Hacienda Sotuta de Peón in Yucatán (2025 Travel Guide)

Hacienda Sotuta de Peón was not just the first hacienda I visited in Yucatán – it was actually my first anywhere. So I was definitely curious to see what it was all about.

You will take a peek into Yucatán’s henequen/sisal past: The hacienda is a restored plantation on the Yucatán Peninsula that features many recreation’s of the lifestyle of that era. After my first visit, I ended up going back a few more times.

Built in the mid-nineteenth century, it began operating in 1858 and after 100 years of prosperity, resulting from its original sisal production vocation, it was abandoned for three long decades.

After being abandoned for that long time, the Hacianda Sotuta de Peón was rescued from the ravages of time and restored in a project that lasted for years, with great dedication, perseverance and attention to detail.

Today it is a widely known tourist destination and also functions as a hotel.

Guided Tours and Prices

Sotuta de Peón is probably the most popular hacienda near Mérida, but this is also reflected in the price. There are two guided tours per day (provided in Spanish, English, and French). To visit the hacienda and you have to book a guided tour in advance.

Optionally, you can book a trip to the beautiful underground cenote on the property (where you can also swim), and a meal at the restaurant, both of which we recommend.

Also the visit of the colonial main house with its premises is on the program. And you can swim in the hacienda's large swimming pool, which is surrounded by a green garden with tropical plants, trees and flowers.

In addition to the Henequén tour there are other offers. If you are looking for a little more adventure, you can also book a quad bike tour that will take you to two further rustic cenotes.

A Few Tips

If you are in Mérida and want to know everything in detail and need further advice: There is also an office of the Hacienda Sotuta de Peón on Calle 55 between Calle 58 and Calle 60.

On site you should wear comfortable clothing and shoes that you can also walk on dirt tracks. If you want to visit the cenote, of course, swimming gear and a towel.

And as always, only use biodegradable sunscreen when swimming in a cenote. There are showers at the cenote where you can shower off beforehand.

Tour Overview

The special thing is, Sotuta de Peón is the only hacienda that can show the whole production process of Henequén using the old original machines. It is probably the only working henequén hacienda in the world.

Henequen fibers come from the agave plant. Endless fields of agave stretched across the region, especially around haciendas that processed the tough fibers into ropes and textiles for export.

During the height of the henequen boom, Yucatán was one of the world's leading fiber producers, and the industry shaped both the landscape and the economy of the peninsula.

The henequen industry was built around Agave fourcroydes, a hardy plant cultivated for its strong and durable fibers. Farmers had to carefully space the plants to allow for proper growth, as agaves take several years to mature before they can be harvested.

When the time came, workers used sharp machetes to cut the thick leaves, which were then loaded onto carts or mules and transported to haciendas for fiber extraction.

The tour explains how the product henequen is obtained from the agaves. It lasts about two hours and you get to see the old sisal production machines in operation - and you hear them too, because they make a hell of a racket.

The workers used large machines to extract the tough fibers from agave leaves. The leaves were fed into rotating gears and rollers that stripped away the soft plant material, leaving behind the strong, durable fibers.

Both raw fibers and finished products were sold. The freshly extracted fibers were dried and then compressed into large bales, using heavy mechanical presses for easier transport and storage.

While some of these raw fiber bales were shipped to manufacturers for further processing, others were turned into finished goods such as ropes, sacks, and textiles directly in Yucatán before being sold on the international market.

At Hacienda Sotuta de Peón, sisal fibers were also processed into ropes using traditional methods. Workers fed the fibers into a hand-operated machine that twisted them together, gradually forming strong and durable ropes.

The process required skill and coordination, as the fibers had to be evenly tensioned while the machine spun to create a uniform and sturdy final product. This is also demonstrated during the tour.

Later, more advanced machinery was introduced at Hacienda Sotuta de Peón to improve henequen fiber processing. These machines were essential in the final steps of production, where the raw fibers were stretched, twisted, and spun into durable ropes.

The spools and tensioning system in the foreground kept the fibers aligned before they were fed into the twisting mechanisms, ensuring consistency and strength for export or local use.

A century ago, henequen ropes were essential for industries worldwide. They were produced in various thicknesses and strengths, used for everything from ship rigging and agricultural ties to industrial cables and household goods.

Yucatán’s henequen was exported in massive quantities to the United States, Europe, and even Asia, fueling a booming economy for local haciendas.

For decades, these natural fiber ropes dominated global markets, valued for their durability and resistance to the elements.

However, with the rise of synthetic fibers like nylon in the mid-20th century, demand for henequen declined sharply, leading to the collapse of an industry that had once defined Yucatán’s economy.

Cenote Dzul Ha

At Hacienda Sotuta de Peón, you’ll find the stunning Dzul Ha cenote, a natural underground pool surrounded by rock formations. To get there, you ride a traditional horse-drawn rail cart, just as workers once did when transporting henequen.

The name Dzul Ha translates to "Lord of the Water," reflecting the cenote’s importance as a sacred and refreshing spot in the Yucatán landscape.

You sit directly on wooden planks, your dangles out in the open, ride through the former agave plantation and are shaken to the core. Before you arrive at the cenote, there is a stopover at an old Mayan farmhouse, which you can visit.

You can add a cenote visit as an option to the guided tour, and I think it’s definitely worth it. It’s a great way to wrap up the experience, and depending on the weather, the cool water can be a refreshing break.

The World of Cenotes

For many visitors, cenotes are simply a refreshing place to swim, offering cool, crystal-clear water in a tropical setting, like at Hacienda Sotuta de Peón. But beyond their appeal as natural swimming spots, cenotes have a much deeper history.

Cenotes are found across the Yucatán Peninsula, formed over millennia as rain eroded limestone, revealing underground rivers. They hold deep cultural and geological significance.

Some cenotes are wide open, resembling natural pools, while others are concealed within caves adorned with stalactites and stalagmites, creating stunning underground landscapes, like the Dzul Ha cenote at Hacienda Sotuta de Peón.

For the Maya, cenotes were sacred portals to Xibalba and key to rituals. Offerings and human remains found in them reveal their deep spiritual role.

Haciendas in Yucatán

Haciendas in Yucatán were once large estates primarily used for cattle ranching and agriculture. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the demand for sisal, also known as henequén, soared, turning Mérida into one of Mexico’s wealthiest cities.

Many cattle ranches became sisal plantations as it grew into the region’s most profitable industry. But with synthetic fibers, demand dropped and many haciendas were abandoned.

Another reason was that after the Mexican Revolution, many large estates were expropriated and broken up into smaller plots for small farmers. This made many large ranches unprofitable, and many disappeared altogether.

In the 19th century, there were about 1,170 haciendas on the Yucatán Peninsula, of which around 400 still exist today, although most are in ruins.

About 300 of these haciendas are located in the state of Yucatán. Some haciendas have been restored and turned into hotels, restaurants, or tourist attractions. Here are two recommended haciendas in Mérida I’ve written about:

• Hacienda Santa Cruz

  • Address: Calle 86 S/N, Santa Cruz Palomeque, Yucatán

  • A beautifully restored hacienda that now operates as a boutique hotel and spa with lush gardens. It is located right on the southern outskirts of Mérida.

    
    

• Hacienda San Ildefonso Teya

  • Address: Carretera Mérida - Cancún Km 12.5, Kanasín, Yucatán

  • A former sisal plantation, now a restaurant known for its traditional Yucatecan cuisine. It is located right on the eastern outskirts of Mérida.

And here are the top haciendas just outside Mérida:

• Hacienda Sotuta de Peón

  • Address: Km 45, Carretera Mérida - Campeche, Tecoh, Yucatán

  • As described here. This is the best hacienda in my opinion. It is the only working sisal hacienda, offering guided tours with demonstrations of traditional fiber processing, and a cenote for swimming.

    
    

• Hacienda Mucuyché

  • Address: Camino a Mucuyché de Peón, Abalá, Yucatán

  • If your focus is also especially on cenotes, Hacienda Mucuyché is the best recommendation. The hacienda is famous for its two stunning cenotes, set within the ruins of the historic hacienda.

    
    

• Hacienda Xcanatún

  • Address: Carretera Mérida-Progreso Km 12, Xcanatún, Yucatán

  • A restored 18th-century sisal hacienda, now a luxury hotel and spa with a fine dining restaurant.

    
    

• Hacienda Yaxcopoil

  • Address: Carretera Mérida - Uxmal Km 186, Yaxcopoil, Yucatán

  • A well-preserved 17th-century hacienda, now a museum showcasing the history of sisal production and hacienda life.