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Hacienda Santa Cruz

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This colonial-era hacienda is nestled in 12 acres of beautiful gardens on the southern edge of the joyful city of Mérida.

In peaceful surroundings of orange trees and palms, Hacienda Santa Cruz is a former 17th century Franciscan monastery, a listed
building converted into a hotel in 2007. Within its unassuming boundary are landscaped grounds and gardens illuminated by hanging lanterns, creating a magical atmosphere in the evenings. Exploring the property, you’ll encounter its elegant courtyard and the original centuries-old chapel as well as impressive guest facilities. There are adult and children’s pools, as well as an indulgent spa offering a wide variety of treatments, including hydro-massage. The hotel also has a restaurant serving traditional Yucatecan cuisine.

Hacienda Santa Cruz has 25 individually-decorated rooms and suites, many in the original buildings with lovely views of the gardens. Rooms have gorgeous designs with warm earthy colours, intricate period furnishings, bold artwork and rather opulent bathrooms. Some have four-poster beds, while suites have large sitting rooms and more ostentatious bathrooms.

Downtown Mérida is 20km (30 mins) drive from Hacienda Santa Cruz and the Mayan ruins at Uxmal and the Puuc route are around an hour away.

What our clients say

"Most memorable aspects were all the archaeological sites, which we enjoyed immensely. On the whole, we found local people very kind and helpful."
DC, Nottingham Jun 2013
Most memorable experiences: "Visiting our parents' house in Lomas de Chapultepec. Francisco persuaded the owners that we were genuine, which was quite an achievement. In sightseeing terms it is difficult…
HG, Sherborne Mar 2015
Most Memorable Moment?: The awesome encounter with a grey whale mother and calf.
WS, London Feb 2018
Mexico is such an interesting country, very diverse. I recommend to read a good guide that could give an overview of the history of Mexico and don't miss the Museum…
CL, Harpenden Sep 2016
Most memorable aspects were all the archaeological sites, which we enjoyed immensely. On the whole, we found local people very kind and helpful.
DC Nottingham Oct 2015
As a first time traveler to Central America, I can't stress enough how pleasurable Journey Latin America made Mexico for us. We feel as if we have a million magical…
LH, Pinner Dec 2011

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Our Expert's Opinion

Hannah Donaldson - Travel Expert

Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is a much valued Travel Expert in our Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tours sales team.

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A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.
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Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.
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After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!