a doubt, the best known henequen farm in the region, since its main house and plant have served as the setting for the filming of several movies and television programs.
Thus, visiting the haciendas of Yucatán gives visitors a perspective of the changes that the region has undergone since the henequen era of greatest splendor, passing through the processes of political, social and economic change.
Today many haciendas have come back to life as tourist inns, museums and venues for major events, which seek to show with the greatest veracity and simplicity, the spaces and furnishings that used to be used in the times of splendor.
These next vacations, discover the beauty of the past and enjoy a destination full of tradition, culture, nature and extraordinary gastronomy, use the Yucatan.travel travel planner and discover with your family or friends the majesty of Yucatan.
Media contact: Gustavo Rivas-Solis
gustavo@enroutecommunications.com
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About Yucatán
Yucatán is a place rich in diversity of natural, cultural and heritage attractions, more than 3 thousand impressive cenotes and 378 km of beautiful white sand beaches and waters in emerald and turquoise tones, has a wide and varied fauna; it is the home of the pink flamingo in Mexico; archaeological sites of worldwide relevance as Chichen Itza and Uxmal, a cultural mosaic where the living culture of the Maya stands out; avast and exquisite gastronomy, colonial cities, magical towns and much more. A State of Peace, an appointment signed by 30 Nobel Peace Laureates in 2019 and the capital, is the only one in the world to be recognized twice as American Capital of Culture, it is also the only city in Mexico in the Top 5 Best Cities in the World by Condé Nast Traveler in 2022 in the category of large cities.
It connects directly to some of the main airports in the country such as Mexico City, AIFA, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Toluca, León, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Veracruz, Villahermosa, Tijuana and Oaxaca as well as connecting internationally to the cities of Miami, Houston, Oakland, Dallas, Toronto, Havana, Flores and Guatemala. For more information visit yucatan.travel
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