Hacienda La Esperanza

La Esperanza was one of the largest sugar operations on the island in the mid-nineteenth century, and the reason to come is a machine: a steam-driven mill built by the West Point Foundry in 1861, restored to working order and one of very few surviving examples of its type anywhere in the world. Guides run it during the tour. Around it stand the great house, the ruins of the mill buildings, and a landscape that includes wetland, mangrove, beach and karst hills, all now managed as a nature reserve of over a thousand acres. The tour deals directly with the enslaved labour the estate ran on, and the archaeology of where those people lived.

What you actually see

• The 1861 steam engine - restored and run during the guided tour.
• The great house - the estate residence above the cane land.
• The mill ruins - stone structures of the sugar works.
• The reserve - wetland, mangrove, dunes and karst on the same property.

When to go

December to April is drier. Visits are by reservation on limited days, generally at weekends, and the machinery demonstration only happens on the guided tour. English tours are less frequent than Spanish. Book well ahead.

Honest expectations

Reservation is required and days are limited, so this cannot be done spontaneously. Tours are often Spanish-only. The estate is large and the walking is in open sun. The nature reserve sections have restricted access to protect turtle nesting.

Nearby

Mar Chiquita is fifteen minutes; Laguna Tortuguero is nearby.