Cholul Hacienda — the abandoned henequen mansion haunted by its mistress, Mérida

The Cholul Hacienda near Mérida, Yucatán, is another abandoned 19th-century henequen plantation that is said to be haunted by its former mistress. The hacienda, now in ruins, was once one of the grand estates that lined the 'Paseo de Montejo' route radiating from Mérida into the henequen-producing countryside. According to local accounts, the mistress of the hacienda died under tragic circumstances — some say she was murdered by her husband, others that she took her own life — and her full apparition has been seen walking the grounds and standing on the main house's veranda. She is described as a beautiful woman in a fine dress from the late 19th century who seems unaware that her hacienda has crumbled around her. Workers who have entered the property for maintenance report hearing a woman's heels clicking on stone floors that no longer exist, the rustle of a silk dress, and the scent of expensive European perfume. The Yucatecan henequen haciendas are some of the most visually striking ruins in Mexico — their grand European-style mansions, surrounded by industrial processing buildings and workers' hovels, tell the story of extreme wealth and extreme poverty existing side by side.