The Travel Gallery

Here’s our monthly gallery showcasing some of the region’s many natural and historical attractions. How many have you visited? Which ones would you like to explore on future visits to Grand Residences?

Xcacel

This pristine crescent-shaped bay in the Riviera Maya is one of the world’s most important nesting beaches for green and loggerhead turtles and the state government designated it a sea turtle sanctuary to protect the shoreline. The mangroves and forest behind the beach are also rich in wildlife.

Nohoch Nah Chich Cenote

This incredible jungle cenote is the mouth of Sac Actun, the longest underground river system discovered to date in the world.

Guided tours are available to the first chamber of this huge cave cenote for swimming and snorkeling and to see its amazing stalactite and stalagmite formations. For cave divers, there are trips into the cenote’s mysterious depths.

Hacienda Teya

Eight miles from the center of Merida, on the highway to Cancun, Hacienda Teya is a popular stop for Yucatecan cuisine and for a glimpse of what these estates were like when they produced henequen or sisal in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

Teya dates from the early 17^th century and was originally a cattle ranch before it began to cultivate henequen. When international demand for henequen dropped, the regional industry fell into decline and haciendas like Teya were abandoned.

By the 1970s, the estate had fallen into ruin and was bought by Jorge Cardenas, a Merida businessman. He and his family restored it, starting with the gardens and replanting trees in the orchards and around the house. Restoration work on the buildings took place in the 1980s and the machine room was refurbished as an elegant wedding and event venue. Nowadays, you can enjoy lunch in the restaurant and then wander around the grounds to see an exhibition of photos dating from the early 20th century, learn about the restoration process and visit the estate chapel.

Mayapan

Located 30 miles south of Merida, Mayapan was the last capital of the Maya in the Yucatan. Founded around A.D. 1250 during the post-Classic period of Mayan civilization, it was abandoned in 1450. Several of Mayapan’s most important buildings show similarities to those at Chichen Itza, leading archaeologists to speculate that it was settled by Maya from Chichen, which was abandoned around 1250.

Your Concierge can help you arrange unforgettable excursions throughout the world of wonders that is the Yucatan Peninsula.