Hotels

Many of Mahahual [1]’s lodgings, especially the ones with beachfront, are outside of the village itself, along the Carretera Antigua that hugs the coast south of town. The rest are in town, either on the Malecón or a stone’s throw away.

In Town

Under US$50: Set on a grassy lot facing the ocean, Las cabañas del Doctor (Av. Mahahual Km. 2, tel. 983/832-2102, www.lascabanasdeldoctor.com [2], US$4.25 pp camping, US$17 cabaña with shared bathroom, US$25–35 cabaña, US$35 s/d) has good options for budget travelers. Cabañas with private bathrooms are at the front of the property; they’re spacious units featuring palapa roofs, tile floors, fans, and good beds. Some also enjoy great ocean views. Cabañas with shared bathroom are significantly less comfortable, with clapboard walls, cement floors, and hit-or-miss beds. Campers (BYO gear) share cold-water bathrooms with the guests in these bungalows. Hotel rooms, the newest units on-site, are remarkably like the cabañas with private bathroom—the only difference is that they have private porches, a great place to kick back in the evening.

Kabañitas de Colores (Calle Almeja at Calle Huachinango, cell. tel. 983/137-4095, US$25 s, US$30 d) is made up of a handful of brightly painted clapboard cabañas. There’s not much to them: a bed, a fan, a bare bulb, and a tiny cold-water bathroom. They’re clean, though, and there’s electricity 24/7. With the beach a stone’s throw away, there’s not much more that you really need.

US$50–100: Posada Pachamama (Calle Huachinango btwn Calles Martillo and Coronado, tel. 983/134-3049, www.posadapachamama.net [3], US$58–100 s/d with a/c) is a small hotel just a block from the beach. Rooms are cozy but appealingly decorated with espresso-colored wood furnishings, stone-inlaid floors, and splashes of color; all rooms come equipped with cable TV and quiet air-con. Guests also enjoy complimentary beach chairs and umbrellas at the beach club at Los 40 Cañones, just down the street. Book online for good deals on rates.

With direct access to the beach and a great rooftop bar with a plunge pool, Hotel Caballo Blanco (Malecón btwn Calles Martillo and Coronado, cell. tel. 983/126-0319, www.hotelelcaballoblanco.com [4], US$70–110 s/d with a/c) is a prime spot to spend your vacation. Rooms are standard issue: modern and comfortable with air-con, flat-screen TVs, and Wi-Fi. Standard issue, that is, until you factor in the murals in most of the rooms—tacky old-world village scenes that take up entire walls (to describe just one); if you can live with them, this is a good bet.

Luna de Plata (Av. Mahahual Km. 2, tel. 983/125-3999, www.lunadeplata.info [5], US$35–50 s/d, US$70 s/d with a/c) is a popular place, with a restaurant in front and a handful of hotel rooms in back. All have tasteful decor: stone-encrusted floors, simple wood furnishings, and splashes of color here and there. Hot water, quiet air-con, and Wi-Fi cover the basic creature comforts. Town is a pleasant walk away, and there’s a patch of beach and a dive shop in front.

Outside of Town

US$50–100: Nominated for Mexico and Central America’s Leading Green Hotel by the prestigious World Travel Awards, Balamku Inn on the Beach (Carr. Antigua Km. 5.7, tel. 983/732-1004, www.balamku.com [6], US$85 s, US$90 d) combines comfort and style with ecological awareness, and at a great price to boot. Rooms occupy a series of circular two-story buildings and are spacious, clean, and artfully decorated with Mexican artesanía. The friendly Canadian owners have eschewed diesel generators and septic tanks for solar panels, wind turbines, and a nonpolluting wastewater system. A full breakfast is included, and guests are welcome to use the hotel’s kayaks, board games, music and book library, yoga mats, and Wi-Fi. Snorkel sets are available for US$5 per day, too.

Kohunbeach (Carr. Antigua Km. 7, cell. tel. 983/700-2820, www.kohunbeach.o-f.com [7], US$50 s/d) offers three spacious and modern cabañas that have comfortable queen beds with beautifully hand-carved headboards, picture windows with views of the Caribbean, and mosaic-tile bathrooms. Each is spotless and solar powered. Continental breakfast included in the rate. Kayaks are available for guest use, too.

Maya Luna (Carr. Antigua Km. 5.6, tel. 983/836-0905, www.hotelmayaluna.com [8], US$85 s/d) offers four modern bungalows, all with 24-hour solar/wind power, rainwater showers, and palapa-shaded porches. Each also has a private rooftop terrace with views of the Caribbean in front and the jungle in back; lounge chairs and hammocks make it an easy place to while away an afternoon. A hearty and healthy breakfast also is included in the rate.

Over US$100: With fully equipped kitchens, the rooms at Margarita del Sol (Carr. Antigua Km. 7, cell. tel. 983/123-7210, toll-free U.S. tel. 877/473-1934, www.margaritadelsol.com [9], US$105 s/d studio) are a great option if you want to save a bit on meals. The units themselves are spacious and very modern; each has an eating area, a private porch or terrace with an ocean view, and features like wireless Internet and DVD players (plus free access to a decent library of DVDs). Use of kayaks and snorkel gear also is included.

About 21 kilometers (12.5 miles) north of Mahahual [1], Mayan Beach Garden Inn (Placer town, cell. tel. 983/132-2603, www.mayanbeachgarden.com [10], US$91–117 s/d, US$147 suite, US$25 extra for a/c at night) has three spacious cabañas and two rooms. Simple but pleasing, each has whitewashed walls, Mexican-style decor, and thick mattresses. All also have gorgeous ocean views from private porches. A hearty breakfast is included in the rate, as are Wi-Fi and the use of the kayaks. All-inclusive meal packages are also available if you don’t want to venture far. In the high season, there’s a three-night minimum.