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Hotel Xcaret in frames

Built into the limestone on a stretch of Riviera Maya coast — rivers cut through the rock, caves that open onto the sea, and iguanas that have the run of the place.

HotelPlaya del Carmen, Mexico71 photos
An iguana on the rocks above the turquoise water of the inletIguana on the rocks An iguana stretched along a stone wall beside the green water of the channelOn the wall The sun going down over the sea beyond the palms and the roofs of the resortSundown from above A room with two beds made up in white, orange curtains and a timber wallTwo beds A walkway running the length of the reflecting pool to the buildingThe causeway A cut passage through the limestone opening onto blue waterThrough the rock A long bar counter under a reed ceiling, bottles ranged along the backThe bar The open side of the bar under its reed ceiling, loungers and the pool beyondOpen to the pool A bed against a patterned headboard, glass doors open to the jungleHeadboard and jungle A freestanding bath at the window, a hammock strung on the deck and jungle beyondBath and hammock A deep tub set below the window, the light coming in behind itThe bathroom A bed made up in white against a wall of glass, the jungle pressing up outsideThe room A woven pendant lamp over the desk, the room's colours picked up in the artWoven light The channels and thatched roofs of the resort from above, swimmers in the waterThe river pools The long pool running along the shore, palms and loungers down one sideThe pool along the shore Performers in red on a stage across the water, palms lit behind themShow across the water A dish set in a dark mole sauce on a blue-rimmed plateIn mole A folded tortilla filled with fish on a blue plate, the table set with dark bowlsFolded and filled Smashed avocado dressed with grapefruit on a dark plateAvocado and grapefruit The pools lit from within under a clear night skyMoon over the pools Pink flamingos in front of the letters spelling XCARETFlamingos at the sign Two scarlet macaws on a branch in the jungleMacaws A tall stained-glass window in bright abstract coloursStained glass Riders in charro dress working horses in a sand corralThe charros A sand path through low planting, opening onto the seaPath to the water The pool washed red and orange by firelightFire by the pool A table set in an alcove cut into the rock, the water bright through the openingA table in the rock A long infinity pool along the shore, loungers and palms down one sideThe infinity pool Sun loungers under the palms, the buildings across the inletLoungers across the water A plated dish seen from above on a dark stone plateFrom above Dancers in traditional dress on a lit stageThe show Musicians and dancers on a stage lit greenUnder green light Dancers with red fans on a purple-lit stage, the audience in silhouetteFans and skirts The company in white forming a fan of colour across the stageThe fan The lobby building lit at night, the moon above the palmsMoon over the lobby A lounge under a timber lattice ceiling, stone seats on a pale floorUnder the lattice The lit interior along a long reflecting pool at nightInside, after dark Chocolates and fruit arranged on a woven chargerSweets A dessert of figs and berries along a pale plate with a dish of compoteFigs and berries Sea turtles in the clear water of a rock pool seen from aboveTurtles below A sea turtle swimming in the green water of a rock channelIn the channel The resort's river channel running between the rock walls, the building aboveBetween the rock walls A shaded stone terrace under the trees, the low wall of the building behindIn the shade Yellow signs warning of animals, set in the roadside jungleWildlife crossing The channel running between the wings of the hotel out towards the seaThe water axis A shoal of yellow-striped fish over the coral in clear waterGrunts over the coral A bath under a window to the jungle, twin vanity and towels alongsideBath and vanity Pink bougainvillea spilling over a pale stone wall against a blue skyBougainvillea on the wall A fountain playing beside the walkway, planting close on both sidesFountain and walkway The bed set square to a wall of glass and the greenery outsideGlass wall Chocolate spheres set round a stamped disc on a white plateChocolate The inlets, the jungle and the sea from high above the resortThe whole site Turquoise water running through a low limestone tunnelThe tunnel A narrow channel of green water between high rock wallsCut walls A coati picking its way across the rocks among sea grape leavesA coati A plated lunch of sliced meat and vegetables with a bowl of soup alongsideLunch A cave mouth opening onto white sand and blue waterOut of the cave Palms above the cut stone under a bright skyPalms on the rock Cream umbrellas and loungers on the sand of a sheltered cove ringed by limestone rock and jungleThe cove beach Loungers and umbrellas on the sand beside the turquoise inletSand by the inlet A dish plated on yellow sauce, the garnish cut into starsOn the plate The pink building doubled in the still water at nightReflected The building's long pink curve following the pathThe curve The moon above the tower, the pool holding the light belowMoon and tower A long stone-edged pool running out towards the sea, palms and loungers down one sideThe long pool Umbrellas and loungers set along the edge of the green inletUmbrellas on the inlet The pool beside the restaurant terrace, jungle behindThe terrace pool The river winding out through the mangrove and jungleThe river The canopy from below, light coming through the leavesLooking up An iguana settled on the warm stoneIguana An iguana in the foreground, the pool and palms out of focus behindClose up >