Hacienda Yaxcopoil

Once one of the Yucatan’s most prominent estates, the remarkably preserved Hacienda Yaxcopoil offers a unique insight into the region’s rich colonial history. Originally built in the 17th century and spread over a vast 22,000-acre agave plantation, the ancient estate is now preserved as a museum, showcasing the three periods of the Yucatan – the pre-Colombian era, the Spanish colonial era and the 19th- and 20th-century agricultural boom.

Highlights include an impressive collection of antique European furniture, a Maya room containing ancient artifacts excavated on the ranch, and original oil paintings of 19th-century owner Don Donaciano Garcia Rejon and his wife Doña Monica Galera. Most fascinating are the machine house, engine room and workshops, where it’s possible to view the agave shredding machines, water tanks and motor pumps still used to run the plantations.