My husband and I spent one night at the Hotel San Felipe as part of our excursion to Rio Lagartos. We spent the previous night in Valladolid and then drove up to Rio Lagartos, stopiing at the ruins of Ek Balam on the way. We arrived in the town of Rio Lagartos in the afternoon and hired a boat to take us out to see the flamingos. We had a lovely 2 hour trip and saw lots of flamingos. We then drove to San Felipe for the night (few lodging options in Rio Lagartos). We stayed in a 3rd floor room with a great private terrace overlooking the water. After purchasing some beer and chips from a local store we spent an enjoyable and relaxing afternoon on our terrace appreciating the great view. For dinner, we strolled into town and had a nice fish meal in a local place. The fishing town is quiet and laid back and very pleasant as long as you are not looking for entertainment. Back to the hotel for a comfortable night before getting up early to go back to Rio Lagartos for a early morning bird outing (no hot water in the shower). Great morning visit, saw a lot more birds than the previous afternoon, and saw lots of flamingos as well. Seeing a large flock of bright pink flamingos was breathtaking.

If you are interested in seeing lots of birds, enjoy nature, and want a relaxing trip in a comfortable hotel we highly recommend a trip to Rio Lagartos with a stay at the Hotel San Felipe.

If your idea is heaven is resort row in Cancun, you can stop reading now.

But if you love real Mexico and long for unspoiled places and people, you've hit the jackpot. And Hotel San Felipe is a big part of what makes this destination special.

The hotel is full of character and sea breezes, but it's spotless, with excellent, comfortable beds. Just outside the hotel, fishing boats come and go. The air is full of birds. Across the lagoon you can spot flamingos. There is nothing to do -- except, of course, watch the spectacular birdlife, gather seashells on the beaches, fish, talk to the lovely locals, explore the Ria Lagartos ecosystem. I guess it all depends on your idea of fun. I call it heaven.

Your host is Jesus. He doesn't speak much English, but if you know Spanish, he's a treasure trove of information. He will also take you in his boat for fishing or beaches. His wife runs the hotel and she does a great job. The rooms have fluffy clean towels and bottled water, and I must repeat this: real comfortable beds. She will prepare a decent breakfast or supper for you, not haute cuisine but good and tasty.

To book a room, you need to either call or send an email to hotelsf@hotmail.com. Ask for a room overlooking the boat harbor. If you want more info about this place, feel free to contact me!

As the other reviewer outlined it, there is very little to do in San Felipe. It is nonetheless a charming little place and you can catch the wonderful ruins of Ek Balam on the way there or back.

There actually are 3 or 4 restaurants on the mainstreet in town but they are not open after 5 PM on Sunday so watch out for that day.

We stayed in one of the three third floor suites. They had ac, an excellent view of the water from the room via old fashioned wrap around windows. and there was a steep stone with wooden railed staircase that leads up to your own outdoor terrace overlooking the water. If the place is crowded you will be staring at your neighbors over the 3 ft wall that seperates the three terraces but that can be a good way to make friends.

We enjoyed our stay at this hotel. Clean, economical. And just walk into town (1.5 blocks) and along the waterfront and you'll see all the restaurants as the waterfront is only about 4 blocks long.