Whenever I find a hidden gem—be it an undiscovered band, a new restaurant, or a lesser-known travel destination—I feel like the prospectors must have felt during the Gold Rush. I’m torn between the desire to share my discovery with the world and the selfish longing to keep my find a secret for just a little while longer. That’s how I felt after this past week, as my sister and I spent a lovely several days at Balamku, an utterly charming small resort on the Caribbean coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
Now, Balamku’s not exactly a secret. It’s listed in many of the major travel guides, and has been featured in a recent issue of Budget Travel. But its small size and relatively distant location—it’s located near Mahahual, a coastal town that’s a five hour drive south of the Cancun airport—help ensure that Balamku stays off the (heavily) beaten path that leads spring break hordes to Cancun, Cozumel, and Playa del Carmen. For now, at least. Cruise ships now stop at the port in Mahahual 4-5 days out of the week, and even if the cruise ships’ patrons don’t remember the town—or even the country’s--name (one was overheard asking, “What island are we on now?”), it’s a near-certainty that large Cancun-style hotels and condominiums are in Mahahual’s not-too-distant future.
Fortunately, Carol and Alan, the friendly Canadians who own and operate Balamku (and live on the premises) have provided a very deliberate anecdote to both the generic beach resort and the cruise ships’ environmental implications. In addition to its small size (a total of eight rooms, with a new palapa currently under construction), Balamku’s eco-conscious systems and policies help minimize the resort’s impact on the area’s fragile and unique ecosystem. Low-water using, composting toilets help nourish the resort’s luscious gardens and keep septic tank runoff from poisoning nearby reefs. Solar and wind energy provide all the resort’s energy, and guests are urged to take their own steps (low-wattage appliances, shorter showers, biodegradable soap and shampoo) to help the resort meet its goals.
Not surprisingly, the resort attracts guests of all ages (including families) who are eager to explore the rich natural and cultural resources of Mahahual and its environs. Carol and her associates are more than willing to help on this front, providing inside information not only on navigating the village but also on exploring nearby Mayan ruins (Chacchoben and several recently excavated ruins in the Rio Bec region are a short drive away, as is the new Museo de la Cultura Maya in Chetumal), discovering jungle environments, and snorkeling or diving the extensive coral reef system offshore. Balamku has affiliations with many of the area’s tour companies, and Carol eagerly helps guests arrange excursions either on their own or with the expertise of a guide.
On one day of our visit, my sister and I spent a memorable day in the company of two couples—one from New York and one from California—and with our unforgettable guide, Huacho. Huacho is a certified boat captain whose long and storied history (much of which he shared with us during our voyage) includes two years sailing from Kittery, Maine, all the way to southern Mexico as well as experience teaching South American villagers how to use solar power. For $35US (which included snorkel equipment), Huacho takes Balamku guests out on his boat for more than two hours of snorkeling, pausing midway at his simple but comfortable home for freshly-harvested coconuts and other refreshments. After a thoroughly enjoyable day with our affable host, we ended our adventure with some potent margaritas at The Jungle Woman, a bar and gift shop. There we met the tavern’s owners, a colorful pair of American expatriates, as well as more recent transplants from Long Island who hope to start their own restaurant on their recently-purchased property.
The residents of Mahahual and nearby divers’ mecca Xcalak are an international crew, with many Americans, Canadians, and Europeans among them. Not surprisingly, then, the food scene in Mahahual has a distinctly cosmopolitan flavor (as Huacho told us, “It’s easier to find spaghetti in Mahahual than it is to get a good taco!”). We did sample Mahahual’s Italian fare at Luna de Plata, which specializes in seafood pastas (lobster is available here, as it is at virtually all Mahahual restaurants) and thin-crust pizzas. Be sure to ask the good-looking wait staff if there are any specials—on the night we dined, they were serving an excellent chicken dish that was not on the regular menu.
Up the road on the north side of Mahahual, we tried The Cat’s Meow, a bakery that’s celebrated for its breakfasts but also serves Americanized Mexican food at lunch and dinner. The salsa there might be a bit anemic for a true Mexican palate, and the portions are somewhat small, but my heat-phobic sister enjoyed her chicken enchiladas and I found the chicken in creamy chipotle sauce a pleasant, unusual choice. We could both agree on the best part of dinner at The Cat’s Meow, though—the cheesecakes, a rotation of seven different homemade varieties, ranging from Oreo cookie to strawberry.
Nearer Balamku, on the south side of town, we enjoyed a couple of light dinners at the Travel In, a favorite hangout for locals as well as tourists. The Middle-Eastern flavored menu (amazing made-from-scratch pitas are a featured item) also includes homemade hummus, chopped salad, a variety of small pizzas, and seafood dishes such as curried shrimp and garlic shrimp.
Regardless of where you choose to eat dinner in or near Mahahual, it’s a good bet to wait until well after the cruise ships have departed at 6:00 or 6:30 before finding a spot to dine. Town can be more than a little hectic when the ships are in port, but after dark, the town lets out its collective breath, kicks back, and gets ready to enjoy a much quieter evening.
If you’re staying at Balamku, there’s no need to wonder where you’ll be eating breakfast, though—a full homemade breakfast is included in the price of your room. Breakfast always includes yogurt, fresh fruit (which might include watermelon, papaya, banana, pineapple, and mango), granola, coffee, and a variety of juices (such as orange and jicama). Guests also have their choice of pancakes or any number of egg dishes, including homemade omelets with cheese, ham, chorizo, or spinach, huevos rancheros, and scrambled eggs with salsa and cheese. During most of our stay at Balamku, we felt little need to have much (if any) lunch after such a substantial breakfast—making the resort an even better choice for travelers on a budget.
A stay at Balamku can be as active or passive as you desire—many guests enjoyed spending whole days lounging on one of the chaises or hammocks on Balamku’s small beach, paddling one of their kayaks out to the reef, or venturing to one of the larger white sand beaches nearby. One of the only frustrations guests voiced about Balamku’s location—less than ninety minutes from the Belizean border—is the difficulty of crossing the border in a rental car to explore that enticing neighboring country. If all you want to do is walk across and get your passport stamped, that’s no problem; but if you have your heart set on venturing into Belize’s interior, it might be best to save that adventure for a separate trip. That’s okay, though—within easy drives of several significant Mexican archaeological and environmental sites, not to mention the intriguing urban centers of Chetumal and Merida—Balamku offers its own taste of paradise in an area of the Yucatan that might not remain hidden too much longer.
Website: www.balamku.com
Phone: 011-521-983-839-5332
E-mail: information@balamku.com
Rates: Rooms start from $75 and include breakfast
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