Sandos Caracol Eco Resort, Riviera Maya: A Review

You know the saying:  A picture is worth a thousand words.  A recent stay at the Sandos Caracol Eco Resort south of Cancun, Mexico promises in its name to be eco-friendly.  As a veteran travel advisor, I have suggested the property for several years now to my moderate budget families and couples.  They return happy that I did, and after a brief stay (2 nights) recently, I now “get it”.  If you love nature then I think you, too, will be happy.

I use the word moderate to be clear that this is not a luxury experience.  The food was good, not great, and the service was mostly with a smile.  We enjoyed that every server did not have a complete English vocabulary.  We were in Mexico, after all.  I love to practice my Spanish while there, just as much as they love to practice their English, you know?  There was not a bar at every turn, so sometimes you waited a moment or two for a cocktail, beer or shot.  It is a family resort, so you will see kids.  Yes, for you big kids, too, there is a really fun water park!

Many of the 955 rooms are set back from the oceanfront, meaning a bit of walking to see the ocean and play on the pretty beach amongst the palm trees.  There is a “timeshare” section (Called Royal Elite) for a bit more upscale experience if you care to go the vacation club route.  There are free bikes to borrow to take on a short path to see true Mayan ruins, though certainly they are not spectacular.  But every day they offer a walking tour to learn a bit about the culture, so I think this would be a nice activity for young families.

I will say it was a bit of a challenge if you didn’t get a reservation as soon as the restaurant was opened, yet being there just two nights meant we could not sample them much.  The buffet had lots of choices, to be sure.  You will not go hungry!  And the red house wine (a merlot) was actually quite good.  I tend to be picky about wines.  We had a wonderful dinner at the open-air Riviera.  Here’s a menu so you can check it out!  Mediterranean yumminess served attentively.  It’s right near the beach, too, which I loved.  We also had breakfast one morning at the Mexican restaurant.  Very nice service.  By the way, they were still asking us to wear a mask to the buffet areas in February 2023.  They will provide for you.

The rooms and buildings need a bit of updating overall but were comfortable and clean.  We were gratefully upgraded from standard to the Adult-Only (18+) “Select” section of rooms, and ours was on the third floor (no elevators…this is not for folks with mobility issues!).  Labeled the  “penthouse”, it had a sitting room with a weird full size day bed, a large closet, and a dresser with a large water cooler, coffee/tea maker and stocked refrigerator.  Beer and soft drinks, primarily.  Off this room was a sliding door to a very large rooftop complete with jacuzzi tub, wicker table and chairs, and two lounge chairs.  You may get an occasional visitor up there.  One of the local coatis was running away as I stepped onto the rooftop patio.  Grin.

The bedroom had a cool king four-poster bed, two small side chairs, a huge closet, two sinks in bathroom, and a very large shower. The windows in our room appeared to be in need of repair or replacement.   We suspected the fogginess was from broken seals, but they are able to be opened if you like.  The bird sounds were fabulous!  We LOVED that they provide a large container of water to refill water bottles you bring instead of small plastic water bottles that are frequently provided at all-inclusive resorts.  This company is working hard to eliminate single-use plastics.  Clap Clap.

The SELECT rooms have an adult-only pool and restaurant, La Jungla, right near the rooms and back from the beach.  We liked being able to dine here breakfast and lunch.  At dinner it became the Brazilian option, and still AO.  Additionally, you get a private check-in area, an exclusive beach area, and an oceanfront clubhouse for drinks, snacks, lockers and showers, as well as a living area.  We honestly did not have time to use this!  Oh, you also can use room service 24-7.

HERE are just some of the eco experiences you may sign up for at this lovely resort. We had fun swimming in the cenote.  There are several on the resort grounds, but just one where you can snorkel.  You take a shower and grab a lifejacket before entering.  It is timed by the attendant, so everyone has a chance to do this, but they don’t rush you. 

One of the highlights for me?  In the late afternoon after checking in we were walking toward the beach and this fellow (or chica? see pic BELOW) was on the side of the path picking some sort of frond.  I had to giggle out loud when it stood up fully erect and began to walk casually down the sidewalk.  It was so cute, although there are signs warning that they can be a bit mean sometimes.  Never approach or feed them.  There’s an enclosure…sort of a zoo…with some animals the kids can pet, so they can get their fix there.

The resort has other room categories available, and the Family Section has more recently updated rooms and furnishings, as well as additional bunks in some categories.  Check them out HERE.

I will share some other tidbits about Sandos Caracol in photo captions below.  Enjoy!  This is a beautiful spot in the Yucatan. Bring sunscreen and bug repellant.  The sunscreens cost $27 in the store here.  It matters not which brand or size!

For those of you who have some trepidation about visiting Mexico due to media stories of violence, please know that most of this takes place hundreds of miles away from the resort areas.  I would encourage you to exercise caution outside of the resort when in cities and away from the beaten path to be aware of your surroundings, as you would when in most places in the world today.  Don’t ask for drugs of any kind of locals.  Leave your fine jewelry at home.  Support the folks who are working hard every day walking the beach selling their wares.  Be kind and leave a smile for each encounter.  The people who serve your needs in these resort areas work very hard to support their families and they deserve respect and love.  Just sayin’.

PEACE, BOBBIE MURPHY, your Active Travel Pro