Hotel Buenavista Bacalar Jungle Experience

The garden is beautiful, the rooms are nice, and the owners are friendly. You can get lunch and dinner as well as breakfast, so there’s no need to leave the hotel, and the food is good with fair prices. It’s a peaceful jungle retreat in a small town, away from the city, so keep that in mind. The drive in is very bumpy and the road is hard to cross. Hopefully they’ll improve it someday, because once you arrive, it’s beautiful.

The place looked nothing like the pictures, and we regretted booking five nights. It’s 25 minutes from the center of Bacalar, and the roads are awful, especially in the rain. The rooms are very basic, just beds and a shower, and they weren’t clean or properly cleaned. They smelled damp, the sheets and towels were stained, and the beds were very uncomfortable. The pool looked like a square hole filled with water, and there were lots of mosquitoes. No amenities were offered. They did thoughtfully provide a Christmas Eve dinner, but it was awful. I don’t recommend this place.

We spent February 2024 here and had a really pleasant stay. Buenavista isn’t a place with much to do, but for us it was ideal for resting during our trip and getting away from busy cities. We didn’t have a car, so we wandered along the lake and relaxed. There’s the option to do more if you want. Starting the day with rooftop yoga as the sun comes up was wonderful. Thanks for a great experience!

The local staff were very accommodating, and we enjoyed both dinner and breakfast. The two cats wandering around were adorable, too. Morning yoga with Max was a highlight, really rejuvenating, and he brought a friendly feel to our stay. We were here for two nights and loved it. If you stay, having transportation is a good idea unless you’re completely happy relaxing in Buenavista and taking private tours.