Cabañas El Cactus

Cockroach temple. Stay away. The French owner charged 800 pesos for a small cabana, with no receipt or bill. It had a fridge and a little drinking water, but no air conditioning or hot water. Check-in was fine, and from outside the place looked like a good choice: superficially clean and well located. Then the horror started after we got back from a nice beach bar nearby with a reggae concert. The shower wasn’t warm, but that wasn’t a big deal, so we went to bed. Mosquitoes started biting us even though the place looked sealed with mosquito nets. Then we saw the gaps, visible in the photos, where the roof and walls meet. The nets on the windows and door are just for show. We closed the net around the bed and tried to sleep, but something crawled across our faces. We turned on the light and found a cockroach sitting in the bed frame. We killed it, put it outside, and tried again. Then the same thing happened to my partner. It happened three times in a row, so we slept with the lights on inside the bed net. We had a horrible night and couldn’t sleep, waiting for the next cockroach. We killed ten in total that night. 😐 In the morning I messaged Benjamin, the owner, in his mother tongue, hoping he’d at least respond. He couldn’t undo what had happened, but could make things better for future guests by disinfecting the place and acknowledging the feedback. I tried to be fair, but after three days he still hadn’t replied, called, or sent anything. To be clear, we know we’re in a tropical country. No A/C isn’t a problem, and a cockroach on the ground isn’t either. But when they’re in your bed, on your skin and face, it feels wrong, and it stops feeling like a holiday. The owner doesn’t seem interested in his guests’ well-being, and the place isn’t clean. The quiet location near the beach couldn’t change our impression. Pity. Next time in Mazunte, we’ll choose a clean place with air conditioning so we can enjoy ourselves. Look at the pictures: it’s dirty, with insects and holes everywhere.

We had a great stay. Benjamin is super nice, and the accommodation was clean and had everything we needed. My highlight was being so close to the beach, plus the outdoor shower. I’d definitely come back!

It’s a lovely beach with an epic sunset, and the place is far enough from the noise in central Mazunte. A great place to stay.

A beautiful, clean cabin in a well-kept garden, and really comfortable. The super-host made us feel well looked after. It’s just a short stroll to the beach.