Hacienda Santa Maria
Near Comitan, Chiapas, Mexico
19th-century countryside hacienda and art museum south of San Cristóbal de las Casas, near the Montebello lakes
Nobody would guess the Santa Maria was near San Cristóbal.
Say San Cristóbal and you think Zapatistas,
hand-woven sweaters, rural communities, and lots of jungle. Think
again. The Santa Maria is a 19th-century hacienda surrounded by
corn fields near the famous multicoloured Montebello lakes.
The view from the terrace restaurant down a deep valley into the
lake below will convince you that you’re in fact in the
French Riviera. Take a tour around the hacienda's 8
rooms, filled with dark wood armoirs and
chandeliers, and you’ll be sure that you’re in an
antiques shop in Paris. But when you see the private museum (in the
hacienda chapel) housing an impressive collection of 16th- to
19th-century oil paintings of religious scenes by European and
Mexican artists, you’ll be completely thrown. Never mind, it
must be the heat, time to have a glass of red wine before lunch.
Which country are we in again?
Reviewed by Lucia Appleby
Last updated 19 August 2011
Highs
- Beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and Montebello lakes
- Impressive collection of religious art
- Organic food grown in the gardens
- Peace and tranquility
- Hacienda style at budget prices
Lows
- The off-the-beaten-track location makes it inaccessible without a car or taxi
- You'll need transport to access the nearby ruins and lakes
