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Villas Flamingos Hotel — Holbox Island, Mexico


Paseo Kuka s/n, Esq. Calle Camaron, Playa Norte. Isla Holbox, Quintana Roo


The most whimsical and artistic hotel among the high–end choices on the island, this one boasts spacious rooms filled with color and great lounging spaces with flair right by the sea.

Villas Flamingos Hotel

Located next to Las Nubes toward the end of human development on Holbox, Villas Flamingos requires a bike or a golf cart taxi to get to town and back, but the distance pays off. There's no road between the resort and the sea, meaning you can walk straight to the water in a minute or less. You'll probably spend most of your time lounging by the shallow greenish–blue water though. There are comfortable chairs around the pool, then an array of shaded lounge chairs, full day beds, and even a boat–turned–lounger spread across the sand. This resort reportedly has the longest stretch of oceanfront property on the island, the length of two football fields.

poolside at Villas Flamingos

The 180–degree view is stunning, but don't expect any crashing waves: the water is knee–deep for quite a while at low tide and even at high tide it takes a long walk to get fully submerged. The resort has whimsical wooden feet going out into the water from the pool and two permanent hammocks hanging from posts offshore.

The main building fronts it all, with a small reception desk inside and an air–conditioned café and bar. The main restaurant is outside, serving seafood and Yucatecan cuisine with a view of the water, in a perfect beach bar kind of setting. The barstools are swings made of simple planks and rope. You can order food and drinks from here to be delivered to your lounge space, but the laid-back islanders are not too quick on the draw.

The free–form swimming pool is shaped more for cooling off and conversation than exercise and during my visit was filled with smooching couples having a romantic getaway. Large orange towels add more color to the warm and sunny palate around the resort.

Villas Flamingos room

The rooms vary in size and layout, but all are colorful and contain a variety of creative touches. Most units have two showers: an indoor one that's hidden in a log beam and takes some getting used to, or an outdoor one fashioned from a group of brightly painted buckets with holes in the bottoms. After given a bit of time for the buckets to fill up, it's an excellent rain shower. Then there might be a chandelier created from clear glass bottles, or light fixtures from repurposed reed baskets. The beds and furniture are quite comfortable, however, and the included Wi-Fi works well.

Whirlpool at Villas Flamingos

Many of the buildings contain two units: a studio–style first–floor one with a terrace, then one that takes up the next two floors and has a balcony and whirlpool. The whirlpool is at the top, with hammocks and bean bag chairs surrounding it. This would probably be a kids' playhouse dream, but since these bungalow units are meant for two — with one king bed — it's better suited as an adult love nest. The more common units on one level can host two queen beds though and sleep four. Rates vary somewhat depending on the view, but none are more than 50 meters from the water. Bungalows Jardin and Arena have their own plunge pool. There are larger units with multiple bedrooms that command a higher rate. These are the best bet for families or small groups as they're like rental villas, in individual buildings.

Bathroom Villas in HolboxThere are screens on the windows to leave them open and get the sea breeze, or air conditioning during times of the year when that's too stifling. Quality bath products, a fridge, hammocks, and turndown service ensure that you'll stay content and sufficiently pampered.

Staffers can arrange excursions or call a golf cart taxi, or you can just borrow one of the bicycles or kayaks to go exploring on your own. The flamingos often gather a few hundred meters down the coast, but you'll have to book a proper tour to go swim with the whale sharks that draw many to this island.

Guests tend to be more Mexican than foreign in the summer and around Easter, with foreigners predominating from December through March. English proficiency is hit and miss, but if your request isn't too out of the ordinary you'll generally get what need at the front desk and restaurant. While Casa Sandra is fancier and Las Nubes has a wider variety of suites, Villas Flamingos is designed to make you smile and feel joy in your surroundings, making this a great vacation spot for couples wanting to have some barefoot beach time together.

Web Address: www.villasflamingos.com
Total Number of Rooms: 29
Published rates: $140 — $750

Review and photos by Timothy Scott.


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