Cabañas Hostal & Camping Magic Bacalar

My partner and I rented a kayak from Magic Bacalar, and it was great. They let us use the facilities afterward, and we had the whole pier to ourselves all day. It was bliss! Shout out to the owner, whose name I didn't catch. He was super friendly and such a legend 😊

The docks have a magnificent view, swimming access, and good facilities. The sunrise made the stay worthwhile, even though I didn't sleep well. I picked the tent because the price seemed decent, but then I saw the mattress was just two thin lawn chair mats, and about 12 tents were lined up side by side. The deposit and rules felt quite excessive. Still, if you follow them, you do get your money back, despite what previous comments say. The squad of baby cats put a smile on my face.

The room was cramped and smelled strongly of mold, so we moved to another hotel even though we'd booked five nights. Management declined our request for a partial refund, despite us not using the room. It was advertised as 30m² but was barely over 10m². This is a hostel, and its private rooms are set up with basic amenities. The location is convenient, and it may work for people on a tight budget or looking for a hostel stay, but the size difference and mold may be unacceptable to some. At around €100 per night, it seems poor value next to places with more comfort and service for only a little more. Anyone wanting a comfortable, mold-free room may want to look at other options.

We rented a basic kayak for 2 hours for 400 pesos. It was uncomfortable, just hard plastic with no back rest, and carrying it was awkward because there was a rope at the back but none at the front. They were very insistent that we'd have to pay for an extra hour if we were over 5 minutes late, even though no one was there to collect the kayak when we returned it. Afterward, I asked to swim off their docks for 15 minutes before continuing our trip. The first lady said no, claiming it was only for guests even though we'd paid. Luckily another lady saw this and had the decency to let us through. The place comes across as just wanting your money and nothing more.