RANCH ESTATES IN YUCATÁN

If you wish to spend your honeymoon far from the noise of the large cities and swathed in the peace of a beautiful countryside, your best option is a romantic journey to the haciendas henequeneras (large ranch estates where henequen was once grown) of Yucatán, which have today been converted into luxurious hotels. Each and every one can be found just minutes from the city of Mérida, which will easily allow you to see the most important tourist sites in the region. The Hacienda Santa Rosa is located 35 minutes from the city airport in route to Celestún. It has welcoming and luxorious rooms along with a restaurant on the premises serving both regional and international foods. Within its grounds you can go on outings on horseback or bicycle. Uxmal is found 78 km (48 mi) southwest of Mérida, a place where you find yet another of these magnificient buildings. The Hacienda Uxmal was constructed in 1950 and has hosted important personalities of our times, members of European royalty, presidents and government officials. The romantic atmosphere of its dining room is the perfect place to enjoy a candlelit dinner prepared in the style of the Yucatecan  gourmet kitchen. Enjoy trying the pollo muc-bil, a type of giant tamal (a corn meal dough) with chicken and pork stuffing.  75 km (47 mi) from the city of Campeche and 88 km (55 mi) from Mérida you will find the Hacienda Blanca Flor, from where you can begin a trip through the archaeological zones of Edzna, Kabah, Zayil, Labna and Xlapac. You can also visit the Grutas de Loltún, caverns which have extraordinary stalactite and stalagmite formations.  Heading west, you will find Isla Arena (Sand Island), a fishing center where you can embark on a boat to the Reserva Ecológica de Celestún (Celestún Ecological Reserve), a well-known refuge for pink flamingos.  Located in the heart of the Mayan world, 25 km (15.5 mi) from the city of Mérida, you will come across the Hacienda Katanchel.  Its main pavilions shelter halls decorated with influences from Yucatán and Seville, Spain, while its rooms, made up of small houses, are found at different points throughout the gardens. Moreover, its restaurant is considered one of the best in all of Mexico. Another hacienda is Xcanatún, situated just 5 minutes from the Mérida Cenvention Center, which makes it the closest to the commercial and industrial areas of the city. It is a hotel with an extremely comfortable atmosphere and offers personalized service and modern accommodations. Among its amenities, you will find a spa decorated with authentic jade tiles that also offers relaxing massages using honey, a golf course and multiple tennis courts. Do not forget to visit the area of cenotes (underground rivers connected through underground channels) near this hotel, in which you can swim, dive, or simply admire these wonderful creations of nature. The location of this hacienda will allow you easy access to the beaches of Puerto Progreso, a place located just 15 minutes from the hotel along Highway 261, where you will take pleasure in the agreeable climate and excellent food prepared from fresh fish and seafood.  You can also visit diverse archeological zones such as Dzibilchaltún, found just 5 minutes from Mérida, and Chichén Itzá, located in northern Yucatán, very close to the city of Valladolid. Dare yourself to make this romantic trip come true!