[Gallery] Timmyland: a colorful place with surreal constructions in San Miguel de Allende

Published January 17th, 2022

Imagine visiting the Heritage City of San Miguel de Allende and knowing a place full of magic with surreal architecture like something out of a fairy tale and is 20 minutes from the downtown area of the municipality.

Ranchito Cascabel, also known as Timmyland, is a colorful place of buildings with unique shapes, this is a tribute to surrealist architecture and the work of Antoni Gaudí.

It is located inside a hidden ranch in the community of Montecillo de la Milpa, so to tour it is necessary to plan your visit in advance, as it remains the private property of Tim Sullivan.

This place is the work of the imagination of Tim Sullivan and his children, although many have mistaken him for the famous film director, he is not; but he does have a unique vision to create his home.

“I bought the land 20 years ago and wanted to build a simple building to visit with my children on weekends or in the afternoons”, Tim commented, since he lives in the downtown area of San Miguel, but now it is the place where he has ideas from several artists.

The idea of Ranchito Cascabel arose when a friend of his, who specializes in snakes, showed him some drawings of rattlesnakes, so he came up with the idea of building them in cement so his children would not be afraid since they are works of art.

But the surrealist style construction of Timmylandia was the work of Steve Kornher, who is Tim’s neighbor and is an expert in this type of construction, so Ranchito Cascabel is one of the few expressions of surrealist architecture in Mexico, a space that is definitely worth visiting, Fling Concrete style became the magnificence it is now.

This construction began 22 years ago, at first it was just to make the place magical for Tim to spend time with his family, his children began to say to put an iguana and a snake and from there what was a small project, became a very magical place and now open to the public, as long as you make a reservation.

Snakes, paths that twist in a playful way, octopuses that seem to wriggle out of the walls, intense colors that do nothing but provoke our inner child to go after exploration, pushed by curiosity and play.

One of them, which was the main cellar built to change its image, wanted to reflect the process of metamorphosis of a butterfly, then added a bed and a smithy to generate a bathroom, when you enter the kitchen you are amazed and you project yourself as if you were in a place you only see in movies of magic or fairies.

Another of the rooms has a large bed and its headboard has a Van Gogh style painting, another cellar that is located outside is a type spa, plus there is one in the shape of a flower that is said to be a court, but they use it more for events.

The figures at the entrance that look like extraterrestrials and a fountain are the work of a Czech artist and is where most visitors take their picture, and a couple of years ago they managed to finish the rattlesnakes that surround the fence of the ranch.

The surrealism, architecture, and vegetation of the place find a perfect balance in the impossibility of its buildings, which seem to defy all laws of physics and logic, resulting in beautiful spaces full of creative possibilities.

Its ample vegetation surrounding the buildings highlights the colors of the place, and further on you will find a giant flower that has an esplanade the size of a professional tennis court.

Although it is not a lodging place, you can visit it through a reservation at 415 181 1660. Timmyland receives personalized groups or groups organized by tour operators or travel agencies.