|
RANCHO LAS PALMAS – Santuario Atotonilco
Spread over twenty acres of land, this bucolic riverside resort property was built in the early 1990s when it was an overgrown wilderness and deep gorge along the ancient Rio Laja. A resort by design, it was built out of adobe and rocks, with many of the buildings sporting extra- thick, Huasteca-style palapa roofs, probably the only jungle palapas constructed in this part of the Republic.
The main salon is enclosed above by a vast ceiling with awe-inspiring cedar trunks that are used as support systems. The kitchen contains carrizo ceilings and there are two loft sleeping areas on either side of the sala for visiting family. In keeping with the resort layout, the 2 master bedrooms are separate residences, designed for maximum privacy with incredible vistas of the ancient river gorge.
On the main level, a detached stone building to the side of the salon contains an intimate, charmingly furnished Master guest suite. The 2nd Master bedroom is an intimate and private palapa with full bathroom, tucked away in the cliff with inspiring view of the river.
Alfalfa fields surround the property, to feed an extensive array of trail horses, burros, chickens, ducks and sheep. Trail horses romp happily in the sandy riverbed the property adjuncts. For the avid athlete, an extensive collection of mountain bikes and trail horses are available to explore the miles of untouched countryside visible from every building.
The lap pool, heated by the natural geothermic water Atotonilco is famous for, can be entered directly from a small heated changing room casita. The pool stays naturally at 94F as it is recycled nightly via irrigation of the fields, or during baling season by utilizing a passive solar heating system in the lower buildings.
Next to the pool, a rounded gazebo is used for outdoor relaxation, cocktail parties, and croquet games in the consistently perfect year round temperature. Far below the residential buildings, are a plethora of stables, animal pens, and pets, and a large greenhouse of organic vegetables. |
