Hacienda Santa Rosa

Of all the alluring haciendas in the Yucatán, the Hacienda Santa Rosa is perhaps the prettiest—an appealing 17th-century building, delightfully decorated in blues, reds, and ochres. The first thing you see as you drive up is the owner’s mansion, enhanced at the front by a long row of arches, which form a romantic veranda. On arrival, you are cordially welcomed with a glass of fresh juice and a refreshing cold towel. As you step inside, years seem to slip away—the antique furnishings re-create to perfection the ambiance of a wealthy plantation owner’s home. The luxurious guestrooms, in various buildings around the property, live up to all expectations: each has its own personality, but all have tremendous charm. The suites have individual plunge pools adorned with floating flower petals. The most unusual accommodation is a Mayan-style, thatched-roof cottage where the king-sized bed is suspended from the ceiling like a hammock. The lovely young girls in native costume who care for the rooms create incredible designs with the flowers that adorn the robes, the towels, the bed linens, the baskets of shampoos and lotions, the bathmats, the dishes—everything is magic. The food is delicious and dining a special treat in an open-air porch with the jungle almost at your fingertips.