Hacienda Huando, Agricultural estate in Huaral Province, Peru.
Hacienda Huando is a large agricultural estate in the fertile Huaral Valley with citrus groves, avocado, and pecan plantations. The property continues to produce fruits on a reduced scale while maintaining its historic structures.
The land was owned from 1820 by patriot Andrés de los Reyes and Andrea Largacha; their daughter's marriage to Waldo Graña began the family dynasty. Antonio Graña Reyes and Victoria Elizalde settled in 1896 and expanded the estate. In the 1960s contraceptive trials took place with the owners' approval, and the 1969 agrarian reform led to the 1972 cooperative of 685 members.
The chapel is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and built in a colonial Baroque style, its entrance guarded by two marble lions. The main house, dating from 1939, was where the Graña family lived, and the grounds also hold a swimming pool and a ficus tree over 200 years old. The Huando orange takes its name from this estate.
The estate lies 8 km east of Chancay, in Huaral district, not near Huaral city. The Casa Hacienda, with its 1939 chapel and marble lions, is partly ruined and abandoned; access is by private vehicle. The surrounding land is still farmed, so visitors should arrange visits in advance.
The Huando orange was not a natural variety: Antonio Graña Reyes brought the Washington Navel from the United States and introduced it here in the 1950s. The fruit is large, deep orange, very juicy and seedless, and was exported to the United States, Canada and Europe before 1969. A plant virus and the loss of markets later cut production.
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