Ser Casasandra

Style

Barefoot and bohemian

Setting

Fantasy island

On car-free, carefree Isla Holbox, just off the tip of the Yucatán Pensinsula, Ser Casasandra hotel is a retreat of bougainvillea-covered beach bungalows and hammocks strung between palm-trees. On this still-undiscovered paradise island, the waves are gentle, shoes are frowned upon and sunset cocktails are the only commitment of the day.

Facilities

Habitaciones

18, including one villa.

Checkout

Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.

Más detalles

Rates include breakfast, welcome cocktails, dawn yoga sessions, an appointment with the Ahal Holistic Center’s in-house therapist, bikes to borrow and a hand-picked gift from the owner.

Also

Simubi Spa offers reiki, massages and reflexology just off the beach. Keep an eye out for Bernardo, the friendly local raccoon who wanders the resort every so often to check up on things.

Gimnasio

Acceso gratis a internet

Lavandería

Servicio de habitaciones

Spa

At the Hotel

Private beach, spa and wellness center, art gallery, reading room, board games, free-to-use bikes and free WiFi in common areas. In rooms: free bottled water, Nespresso coffee machine, herbal bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

Suite 12 is especially private at the end of the resort, and has its own hammock for afternoon naps. It’s often called the Honeymoon Suite because of its secluded spot overlooking the ocean. Room 1 in the main house was owner Sandra’s bedroom before she converted the property. It has sweeping ocean views and a private twine-woven balcony. Take a look at your shower head: many are fashioned from conch shells that were collected along the beach.

Poolside

The outdoor pool is shaded by palms and surrounded by sunloungers. The sea’s on the doorstep, too, and day-beds, palapas and loungers are available on the North Beach.

Spa

Based on the Mayans four elements of healing (earth, water, fire and wind), the secluded Ahal Holistic Center hosts bespoke wellness programs that use spiritual methods to invoke vivid memories and self-discovery and remedy stress. If that all sounds a little intense, there’s also run-of-the-mill treatments and classic massages ranging from the soothing to the knot-banishing varieties, hot stone massages and facials. You can also do meditation sessions (they’re beginner friendly, don’t worry fidgeters), plus varying yoga practices and ancestral healing rituals (Moon and Cacao ceremonies) are held throughout the week.

Packing Tips

No need to bring extra shoes here. The locals pad around barefoot, and it usually takes less than an hour before guests opt to do the same. Bring an underwater camera to catch whale sharks and the brightly coloured fish that swim around the mangroves. There are only three ATMs on the island, and they frequently run out of pesos, so bring plenty of cash with you.

Also

Check the tidal forecasts before booking: occasional changes in currents send heaps of seaweed onto Ser Casasandra’s adjacent beach, which can make for iffy beach conditions (and fishy fragrances).

Niños

Although kids are welcome, the remote location and low-key style make this hotel best suited to adults.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Take a table with wicker chairs outside overlooking the ocean for the best mealtime scenery.

Código de vestimenta

Island casual: kaftans and Havaianas are perfect, though you’re welcome to dine barefoot.

Hotel Restaurant

Laid-back Ser Esencia Restaurant, which opens out to the beach, is Holbox’s finest, courtesy of chef Andrés Fernández and team, serving locally sourced ingredients and fresh fish with a mix of Cuban and Mexican flavours. Dishes include lobster tamales, mango-spiked ceviche, fresh fillets with coconut curry, and saffron fish with garlic. On Saturdays, the restaurant serves Cuban dishes, including ropa vieja with fried sweet potatoes, and beer-soaked shrimp. For breakfast, sip fresh watermelon juice with spicy cheese-topped eggs. With advance notice, the restaurant can arrange for a romantic, torch-lit dinner on the beach.

Hotel Bar

The casual Maiz Pool Bar by the pool has light snacks and cocktails with a Cuban angle. Still peckish? Ask for some fresh seafood, and watch as the friendly chefs prepare it on the grill, or head to the sands for Cuban classics at Mojito's Beach Club.

Last Orders

Ser Esencia serves breakfast from 7am to 11am, and dinner from 6.30pm to 10.30pm. The pool bar and beach club are both open between 11am and 6.30pm.

Room Service

The full restaurant menu is available in your room from 7am until 11pm.

Planes

Cancun International Airport is the nearest airport, and is 180 km away. The airport runs several flights from the US through United (www.united.com), Virgin America (www.virginamerica.com) and others. There are also domestic flights with Mexicana (www.mexicana.com) to Mexico City, which serves Europe. You can connect from Cancun on a small plane for a 25-minute flight to the island of Holbox for $800 one-way; the views of the Yucatan Peninsula are pretty special.

Automobiles

The hotel can arrange land transfers to Ser Casasandra from the airport for $245 one-way for two; for each extra guest add $90 except for under fives, who travel free; the journey takes around two-and-a-half hours. A luxury transfer (with bar service, snacks, on board WiFi and music) costs $320 for two, one-way and can accommodate up to six people. If you want to rent a car and drive there yourself you'll need to arrange the ferry crossing, which can take up to three hours. If renting your own car, follow the road from Mérida to New Valladolid, turn right at Kantunilkin and continue on to the small port Chiquilá. You will have to leave your car at the port as Isla Holbox is strictly car-free, but golf carts are available from rental kiosks in town, and can be delivered to the hotel.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Holbox is the best place in the world to glimpse the planet’s biggest fish, whale sharks. Between June and September, the gentle sharks – which can weigh more than 50 tonnes – swim in the waters off Riviera Maya, and the hotel can arrange boating trips to see them. Ser Casasandra will also arrange visits to local islands, including Isla Pasion, Yalahua and the bird-watching hub of Isla Pajaros, where crocodiles lurk. On the mainland, take tours of the colonial city of Valladolid or the ruins at Ek Balam.

Isla Holbox has good conditions for wind surfing; there is also deep-sea fishing, horseback riding and wildlife walks. Ser Casasandra can arrange tours, and bring golf carts around for guests who explore the island on their own (there are no cars here). There are also bikes available to borrow, so you can cycle explore the island at your leisure.

Ser Casasandra hosts a cinema night on the beach every Friday and live Cuban music every Saturday night, as well as regular art workshops, reading clubs and meditation sessions.

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. .