*Disclaimer: Sandos Caracol provided our trip to this resort at no cost, accommodations included a Family Eco Suite for our family of four for a 7-day stay. All opinions are my own.
The trip to Sandos begins!
Being based in Denver is a beautiful thing…DIA is a very easy airport to travel from, and many flights are nonstop for us. We flew Southwest, our preferred airline direct to Cancun. Out boys are world travelers and have the routine down, in some cases our family of four makes it from offsite parking, through security, and to the gate quicker than some business travelers!
The flight was 3 hours and 30 minutes, wheels up to wheels down and just how I like it…uneventful. Arriving into Cancun International Airport, we had a slight delay while we waited for our bags but then quickly proceeded through customs and immigration. I booked a transfer through one of our vendors, USA Transfers. It is essential to follow the directions provided by your transfer company when it comes to your meeting place and how/where to exit the airport. We met our greeter after being hit with the humidity brick wall at the exit of the airport. He greeted us by name and with a sign, he then expedited our vehicle since we had kids. Out driver loaded the luggage, and we sped off to our vacation!
Arrival
We arrived at Sandos Caracol after a 45 minutes transfer, we were greeted by friendly staff that quickly handled our bags and directed us to the front deck. The lobby was filled with families coming and going, a little chaotic and check-in process took about 30 minutes, a little long for my taste. The staff was courteous, the process just seemed a little inefficient. Once checked in we were whisked away by golf cart to our suite. The resort is situated in the middle of a dense rainforest, animals like coaties, raccoons, monkeys and tropical birds included! The boys loved exploring the grounds and hunting for animals.
Sandos Caracol Eco Resort has a strong focus on the environment and preservation through education, eco-practices, and eco-themed events. We really appreciated the wish to preserve and protect the environment!
Our room was situated in building 14, floor 3 and was very spacious well appointed. The family suite has a large master bedroom, connected kids room with a bunk bed and a unique bathroom setup with dual vanities, side by side dual showers and two water closets. The room was always clean and well cared for by staff.
Beach, Pools, and Activities
We did not have the best weather during the trip, we did, however, make the best of what we were dished up! Of the 7 days, we had thunderstorms and heavy rain for 4 of them. We were only able to spend about a day and a half at the beach and here is the report from the kids…
Cleanliness: Very clean sand and well cared for beach area
Sand Quality: Very soft and white, think course sea salt
Shade and seating: There was a nice grove of palm trees with a bunch of loungers set under them for shade.
Waves: Ryland (8) wished for larger waves for body surfing, but they were perfectly sized for Bryce (4)
And on to the pools:
Cleanliness: Being dropped in a lush rainforest, paired with the harsh weather that we had, the pools did have quite a bit of debris in them.
Activities: We visited the main pool and the kid’s waterpark areas. The kids’ area consisted of 3 water slides for kids and adults over 50″, 2 slides for those under 50″ and a shallow pool with slides and water features for the little guys. We all agreed that there was something for everyone at this pool. The main pool was vast, had a swim-up bar. When we were there was filled to the brim with people soaking in the sun while it was out. I would definitely say that if you are looking for a quiet, relaxing day at the pool, head to the adults-only pool.
Temp: The weather played a very large role in this category. On the first day, the pools were hot and the boys could have played ALL day long! After the sun hid for 3-4 days, all of the pools undoubtedly contributed to the blue lips and teeth chattering.
Kids Club:
Engagement: Our boys are shy especially in new situations. They, unfortunately, didn’t feel like the staff focused on inclusion and/or keeping them interested and having fun.
Activities and amenities: The kids club had a HUGE play structure and a hand full of video game stations. Our boys would have loved to have more planned and led activities, art projects, etc. They did have events that focused on the landscape and eco-system that the resort was a part of, in our case the weather caused them to be canceled.
Events:
Sandos does a GREAT job of nightly entertainment for the entire family. We attended a theater show nearly every night, and the boys LOVED them all! Good performers, engaging entertainment director, and positive energy.
Food
Eating for most is one of the most important things done while on vacation. Our family is no exception. We are pescatarians however while on vacation we tend to break from our standard diet to enjoy as many different types of food as possible. We had meals in the main buffet, specialty restaurants, room service and our favorite an authentic take on a Mexican street festival. Sandos does an excellent job with Mexican cuisine including traditional dishes as well as more Americanized Tex-Mex. We felt that other types of food including breakfast were a little bland, heavy and repetitive. I do think that there were a lot of people that enjoyed their meals and the food was by no means terrible, just set at a different level than our next resort stay (post to come soon!).
To sum up…
Sandos provides a very authentic and ECO-styled feeling to their resort and guest experience. We enjoyed exploring the grounds, meeting the animals and spending time in our spacious suite (due to the rain!). The staff was accommodating, and they did a great job keeping the grounds nice. I feel that this resort provides a good vacation at an attractive price point. I would love to chat more with you when it comes to planning your next trip to the Cancun area!
Can you see yourself at this ECO resort? Contact me today and let’s plan your next trip!
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