Fodor's Expert Review Balamku Inn on the Beach

Ecologically sensitive Balamku, located 5 km (3 miles) south of town, sits on a stretch of pristine private beach where you can lose all track of time. Cool, spacious rooms are bright with Mexican tiles and textiles, and outdoor palapas are set up for the hotel's top activity—"hammocking." But it's not all about sleeping in the sun: a famously generous breakfast plus kayaking and snorkeling equipment are included in the rate. Canadian expat Carol Tumber runs an ecologically tight ship. In addition to generating power with solar panels and wind generators, the property uses water-saving toilets and composts all hotel waste. There's an outer reef for snorkeling and a platform where you can catch some rays after a swim. The restaurant serves only snacks, but there are two more robust restaurants five minutes down the beach road, one in each direction.