Rooms

The hacienda has 8 elegant rooms - 4 doubles and 4 twins. They have white walls, rustic beamed ceilings and tiled floors, and are packed with an impressive collection of antique furniture. Some come with four-poster beds with breezy white drapes; others have intricately-embroidered bedspreads and walls adorned with cherubs and religious paintings.

Each room has its own name, connected to the furniture inside: hence the Chiapaneca Room has 2 carved beds from Chiapas, and the French Room has a French dressing-table and a traditional wooden armoir. The Plateresca Room is connected to the porfiriato epoch, and has a chimney and 2 beds carved by Mexican cabinet-makers. The Art Nouveau Room has a magnificent brass double bed, and the Comiteca Room has furniture by Don Adonahi Herrera - a native carpenter of nearby Comitán.

All rooms look on to the hacienda terrace (which has sedan chairs and comfy hammocks), with a view over the garden.

Eating

In the pretty terraced restaurant next to the main house (with a wide view over the hacienda garden and the valley below), chef Richi prepares salty meat dishes, quesadillas, fresh maize tortillas, magnificent sweets and delicacies of Comitecan cuisine. Most of the various grains, fruit and vegetables (from avocado to cauliflower and elote) used in the dishes are organically cultivated and harvested on the property (as are the coffee beans).

The house specialities are pork in orange sauce and pork cooked with chile, tomato, onion and herbs, but there are also plenty of vegetarian options. The salads in particular are an organic feast, using fresh ingredients picked from the garden that day. Don‘t miss the Aztec carrot cake prepared with chayotes.

If you want a tipple before or after dinner you can head inside the main building to the elegant salon-bar, which has arched doorways, carved stone fireplaces, antique furniture and a pool table.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Dinner by arrangement
• Lunch by arrangement
• Organic produce
• Restaurant
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Visit the vivid multicoloured waters and pine-forested slopes of the nearby Montebello lakes, which stretch across the Mexican-Guatemalan border
  
  
• Climb the near-deserted Mayan ruins of Chinkultic, admire the views and swim in the nearby cenote (the hacienda can arrange guided tours)
  
  
• Hop across the border for a day trip to Guatemala
  
  
• Explore the Lacandon Jungle, home to waterfalls, indigenous Mayan communities and nature reserves
  
  
• Admire the private collection of religious art in the hacienda's museum, set inside a chapel in the grounds
  
  
• Go shopping at the markets and craft shops of San Cristóbal
  
  
• Enjoy a countryside walk through corn fields and rolling hills

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Museums / galleries
• Plantlife / flora
• Private guided tours
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming
• Traditional cultures
• Trekking
• Wildlife

Kids

Children are very welcome here, though there are no particular facilities for them. Extra beds can be set up in the rooms and baby cots are available.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

Cots Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Hacienda Santa Maria is located about 2 hours southeast of San Cristóbal de las Casas in Mexico's most southerly state, Chiapas. It's near La Trinitaria, the Guatemalan border and Comitán (50km away).

By Air
Tuxtla Gutierrez Angel Albino Corzo International (115km away) is the nearest airport. It's served by domestic flights from Mexico City, Guadalajara and Huatulco - click on the links below for a list of airlines.

From the Airport
The hacienda's remote location means most guests hire a car (see below). Altertanively, take one of the frequent shuttle vans to San Cristóbal - a journey of around 2 hours - then take a taxi onwards to the hacienda.

By Bus
There are regular buses to San Cristóbal from Tuxtla Gutierrez (a journey of 2 hours) and Palenque (5 hours). Two or more buses also operate daily between San Cristóbal and Mexico City (19 hours), Oaxaca (12 hours), Puerto Escondido (12 hours), Mérida (13 hours), Villahermosa (7 hours), Chetumal (10 hours), Playa del Carmen (13-16 hours), Tulum (12-16 hours) and Cancún (17 hours).

From San Cristóbal take a taxi to the hacienda or hire a car. There are also hourly buses from San Cristóbal to Comitán, plus tour minivans to the Montebello lakes, which depart early morning (some stop at Hacienda Santa Maria for lunch).

By Car
Having the use of a car makes exploring easier and, due to the off-the-beaten-track location of the hacienda, it's highly recommended. See our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions to the hacienda will be provided when a booking is confirmed.

More on getting to Mexico and getting around