Hacienda Ochil

Lying about 44km south of Mérida, Hacienda Ochil provides a fascinating, though basic, look at how henequén was grown and processed. From the parking lot follow the ‘truck’ tracks – used by the small wheeled carts to haul material to and from the processing plant – to the right around the parklike, restored portion of the hacienda. You’ll pass workshops where you might see locals fashioning handicrafts for sale and a small henequén museum with exhibits illustrating the cultivating, harvesting and processing of the plant. These include pieces of machinery and photos of hacienda life. Iguanas abound.