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Hacienda “La Luz,” Cacao Farm and Chocolate Factory
Hacienda “La Luz” is a rustic farm located about 5 km from the Maya ruins of Comalcalco in
the Mexican state of Tabasco. It was acquired in the 1930’s by a German immigrant, Dr.
Otto Wolter Hayer. Currently, the property has 26 hectares of cacao and a pastoral ranch
house. The cacao produced on the property is used to make homemade chocolate
products available for purchase of the same property. There are also 15 hectares of
pastureland and over 5 hectares of virgin jungle.
The production of chocolate began in 1958 when Dr. Wolter founded a chocolate factory on
the premises of the hacienda. These are high quality handmade chocolates made with the
same cacao grown near the hacienda.
Around the property are numerous gardens that contain plants native to the region, in
additional to some exotic species. This makes the hacienda a sort of botanical garden.
The hacienda produces many of their own plants at an onsite nursery and greenhouse. You
can also visit the cattle farm here, where the cattle are primary raised for their milk.
In 2003, a chocolate museum was opened here named El Primer Museo del Cacao y el
Chocolate “Dr. Otto Wolter Hayer” (The Dr. Otto Wolter Hayer Cacao and Chocolate
Museum). The museum includes displays utensils and machines used for producing
chocolates, in addition to interpretive information on the history of chocolate production in
Mexico.
The main house is an antique construction made of brick and cal. It is adorned with
numerous Talavera tile mosaics, making it a classic example of Spanish colonial
architecture. The furniture in the home is made from precious hard woods and many are
considered antiques.
Tours of the property take roughly an hour and a half and cost a little over three dollars U.S.
per person. The hacienda was recently featured in the magazine “Mexico Desconocido”
which included an article called “La Ruta del Cacao,” or the Cacao Trail.
There are plans to turn the Hacienda into a full fledged eco-tourism facility in the future.
You can visit their website here. Thanks to Ana Beatriz Parizot Wolter for sending us the
information about Hacienda La Luz!
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