A few weeks ago we decided to get out of Merida and explore some of the towns and areas of the Yucatan. After doing some research, we decided to go to a real hacienda and some cenotes about an hour or so away from the city.
This page is on the hacienda with an upcoming article on the cenotes.
Hacienda San Pedro Ochil (which means “place of the fox” in Maya) is in the town of Abala (which means “place of the plums”). I think it should be called “the place of the iguanas” as they were everywhere!!
In the 18th Century, the hacienda was a cattle ranch rather than a farm due to poor soil and lack of irrigation. Later it became a maize-growing farm and then finally became a working henequen fiber farm, which was a booming business in the 19th Century. It remained a working henequen farm for four decades until synthetic fibers were invented and later fell into ruin until it was restored in 1997.
Beautiful fields of Henequen…
The “Main House” was converted into the restaurant. It was really lovely to have our Yucatecan cuisine in the splendor of the hacienda and the service was wonderful.
After lunch, we walked around and explored the grounds.
It was interesting to see the old buildings…
and we even found an amphitheater that has a cenote attached (not where you can swim though) and a big cave with lots of bats going in and out!! So I had to go down and check it out!! From what I read, they used to have light and music shows in the amphitheater after dark. Not a place I would like to go with the bats and mosquitos in the area!!
Here is the little train which now takes visitors throughout the property and to the restaurant.
We really had a lovely visit at the Hacienda San Pedro Ochil and we took this guy home with us and named him Spike……..(not)!!
