Hotels

There are just two recommendable hotels in Cobá [1] if both are booked, consider staying nearby in the village of Nuevo Durango [2], or heading to Tulum [3] or Valladolid [4], each about 40 minutes away by car or bus.

The low-key Hotelito Sac Be (Calle Principal, tel. 984/206-7067, US$25/30 s/d with fan, US$35/40 s/d with a/c) has spotless rooms with one or two beds, television, and a small desk. All have private bathrooms and nice yellow tile floors. Service is very friendly, and there’s a simple restaurant and snack shop in front (and next door, too).

Villas Arqueológicas Cobá (facing Laguna Cobá, tel. 984/206-7000, toll-free Mex. tel. 800/557-7755, www.villasarqueologicas.com.mx [5], US$79 s/d with a/c, US$130 suite with a/c) started out as a Club Med, believe it or not, along with two sister resorts in Uxmal [6] and Chichén Itzá [7]. The threesome are now independent but maintain the same high-quality service and lodging. Rooms are boxy but attractive and surround a courtyard with a well-tended pool. The hotel restaurant serves good, albeit somewhat overpriced, meals, and there’s a reading room with a good selection of books on Mayan and Mexican history.

Units have air-conditioning but no TV or telephone, and there’s a tennis court in back. The hotel has a pretty view of Laguna Cobá, but resist the temptation to go swimming: Crocodiles lurk in the reeds along the shore, waiting for meat scraps from local kids and tour groups. Continental breakfast is sometimes included, and there’s free Wi-Fi in the lobby and library.