 Hacienda Sac Chich Yucatan, Mexico  Tucked away on the lush grounds of Hacienda Sac Chich, Casa de Maquinas is a complex of 3 limestone buildings, a water tower and an 85 ft. chimney. Surrounded by palm filled gardens Casa de Maquinas consists of three 2000 sq.ft. rectangular structures that date to 1850. Throughout the hacienda there is evidence of its previous utilitarian life. Iron wheels and massive beams are remnants of its past. One building, CASA ANTIGUA, houses the living room, 2 king bedrooms, a loft bedroom with a queen and a double and 2 bathrooms and a colonial kitchen. Opposite the Casa Antigua is another building, the CASA NUEVA, where a dramatic central hallway is the entrance to 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, all with soaring 26' ceilings and 13' high doors. The large master has a sunken living area, and outside within a walled garden is a settee and plunge pool. Between these two buildings the open-air living room and dining pavilion, the Loggia, is surrounded by lily and fish filled reflecting water ponds and dramatic lighting. From the loggia climb an enclosed spiral staircase to a rooftop lounge and star-viewing platform. Here you can watch the moon, stars, sunset, an approaching storm or enjoy the night breeze. Through a seashell mosaic tunnel from the inner courtyard you find the 40-foot pool. Once the water tank for the hacienda, the freshwater pool is now a shimmering refuge from the heat of the Yucatan. A steel and bamboo pergola and a playita of shallow water with a hammock suspended above provide areas for rest and shade. Beyond the pool, in a hidden garden you find the regulation size bocce ball court. Framing the entire hacienda are dry stacked stonewalls, tall hedges of fica and walls creatively designed with metal cages filled with local limestone. The grounds are filled with exotic rare palms, bamboos, gingers, tropical plants and fruit trees. The house restoration has been a project of the renowned Mexican architect Salvador Reyes Rios and his partner and wife Josefina Larrain. Most of the furniture throughout is designed by Salvador and fabricated locally. Casa de Maquinas Calle 16, Sac Chich Acanceh, Yucatan Mexico, 97380 Web: www.HaciendaSacChich.com |
