The Yak Lake House Hostal Bacalar

The lake, the people, the activities, the whole vibe make this hostel special. It’s chaotic, social, loud, emotional, and I’ll absolutely come back. Yak Lake House is right on the lake, with a relaxing morning atmosphere, breakfast music, and a lovely view. It’s the most social hostel I’ve stayed at so far. The activities team is outstanding, especially Javi, an absolute legend. Morning yoga, bracelet making, a margarita class with Javi (20/10), a sailing tour (10/10), and Los Rápidos (12/10, could have been even longer!) were all highlights. The staff are really helpful if you run into problems, and can arrange taxis anytime through a taxi company they work with directly. They also rent SUPs and kayaks for an extra cost. At first, I felt like money was being squeezed out of you because prices weren’t transparent, especially for breakfast and the bar. The restaurant is quite expensive unless you book breakfast, but then you only get three choices, with no drinks included except maybe an Americano. It also seemed odd that margaritas aren’t part of happy hour in Mexico. The kitchen is tiny. The stove works despite an exposed cable, the microwave has electrical issues, and water gallons are kept there because there’s nowhere else to put them. We couldn’t find any spoons. The dorm beds, especially the ones stacked behind each other, initially felt a bit like sleeping in a prison. You can look at each other through the metal grid. And it’s about a 24-minute walk from the ADO bus station, a long way with a backpack.

The dock and activities are the only reasons I’m giving this two stars. For around $25 a night, I expected much better conditions, even for a hostel. The location is handy for activities because there’s direct access from their dock, but I’d personally stay at another nearby hostel and come here for activities. My friend paid around $10 a night nearby and had a much cleaner, more comfortable, and better stay. I wouldn’t come back. The dorm got extremely hot during the day because the AC only ran from around 6 PM to 11 AM. I was in a six-bed women’s dorm where everyone shared one very small bathroom, sink, and toilet area, which was uncomfortable. There was almost no privacy either. The metal bunks have curtains, but the curtain facing the ocean-side window is open on both sides, so light keeps coming in and the bed never feels private. The sheets and pillowcase smelled very strongly of laundry detergent, which made it hard for me to sleep. Luckily, I had an extra pillowcase of my own, which helped a little.

The location on the shore, right in front of the pirate canal, was great, and I loved this place. I could’ve stayed for a week. The private rooms are cute and convenient. There’s an attached company for boat tours, kayaks, and sap, with a 40% discount for hostel guests, so booking and getting out on the lagoon is easy. Staff are kind, and they offer lots of free activities like yoga and mixology, as well as paid organized trips such as Los Rápidos. Just remember it’s a hostel, so music can go late. Karaoke one night ended around midnight, which matters if you’re looking for a quiet hideaway.

The leaking ceiling was disgusting, and this place is completely overhyped. My boyfriend was asleep on a top bunk in a dorm when dirty shower water started leaking through the ceiling onto his bed in the middle of the night. The bed was soaked, and water got into the lockers and damaged his North Face backpack. Staff moved him to a private room because there wasn’t an acceptable dorm bed available. Offering the top bunk of a three-story bunk bed at midnight, after he’d been woken by a pouring ceiling with only five hours before he had to get up, wasn’t acceptable. They eventually refunded half the price of one night out of our three-night stay, which was a joke. During the incident, staff kept telling us to “calm down,” as if it weren’t a disgusting situation that was completely Yak’s fault. I don’t understand why it has such a good reputation. There’s almost no seating, the WiFi doesn’t work, and the beds are uncomfortable and incredibly loud even when they’re dry. We were lucky to have stayed at the new Viajero for three nights before moving to Yak, and wish we’d stayed there. Book Viajero instead. It already looks like it’ll become the best option in Bacalar, which until now may be the only reason Yak stays booked and busy.