Kokoro Mio

Style

My oh Mayan

Setting

South of the lagoon

Adults-only Kokoro Mio is a Mayan-minded retreat near the blue shores of Bacalar Lagoon. It’s a boutique stay that’s rooted in nature: intricate bamboo structures frame the resort, treehouse-inspired cabanas showcase reclaimed wood, and plants are left to grow as they please. Mexican heritage plays a leading role at the family-nodding restaurant, and spiritual connections are found at the holistic spa, yoga shala and temazcal (spirited ones are uncovered at the rum-pouring poolside bar or roastery-café).

Facilities

Rooms

13 suites.

Checkout

11am. Check-in, 3pm; both are flexible, subject to availability.

More Details

Rates at Kokoro Mio include buffet breakfast with fresh fruit, eggs, yogurt, cereal and homemade juices, plus gluten-free and vegan options.

Also

Unfortunately, this natural retreat isn’t suitable if you have reduced mobility. The paths around the resort are even and well-lit, but there are some low-hanging trees that have been left as nature intended, so mind your step (and head).

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pet Friendly

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Art garden, charged laundry service and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: air-conditioning, tea- and coffee-making kit, minibar, free bottled water, bathrobes and organic bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

Each treehouse-like cabana at Kokoro Mio showcases local handicraft and a respect for the surrounding natural environment: the intricate bamboo structures and bespoke wood furnishings are made by artisans and friends of the owners using reclaimed wood found from fallen trees. Coffee from the on-site roastery is replenished daily in your room to put a pep in your step, and your furnished balcony or ground-floor garden are primed for day-starting brews a casa. We like Cabaña Suite number seven for its romance-kindling love nest — a tree-top extension and homage to the owners’ marriage — where secluded rendezvous are soundtracked by birdsong.

Poolside

The outdoor frijol-shaped pool is hugged by lush jungle, which provides the all-natural soundtrack to your sunbathing sessions and salty swims. It’s flanked by sunloungers on one side and faces a fire pit area with deckchairs and hammocks that’s primed for post-dip drinks. If you’d rather splash about away from prying eyes, each cabana comes with its own Mayan soaking tub in the garden.

Spa

There are whispers of spirituality across the resort, but it’s most palpable at the open-air spa, where offerings harmonize Mayan rituals and modern frills. Couples massages take place in the crystal-dotted cabana; there are alfresco tubs for traditional cacao baths and herbal body scrubs. But the jewel in the spa’s crown is its temazcal, an ancient lodge set to sauna-like temperatures that’s designed to cleanse mind, body and spirit.

Packing Tips

Lean into Mayan mysticism with some chakra-cleansing crystals and a journal for jotting down your temazcal epiphanies.

Also

The domed yoga shala — an architectural feat of woven natural materials — is adorned with elaborate bamboo details and hand-painted murals: it’s the magical setting for cacao ceremonies, sound baths and gentle movement.

Children

This spiritual stay is for adults only.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Scale some steps to a private table under the canopy or bag the palapa-shaded banquette for intimate dinners.

Dress Code

Though your days are spent swinging through the jungle, you’ll want slightly more clothing than Tarzan and Jane (but take cues from their all-natural hues and untailored approach).

Hotel Restaurant

The restaurant, Mami Cuy, is a tribute to the owner’s grandmother in name and spirit. Most of the recipes were passed down through the family, celebrating typical Mexican cuisine and home cooking. In keeping with this maternal memorial, Mother Nature is honored too: the verdant space is crowned by a decorative bamboo roof; fallen trees have been turned into orchards with younger shrubs planted in and around them, and a host of private-dining corners are backdropped by greenery.

Hotel Bar

There’s a hint of The Jungle Book at poolside Bar Gran Balam: tropical trees envelop the space, and ‘balam’ is the Mayan word for jaguar, which is depicted in an enchanting mural along the bar. Your bare necessities here might include house-distilled rum, freshly baked pizzas and mixologist-made cocktails… At trinket- and tile-clad Kokoro Café, regional cacao and coffee beans are roasted and ground each day to deliver barista-style brews. The house coffee is replenished daily in your room or pop down to the café to get closer to the caffeine-fuelled action.

Last Orders

At Mami Cuy, breakfast is from 9am to 11am; lunch is served between 2pm and 4pm, and for dinner, it's 7pm to 9pm. The bar pours from 11am to 11pm; the café brews from 7am to 6pm.

Room Service

Take your breakfast in bed or order dishes from a dedicated menu between 6am and 10pm.

Planes

Chetumal International Airport is a 30-minute drive away; Tulum International Airport is closer to three hours away by road. Staff can arrange transfers from Chetumal from US$50; pick-ups from Tulum can be booked on request.

Trains

Tren Maya runs scenic rail routes around the Yucatán and calls at Bacalar’s train station, which is a 25-minute drive from Kokoro Mio; hotel-organized transfers are US$50 each way.

Automobiles

Put someone else in the driving seat: taxis and transfers are easily arranged. If you decide to hire your own set of wheels, there’s free parking at the hotel.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Once you’ve had your fill of greens at jungly Kokoro Mio — perhaps from the lookout tower or in the art garden with its turtle-dotted pond — drink up strikingly blue views at nearby Bacalar Lagoon, whose southern tip is a short stroll away. The hotel’s intimate Laguna Club is a waterside perch with a bar and sunloungers; the lake is primed for swimming and staff can arrange kayaking trips or boat charters to shipwrecks, underwater cenotes and wildlife-spotting corners. Take in every-shade-of-blue shallows at Los Rápidos de Bacalar, where you can float down gentle currents and wander along nature-wrapped walkways. Bacalar town, a protected pueblo mágico, is further up the shores and you’ll find restaurants, bars and a lagoon-surveying fort, Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar, in the convivial main square.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .