Hacienda Chichen Resort

Located within the Chichen Itza site itself, and with direct access to the famous monument, settings don’t come much more convenient that Hacienda Chichen’s. The hotel is set in beautiful gardens, where much of the produce for the restaurant is grown.

Hacienda Chichen’s rooms are spread across cottages in the hotel’s gardens, each built in a colonial style and decorated with Mayan arts and crafts. They feature hand-carved wooden furniture and deluxe deep-soaking tubs, as well as private patio terraces overlooking the beautiful jungle gardens and fountains. In keeping with the spirit of escape and relaxation, many have no TVs, phone or internet (these are available in the main mansion).

The Victorian-style Morley’s Cottage was built with ancient Mayan stones in the early 1900s by Sylvan Morley, one of the first and pre-eminent archaeologists in the field, while the other cottages have also each housed a renowned scholar during their work at Chichen Itza.

The chefs at Hacienda Chichen are of Mayan heritage, and cook traditional dishes made from fresh, seasonal ingredients across two venues: Los Faisanes bistro, and the more informal terrace restaurant Chilam Balam. All the produce is grown and reared either locally or in the hotel’s gardens, and sample dishes include pork chops with honey and chipotle sauce, pibil chicken with black bean paste, and red snapper in Creole sauce. Enjoy a candlelit dinner after a day exploring Chichen Itza.

Stroll in the serene tropical gardens, and enjoy a refreshing dip in the pool, while the Yaxkin Spa, like everything at the resort, is geared towards being sustainable and in tune with the environment, as well as with Mayan traditions. As such, produce used is organic and locally grown, using ingredients such as honey, cacao, aloe vera and tropical fruits. The techniques and treatments used are rooted in Mayan shamanic traditions, which date back hundreds of years.

Needless to say, the standout activity during a stay here is a visit to Chichen Itza, to which the resort has unrivalled access through its own entrance in the gardens. The ruins make up one of the most famous attractions in the world, and are the brilliantly-preserved remains of a Mayan city dating back to 600AD.

A range of other activities are also on offer, including visits to the wildlife sanctuary, guided birdwatching tours, cookery classes – and see the hotel’s private collection of rubbings of Mayan carvings.