The lake at Bacalar is one of the glories of Yucatán, and the number of places to stay has rocketed in the last few years. The Aurea is one of many small hotel-cabaña clusters along the lake shore north of the town, and has a particularly great dock out into the lake, with loungers and a great big two-story palapa hut at the end – with a hammock hanging over the water, wonderful for swinging idly for a while and then falling straight out for a swim! There are free kayaks for exploring the shore and they offer a good range of lake trips. Our palm-roofed room was nicely arranged and comfortable, with a little terrace in front. All the staff were charming and helpful, especially Domingo with the kayaks, and the food for breakfast and dinner – Mexican/Yucatecan with a ew international favourites – is varied and enjoyable. The wifi worked too, which we wouldn't have expected a few years ago in Bacalar!

To be honest the Aurea isn't really fancy enough to qualify as 'boutique'. We got hot water in the wash basin but the shower never got beyond just a little tepid. But, it's rarely cold here, so maybe you can get by for a few days without a hot shower. Also, the number of similar places created recently means that its neighbours are quite close, so that apart from the dock the Aurea's lake frontage is quite limited. And – to get to the Aurea you take a dirt track off the main highway, for about 1.5km, which is shared by several small hotels. This is not always clear in the advertising. Bear this in mind if you're not used to bumpy dirt tracks – it's ok, but you have to go slow.

The staff were very lovely. I don’t speak Spanish and they were very patient with me as I fumbled through ordering. The property is run incredibly well. It’s quiet and well maintained. I found the cabanas very comfortable and clean. We also loved the outdoor showers. The included breakfast was absolutely delicious with lots of variety to choose from. The lake on a calm morning is absolutely mesmerizing The location was quiet and away from town

The beds and pillows were very hard if you don’t like that sort of thing. You will need a car for this location but we personally found this to be a positive.

Its really a beautiful property. Calm and quiet. Beds are comfortable and everything you need is present in the rooms&hotel. Terrace by the sea is out of this world. Restaurant has not amazing food but decent with a good price. Wifi is really good. I would book it again in a heartbeat. Staff mostly doesn’t speak english but they are so nice and always smiling, trying their best to communicate.

It wasn’t a big deal for us but there was no hot water (maybe there was but not when we are showering) and water was salty. Road to hotel was bad but we had no issues even with a car with horrible suspension.

We really loved everything. But I would like to highlight the staff! All of them were amazing, always smiling and helping to make our stay better. The place is incredible, a more private part of the lagoon, away from the more crowded area down south. That makes Aurea the best place for relaxing and enjoying the calmness of Bacalar. They have kayaks and SUP available, which is great. The restaurant is fairly priced, including the beverages. We had many of the options during our stay: hot dog, guacamole, cheeseburger, ceviche, shrimp tacos...Breakfast was great also. You can choose one special option per person and it's really well served. The room has a lot of space and privacy. It is clean, the bed is comfortable and shower is also great. Overall, cost benefit is great! Thanks again to all the staff that made our days even better!

Everything about this place was perfect. I remember reading reviews from other guests telling how they kept extending the stay and same happened to us. The pictures on booking.com don't do the justice. This place looks so much more better in real life. The bungalow was super clean and it had everything we could possibly needed for our stay. Little kitchen with fridge was a bonus for cooking our own food. We loved the bathroom especially the shower with a shell instead of usual shower head. Waking up in the morning whilst hearing so many beautiful birds outside was something else! The hotel provides paddle boards, kayaks and life vests for free. There is also a restaurant on site which offers beers, cocktails, snacks and main dishes. You can get here nachos, hot dogs, pizzas and pastas for surpisingly good prices. The breakfast was included in the price, they offered a variety of different options such as avocado toast, omelettes, pancakes, fruits etc and whatever we tried it was so nice. In addition to it all, the staff members there are amazing!There was an english speaking couple who were incredibly friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. The gentleman in the reception was super helpful. I have no idea how could anyone find anything negative to say about this place!

the property is beautiful and has a historic vibe, well kept and arranged. its secluded spot gives its charm if you want to hide a bit. the staff is very nice and kind, there are many places to sit next to the water, kayaks are available or hammocks and swing in the water. it was one of a kind experience the interiors of the hut and showering under the sky was such a bonus

the property is in a secluded spot. we accidentally took a turn earlier, went through the jungle bit to an eco resort as google was navigating us there as it showed a cross road, called boulevard. we were turned around. the road to the resort is dirt road in the end with big humps.

Fantastic location, very quiet and peaceful in a beautiful setting. Lovely view of the sunset from the private jetty. Perfect for couples as it’s adult only. Staff were all incredibly helpful and friendly, Carolina especially. She helped by giving us a lot of suggestions for places to go in town to eat and drink!

A thing to note is that the restaurant closes after breakfast on a Thursday. Easily solved as they can arrange food from nearby places to be delivered. The road to get to the hotel is incredibly bumpy - taxi drivers weren’t so happy about this but it was ok.

Lovely landscaped property right on beautiful Laguna Bacalar. It is a very quiet area and we enjoyed swimming and kayaking off the dock and hanging out in the palapa. Lots of bird life. The cabanas were comfortable and nicer than expected.

I upgraded to the Superior Suite but I’m not sure what we paid extra for. Our cabana view was of the restaurant and the back of their kitchen. The cool looking outdoor shower wasn’t very functional with a seashell spout that dumped cold water in a torrent.

The location was beautiful and very peaceful, located in the middle of the lagoon, with a beautiful walk way over the water. They also have free kayaks and padle surf to use and explore the lagoon. The room was very spacious and clean, where we felt like home. The staff was super friendly, especially the owners of the hotel. They helped with everything (getting a taxi, finding a tour, or giving me meds for my headache!)

The food in the restaurant was very bad. Only with unhealthy options and the dishes were poorly prepared. Although the rooms had a little kitchen, neither the stove or the water boiler were working. Hence, the only option we had was to go to the city for food. The hotel is quite far from Bacalar, like 17 min by taxi. So we spent quite some money on commuting. The wifi didn't work after the rain, but it didn't really matter because we were there to disconnect. The shower was very cute, water coming out of a shell. But the warm water worked for some minutes only.

Beautiful, peaceful stay in Bacalar. You are a little bit out of the town but this means you get a nice quiet spot with beautiful views. The room was lovely and spacious with good facilities and a lovely outside shell shower. The terrace at the end of the pier is an absolute gem and we spent each evening watching the stars. Lovely swings and hammocks in the beautiful clear water too (though the water can get quite choppy in the afternoons!).