We believe the most extraordinary places are those where nature, history, and culture exist in harmony.
The Catherwood name comes from Frederick Catherwood (1799–1854), the English artist who traveled through Yucatán alongside American writer and explorer John Lloyd Stephens, documenting Maya sites through drawings that brought the region’s ancient heritage to a wider audience.
We carry his name in his memory, inspired by his way of seeing, exploring, and discovering.
Since 2007, Catherwood has been dedicated to restoring and sharing some of Yucatán’s most remarkable historic properties—private haciendas, heritage residences, and cultural experiences that invite guests to discover the region through the places that hold its history.
Surrounded by lush gardens, ancient trees, and landscapes shaped over centuries, each property in our care retains its unique personality, inviting guests to experience Yucatán through timeless beauty, authenticity, and quiet elegance.
Catherwood’s mission is closely aligned with that of TAE (Transformación, Arte y Educación), an independent nonprofit organization that, in parallel, promotes the conservation of site-specific arts as part of its biocultural conservation initiatives focused on the Maya forest and culture.
Maya civilization stands among the great cultures of ancient Mesoamerica, and in Yucatán it remains a living culture. Its ancestors created a writing system, recorded astronomical cycles, and built cities such as Uxmal, Chichén Itzá, and Ek Balam. Today, the Maya language is spoken across the peninsula, and its traditions, cuisine, and rituals carry forward an authentic, living cosmology woven into everyday life.
Mérida, the capital of Yucatán, combines the grace of its colonial streets with one of México’s most vibrant contemporary art scenes. Galleries, studios, and experimental spaces thrive among historic courtyards and the mansions of Paseo de Montejo. With the Bienal de Yucatán 2026: Vocal, the city has become a meeting point for artists and cultural leaders from México and around the world.