Refurbished treasures of Merida's past.

Much of the land comprising Merida was once dotted with lavish haciendas where the henequen plant was grown. From henequen was produced a fiber called sisal, the main ingredient of twine. Today the picturesque, abandoned main hacienda buildings, recognized as architectural treasures, are being bought, restored and turned into luxury hotels and restaurants.

Haciendas generally consisted of a main building, workers' quarters and the machine room where the fibers were produced. Some buildings date back to the 16th century, but others were built in the early 1900s. With archways and bell gables, ivy-covered walls and chapels, the buildings and their parklike grounds provide a picturesque, peaceful place for enjoying a genuine Yucatecan meal and/or a pleasant stay. Amenities range from jacuzzis to shopping. One of the haciendas, Temozon Sur, even hosted former U.S. President Bill Clinton a few years back when he signed trade agreements with Mexico's former President Ernesto Zedillo.

Haciendas grew out of estancias, or large farms where from the 1600s onward, livestock was raised and corn and sugar were harvested, according to Pedro Echeverria Varguez, a historian at the University of Yucatan's architecture school and co-author of a book on the region's haciendas. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, he says, sisal came into great demand worldwide. Grown only in the Yucatan, the plant became an economic mainstay for several decades until the invention of nylon and other synthetic fibers cut into its market. The industry declined further, Echeverria says, as the plant became available in Africa and other places outside the Yucatan, and production caught on in other parts of the world. The Mexican Revolution from 1910-17, followed by agrarian reform in 1937, put further strains on the industry. By the 1960s, Echeverria says, sisal production had all but ceased, and today it is produced in only a few places. In 1920 as many as 400 haciendas existed in and around Merida. Today only a h andful are up and running, though others are in the process of being restored, says Carlos Chavez, a spokesperson for Merida's tourism office.

Some restored haciendas:

Hacienda Ketanchel

Km. 26, carretera Merida-Cancun

Te1s.: [phone], [phone]

Hacienda Kankabchen

Km. 2, carretera Baca-Tixcuncheil

Tels.: [phone], [phone]

Hacienda Ochil

Km. 175, carretera Merida-Uxmal

Tel.: [phone]

Hacienda Santa Rosa 

Km. 129, antigua carretera Merida-Campeche

Tel.: [phone]

Hacienda Temozon Sur

Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Ernesto Zedillo signed trade agreements here.

Km. 182, carretera Merida-Uxmal

Tel.: [phone]

Hacienda Teya

Hillary Clinton visited here while her husband and Zedillo were meeting.

Km. 12.5 carretera Merida-Cancun

Tels.: [phone], [phone]

Hacienda Xcanatun

Km. 12, carretera Merida-Progreso

Tel.: [phone]