6 minute read
Journey Mexico’s Managing Director, Matteo, and our social media pro, Marysol, recently returned from visiting our good friends at Chablé – a property we love to keep coming back to. What they discovered was something that feels rare in the Yucatán today: a property where luxury doesn’t distance you from the culture, but invites you deeper into it.
Chablé Yucatán is rooted in living Maya traditions, where staff from neighboring villages welcome you as though into their own community. From rituals beside sacred cenotes to meals guided by generations-old practices, everything feels immensely personal and connected to this incredible place and its abundant natural surroundings. It’s a side of the Mexican Caribbean that feels special, and a little different, one very much defined by heritage, authenticity, and a genuine sense of pause from the busy day to day.
At Journey Mexico, these authentic corners of Mexico shape the itineraries we design. Enjoy a stay at Chablé Yucatán as a retreat into nature and wellness, but also a gateway to exploring the region’s cultural treasures. Here’s what we found during our time in this remarkable corner of Mexico, and why we’re so excited to share it with you…
Step Into the Elements
When Matteo and Marysol arrived at Chablé Yucatán, what struck them first wasn’t just the beauty of the grounds – a vast estate where a restored hacienda sits amid jungle and cenotes – but the way the introduction felt so personal. From the very beginning, staff invited them not as tourists, but as guests being welcomed into a philosophy inherently rooted in Mayan tradition. The team carry a genuine pride in sharing their heritage: that warmth is what allows you to exhale, feel instantly at home, and start to let go.
That welcome is expressed in the very first experience every guest has: a harmonization ritual by the cenote, led by Ixelcilcan, the resident wellness expert. Drawing on the four natural elements (air represented by the sweep of a fan, fire by warmth, water by wave-like sounds, and earthy herbs to cleanse away worry) the ceremony is sensory and symbolic. Mayan themes are woven through to carry you into the grounding of the place: from this first moment, you open yourself to the spirit of Chablé. As Marysol put it, “it makes you feel ready for everything that comes your way at the property.”
With just 40 casita-style villas, each with a plunge pool, outdoor shower, and terraces spilling into the greenery, the experience feels like your own private sanctuary. And for those seeking more space – families, groups, or longer stays – the Residences echo the same feeling of immersion on a larger scale.
Those Who Make Chablé Feel Like Home
“The staff are all so proud to be there. They feel like it belongs to them, and this proudness – you feel it. From the front desk to the maids, to the gardeners, everyone is part of that same ambiance, so those values are really reflected” – Matteo Luthi, Managing Director, Journey Mexico
Once invited into Chablé’s world, it is the people who then make you feel truly at home. Around 70% of the staff come from Chocholá (the village just next door, so close that many bike in each day), and their pride is palpable. You can really feel that it’s not just about coming to work, but about sharing their culture; offering the highest level of service built on layers of local tradition.
Chef Doña Lucy, for example, brings that spirit into the kitchen. She greeted Matteo and Marysol with a kitchen full of Yucatecan dishes before sharing stories through the process of hand-grinding cacao and pressing tortillas over the fire. “Doña Lucy pours her heart and soul into everything she does in the kitchen, and all her delicious meals” Marysol tells us. Using ingredients from the orchards and gardens on the property grounds, you won’t find these precise combinations anywhere else. In the wellness spaces, experts guided them into deeper reflection. Sessions inspired by the four natural elements and enriched with Maya wisdom encourage you to slow down, open up, and maybe even see things from a different perspective – turning a spa visit into something restorative and meaningful.
And then there was Kevin, the onsite mixologist, who turned the art of cocktails into memory. He called upon nostalgic scents from their childhoods – for Marysol, the sweet vanilla of her mother’s baking – and transformed them into a personalized cocktail, complete with a recipe to carry home.
Where Nature Leads the Way
Nature is a living part of the experience. Deer wander freely across the estate (some rescued and rewilded), their quiet presence adding to the sense of peace. Iguanas bask on sunlit stones, birds call at dawn, and a morning mist settles softly over the jungle. Guests are encouraged to rise early to feel the forest awaken, a time of day that carries a raw energy, that makes you want to slip off your shoes and walk barefoot on the earth.
This connection runs deeper than atmosphere. In Maya tradition, nature has always been sacred: permeating agriculture, ceremony, gastronomy, and daily life. Chablé honors that heritage in countless ways, from the gardens where herbs and vegetables are grown for use in Doña Lucy’s cooking, to the Meliponarium, home to the stingless Melipona bees. Considered sacred by the Maya, their honey is still gathered with ceremony and is prized for its healing properties – join workshops to discover its uses, from medicinal honey to beeswax products.
Even something as simple as wandering the green pathways within the grounds becomes a moment of immersion, surrounded by chirping birds and endless shades of green. Nature here is part of the experience, and an inherent reminder of our place within it.
Unveiling the Yucatán
A stay at Chablé Yucatán becomes truly transformative when paired with the wider spirit of the region, which is where Journey Mexico loves to get creative. The team’s visit underlined how this property feels like a world of its own, yet just beyond its boundaries lies a wealth of cultural treasures waiting to be explored.
We’ll arrange private journeys to Celestún, where flamingos paint the lagoons pink, or into Mérida, where colonial avenues hum with history and life. In rural communities, join families to harvest vegetables, grind corn, and prepare a traditional cochinita pibil (succulent, slow-roasted pork) in a subterranean oven – a chance to cook and connect in the way the Maya have for generations. And of course, no stay in the Yucatán is complete without epic archaeological sites. With our expert local guides, uncover ancient cities in context and depth – from the famed Chichén Itzá’s magnificent step pyramid and ball court, to the quieter Uxmal’s richly decorated façades and intricate latticework tucked into dry tropical forest. Afterwards, plunge into refreshing crystalline waters at a nearby cenote, another of the Yucatán’s wonders.
Through experiences like these, Journey Mexico turns a stay at Chablé into something all-encompassing, through experiencing the wider culture, heritage, and hidden gems.
Chablé Maroma: Pairing the Pause
After days immersed in the stillness of the Yucatán jungle, the natural balance is to follow with time by the sea. Chablé Maroma offers that perfect complement – a stretch of the Riviera Maya that feels worlds away from the bustle. Here, a 650-foot private beach stretches across 758 acres of turquoise ocean, far removed from the high-rises and crowded resorts further north. What you find instead is authentic Mexico: quiet paths shaded by jungle, waves breaking against untouched sand, and a slow pace to really soak it all in.
Seventy villas, crafted from stone and wood, are scattered between beach and greenery, each one designed to blend into the natural surroundings. Private terraces, plunge pools, and sea breezes drifting through tall windows create spaces that feel serene and grounded. The spa continues the Chablé philosophy of mind, body, and soul, only here the ocean itself becomes the energy source – dynamic, ever-changing, and deeply restorative. Cuisine is another highlight. At Restaurante Bu’ul, led by two celebrated chefs, the menu spotlights the depth of Mexican gastronomy while embracing the fresh coastal flavors of the Riviera Maya. Whether it’s an à la carte dish overlooking the Caribbean or a six-course tasting paired with fine wines, dining here is both a tribute to tradition and a curious exploration of the new.
And while the coast’s beauty is at your doorstep, you’re also perfectly placed to explore: the ancient temples, hidden cenotes, and vibrant marine life are all close by. At Maroma, you gain the richness of the Riviera Maya without sacrificing the peace and connection you discovered at Chablé Yucatán.
If you’d like to experience this incredible side of Mexico, our team would love to design a journey just for you, blending Chablé’s spirit with the cultural treasures of the Yucatán. With trusted relationships on the ground, we unlock special access and deeper connection, while our expertise ensures seamless delivery. Every itinerary is tailored – from Maya crafts to wildlife, wellness, or hacienda history – always rooted in respect for the communities who make it possible. Speak to us today to start planning your tailored Chablé getaway.
