Galopina Casa Silvestre | TACO

Surrounded by cenotes, Galopina Casa Silvestre is a boutique guesthouse near Merida on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. It draws on traditional architecture and vintage furnishings in its modern design. 

The owners worked with a local architect firm Taco, which is young and well-known. They wanted to retain elements of traditional Yucatecan architecture, such as having no closed windows to ensure good ventilation. But they also wanted a more modern design, so guests felt as though they were in a Mexican house without it being kitsch. Almost all of the materials they used came from Yucatan and the workers were all local — this was important to the owners. 

The interior was done by Elisa Galopin. Almost all of the furniture came from flea markets or was purchased second-hand. Some pieces were in very bad condition but we had them refurbished.