Hacienda Zamná is a mere 30 minutes drive from Mérida. This hacienda, a unique place to do some equestrian tourism in Yucatán, is located in the municipality of Baca, which years ago was known as Yucatán’s main Henequén zone.
For this trip, we visited the hacienda as a family, including children aged 2, 3, and 5 years old. The little ones had perhaps a better time than the grown-ups. We definitely want to repeat this experience!
The Hacienda
As soon as you’re on the road that leads to Hacienda Zamná, you feel like you’ve been transported to a different place; one of peace and contact with nature, where life is slower, birds are singing, and your vehicle slowly rolls on the “sacbé” (white road) while crickets chirp all around.
The hacienda, which dates back to 1870, is in excellent condition. It has well-kept gardens, spotless stables, and the staff – needless to say – is friendly, like all good Yucatecans.
First things first: refresh yourself with a welcome Horchata
We were greeted by Palmi (our guide) upon our arrival. She offered us some delicious Horchata from Yaxkukul (the tastiest in Yucatán according to Horchata connoisseurs). While we enjoyed our drink, she told us about the hacienda and its daily activities.
The horseback riding tour, a once in a lifetime experience
It starts with an easy question: have you ever ridden a horse? Next, there’s the careful selection of the horse. The guide knows all the horses and mares, calls them by their name, knows their nature, and chooses the one that suits each person.
As an animal and nature lover, something I have tried to pass on to my children is the need for close contact with them to learn their value in our environment and to know and respect them. As soon as we got on our horse Chela, we let her know that we would be her companions in this adventure, introducing ourselves and petting her.
Afterward, and following Palmi’s instructions to lead our mounts, we made a tour around the surroundings of this beautiful hacienda. We then headed to its outskirts. This incredible experience was made even better by being in the middle of nature, riding. It is a feeling that cannot be described; children and adults were just as thrilled with the ride.
The tour lasts about an hour, and every minute is worth it. We were able to watch a rider at full speed, meadows, and a beautiful sunset.
Ovinus: learn about Hacienda Zamná’s ovine culture and interact with baby lambs
Halfway through the horseback riding tour, we stopped at Ovinus, a space that Hacienda Zamná has for raising various breeds of lambs. There, we had the opportunity to feed them and learn about their interaction with humans. The children also climbed and had their pictures taken on the huge tractors that caught their attention.
Other tours at Hacienda Zamná
The tour we took was called the Hacienda Tour, the most recommended when you first visit, but Hacienda Zamná has three other (longer) horseback riding tours:
- Ruta de la pitahaya (Dragon Fruit Route): this tour is perfect to enjoy the ride through trails surrounded by trees of the region and dragon fruit fields, a seasonal fruit typical of the state.
- Aventura a Timul (Adventure to Timul): a tour through the outskirts on trails until you reach an old hacienda in ruins.
- Desfibradora Santa Rita (Santa Rita Shredder): a tour through the Yucatecan jungle until you reach an authentic sisal shredder or fiberizer, used to process the plant .
Not to forget, Hacienda Zamná has an exclusive tour for children aged from 1 to 6; they’ll have a close experience with horses and other animals.
Rates
Tours start at $700 pesos for children and $1,400 pesos for adults. For Yucatecos, there’s a special rate (official ID needed).
Recommendations
Considering that we went with children, I recommend bringing sunscreen, a bottle of water that can be hung up to keep both hands free, comfortable shoes (such as boots or sports shoes), bug repellent, a long-sleeved shirt (since there are horseflies, and repellent doesn’t scare them away), hat, and jeans (or thick pants).
Cel. 999 355 0038
[email protected]
IG: haciendazamna
FB: Hacienda Zamná
By Jaziel Carballo
Technologist by profession; travel photographer and writer by passion.
Photography by Jaziel Carballo for use in Yucatán Today.
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