Henequen,
Yucatan's green gold

This month’s cover picture, by photographer Eduardo Cervantes, shows rows and rows of henequen as it dries under the hot Yucatecan sun.

When the henequen is chopped and shredded, it is yellow and wet. After a few hours under the hot sun, it turns a beautiful white color and is dry.

Yucatan is known world wide for its henequen. However, this incredible industry has seen better days. In 1916, more than 200,000 tons a year were cultivated and processed in some 200 henequen processing factories. A testament to this important era are all the henequen haciendas that dot the map throughout the state and the incredible mansions on the Paseo Montejo that were witnesses to and products of the era of the Green Gold.

Nowadays, the market produces a mere 5,000 tons a year in some 18 plants. The majority of the production is used for wall coverings and rugs in decoration and twine for farmers. The downfall of the henequen industry was the invention of synthetic fibers in the 1950's.

The henequen plant is perfect for the Yucatan in that it grows happily in our rocky, inhospitable landside and doesn't require much water. It takes five years from the time a henequen plant is planted until its leaves are ready to be harvested for production. With new technology the time is being reduced to two years. There is a new industry that is extracting honey and alcohol from the plant making it a somewhat thriving business.

To see a working henequen hacienda, we suggest you visit Hacienda Sotuta de Peon in Tecoh, a village located just 10 kilometers from Merida.

This living hacienda offers daily Into the Past Tours that include seeing the henequen being processed in the antique machinery, a trip into the henequen plantations on mule drawn carts, a stop at a Mayan house and a stop at the cenote where you can swim in the crystal clear waters. The tour ends at the main house where you will get a feel for how the hacienda plantations owners lived.

You can book the tour with your travel agency that includes transportation, the tour and lunch ($500 pesos) or drive out yourself with 24 hours notice (no lunch) ($250 adults, $125 children.) Monday to Saturday. Tours are at 10 AM, 12 noon and 2 PM. There is a restaurant. www.haciendatour.com Tel 941- 8639

To read in Spanish click here

Recommended reading
 Hacienda Tours - Sotuta de Peon
 Hacienda Route
 Hacienda Hotels
 Hacienda Temozon

Be an ecological tourist
 Sustainable Tourism
What you can do
 Tips on how to save water
Photography in the Yucatan

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