A one-acre Oasis of lush tropical gardens teeming with life, a pool of crystalline subterranean waters, fresh vegetarian, mostly organic home grown, home-cooked food; unique lodgings that compliment, rather than dominate, their natural surroundings. Guests are generally well travelled and in search of authentic cultural experience, contact with nature and intriguing archaeological sites of international importance. In partnership with several local families, we provide meaningful, respectful interactions and cultural exchanges through our Artisans Tour and Maya Cooking Class. We host a Pilgrimage tour that includes morning walks to untouristed sacred and natural sites. 2 Hours from Cancun or Merida airports; 1.5 Hr from gorgeous Caribbean beaches at Tulum or the biosphere reserve on the Gulf of Mexico. 45 Minutes from Chichen Itza; Half hour from the Colonial city of Valladolid, cenotes XKeken (Dzitnup) and Samhula and minutes from the Ek Balam archaeological zone, cenote Xcanche, cenote Hubiku and others. See our free Tours and Activities travel planner online at GenesisEkBalam. We are independently owned and use a portion of profits to provide ongoing work and skills development for local staff, intercultural exchange programs and animal welfare projects. Genesis has operated at Ek Balam for 13 years. It is owned by a local resident expat from Canada who lives on site. Management is Yucateca and also on site. Continental Breakfast Included. English Spoken. Reservation recommended.
Ek Balam Adjoining the Ek Balam Archaeological Zone, Ek Balam Village 97743 Mexico
Name/address in local language
Genesis Eco-Oasis
243 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Our favorite place to stay in the Yucatan. We love it and try to go every year. The central garden is green, shady, and relaxing, with a nice cool pool dug out of the limestone bedrock. Host-owner Lee is very creative and has designed each room individually. We like Bird House because it looks over the garden. Breakfast and dinner are delicious, healthy, vegetarian-friendly and prepared by skilled staff who live in the village. Gloria, Mari, and Don Nemesio keep the place running; chat with them if you speak speak Spanish and don't forget to tip generously. Lee arranges various tours of the village etc. provided by local folks. If you don't have a car they will arrange a taxi to take you to local sites. Other activities are possible - ask about it. (I have learned about plants and Mayan agriculture there.) Definitely go to the impressive but peaceful Ek Balam ruins and take a swim in a nearby cenote. Nearby Valladolid has many interesting sites. This is a fantastic place if you like to travel simply and learn about local culture. The only reason not to go would be if you dislike dogs (Lee has a few and they sometimes bark, and there are roosters that crow) or if you want to be in a standard resort hotel which this is not.
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Date of stay: February 2020
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We thoroughly enjoyed our three nights here. We stayed in the 'Cielo' room and loved the outdoor shower and outdoor living room area. The property is lovely, you feel like your in the middle of a jungle oasis. There are all kinds of birds, chickens and some cuddly dogs and cats that live on the property, we loved having the animals there. That being said, earplugs at night are essential. There's a nice breakfast included or the lovely ladies will make you superfood pancakes for a low cost. If you want to come and relax, this is the perfect place. There are hammocks and a nice common area with many books and travel guides. We enjoyed meeting and getting to know the other guests. The owner, Lee, is very accommodating and welcoming. She gave us all kinds of ideas and things to do and arranged a really neat experience in the village where we learned how to make chocolate and tortillas. Genesis is close to the Ek Balam ruins, you can get there on bike. Would stay again for sure!
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Date of stay: December 2019
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Genesis Eco-Oasis was seriously an oasis, a healing sanctuary in perfect harmony with nature. We stayed at Cielo Bedroom, its large terrace gave as privacy and connection with the surrounding lush vegetation. Total peace! The pool connected with subterranean rivers was cleaned daily and offered a beautiful spot to swim and just be. Owner Lee was easy to communicate with and accommodating. Gloria gave as lots of useful tips and cooked amazing regional vegetarian meals and Don Nemesio kept the garden looking great, he helped us out buying some things we needed from town our first night and even found somebody to come fix our flat tire on our last day. We definitely recommend it! It’s a good idea to keep in mind that you are traveling to a somewhat remote and rustic location, it can be a bit buggy at times.”
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Date of stay: June 2021
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We stay at Genesis Eco-Oasis 5 days in Feb 2020. The place offers a different type of accommodation with lots of trees,small gardens and accommodations that are nicely appointed through this "mini jungle" offering interesting bedrooms arrangement/location among trees.The service was very good and informations provided always useful and provided us with knowledge of the area .Lee always answer all questions and offered very good suggestions. The dinners were always excellent of high quality and well presented . The location in the small EK Balam village offers interesting view on the life of real Mayan people, close to the pyramids and cenote (we cycle with bikes provided by the resort) Some activities are offered in the village to participate in chocolate grinding and making of tortilla. The negative points are the very poor quality/quantity of the breakfast provided (included ).The bedroom was always kept very clean but the common area from sitting room/dining room was very dusty and cover by bird poo. The pool was not clean of tree leafs/debris regularly. We are lovers of animals being cats,parrots ,rosters and even dogs . It is very commendable to rescue dogs but at night particularly the barking was a bit too much .
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from J Lee C, Owner at Genesis Eco-Oasis
Responded Mar 31, 2020
Thank you for taking the time to write and for giving us the opportunity to respond. Our complementary breakfast include the following: 3 fresh fruit juices, coffee and tea, handmade corn tortillas with refried beans for protein, pastry or toast with homemade marmalade. For big breakfast fans the girls will add 2 free-range scrambled eggs with veggies, 2 whole-wheat pancakes with honey and tropical fruit. $5 extra. All but one of our dogs are kenneled at night but we do have a problem, especially on weekend nights, with village dogs who seem to have their own social lives! This, and roosters crowing, is one of the few down sides of being in a traditional Maya village! It was great to meet you and I hope you venture back this way.
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This is a magical place. Owner/Creator Lee Christie has gone to great lengths to be as eco responsible as possible. Her ability to re-use discarded items to decorate or enhance her rooms is amazing. Her attention to detail is awesome. We stayed in The Bird House, living almost in the trees. To reach it, we climbed a circular staircase of metal leaf-shaped steps that enhanced the decor. Our mosquito net covered bed hung from ropes attached to the thatched roof creating a sensation of sleeping in swaying tree tops. There was even a composting toilet. The on-site pool is fed from an underground river. Lee is also helping protect the endangered Melipona bees within her compound. We highly rate and recommend this beautiful piece of nature located within a Maya village.
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Date of stay: February 2023
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Room Tip:Live with the birds in The Bird House
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We spent three nights there. While tucked away, it is only a short distance to Ek Balam, cenotes and the colonial ruins in Valladolid. We were in the Cielo room. It had a balcony overlooking the central garden. Our son loved the swimming pool. Food was prepared to meet allergy restrictions by two really gracious ladies. Our son also loved having Wifi. I guess it's not totally unplugged, but it certainly felt that way.
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Date of stay: February 2020
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Response from J Lee C, Manager at Genesis Eco-Oasis
Responded Feb 27, 2020
We enjoyed having your family here and would welcome you back anytime. Many thanks from Gloria, Mari and Lee.
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Genesis Eco-Oasis is a conscientious, lushly revived oasis in the midst of a small Mayan village. The common and private rooms are charming, comfortable, and relaxing. Dinners are beautiful, authentic Mayan food, generous in courses and quantity, and very accommodating to vegetarians. The staff are friendly and helpful with details of your stay, as well as with setting up eco tourism options in the area. Being in the midst of the village, you do get the sounds and sights of village life, including sometimes barking dogs. You also benefit from access to working with and getting to know local Mayan craftsman. Don't miss Guadalupe's magical, joyful, hands-on cacao and tortilla making in her traditional Mayan home. The nearby archeological site of Ek Balam was one of our favorites in the Yucatan, much more intimate and peaceful than crowded sites like Chichen Itza.
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Date of stay: February 2023
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Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Finally getting around to writing the review we should have done months ago. We were some of the first guests at Genesis when it reopened after pandemic restrictions lifted. We had a wonderful stay. Our room was very comfortable and had its own patio with lounge chairs, the grounds are beautiful to wander, the food is amazing, and most of all Lee and her staff are so warm, friendly and helpful. They had many suggestions and tips for things to do, and even set up a visit with a friend in the village who teaches traditional cooking and crafts. We made Mexican hot chocolate from raw cacao beans, and made tortillas as well. We love vacationing in Yucatan and a longer stay at Genesis is now on the must-visit list for our next trip!
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Date of stay: December 2021
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Response from J Lee Christie, Owner at Genesis Eco-Oasis
Responded Feb 11, 2022
Thanks for taking the time to write about your experience. I hope we meet again soon: you are always welcome and there's still so much you didn't have time to see. I can't remembered if you went to the newly opened caverns (near cenote Sac Awa). They just started taking in visitors but you need to have a guide since archaeologists are still working there. (3 cenotes INSIDE this vast underground natural temple). Thanks for staying with me.
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We spend 2 nights there and what a deception !! We booked for the room "Cielo" upstairs but they (an italian girl) give us a very little room very dark on the ground floor (I should ask for a refund). i couldn't go elsewhere wiyh my 2 children (nothing else in the area). The meal is very expensive (900 pesos for 3) for 2 courses (when I booked, the owner told me : 3 courses) : good but we still were hungry afterwards.
Breakfast is not included (2 pancakes and a cafe per person: 150 pesos !). As there is no other restaurant in the village, we had no choice. I We didn't see the owner. The most expensive stay and meal in 3 weeks in Mexico for nothing special.
I don't recommand it.
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Date of stay: August 2022
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Room Tip:Instaed of going to Genesis Hotel, you should stay at an hotel in Valadolid .
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from J Lee Christie, Owner at Genesis Eco-Oasis
Responded Mar 29, 2023
Thank you for your review. It would be helpful to know when you stayed as we cannot seem to find a reservation fitting your description. The prices and meal offerings do not match what we provide and we don´t have any "very little...very dark" rooms for a family matching your description. In the interest of improvement, we would benefit from having more information. Thank you for understanding.
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It is the perfect place to stay in the Ek Balam area and is a real oasis in an enchanting setting. The rooms are very comfortable and impeccable as well as the bathrooms. The place is very safe and well run and the meals are succulent based on local ingredients, which is very appreciated. The only downside for us is the fact that we had to pay for a second coffee for one of us even if our son-in-law does not drink coffee and if that happens to you ask the one who does not drink coffee to have one anyway and you can share it with another who would like two! The place is well located, near the archaeological site which is exceptional with restorations that are absolutely amazing. The people are very nice and the service is impeccable. This is really a place to discover.
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Date of stay: February 2024
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ek Balam Village, Mexico6 contributions9 helpful votes
A taxi from the airport, here will be considerably more expensive than the other direction (due to regulations and licencing required to pick up passengers at the airport). A taxi from Genesis to the airport will take just over 2 hours on the toll road. The taxi will cost between $70 and $80 and you cover the toll fee which is $16 at this time. Thanks for writing.
Ek Balam Village, Mexico6 contributions9 helpful votes
Actually, November is the perfect month here. It is cooling down, hurricane season is over, the daily rains have stopped, everything is still lush and flowering...and mosquitos are relatively scarce here because Yucatan has no surface water, no rivers or lakes where mosquitos breed. Additionally, at Genesis we have natural controls like swifts (which nest here and eat several times their weight per day in mosquitos). Also our fish and frog stocked ponds with dragon flies help keep mosquitos at bay. The rooms have mosquito nets and fans for those mosquitos that get past the hungry geckos.
There are more places to choose from in the Ek Balam Village area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
genesis eco-oasis hotel ek balam village
LOCATION
MexicoYucatan PeninsulaYucatanEk Balam Village
NUMBER OF ROOMS
7
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