Cool Off With a Merida Day Pass at These 7 Beautiful Haciendas
If you’re looking for a great way to beat Merida’s blazing heat, grab a day pass and hit the pool at one of these 7 beautiful haciendas. Along with the promise of a refreshing dip, opting for a Merida day pass at one of these lovely haciendas is an excellent way to experience the region’s colonial heritage. You’ll be transported back in time to Merida’s henequen heyday while chilling poolside on lush, manicured grounds, and you’ll have options for things like tours, bicycle rides, delicious eats, cocktails, and spa time.
So much win!
After 3 years of living in Merida, I’ve splashed away many a day at these gorgeous hacienda pools. All with the selfless aim of beefing up my — er, um, I mean your — Merida to-do list. I’d say a Merida day pass is a first-rate activity for families, as well as for couples and girlfriend groups looking to recharge.
So what and where are these epic hacienda pools I speak of? Let’s dive in!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Hacienda Xcanatún
Hacienda Xcanatún is a luxury oasis that’s an absolute must on the discerning traveler’s to-do list. Every time I set foot on the spectacular 4-acre grounds of this former henequenera, it’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that downtown Merida is just 30-minutes away. This beautifully restored, 18th-century hacienda is now part of the Angsana Heritage Collection of hotels, which classifies Hacienda Xcanatún as an “urban resort.”
As you would imagine, Hacienda Xcanatún is super exclusive. Only hotel guests and diners at its celebrated Casa de Piedra restaurant can access the grounds. But purchasing a Merida day pass is a prime way to bypass the velvet rope.
The vibe here is less kiddo and more upscale. But I literally live 5-minutes from Hacienda Xcanatún and regularly have an amazing time day passing it here with my 8-year-old.
Xcanatún has 3 splendid pools on-site so you’ve got plenty of options for cooling off. However, the real star of the show is Xcanatun’s fabulous Olympic-sized swimming pool, where you can recline on a Bali bed while sipping top-shelf cocktails from the poolside bar, Lol-Ha.
If you really want to up your luxe factor, another great option for spending the day poolside at Hacienda Xcanatun is to book a Spa Day Pass. This includes a 60-minute massage in addition to all the poolside amenities. The Angsana Spa is one Merida’s finest. So if you book the spa day pass here, you might think about sneaking in an extra treatment!
Book your pass at least 1 day in advance. However, if you call first thing in the morning it’s often possible to luck out with same day availability.
DAY PASS POOL
💰 Cost | Adults – $1,459 MXN | Kids until age 11 – $600 MXN.
⏰ Duration & Use | Use of all 3 pools and all common areas from 10 am – 7 pm.
☀️ Includes | $600 MXN credit at the Lol-Ha Pool Bar, welcome snack from Lol-Ha pool bar, 10% discount on services from the Angsana Spa, internet access.
DAY PASS SPA
💰 Cost | $3,950 MXNN (adults only).
⏰ Duration & Use | Use of spa facilities, all 3 pools and all common areas from 9 am – 6 pm.
💆♀️ Includes | 60-minute massage, 15% discount on spa products, $600 MXN credit at the Lol-Ha Pool Bar, internet access.
📲 Reservations Day Pass | +52 999 930 2140 | ResortHost-Xcanatun@angsana.com
📲 Reservations Spa Day | +52 999 930 2140, ext 190 | Spa-Xcanatun@angsana.com
Hacienda Santa Cruz
Out of all the Merida day pass options on this list, Hacienda Santa Cruz is my family’s go-to when we’re antsy and need to escape the house. It’s got a lot of pros — beautiful, affordable, great for families, and just 20-minutes south of downtown Merida.
You’ll find 2 lovely pools here. One is framed by a small patio that’s scattered with tables and chairs where you can relax and eat. Then there’s the real showstopper and the reason you’re here — the glistening cenote you see in the picture above. There’s a shallow end you can enter by steps and deeper end you can jump into. Surrounding the cenote is a pergola-like terrace that’s furnished with loungers and hammocks, which is where you’ll be pampered with poolside drink service.
The grounds at Santa Cruz are gorgeous, so lucky for you that your day pass also includes bicycles for exploring. Between the pools, bikes and the hacienda’s large soccer field, Hacienda Santa Cruz is a top Merida day pass choice for families. Like many of Merida’s old haciendas, Santa Cruz has been converted into a hotel, so you’ll also find a spa, and the delicious (and expensive – be prepared) restaurant Valentina.
There are three-day pass options to choose from. The basic, or silver, Santa Cruz day pass is the most affordable one on this list. The silver and gold tiers both include credits for food and drinks at Valentina, while the gold tier alone also includes a deluxe hotel guest room to use for the day.
I’ve always been lucky snagging a same day visit by calling first thing in the morning. However, it’s always best to call and reserve 1 day in advance.
SILVER DAY PASS
💰 Cost | Adults – $250 MXN | Kids 1 – 5 free | Kids 6 – 12 $200 MXN
⏰ Duration & Use | Use of the pool, cenote and common areas from 10 am – 6 pm
🚲 Includes | Bicycle use
GOLD DAY PASS
💰 Cost | Adults – $500 MXN | Kids 1 – 5 free | Kids 6 – 12 $200 MXN
⏰ Duration & Use | Use of the pool, cenote and common areas from 10 am – 6 pm
☀️ Includes | Bicycle use | $250 MXN credit to use for food & drinks at the onsite restaurant, Valentina
DIAMOND DAY PASS
💰 Cost | Adults – $1,150 MXN | Kids 1 – 5 free | Kids 6 – 12 $200 MXN
⏰ Duration & Use | Use of the pool, cenote & common areas from 10 am – 6 pm
☀️ Includes | Bicycle use | Use of a deluxe guest room for the day; $250 MXN credit to use for food and drinks.
📲 Reservations | + 52 999 902 7107 | + 52 999 611 9233 | reservaciones@haciendasantacruz.com
Hacienda Sotuta de Peón
Surrounded by rolling agave fields, Hacienda Sotuta de Peón is the last working hacienda — or hacienda viva — in Yucatan. Quite impressively, this 19th-century estate still uses original henequen manufacturing techniques and machinery, making it hard to believe you’re just 40-minutes from downtown Merida.
Sotuta de Peón is an exceptional place to spend a day. The main hacienda house is beautiful, the grounds are picturesque and sprawling, there’s a petting zoo, the restaurant Kih is delicious (plant-based folks, ask for the secret vegetarian menu!), the hacienda has loads of great tours and activities, from horseback riding to zipping around on ATVs. Visiting is an incredible opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with the glory of Yucatan’s henequen heritage, as well as support the local community.
The day pass here gives you access to the large sparkling pool, as well as use of a private hotel room for the day. I highly recommend combining your day pass with a tour of the hacienda. For Father’s Day, I brought my husband here for the 3-hour Henequenero tour, which ends with a 1-hour dip in Sotuta de Peón’s private cenote. It was an incredible experience that you can read all about here.
Make your day pass reservations at least 1 day in advance.
SOTUTA DE PEÓN DAY PASS
💰 Cost | Adults – $975 MXN | Children under 17 – free
⏰ Duration & Use | Use of pool | guest room and hacienda access from 10 am – 6 pm
☀️ Includes | 1 guest room | lunch for 2 people | towels | 15% discount on all tour services | horseback riding and spa treatments.
📲 Reservations | + 52 999 941 6431 | + 52 999 175 9923 (WhatsApp)
Hacienda San Antonio Hool
The lovely and gracefully-appointed Hacienda San Antonio Hool is located 30-minutes northwest of Merida Centro. Dating back to the 17th-century, this now luxurious hacienda started out as a livestock ranch that eventually expanded to include crops like corn and honey. The hacienda’s name evokes both Mexico’s strong ties to Catholicism and its Mayan roots. San Antonio is a nod to Saint Anthony of Padua, while “hool” is a Mayan word that roughly translates to “hole in the ground.”
A Merida day pass here is a bit pricey at $1000 MXN ($50 USD), but it includes a hacienda tour, use of towels and the dressing room, and best of all a $500 MXN ($25 USD) credit for food and drinks. The pool area is inviting and modern. It’s equipped with an awning for shade, loungers and breezy hammocks. There’s also a children’s play area, and you’ll have access to bicycles to explore the beautiful grounds.
San Antonio Hool is a popular luxury hotel and special events space, so be sure to book your day pass at least 1 day in advance.
SAN ANTONIO HOOL DAY PASS
💰 Cost | Adults – $1000 MXN | Kids 1- 17 $500 MXN
⏰ Duration & Use | Use of pool & common areas for a period of 5 hours anytime between 9 am – 5 pm
🚲 Includes | Welcome cocktail | $500 MXN credit for food & drinks | Historical tour | Use of children’s play area | Use of bicycles | Towel & dressing room
📲 Reservations | +52 999 297 1213 (WhatsApp) | +52 999 688 5990 | info@sanantoniohool.com
Hacienda San Antonio Millet
Hacienda San Antonio Millet is a 5-star luxury hotel that’s just 40 minutes east of downtown Merida. This 16th-century hacienda was originally a cattle ranch before moving into the cultivation of henequen. It’s one of the most architecturally unique haciendas you’ll find in Yucatan owing to a pair of colorful Spanish counts. After they purchased the hacienda in the 1800s, they carried out several distinctive renovations, adding medieval and Renaissance flair to the existing colonial style.
San Antonio Millet offers 2 sparkling pools where you can escape and unwind. There are 2 day pass options. Both day passes include towels and a guided visit of the grounds, while one includes food and beverages, and the other complimentary hibiscus water.
It’s worth noting that San Antonio Millet doesn’t allow guests to bring outside food or beverages on the property other than water. However, their onsite restaurant offers a tasty breakfast, lunch and dinner menu with quite a few vegetarian options. It’s wise to reserve at least 1 day in advance.
DAY PASS OPTION 1
💰 Cost | Adults – $1500 MXN | Children $400 MXN
⏰ Duration & Use | Use of 2 pools and common areas from 9 am – 5 pm
☀️ Includes | Guided visit of the grounds, towels, hibiscus water, poolside snack, one 3–course meal
DAY PASS OPTION 2
💰 Cost | Adults – $700 MXN | Children $400 MXN
⏰ Duration & Use | Use of 2 pools and common areas from 9 am – 5 pm
☀️ Includes | Guided visit of the grounds, towels, hibiscus water
📲 Reservations | +52 55 1079 0063 | haciendasanantoniomillet@gmail.com
Hacienda Misné
Strolling the cobblestone paths of Hacienda Misné is like stepping back in time. This 18th-century hacienda is nestled on lush grounds full of tropical flowers and big, billowy trees, and features distinctive colonial architecture that fuses old-world Spanish and French design. Today, Hacienda Misné is a luxury hotel that boasts a palapa-roofed spa and a charming restaurant.
Hacienda Misné’s 2 tempting swimming pools have “chill Merida day pass” written all over them. They offer two day pass options which are quite pricey, but each day pass admits 2 people, and you’ll be enjoying the grounds of a luxury hotel, after all. The more expensive day pass includes breakfast or lunch for two people, as well as a guest room to use for the day. The other includes food and beverage credits. Details are below.
Make your reservation at least 24 hours in advance. A 50% deposit is required when you book and the balance is payable upon arrival.
DAY PASS OPTION 1
💰 Cost | Adults – $2,700 MXN for 2 adults | Children – minors between 0 – 12 are free
⏰ Duration & Use | Use of the pool, common areas and a guest room in the “colonial” category from 10 am – 6 pm
☀️ Includes | 1 guest room in the “colonial” category | breakfast or lunch for two people | 1 drink each for 2 people | minors dine free
DAY PASS OPTION 2
💰 Cost | Adults – $1800 MXN for 2 adults | Children – $500 MXN
⏰ Duration & Use | Use of the pool & common areas from 10 am – 6 pm
☀️ Includes | $500 MXN credit for food and drinks for adults | $250 MXN credit for minors
📲 Reservations | +52 999 305 5335
Destino Mio
An hour and 30-minute drive from Merida lies the beautiful jungle retreat, Destino Mio. Pitched on the grounds of a former henequen hacienda, Destino Mio is a verdant sanctuary of serenity where you can get away from it all and connect with Mother Nature.
The property boasts 3 cenotes, a lovely vegetable garden, and a delicious restaurant with a wide-ranging menu. There’s also Utopika spa, a holistic wellness center that offers Temazcal purification rituals and sound baths as well as more traditional facials and massages. You can also explore Destino Mio on an ATV or bicycle tour.
Destino Mio is a swanky luxury hotel, but you can also experience this magical escape by purchasing a day pass. There’s a poolside day pass, which gives you access to the restaurant and grounds for the day, as well as a spa day pass.
POOL DAY PASS
💰 Cost | Adults $800 MXN | Children from 4 – 12 $400 MXN
⏰ Duration & Use | Use of the pool and common areas from 9 am – 8 pm
☀️ Includes | Access to the pool, cenote, viewing platform, the restaurant Cocina Tamarindo, and a tour of the vegetable garden
SPA DAY PASS
💰 Cost | $2,300 MXN
⏰ Duration & Use | Use of the pool, spa and common areas from 9 am – 6 pm
☀️ Includes | A copal cleansing, meditative sound bath, relaxing tea infusion, access to the pool and cenote, tour of the vegetable garden
📲 Reservations | +52 999 996 7421
Merida Day Pass & Hacienda FAQs
A brief history of Merida’s luxurious haciendas
Merida’s haciendas were agricultural powerhouses where livestock and crops were cultivated during the city’s colonial zenith. Aristocratic landowners built Merida’s haciendas, which stood as irrefutable symbols of their wealth and power. Generally, staff running the haciendas lived on these sprawling estates, while the wealthy owners occupied the swanky mansions lining Paseo de Montejo.
At first, Merida’s haciendas operated more like farms. They bred and raised cattle, and grew crops like maize, sugar cane and agave plants. Then, between 1835 – 1940, the “green gold” boom hit. This is when the production of henequen, transformed the Yucatan capital into one of the richest cities in the world. Merida’s haciendas fashioned henequen into rope and other goods before transporting them all over the world.
During this time, wealthy businessmen from all over Europe flocked to Merida to get in on the henequen boom. This is why so many luxury hacienda’s surround the Yucatan capital.
Merida’s henequen boom went bust with the introduction of synthetic fibers in the 1950s. Haciendas in the region were abandoned en masse, falling into disrepair. It wasn’t until the 1990s that wealthy bankers and entrepreneurs, led by banking giant Roberto Hernandez of Banamex, revived and transformed Merida’s haciendas into the grand hotels and palatial event spaces that we know today.
Who is a Merida hacienda day pass for
A Merida day pass, or pasadia, is a great option for travelers who want to enjoy carefree activities in a culturally rich setting.
It’s a particularly awesome choice for family travelers. Merida’s downtown is a bit short on green spaces, while its haciendas are a verdant paradise where kids can roam freely. Several haciendas even have playgrounds and bicycles, which make for the perfect day of family fun.
Couples and independent travelers looking for some R&R will also relish spending a day poolside. Particularly at the haciendas featuring multiple pools, and top-notch spas.
To be clear, there is no poolside party “scene” at any of these Merida haciendas. What a day pass offers is an opportunity to explore, relax and recharge. I honestly don’t think many people know hacienda day passes even exist! But lucky for you that you’ve got me — wink wink.
Why purchase a Merida day pass instead of stay overnight in a hacienda
💫 You’ve already booked a stay somewhere else.
💫 The pool at your hotel in tiny and crowded.
💫 A stay overnight at a luxury hacienda isn’t in your budget.
💫 The fam is totally over sightseeing in the relentless heat and they need to chill and cool off.
💫 You prefer to stay overnight in a more central Merida location (most haciendas are a half hour or more from downtown Merida).
What to bring
Bring a refillable bottle/thermos full of water and, if the hacienda permits, a few light snacks.
All 7 haciendas on this list have restaurants where you can eat and drink. Food might be included in your day pass, so check at the time of purchase. If you have any food restrictions, check the menu or call ahead to find out about suitable options. If you’re a vegan or vegetarian, I’ve done due diligence and can confirm every hacienda on this list has plant-based food options.
Some of these haciendas include use of a towel, but I always prefer to take my own, just in case. Otherwise, here’s what you should bring:
☀️ Sunblock (I’d recommend SPF 50 or higher in Merida)
🩱 Swimsuit
🕶 Sunglasses
💧 Refillable water bottle
🥿 Slides/flip-flops/pool shoes
👟 Closed toe shoes for any tours or walking you plan to do
⚡️ A battery pack to charge your phone and/or other tech
🧢 A sun hat, cap or visor
👕 A rash guard for kids
📖 A good poolside read
How to get to Merida’s haciendas
Merida’s luxury haciendas are scattered anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour outside of the city. Ideally, you will need a rental car to get there. All of the haciendas on this list have free parking.
Alternatively, it’s possible to take an Uber or taxi, but this might be more trouble than it’s worth. Getting there won’t be so much of a problem as returning. In more remote locations, it can be challenging to find an Uber or taxi readily available to get you back to Merida.
The Wrap
I hope discovering these Merida day passes inspires you to explore and cool off! There’s really something special about daycationing at these gorgeous estates filled with the echoes of Merida’s rich colonial history.
If you’re looking for more to do when you visit, check out these 15 unique places to visit near Merida with a rental car.
Let me know in the comments below which of these fabulous hacienda pools is your favorite. Otherwise, I’m always happy to help you out with any questions about your upcoming trip.
Inspired travels! 💜
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