The Bacalar Lagoon at the southern end of Quintana Roo state in Mexico has long been an “in the know” destination for laid-back travelers avoiding the big Riviera Maya developments. Low-key and without a big party scene or giant resorts, it has appealed to a much different crowd than those headed to Cancun or Tulum. Until recently though, finding the Bacalar best hotels for luxury travelers was a tough exercise because there just wasn’t much that would appeal to them.
Thankfully some of the new developments that have popped up beside the colorful lake are chic enough and have high enough standards for service and cuisine that we’ve now got three luxury Bacalar hotels we’ve stayed in that we can recommend. Two are directly on the water, while one is in in town and walking distance to the lagoon and restaurants.
Just in time too: in late 2024, the Maya Train finally reached its end point in Bacalar, a 50-peso taxi ride from town. It shortens the trip south a good bit, taking less than five hours from the Cancun Airport station or less than four hours from Playa del Carmen. The ticket cost ranges from US$46 in regular class from Playa del Carmen to around $80 in the (slightly nicer) Premier Class from the airport.
Here are our choices for the best places to stay in Bacalar if you’re a luxury traveler willing to spend more for a better experience. Each links to a more detailed review with more photos.
Boca de Agua Bacalar
Featuring a collection of elevated luxury cabins set in the tree foliage and elevated cuisine in the restaurant, this relaxed place to stay in a secluded jungle location practically dares you to still hold onto your stress. Sure, there’s satellite internet if you must and an open-air movie screening area, but in a spot like this where you’re so close to nature, it seems like a shame to spend much time staring at a screen.
You can go for a walk in the woods or saunter down the plank walkway to get to the lagoon, in a southern stretch of it that’s well away from the motorboats creating noise in town 19 kilometers away.
As you follow the bridge past the pool, through the tunnel of leafy trees, listen to the magic of the forest around you. Colorful toucans land in the trees, coatis root for their next meal, and if you are lucky, a spider monkey may cross over the bridge in front of you.
The T-shaped dock has 12 plush rectangular bean bag chairs that envelop you, making it almost impossible to escape. But why bother? Besides your luxurious treehouse, this is where you’ll likely spend most of your time.
See our detailed review of Boca de Agua Bacalar Hotel.
Amainah Bacalar
Closer to the action, about 4km from the town center, 16-room Amainah is close enough to other restaurants for some variety, but removed enough that it quiets down at night. Located between the Cenote Azul and the lagoon, facing the water, it’s an adults-only boutique hotel with great views of the changing water colors.
Snag one of the rooms with with a balcony to wake up to to a water view, preferably the Lagoon View Private Pool King Suite with its own plunge pool. Then enjoy the pool, lounge chairs, and dock extending into the water during the day. There’s a bar in the pool area mixing up interesting cocktails and you can order food there or in the hotel restaurant.
Between its lagoon-front location, the cozy places to lounge, and the restaurant and bar, there is no reason to leave the Amainah unless you want to explore more of Bacalar. Take out the free paddleboards and kayaks to cruise around the lagoon at your leisure. Or they can help you organize tours right from their dock.
See our full review of Amianah facing Laguna de Bacalar.
Casa Hormiga
If being strolling distance to multiple bars and restaurants, including ones like La Playita on the water just down the hill, then gorgeous Casa Hormiga is the best hotel in Bacalar to have luxury accommodations in a central location. You’ll feel cocooned once inside it though, with high walls all around it topped by thatch roofs over some areas and an open space in the middle over the pool.
That pool is large and relaxing, with dappled sunlight coming through the jacaranda trees. The restaurant here is excellent, including with the included breakfast, and then huge polished slab wood tables anchor a reading and game room filled with high-end coffee table books.
The bar is an honor one, so you can mix a cocktail, grab a beer, or pour yourself a glass of wine whenever you’d like, just jotting it down to settle up later. For healthier pursuits, stairs lead up to The Nest loft above, a huge carpeted area rimmed with pillows hosting yoga classes, workshops, and the occasional cinema night. It gets natural light from above in the daytime and has string lights casting a glow in the evenings.
See our detailed review of Casa Hormiga and some more photos of the gorgeously designed interior spaces. Or check out a Casa Hormiga video tour here.
If the feared flood of tourists many locals worry about materializes thanks to the ease of getting here on a train, we may see more luxury Bacalar hotels popping up in the future. For now though, check out these three and see which one fits your vacation personality the best.
Article by Timothy
Timothy Scott is the founder and editor of Luxury Latin America and has been covering the region as a travel journalist since the mid-2000s. He has visited each country we cover multiple times and is based in a UNESCO World Heritage city in central Mexico, where he owns a home. See contact information here.
