Affordable Mexican Vacation
Eco Hotel in Yucatan Ideal for Nature Lovers Families and Couples
Eco Paraiso, a great alternative to the hectic pace of Cancun and the Mayan Riviera. Find flocks of Pink Flamingos, explore Mayan ruins, and bask on deserted beaches.
Imagine yourself swaying in a hammock with the sound of gently crashing waves in the distance. The sun is setting after a day of reading by the pool and walking along a secluded beach. Suddenly a flock of pink flamingos soars overhead!
Located on the edge of a nature reserve on the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, Hotel Eco Paraíso provides a serene, affordable retreat for couples or families, a quiet alternative to the college crowds that throng to Cancun.
Bird watchers and nature lovers will delight in viewing the flocks of pink flamingos that migrate to the Yucatan estuaries each spring. The area is also the winter home of enormous flocks of pelicans, cormorants, and various species of ducks.
Included in some of the five-day vacation packages are:
• Guided trips to the mangrove forest and the estuary.
• Excursions to the nineteenth century hemp plantations.
• Trips to the Mayan ruins of Uxmal.
• A visit to the fishing village of Celestun, known for its fresh seafood.
The hotel is built on the remains of a coconut plantation, about six miles from the town of Celestun. The rooms are individual bungalows built in the Mayan thatch-roof style called palapas, designed to stay cool in extreme heat. Springtime in the Western hemisphere is the ideal season to visit the Yucatan, with average temperatures ranging from 78 to 82 degrees.
The rooms are furnished with charming rattan furniture and twin double beds, which are draped at night with mosquito netting. The bathrooms are tiled with cobalt blue and cerulean tiles. Twin hammocks hang on the verandas, which overlook the Gulf of Mexico.
A four-day stay at Hotel Eco Paraiso varies according to the season, from $365.00 during the low season to $395.00 during the high season. These prices include three meals a day in the restaurant attached to the hotel.
The restaurant offers many Yucatecan specialties, such as motuleño eggs, served with black beans and mushrooms, tropical fruit, and their special chaya juice, a blend of fresh oranges, honey, and a green leafy vegetable called chaya. Locals claim the leaf has special medicinal qualities.
Guests may use the ocean kayaks, as well as bicycles. Be forewarned that the bicycles slip their gears, and are difficult to maneuver on the sandy roads.
The nearest airport is in Merida, the capital of the Yucatan, sixty miles east of the hotel. Arrangements can be made ahead of time with the hotel staff to reserve a taxi to Hotel Eco Paraiso, which costs from $25.00 to $50.00. During high season it can be difficult to rent a car. Rental companies in Mexico sometimes overbook their vehicles, leaving the traveler stranded. The public bus stops in Celestun, but be prepared for a two-hour plus trip, with stops in each of the tiny villages along the way.
