Cabanas Copal Hotel

We wanted a vacation that was not Cancun 'touristy' and that is what we got! Coming into Cancun airport we had reservations and a shuttle booked from Copal's web site. Tip: make exchange at airport or bank before arriving! Great ride there, great service too. Wonderful staff greeted us and got us to our room that was simply romantic! I am not usually one for rustic but I ended up liking it. Not much water pressure but hey your going to get hot, sweaty and in the sea later anyway. Cozy beds, daily room service, candles and they started leaving brooms in the rooms, great idea! We put our chair in front of the door at night other wise it is not locked, a pad lock secures your room during the day but keep your valuable at home and traveler checks tucked away. We had no problems with security issues, I felt really very safe there. We had a couple geckos to keep us company and some iguanas outside too, don't keep food out, they will eat it, we double zipped locked and kept trail mix in closed suitcase just fine. Had peroxide to clean out toothbrushes, put in ears after swimming and rinse mouth to avoid any 'revenge' loved the sound of the ocean at night and the bright stars, got coffee to go in the mornings to bring back to our room and the beach, $5 for a pot. Watch the sun come up. Next time we will spend the extra for the azulik rooms or full sea veiw! We will return again some day for sure. The only lesson learned the first night: we had not exchanged money yet and they did not accept american at the beach bar, all we wanted to do was relax for an hour, have a corona before eating dinner in the resturant, well a man there, (friend of the bartender), tried to take us... for his own exchange rate, if you know what I mean. My husband was in the Navy and traveled a lot so he knew what was going on and we just left the area, in fact we did not spend much time at the beach bar again that week...We then went to dinner and found the prices to be higher and different items then the web site showed...and then found there was no internet cafe, with 4 kids I was counting on staying in touch this way and that was one reason we made reservations here...So actually the first night there... I was frustrated, wanted to cry and leave! But I am glad we decided to stay, I changed my outlook on things, decided to make the best of it and tried to remember where we were....so the next day we had the breakfast buffet and loved it! The man that manages it was sooo wonderful to us, even with our bad spanish, nightly entertainment was wonderful! we went to town (taxi from hotel is $3 but if you start walking one will pick you up and offer him $2) Everything is negociable there. We went to the Banco to exchange money, did some site seeing and shopping, again barter for everything, they have internet shops in town but their price is cheap, but then a little higher then they say when it is time to pay but you can get in touch with people back home. We rented bikes and went south one day to the nature reserve, saw a cenote there and hotel hopped on the way back, better, cleaner and bigger beaches to the south if that is important but cheaper to stay at copal and rent a bike. There is a great italian resturant just south of copal, within walking distance just around the curve, make reservation early in the day and enjoy! Young group of people and they make the pasta daily and only serve you at your time. Gringo Dave's is just to the north of copal past the police intersection at the top of the hill, long walk or ride bikes, take your flash light too! Great stuffed grouper!!! took bikes farther north to Tulum ruins one day, too far to walk, but don't waste your whole day there! Take a bus to Coba intead, really cheap $4. Go to the resturant at the bus station, it was great! Climb Coba! Local young man at Copal, Fernando took us to some loal cenotes one day to snorkel, $20 for each includes gear and water, sea was too rough but would have loved to see the reef, if it is calm one day change your plans and go out, next time for sure! In fact the beach was gone one morning from the rough sea and very rocky, could not go in the water as the rocks slammed your feet. Do not waste your money at Xel-Ha! Few fish left in fact the only ones are at the bridge because they feed them to keep them. Very clean hotel! Candles on the path were great! great service, learn a little spanish before you come, it helps, not a place to bring children really, more adult romantic, place and some nudity on the beach, a couple of gay men like to strut their stuff but you really don't even notice the nudity and they do tell you up front it is a 'gay friendly' hotel but it IS NOT a swinger sort of place either! Prices are high considering what you get, over all prices in the area are the same as the states so if you think things are cheaper there, they are not. The people that stayed there are very friendly and will tell you places to go and see, just ask around, met some great people from Canada, Hi Kim! If you like your hotel vacations do not go to Tulum, it is the real Mexico (if you are up for it). Otherwise go back to your all-inclusive! We had the best stories at the airport....We are looking at going to Belize next year!

My wife and I stayed in a Playacar resort last week and made a trip to Tulum to visit the Mayan ruins on 4/15/04. I had come on to the Cabanas Copal web site earlier this winter while surfing the web in search of places to visit other than the usual tourist attractions and fancy resorts so decided to visit CC's restaurant for lunch and check it out. What a unique place for anyone looking for and who enjoys rustic outdoor settings. The staff was very friendly and allowed us to look around, talk to guests, check out a cabana and we stayed out on the beach for a couple hours before heading back to Playacar. Next year we will be staying at CC for at least a couple days to fully enjoy it, maybe longer if it turns out to be the experience I feel it will be. My wife and I love to camp and enjoy quiet beaches. Other people are not a problem but the crowded beaches at the resort scene is not what we want to spend the entire trip on. I see in some of the previouse reviews that some were highly critical of the staff and facilities and I have say that We found the staff very friendly and informative. A guest came to the counter with a problem and the attendent excused herself from our conversation to address the problem immediatly and while a maintenence person was sent for, the guest offered to show us their garden view cabana so the counter attendent did not have to find someone to cover while she showed us a vacant cabana. We were very impreesed with the cabana and the guest that showed it had nothing but good to say about the staff and facility. They indicated that the CC staff was much more organized and custumer oriented than some of the other cabana type resorts up the street they had visited and felt they had made the right choice for their vacation. We spent a very enjoyable two hours walking the beach and sunbathing. The beach in front of CC is not very long but we walked north on the beach for close to mile and saw maybe twenty other folks who were out to enjoy the beach the same as us. Some were nude others fully covered. I guess its up to you what you want to make of it but I say bare is where its at. We had a super time and WILL be back

Just read the April 7th review and honestly, I think they must have been talking about another hotel. My experience was awesome. We turned up on April 8th without a reservation and gave up our already paid for accomodation in Playa del Carmen because of the crowds. We stayed here because it was in an awesome location, remote and eco-friendly! The beach was fantastic, no crowds, the guests low key, the food and drink in the restaurant very good. I was travelling with my 9 year old daughter and felt very safe here. I felt so safe I allowed my daughter to roam at will. The staff was friendly and accomodating. I never saw a television anywhere nor were there cell phones ringing. The plumbing was my only complaint as the smell (i.e. plumbing) was significant but hey, you are in Mexico! I would recommend upgrading to an oceanview/oceanfront if available as you can't beat the breeze on those hot, hot days. We stayed in the newest, largest cabana for 1 night and it was QUITE a treat. If nudity bothers you, stay elsewhere. I've never stayed at a "clothing optional" establishment before and it was really no big deal as everyone was pretty low key. No exhibitionists flaunting there stuff. My daughter hardly noticed after day 1. I had several holistic treatments, reiki and the mayan massage, and they were excellent! Hightly recommend taking advantage of either of these even if you don't stay at Copal. Overall, great experience...I would go there again.

I was surprized to read the review from April 7th. I wholeheartedly dissagree. I arrived on april 8th and the staff were very helpful, especially Daniel, they did everything they could to get my sister and myself and our two kids into a room. We were staying in Playa del Carmen and found that there were way too many people for our taste. The beach at Cabanas was a comfortable size and plenty of room to spread out. There are many wonderful things to see in the area and Cabanas is in a great location. Everyone was absolutely wonderful and I felt completely safe for myself and my child. The restaurent was excellent also. Many thanks to all there

Yes the english was poor upon our arrival, but so was my spanish:)Beech was breezy and beautiful, cabanas simple and functional! Spectacular location!Arrived late into Cancun, took the bus to Cancun center bus station and then one straight to Tulum's bus station. From there $4/5 cab ride to Copal. Easy and cost less than $21 for two! There are more direct buses earlier in the day as well. From the airport cabs were asking $100+++. Copal cash was good but there was no exchange considered when paying with copal cash thus little by little we lost when paying for our meals. Food was very good as was service. However the prices were much different than the menu we had viewed on line. Charged $7us+ for a nutella crepe. Beer $2.50, $5 for 2 coffee to go. Plus tip.Seemed high. Good spot for breakfast! Try Zammas(just down the road) for a change(they offer the exchange rate and have great thin-crust pizza&Choc. Cake:)) Internet cafe had moved, and this has now been changed on the website, however when we were there in Jan./Feb. we had expected it:( Massage, sweat lodge+++ were great! Lucretia was invaluable as a resourse at guest services. Victor, with his gentle spirit, had just started there and was helpful. Wonderful people as well! Met some wonderful folks who also played "natural" on the beach...much fun This spot really is beautiful and the grounds and our room were impeccable! Great mixture of same-sex/ opposite sex couples. Very welcoming environment! I would highly recommend this property. Not a bad idea to rent a car (arrange prior to arrival) and drive yourself to and from the airport, with sightseeing in between, bonus! Grant it, a car is by no means needed. On your second visit you may want to consider this option to venture from your surpurb nesting grounds at Cabana Copal! ***S***

They used to run very nice simple cabanas. It seems now they are depending to much on others to run their place. The communication is awful(reservation staff)I tried to fix the problem by calling and their phone is off according to message on machine for approx 3 weeks. from when i called. it says they will answer by email. they dont......i decided to stay elsewhere. a sign of things to come.we stayed in 2002 and the location is nice but maids do not clean your canbana but 2x for the week like camping..Shell

I left Toronto in a snow and ice storm that delayed departure by more than two hours. I arrived in Cancun airport late, and caught the bus to Tulum. Arrived in my final destination as dark was falling. The place has no electricity, but candles light the paths and the caba?as. The floors are sand as are the outdoor areas. The big double bed was comfortable and covered in mosquito netting. The constant breeze off the Caribbean made the temperatures constantly comfortable. The private bath and shower were more than adequate. One of the most interesting things about the caba?a was that the shower head was a conche shell! There was always adequate hot water, but the water was very hard, tasting of salt! Caba?as Copals is a resort that has a large number of naturopathic and native health related activities such as yoga lessons, massage, sweat lodges, resting beds, etc., etc. There is scubing diving, boating and snorkling available. I tried my hand at snorkling, but the sea was very rough and I ended up drinking a significant amount of the Caribbean! However, the reef (the second largest in the world) is just 300 meters off the shore and I did manage to see some interesting coral. The restaurants, one overlooking the Caribbean, serve great food and the buffet breakfast is well worth while. There is evening entertainment. One evening I was treated to a wonderful flamenco show. But beware! When I first went down to the beach, I noticed what appeared from a distance to be a woman lying on a lounge in a skin-coloured bathing suit. Wrong!! The beach is clothing optional and nudity is the norm. The resort is indeed a paradise and the prices are reasonable even for the budget conscious tourist. The only drawback is that it is a fair way from the town and other sites and requires a taxi. You can rent bikes, but at night, the road is very dark and the cars and trucks move along at typically Mexican speeds. The bikes do not have lights although that doesn?t stop the locals from using them. I?ll write more about Tulum in another review, but for anyone thinking of going to the area, Caba?as Copals is an excellent spot to stay. I have seldomly slept so well!

I refer to Trip Advisor before taking a trip to read about the good and the potential bad of a location/property. I immediately discredit some of the good reviews when the reviewer spends more time bashing a bad review than telling me how fabulous the location is. Everyone has a different experience. Good or bad, they are all valid. I found Cabanas Copal to be nice, but I expected more for my money (based on other places I've stayed in the area). I reserved a Seaview King room but got a room closer to the garden with a view of the ocean in the distance (if you moved a little to the left). The female manager insisted it was considered a sea view room, but the male manager went out of his way to make sure we were moved to a room with a sea view. The grounds are beautiful and very well-maintained except for a stray cigarette butt here and there. The rooms were clean considering you are in a cabana at the beach (fair amount of sand, mold, rust, bugs etc.). The cleaning staff is very friendly and leave "towel sculptures" for you when you tip them. The food at CC Restaurant was excellent as was the service -- although our first night there, one of the waiters told us the tip was not included in the bill when in fact it was. There is not much to the coral reef 300 meters in front of the property; there were even less colorful fish. The pool is not a swimming pool, more of a baby pool, although very nice to sit by. A good portion of the beach is rocky so most people sat on the wooden deck when we were there. The deck has an absolutely spectacular view. If you enjoy sitting at the beach, reading a book and drinking beer/margaritas all day, you don't need a car. However, if you prefer to get out and see more of the area, I highly recommend renting a vehicle. We were scheduled to stay at Cabanas Copal for seven days, but left after five days. I recommend paying by the day/few days and adding days as needed.

I first visited Copal in December of 2002. I was traveling with another female friend. Although we had accommodations for one week in Cancun (only because I got an incredible deal) we didn't plan to spend any more time than necessary in the Cancun hotel zone. I had heard about Cabanas Copal from a friend that had done the temazcal there. I was intrigued, and wanted to try it, but because my friend had to fly back very early on Friday morning, and they were only doing the temazcal on Thursday nights, we were dissappointed that we couldn't do it. I contacted Copal and they offered to do the temazcal on Tuesday night for us. Now that's service! When we arrived, we had made reservations for a cabana with one bed to save money. They realized that we were two straight women traveling together, and upgraded us to a cabana with two beds at no extra cost. It was slow season and they had the availability to do it. That was really great of them. Beause we were doing the temazcal, we had to eat a light dinner, but the Copal salad was great. We experienced the temazcal (very interesting and different than anything I've ever done). In the morning, we awoke to a beautiful sunrise and a walk on an almost deserted wonderful beach. Now this is what I like - what a difference from the crowded beaches of Cancun. We had full breakfasts - my friend had some sort of Mexican eggs with tortillas - very good. I ordered mueselli (sp?) not realizing that it had milk - lots of it. Since I have trouble with lactose intolerance, I explained to the waiter that it was my fault, but that I needed to order something different for breakfast. He gladly replaced my order and did not charge me for my mistake. I liked Copal so much that I decided to make it a stop in February. I was married on Isla Mujeres, and we were taking most of our wedding group to the mainland to tour the Tulum ruins and Chichen Itza. It worked out perfectly to stop at PDC, tour the Tulum ruins and stay overnight at Copal. We had four children, 3 senior citizens, and 5 adults along. We all had dinner there - service was a little slow - they were busy and understaffed. Overall service in Mexico is slower than we are used to anyway. BUT, the food was wonderful and well worth the wait. In the morning everyone had a great time on the beach - once again we had it almost completely to ourselves. We did see some nudity. This is not a "lifestyles" place, but nude sunbathing is allowed and I've been told it is quite common. We all had breakfast - all very good, most of us ordering different items. And the service was much quicker for breakfast. Everyone liked Copal with a few exceptions. My 13-yr-old daughter hates camping - and she did not like Copal because of no electricity to run her blow dryer and straightener. My brother's wife is deathly afraid of spiders - they had a few in their cabana. I had to go to PDC on business last June, and took a sidetrip to Copal. I heard that they were building a new property (Azulik) next door, and I wanted to see it. We were given a tour, and I was really impressed. They gave us chilled washclothes, which we really appreciated in the heat of June. Then we had a wonderful lunch. I had a fruit smoothie drink, gazpacho, and pasta - all were wonderful. Being a vegetarian, many times I don't have a lot of choices. There are so many at Copal that I had a hard time deciding what to eat. If you like adventure and travel - if you like to camp - if you do not like to be part of the huge tourist crowds, then Cabanas Copal is perfect for you. If you hate to camp, think that roughing it is staying at a Holiday Inn instead of the Ritz, prefer to stay in tourist areas, are afraid of spiders or lizards - then Copal is not for you. It is rustic. It is a huge step up from camping, but not a hotel. For what it is, I think Cabanas Copal is terrific! But it's not for everyone - I know my sister-in-law would not go back because of the spiders. My daughter would not go back, unless she grows up and gets over her vanity. The rest of us would stay again. And we'd definitely eat there if we were in the area.

My wife and I travel quite often and have been to Tulum multiple times we love Tulum and all the local hang outs we don't consider ourselves the average "tourist" and love to eat where the locals do and experience true serenity. I was impressed with the beach area and views at copal, but I do think for the price it should be cleaner. I know it states rustic on the site (but not DIRTY) my wife and I had dirty sheets in our cabana and the towel separting the shower area if you want to call it that was filthy and full of mold the toilet was in proper working order but the shower head was not, there was no hot water and because of all the build of rust I guess that what it was only a tiny stream of cold water would run down. The communal showers were not any better. I would describe this experience as very expensive camping with not so friendly host. After 6 nights we checked out and find nicer (CLEAN) more reasonably priced cabanas down the road the last 2 nights we tried Akumal and found a small hotel for around $40USD a night Vista Del I believe it was called that I was impressed with the place and they had hot water. Basically Copal is nothing more than EXPENSIVE Camping, save yourself some aggravation and do not bother going here!