This abandoned hacienda, a few kilometers southeast of town, once produced dyewood and salt, and served as a summer home for a Campeche family. It’s 5km in from the mouth of the estuary. Out in the ría (estuary) you can see a cairn marking an ojo de agua dulce (freshwater spring) that once supplied the hacienda.
The buildings are decaying in a most scenic way; you can still see shells in the wall mixed into the building material, as well as pieces of French roof tiles that served as ballast in ships on the journey from Europe. Many intact tiles with the brickworks’ name and location (Marseille) are still visible in what’s left of the roofs.
The hacienda makes a good bicycle excursion from town. Coming south on Calle 4, go left at the Y junction (a dirt road that flanks Puerto Abrigo), then turn right to reach El Lastre (the Ballast), a peninsula between the estuary and its western arm. Flamingos, white pelicans and other birds are sometimes seen here. If the water is high enough, it’s possible to ask your flamingo-tour captain to try stopping here on the way back from the birds. You'll find bike rentals on the town square.
