Tucán

Tucán is our double room and, plainly put, the best view at Casa Pantoja. It is on the third floor and from its terrace the Xul-Há lagoon opens out in front of you. It is a single room, larger than the standard ones, with two queen beds for four people.

Two things are worth saying before you book. First: these are not two connecting rooms, it is one shared space, so it works for a family or four friends who know each other well, not for two couples wanting privacy. Second: you climb three floors by stairs to get there. The view earns it, but if someone in your group would rather avoid steps, Ceiba is on the ground floor.

Unlike the rooms, Tucán has a kitchen and a fridge, so it does not force you out for breakfast or dinner every day. It also has a television and air conditioning. The terrace is where people end up spending their time: it is where the air moves and where you watch the water change colour through the day, from the pale turquoise of the morning to the deeper blue of the late afternoon.

The Xul-Há lagoon is a minute away on foot, at the southern end of the Bacalar lagoon, with the same clear water and far fewer people than the town. From Tucán you see it before you go down: step onto the terrace, see what the day looks like, and decide whether to swim, to paddle or to stay up top. Downtown Bacalar is about ten minutes away and Chetumal twenty.

Casa Pantoja has no direct access to the lagoon. The lagoon is approximately a one-minute walk away; two bathing facilities charge admission. Admission is not included in your stay. Check their prices and opening hours before visiting.