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Las Marías.- Nestled in the mountains surrounding Las Marías, also known as Pueblo de la China Dulce (“Town of Sweet Oranges”), is a farm that attracts visitors and tourists looking to disconnect from urban noise and reconnect with their inner selves.

Welcome to Hacienda Serena, a natural paradise founded by Francisco Ramón Mirandés and his wife, Rosemarie “Maí” Vizcarrondo, who chose not to sell the property to an investor but instead to share the magic of this cozy space, which spans approximately 92 acres in its entirety.

There, they have a variety of crops, including coffee, plantains and citrus fruits, which add to the beauty of the place. It has been transformed into a hostel with four separate structures available for rent through the Airbnb platform.

His father, Francisco Mirandés Roque, acquired the farm in the early 1970s. He paved the access roads and ensured that his neighbors had access to potable water. Over the years, the Cuban-born man faced the risk of losing the property, but fortunately, it was rescued by his son before the arrival of the hurricane.

“I wasn’t into farming; I preferred the sea. But there came a point when my wife and I wanted to do other things, so we decided to sell the boat. Around that time, I was in a group chat with investors, and a woman from Shanghai who lived in Coamo wanted to invest in land,” recalled the mechanical engineer.

“Before selling, I told my wife to come look at the property, but it was just a vast field of grass. We entered the house, it was a Saturday afternoon, and we felt the breeze, heard the grey kingbird singing in the back, and we looked at each other and said, “We’re not doing this.” That’s when we decided not to sell the property,” he recounted.

However, it was a challenge to condition the space so it would be enjoyed by his family. Although the conditions were not the best, “we decided to turn this place the next chapter of our lives.”

They also wanted to share their experience with others. That is why they rebuilt the dilapidated houses on the property with the goal of making the operation self-sufficient.

“You can’t imagine how much it means to be able to reconnect with what truly matters, and here, in this place, you feel it. When you come here, wake up to the sound of the grey kingbird bird singing, and breathe in the fresh air, you realize how much more of this we need out there in the world. So, being able to share this experience with others, for someone to come here and sit on a chair to contemplate nature, it’s something truly remarkable,” he confessed.

Francisco and his family started cultivating coffee and plantains again. Additionally, they installed a system for honey production

“I had only ever planted grass in my life, but we started cultivating coffee, I’m learning about that, and plantains. I hadn’t worked with bees before, so I started studying a bit more about beekeeping and braving that process. We’re using a system designed in Australia, where you don’t have to remove the brood frames to extract honey,” he revealed.

One of his children suggested the idea of creating small lodgings, which resulted in four structures.

“The main one is Casa Serena; it has four rooms, two bathrooms, an infinity pool at the top of the hill with a heater, terrace, and is completely private because it is rented out in its entirety. Next is Casa Vista, with three rooms, two bathrooms, a Jacuzzi, an outdoor cold shower, and a terrace,” he listed.

“Then there’s Casa Brisa, which has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an infinity pool at the bottom, and a waterfall. Lastly, Casa Verde, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a wooden terrace,” he added, mentioning that the operation generates between 8 to 12 jobs.

One of the most important features of the hacienda is the connection tree, under which guests can clear their minds of worries and enjoy some respite. There is also a rotary dial telephone there that encourages dialogue with one’s inner self.

In front, there is a Hawaiian message that reads: “I’m sorry, please forgive me.”

“And when you say that to someone face-to-face, and repeat it several times, you feel like you’re releasing your burdens. So, we put a rotary dial phone on the tree, just like the ones that were used in the past,” explained the father of Guillermo Francisco, Ricardo, and Antonio Rafael.

“Who do you need to reconnect with? Who do you need to have a conversation with? Walk around, feel the place, sit down, converse, let go of what you’ve been carrying for so long, and that’s the idea behind this place. We always say: ‘Breathe and reconnect with your true self,’” he expressed about the hacienda, which was reconstructed in 2019.

For more information, visit: thehaciendaserena.com or call 787-361-8933.