A hacienda is a large estate or plantation, especially in Spanish-speaking countries like Mexico or parts of South America. The word comes from Spanish and refers to both the land itself and the main house or mansion on that land.

Historically, haciendas were enormous properties where wealthy landowners grew crops like sugar, coffee, or cotton, or raised cattle. The main house, also called the hacienda, was often built around a central courtyard and might include workshops, stables, and living quarters for workers. These estates were like small villages, sometimes covering thousands of acres.

During the Spanish colonial period (roughly the 1500s to the 1800s), haciendas were centers of agricultural production and economic power. The system often involved unfair labor practices, with workers having few rights or opportunities to own land themselves.

Today, some historic haciendas have been preserved as museums or converted into hotels, where visitors can see their distinctive architecture, including thick adobe walls, red tile roofs, and beautiful courtyards with fountains. When someone describes a house as hacienda-style, they usually mean it has these traditional Spanish colonial features.

The word can also simply mean a ranch or farm in modern Spanish, though in English it typically refers to these grand historic estates.