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Casa Chablé hotel review: romantic barefoot escapism in Mexico

Enveloped by coconut palms, Casa Chablé sits on a skinny jungly peninsula of the protected Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve, sandwiched between the beautiful turquoise Caribbean Sea and an inland chalky green lagoon where wildlife roams. It's reached by an exciting (but expensive) 35-minute boat ride or a 90-minute car trip from Tulum, and the location on a wild stretch of beach is nothing short of spectacular. Smart bungalows dot the softest of sand and are backed by a restaurant, a beautiful underutilised lobby designed by the Mexican architect Paulina Morán and a small, oblong pool. Locals, who know the lay of the land intricately, lead boat trips to spot jumping dolphins, surfacing manatees, marine turtles, rays and flamingoes, and glimpsing bioluminescence in the lagoon under the stars is a particularly unmissable experience. The service is excellent, thanks to a fabulous team of attentive staff that tend to your every need. This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue Score 10/10Casa Chablé's light eco-footprint accommodates just five guest rooms and five thatched wooden bungalows on the sand. The pick of the bunch is the master beachfront bungalow Hunab Ku — translated as 'the beginning of everything' — which stands apart from the other rooms and gives the impression of being cocooned by its own private beach. A large terrace with an alfresco shower is perfect for early morning coffee and croissants, delivered to your door, as well as watching the sunrise and the raccoon-like coatis that mooch about the sand. The spacious bungalows, designed in natural tones of biscuit, cream and cocoa, and accented with Yucatec-made bedspreads, come with their own hammocks, fat-cushioned sunloungers and tipis. The rooms, found in the main building behind the lobby, are equally attractive although smaller and while all bathrooms have showers, only some come with tubs. The hotel's eco focus is genuinely impressive: 1,848 solar panels generate 60 per cent of the property's energy needs and its own water plant recycles and purifies the supply by reverse osmosis. Score 10/10Meals are served by the delightful staff in K'úum, a handsome open-sided restaurant on stilts overlooking the palm-dotted sand and ocean. The menu riffs on regional Mexican cuisine: examples include Yucatec cochinita pibil (slow-roasted marinated pork) and local sausage with a reduction of black beans; tacos al pastor, hailing from Puebla, served with octopus rather than the traditional pork; and Oaxacan tlayuda, a toasted tortilla dish, covered in refried beans, avocado, Oaxaca cheese, pepian (rich Guatemalan meat stew), roast cauliflower and a delicious roasted asparagus purée. You'll need a week to savour everything from the menus. Breakfasts of eggs, fabulous chilaquiles (fried tortillas covered with a variety of ingredients), acai bowls or pancakes are full of flavour. And be sure to take one of your dinners at a lantern-lit romantic spot set up on the beach, or at a pop-up with candlelight arranged amid the hotel's extensive orchard and vegetable garden. Dishes might include tuna with ponzu sauce, coriander and amaranth tostadas, and the most citrusy of ceviches. Elsewhere, expect moreish cocktails like margarita de Jamaica, made with Cointreau, lemon juice, orange and strawberries. • Best hotels in Tulum• Cancun v Tulum: which is better? Score 9/10A small gym and a spa are found tucked away near the hotel lobby where great massages are as rhythmic as the sound of the waves you can hear. On offer too are sound-healing experiences and a shamanic ceremony at the boat dock for all guests as the sun sets (it's here that you can spy bioluminescence at night under the stars). You can walk or bike along the main peninsula track to spot small Mayan ruins and some of the 300 species of birds found here, and the hotel offers a huge array of complimentary wellness and wildlife tours including snorkelling and kayaking. Score 9/10For lovers of wild beaches, the natural world and dark skies, this is a small slice of heaven on earth in a Unesco-protected nature reserve. Those looking for a Tulum party scene may not feel entirely comfortable here. The local boat trip is a must. Price B&B doubles from £550Restaurant mains from £13Family-friendly YAccessible N Claire Boobbyer was a guest of Casa Chablé ( • Best beaches in Tulum and Cancun• Discover our full guide to Mexico