Hacienda Katanchel Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Hacienda Katanchel
Resort and nature reserve
Entrance to Hacienda Katanchel
Hacienda Katanchel Location in Mexico
Country	Mexico
Mexican States	Yucatán
Municipalities	Tixkokob
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Postal code	97471
Area code	991

Hacienda Katanchel is a special place in the Tixkokob Municipality of Yucatán, Mexico. It used to be a big farm, but now it's a beautiful nature reserve and a resort where people can stay. This hacienda was built a long time ago, in the 1800s, when a plant called henequen was very important. Today, people from nearby towns can visit a special lab here. They learn about the local plants and animals, helping to protect nature.

What Does Katanchel Mean?
How to Find Hacienda Katanchel
The Story of Hacienda Katanchel
- From Farm to Nature Reserve
- Learning About Nature
Exploring the Architecture
- Main House Features
- Old Chapel and Other Buildings
People of Katanchel Through Time
Photo gallery
See also

What Does Katanchel Mean?

The name "Katanchel" comes from the ancient Mayan language. It means "where does the sky arc?" or "where the sky bends." It's a very poetic name for such a lovely place!

How to Find Hacienda Katanchel

If you want to visit Hacienda Katanchel, here's how to get there:

Start in Mérida and drive east on Highway 180 towards Valladolid.
Go for about 20 kilometers (about 12 miles).
Near a place called San Bernardino, turn left.
Drive north for about 4.5 kilometers (about 2.8 miles), and you will arrive at Hacienda Katanchel.

The Story of Hacienda Katanchel

Hacienda Katanchel has a long and interesting history. It started as a farm for cows and horses. Later, in the late 1800s, it became a big factory for processing henequen. Henequen is a plant that was used to make ropes and other products. This was a very busy time for the hacienda.

From Farm to Nature Reserve

When the henequen business slowed down, the hacienda was left empty. Its many buildings, about 60 of them, started to fall apart. In the middle of the 1900s, a person named Érick Rubio Ancona owned the property.

Then, in the late 1990s, Aníbal González Torres and his wife Mónica Hernández Ramírez bought Hacienda Katanchel. They had a wonderful idea: to turn it into a nature reserve! They worked hard to fix up all the old buildings. Now, the hacienda has 40 rooms for guests to stay in.

Learning About Nature

One of the old storage buildings at the hacienda has been changed into a special laboratory. Here, people from nearby communities can come and learn. The state government teaches them about how to protect the plants and trees of the region. It's a great way to help local people understand and care for their environment.

Exploring the Architecture

The buildings at Hacienda Katanchel have a beautiful old style.

Main House Features

The main house has a grand entrance. It's built in a style called "colonial," which was popular a long time ago. You'll see two rows of three arches, held up by strong columns. A wide staircase leads you up to the front porches. It looks very impressive!

Old Chapel and Other Buildings

The hacienda also has an old chapel. The floors inside are very old, dating all the way back to the 1600s! Imagine walking on floors that are hundreds of years old.

The building where the henequen machines used to be is now a restaurant. And the old company store, where workers used to buy things, is now the resort's office. It's amazing how these old buildings have been given new life!

People of Katanchel Through Time

Before 1937, many people lived and worked on the hacienda. But then, the government made changes to how land was owned. This meant that haciendas like Katanchel no longer had large communities living on them.

Today, according to a study done in 2005 by INEGI (Mexico's National Institute of Statistics and Geography), no one lives permanently at Hacienda Katanchel. It's mainly a place for visitors and for nature conservation.