Two things immediately jump out during a visit at Boca de Agua. One is the crystal clear, light blue waters of the nearby Bacalar Lagoon, a hard-to-resist invitation to jump in and escape the heat in this easternmost state of Mexico, Quintana Roo. The other is the hotel’s design by Mexico City architect Frida Escobedo (winner of the 2024 Charlotte Perriand Award). The family of treehouses is immersed in foliage, forming a one-off, low-density hospitality destination that aims to make a positive impact on its environment as well as its guests’ mental health.
Boca de Agua: origins and design
‘Since my early twenties, I started suffering from crippling anxiety,’ Boca de Agua’s founder Rodrigo Juarez explains of the origins of his business. ‘The only times I was able to get out of this frustrating loop was when I would spend extended periods of time in nature. Since this realisation, I began a long journey to try to develop a project in the intersection of natural conservation and mental health – and Boca de Agua was born.’
Ensuring staffing and programming on site engage local small businesses and emerging professionals from underrepresented groups is another part of the hotel’s mission. This goal extends to the design, whose sustainable architecture is defined by an Escobedo staple – latticework. It is a feature that allows for both natural ventilation and shade, while wrapping the spaces in an artisanal and handmade feel. It also anchors the project to its site through the use of timber and local labour and construction techniques, despite its modern forms.
The campus that forms the hotel comprises 22 raised structures (some one- and some two-bedroom ones), two restaurants (one with a stargazing platform on top), a lagoon deck, a petanque court, and a spa wrapped in the leafy cocoon of four mature chaká red trees (in Mayan culture, they are considered sacred). It is a place that feels modern as much as it does of its place.
Juarez adds: ‘The best description I’ve gotten for it so far is: Boca de Agua seems to be the result of traditional Japanese architecture, Mexican modernism, and local craftsmanship having a baby in the Caribbean jungle.’
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