The Yuum Ha boutique hotel is not what you would expect to find in a tiny fisherman’s village on the edge of the Yucatan peninsula. Even the hotel’s facade that faces the local boat docks doesn’t give much away, except for the tiny, twinkling strings of lights strung across the street and towards their outdoor palapa where romantic dinners are served. Once inside you’ll find owner Jo and her staff go above and beyond in an attempt to help you with everything from a tricky door key to a welcome cocktail by the pool.
Their six rooms are set in two stories that face the water, and front-facing walls are floor-to-ceiling windows. This makes for great views, especially nice in the rooms with a full balcony like #3 so be sure to ask. Yuum Ha has four superior rooms with two queen beds and 2 deluxe rooms with one king-size. The rooms are simple but lovely, with fresh white linens, ample bathrooms, TVs, and mini-fridges (with a variety of snacks, beers, and Gatorade that you can purchase), as well as A.C. (a must in this very hot part of Mexico). With good lighting, they are pleasant enough for working for a bit or taking a cool nap in between activities. Rooms start around 88usd in the low season and 100usd in the high season.
The hotel’s restaurant, Maleconcito, is another surprise in this quiet little town, with a list that includes some out-of-the-box cocktails like the Jalimango (Tequila, lime, Jalapeño pepper, and cilantro) or the Sonic Maya Water (pineapple, coconut cream, vodka, sparkling limeade, and curacao liquor). The menu has many great options that highlight the region’s seafood (an octopus hamburger and the seared tuna steak are excellent) and non-seafood dishes like pizza or a New York steak. You can have dinner out on their palapa at the end of the tiny dock that extends into the lagoon in front of the hotel and watch the fishing and tour boats flicker into the dock slips after sunset. Flamingos fly in low, straight lines in the distance, and egrets and herons stalk the shallow waters for their evening meal.
In the center of the hotel is the pool area with brightly painted pink and turquoise tables and chairs (the pink in homage to the nearby flamingos that everyone comes to Rio Largarta to get an up-close look at). The pool wraps around a stone centerpiece and has varying degrees of depth for those who want a full submerge after a hot day touring or just to dip a toe in while they enjoy a drink. A tiny tiki bar sets off to one side where they offer not only their house cocktails but classics as well.
A Continental breakfast of coffee, fruit, croissants, or hot cakes is included in the rate and the full breakfast al a carte for an extra cost is a mix of international and local dishes, you can get an acai bowl with granola and fruit or chilaquiles with chicken for example.
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The reasons why you might be in Rio Largarta overnight are more varied than you might think. This is an iconic place to see the local flamingos that live here year-round, and there are some beautiful nearby beaches. For a beach day, you have to take a boat or drive out near the Las Colorados salt flats since the town sits on the edge of a lagoon with no beach to speak of, a bordering mangrove forest hedging it in several kilometers in the distance. But that makes it even more worth it because the lack of beach means the town isn’t overrun with tourists and there is no booming beach bar music until all hours of the night.
Nearby you can also see the stunning pink lagoons of the Las Colorados salt flats. While manmade they are nonetheless impressive in size and operation and the project is extremely eco-friendly, using no chemicals to process and dry the salt, and with much effort put into preserving the local environment. Out at the salt flats at Las Colorados you will also get a glimpse of our pink, long-legged friends as the flamingos come to feed there in the pools, protected as they are against their main predator, crocodiles. Yuum Ha can arrange stargazing tours where you can get a class on the Maya cosmovision, as well as romantic packages that include sunset tours, beach picnics, or a romantic dinner or breakfast for two under the palapa.
The hotel’s only real downside is that walls and windows are a little thin, but you will only hear the noise of things going on around you until everything is put to bed around 10pm. The other issue is the Wi-Fi strength (and cell phone reception) which is pretty pitiful, but it’s a town-wide problem and not specific to the hotel.
Rio Largartas is close to so many great attractions and yet many daytrippers drive all the way back to Valladolid an hour and a half away or even take the long haul back to Cancun almost 4 hours instead of staying the night. They could instead be at Yuum Ha having a relaxing and delicious evening to ready them for the next day’s activities. There are few places in the Yucatan that are both isolated and still maintain high levels of service, and Yuum Ha is one of them. You’d be lucky to spend a few days there recharging and enjoying the surrounding nature.
You can make you reservation directly at the hotel website, or see if you can get a better deal at Booking.com.
*The author was hosted at this property but her opinions are her own*
