The dark-colored local Chicozapote wood, sourced from an FSC-certified forest logging program, creates a rhythm across the facades, which is punctuated by vertical window mullions and slatted railings. The units are designed to age naturally over time with a breezy wooden pavilion structure suspended on stilts, to reduce the environmental impact and to raise visitors into the jungle landscape.
Boca de Agua Hotel by Taller Frida Escobedo. Courtesy of Boca de Agua. Photograph by César Béjar.
Project description by Frida Escobedo
Located by the magical Laguna de los Siete Colores (Lagoon of the Seven Colors), Boca de Agua blends into the generosity and exuberance of the Yucatán Peninsula and will open its doors on November 1st. The conception of this project is built upon the desire to create a place that contributes to environmental, social, and cultural regeneration while offering its guests an equally regenerative, unique, and relaxing experience in spaces designed by the renowned architect Frida Escobedo, who recently undertook the redesign of the modern and contemporary wing of the MET in NY.
This new hospitality project offers treehouse accommodations that float on pillars to avoid covering the ground and reduce the environmental impact. The spaces are designed to allow guests to share space with the mostly intact jungle, including the wildlife that freely roams the property. The 26 accommodations, where wood, natural light, and neutral tones take center stage, merge with the magic that Bacalar's heart offers. The entire construction is designed to age naturally over time and tell its own story.
Enrolled within the framework of regenerative tourism, the project also aims to contribute positively to social inclusion, local economic development, and nature conservation, by merging principles of environmental responsibility with an inspiring environment and a careful design of the experience Boca de Agua aims to offer to its guests.
Boca de Agua Hotel by Taller Frida Escobedo. Courtesy of Boca de Agua. Photograph by César Béjar.
Boca de Agua Hotel by Taller Frida Escobedo. Courtesy of Boca de Agua. Photograph by César Béjar.
With references to local culture, the common areas serve as visual anchors in the landscape. A series of passages connect these spaces with the villas, the pool area, and recreational and relaxation areas. The experience's design functions as a modern reflection of the traditional social centers with stone temples and wooden houses of the Yucatán region.
Most of the furniture at Boca de Agua is designed by an in-house team and local artisans who use recycled waste from nearby industrial processes, such as the leftover wood from a nearby plywood processor. The furniture selection includes exclusive pieces from Mexican and local brands like Bandido Studio, Cacao Design, Nossara Towel, and Hacha Ceramics, among others.
Boca de Agua Hotel by Taller Frida Escobedo. Courtesy of Boca de Agua. Photograph by César Béjar.
Boca de Agua offers scientifically-backed therapeutic programs that include nature therapies, allowing guests to experience the healing and restorative power of the earth itself through guided exploration of the natural world. A dopamine reset applies scientific methodologies to discover healthier and more sustainable sources of satisfaction, benefiting from the disconnection that Boca de Agua offers. Ancestral rituals complemented by modern scientific knowledge enhance the Boca de Agua experience.
