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The Yucatan's quiet side

Across the peninsula from Cancun are the elegant, relaxing and uncrowded haciendas of Merida.

By JUNE NAYLOR
Published January 29, 2006

[Photo: June Naylor]

Light pours through the windows and French doors of the deluxe suite bedroom at Xcanatun. The doors open onto a private terrace that features hammocks and a soaking tub.

	These 9-foot walls wrap around Hacienda Xcanatun and are typical of the region’s haciendas.

MERIDA, Mexico - Awash in candlelight during dinner on the patio of a building that once housed the machinery of an 18th century sisal plantation, I knew I had reached another, more palatable Yucatan. While this elegant hacienda was only a three-hour drive west of Cancun, the mood was eons removed from the huge hotels and rowdy nightclubs of the Mayan Riviera.

On the garden patio outside my room at Hacienda Xcanatun a few miles north of the colonial city of Merida, I could listen to night frogs chirping in harmony with rustling palm fronds overhead. In the morning, I would awake to bird songs from the poolside a few feet away. After breakfast, I would take off for a dive in a nearby crystal-clear cenote (freshwater cave), swim at a quiet beach or wander through the mystical Mayan ruins at Uxmal.

The afternoon at the hacienda might mean a nap in a hammock.

Hurricane Wilma's destruction last year did away with the tourist parties on Cancun's shores, though at least half of the rooms at Mexico's largest resort city have reopened. Less affected were Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, but they also were less-known as a spring break or winter holiday destination for tour packagers and collegians.

And all I wanted was to be surrounded by vintage Mexico, where vestiges of an ancient people and a Spanish colonial world combine to provide a true sense of heritage. Here, visitors can lose themselves in the Mayans' art and food, can visit villages and old markets, and even get spa treatments that utilize Mayan traditions.

Such opportunities to explore a culture, in beautiful surroundings, hold appeal for travelers looking for a meaningful experience and have boosted the popularity of the Yucatan's hacienda hotels.

"People who are looking for a more-authentic glimpse of Mexico and are interested either in the ancient cultures or birding in the Yucatan tend to stay at haciendas," says Nancy Weakley, a director at Adventures & Travel in Mexico, based in Dallas. "If they're looking for service that's more personalized and upscale, they find the haciendas."

Weakley added that haciendas tend to mirror the appeal of Merida, which bears more resemblance to Europe than Mexico City. Families and customs here are directly traced to the colonial period and that of the wealthy traders of the hacienda glory days, when Yucatecans who could afford it sent their children to school in Europe, rather than to their own capital.

Typically the haciendas were built atop pre-Hispanic settlements and became the stylish homes of agave plantation barons, who made millions a century ago by producing sisal, a natural plant fiber used in making cord or rope.

When synthetic fibers became popular in the 1940s, fortunes were lost and most of the haciendas fell to decay. Fortunately for travelers looking for a Yucatan stay with roots, many of these have been carefully restored.

Hacienda Xcanatun (pronounced sh-CAH-nah-TOON), one of several hacienda hotels near Merida, was converted over a five-year period from utter wreckage to an unfussy but elegant boutique inn. It opened about five years ago with 18 suites and a sensational restaurant that offers what co-owner Cristina Baker calls "cuisine internacional."

Baker, a New York-born woman who grew up in countries including Mexico and Brazil, was an advertising executive in Mexico City when she met her husband, Jorge Ruz. He is a Merida native and son of archaeologist Alberto Ruz, who excavated the temple and tombs at Palenque. Her husband's success as a commercial director bankrolled Ruz's and Baker's task of converting the numerous buildings and expansive lands of the ruined plantation-factory into a lodging that would turn heads.

Typical of the renovated plantation haciendas, Xcanatun once included a main house, machinery house, chapel, workers' dormitories, stables, jail, school, infirmary and cemetery. The renovations have been made with an eye to the buildings' original design and character.

In reconstruction, Baker and Ruz chose local materials, such as hardwoods, wrought iron, clay, glass, marble and coral stone. A swimming pool replaced the original reservoir, and new buildings that copy the originals accommodate the spa.

My room at Xcanatun rambled from one set of large wooden French doors to another. One opened on a patio, with "napping chairs" facing the pool, and the other set of doors opened on a garden patio with hammock, fountain and a view of the thick green lawn.

Ceiling fans turned in the guest room, an armoire served as closet and bureau, there was a minibar, and excellent reading lights beside a firm king bed.

The bathroom could have housed a small family, who would stay clean with custom-made soaps and an oversized bath with two shower heads - beneath a huge skylight.

There was no TV in my room, but on the off-chance I needed one, it was past the pool inside the old chapel, now a common room for guests. That building opened onto another courtyard where the plantation's old horse carts and wagon wheels create backdrops for tropical plantings.

As splendid as it is, Xcanatun is just one of the fashionable haciendas in the area.

Hacienda Santa Cruz Palomeque, about 20 minutes from downtown Merida in the Cuxtal Ecological Reserve, occupies a shady, 15-acre, 17th century hacienda, with two guest casitas created from former workers' dorms. Extensive remodeling by the owners provide lodgings with wrought-iron beds, handmade twig furniture, local artworks, terraces, gardens, big bathrooms, hammocks, a grand salon and a swimming pool.

Three other luxury haciendas were acquired in 2004 by Starwood Properties, best known stateside for its Westin and W hotels:

Hacienda Santa Rosa is less than an hour south of Merida on the road to Campeche; San Jose is just east of Merida on the highway toward Cancun; and Temozon is just south of Merida off the Ring Road. Beautifully restored historic buildings, these offer the usual hotel services and amenities, including pools, spa services, restaurants and room service.

The traveler on a more moderate budget has good hacienda choices in the Yucatan, as well. Among them is Hacienda Chichen, a 16th century landmark next door to the popular Chichen-Itza archaeological site. This handsome hacienda is framed by gardens and offers rooms as well as cottages. It also has a library, dining room and satellite TV.

Immediately outside of Merida is Hacienda San Pedro Nohpat, a 400-year-old country estate made over into a pleasant bed-and-breakfast of seven suites. Here, guests can take advantage of a steakhouse and bar, beautiful pool, child care, Spanish lessons and massage therapy.

Each of these haciendas has a staff that helps guests figure out how to use their time away from the hammock and pool. They may point you to the Mayan city ruins at Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Edzna, Dzabilchaltun and other smaller archaeological zones.

Or the staffers may send you off to swim or dive in the cenotes (pronounced say-NOH-tays) - sink holes - or to see some of the Yucatan's 300 bird species at wildlife preserves. Maybe the day out will be a visit to the magnificent market in Merida, a cooking school or guided home and garden tour.

At Xcanatun, Baker hooked me up with an archaeological guide to spend a night at an old Mayan village called Yaxunah. There I slept in a hammock in a simple hut, walked the town to visit the church and watch kids play in the square, and learned some of the traditional, in-ground cooking techniques, taught by welcoming villagers who speak the complicated language of their Mayan ancestors.

As for the hacienda experience, Baker of Xcanatun said: "We are an antidote to (the usual crowds of) Cancun. But the fact is that the Mayan Riviera is quite close, and we have had guests who . . . spend a few days on the beach and head here for another few days."

GETTING THERE: There is one-stop connecting air service to both Merida and Cancun from Tampa Bay; Spirit Airlines plans nonstop service to Cancun beginning in March.

WHEN TO GO: It can be hot and humid year-round in the Yucatan, but the Christmas season through February is always the most comfortable time. Late summer through November, of course, is hurricane season; even if there's not a storm, rain can be frequent. At all times of year, take lots of insect repellent, and be sure to buy plenty of drinking water for any excursions.

High-season rates begin at the Christmas holidays and continue through Easter. Low-season generally lasts from the day after Easter through mid December.

STAYING THERE: Hacienda stays are easy to book via the Internet, either directly at the lodgings' Web site or through tour operators.

For instance, Turitransmerida, in Merida, will book stays or tours of nonlodging haciendas, as well as arrange side trips from haciendas for the guests. Telephone 52 999 924-11-99, 928-18-71; e-mail dtor@turitransmerida.com.mx visit www.turitransmerida.com.mx/ Dallas-based Adventures & Travel in Mexico can offer information and make bookings; call toll-free 1-888-713-1241. Hacienda Xcanatun: Suites start at $240 and include continental breakfast. Packages include a three-night "girlfriends getaway" spa program with lodging, daily breakfast, one dinner with wine, two Mayan spa treatments and Merida airport transfers, for $745 per person. Call toll-free 1-(888) 883-3633; e-mail hacienda@xcanatun.com www.xcanatun.com Hacienda Santa Cruz Palomeque: The one-room casita costs $140 to $170 and the two-room casita is $160 to $190, daily, including breakfast. Telephone (52) 999-910-4549; e-mail inquiries@haciendasantacruz.com www.haciendasantacruz.com For the Starwood haciendas: Hacienda Santa Rosa, San Jose and Temozon packages are available for three to seven nights and include daily breakfast, a dinner with wine and a lunch. Reserve at reservations1@haciendas.com www.thehaciendas.com Hacienda Chichen: Twelve rooms and suites are available for $130 to $170 nightly. Call toll-free 1-800-624-8451; e-mail info@haciendachichen.com www.haciendachichen.com Hacienda San Pedro Nohpat: Rooms are $50 to $125 daily, suites are $150 daily, including breakfast. Telephone (52) 999-988-0542; e-mail haciendaholidays@hotmail.com www.haciendaholidays.com

Spending your Yucatan holiday at a hacienda? Here's what your hosts can help you arrange.

Archaeological zone visits: There are many Mayan sites to explore in the heart of the Yucatan. Chichen Itza is the best known and offers nighttime sound-and-light shows. There's shopping just outside the park, and there are plenty of places to buy water and bug spray, both of which you'll need. Uxmal, south of Merida, is simply beautiful in its designs and views. It is in a less-populated area, you may want to take a picnic with you. The haciendas can provide maps and help you hire guides to see the ruins at the lesser-known sites.

Shopping: The sprawling market in Merida shouldn't be missed. You don't need a guide, but you'll want to allow time to explore the flower section, the food section and the areas selling jewelry and clothing. Some wonderful finds are waiting, however, in the tiny villages you'll pass en route to the archaeological zones and to the beach at Progreso. Cristina Baker, owner of Hacienda Xcanatun, says that when she took Mexican food writer Patricia Quintana on such side trips, they stopped at the frequent speed bumps in small towns to check out the vendors wisely stationed there who sell fruit, baskets and homemade sweet-corn ice cream.

Mayan culture today: Two hours east of Merida toward Cancun, the minuscule pueblo of Yaxunah is a backpacker's dream. The Mayan way of life is carefully preserved here: Visitors can see ruins, caves and cenotes. They can also see Mayan ceremonies, beekeeping and crafts, as well as traditional cooking, including the pit cooking that produces the popular Yucatecan comfort dish called cochinita pibil. You can stay overnight in 10 comfortable, basic huts with running water, beds, electricity and hammocks. Another day trip is to a recently opened hacienda called Sotuta de Peon, about 30 minutes from Merida, where sisal is still processed. Guests can swim in the swimming pool or a cenote, see how locals lived a century ago and enjoy a traditional lunch.

Great outdoors: Birders will want to see the 300 species in the Yucatan at preserves such as Rio Lagartos Wildlife Refuge, Komchen Bird Sanctuary and Celestun. You can cool off on a swimming or diving expedition to one of the legions of cenotes in the Yucatan peninsula's limestone surface that put you in the cool, clear underground rivers. The beautiful, relatively quiet beach town of Progreso is just 20 minutes from Merida; there you can swim, fish, eat and drink by the Gulf of Mexico or take a sailing trip.

[Last modified January 27, 2006, 09:58:02]