Casa Hormiga

The so-called Riviera Maya may grab the headlines, but it’s worth venturing a little farther, to the southern reaches of the Yucatán Peninsula, for a truly transformative experience. Here, close to the border with Belize, is the town of Bacalar, along the shores of the impossibly clear blue lake of the same name; and it’s in this town that you’ll find the beautifully tranquil Casa Hormiga Hotel & Rituales.

Rarely have raw concrete walls and thatched roofs looked so natural together. There’s a certain modernist sparseness to Casa Hormiga’s design, but the reliance on naturally textured organic materials, and the inspiration of wabi-sabi Japanese aesthetics, keep things from looking too orderly. The rooms come in themes of ether, earth, and fire, and in all three, patios, verandas, and balconies allow for indoor-outdoor lounging.

The most relaxing spaces, naturally, are reserved for the spa, which accounts for the “rituals” part of the hotel’s name, and offers treatments influenced by both Maya and Ayurvedic traditions. Brote, the restaurant, is open for breakfast and dinner; midday lounge spaces include the library and a beach club, a few minutes’ walk away, on the shore of the lagoon.