The Casa at Villas Bacalar

Situated directly on the laguna, at the outskirts of the village of Bacalar, this lovely three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath house was designed by an architect to take in the glorious views. Each bedroom looks out on the water and has its own balcony. The central part of the house, featuring spacious kitchen, dining and living room areas, opens through two sets of sliding glass doors onto an expansive porch. This leads down by a couple of steps to a floating wood deck. Another few steps lead down to a large tiled patio complete with gardens and fountain. A few more steps down lead to the lowest level before the water. It, too, is an extremely large patio, one side being covered with a large thatched roof palapa, the other side open. A few steps more and you are on the dock.

The property was purchased, virtually new, in 1985, and the extensive landscaping done at that time has turned it into a lush private estate. The grade from the road down to the house has a stone driveway and stone has been used extensively in low walls built for terracing. Trees and gardens are everywhere, providing a natural habitat for many species of birds. Coconut palms, banana, avocado, lime and orange trees provide tropical fruits.

Surrounded on three sides by walls that are now covered with shrubbery and trees, privacy is ensured. Because the frontage is 50 meters wide (about 160 feet) and the depth 150 meters (about 480 feet), there is also a feeling of spaciousness. The caretaker's house, directly at the entry, is far enough away not to intrude. Tropical foliage such as hibiscus and bougainvillea abound, as well as an extensive variety of trees and ornamental plantings.

Because of the spaciousness of the property and the lushness of the plantings both the casa and the casita offer a sense of privacy. Dock , Palapa and grounds are shared.

The house, made of concrete with a plaster-finished coat of off-white, is contemporary in style, spacious and open in design. Major art work of Mayan design in the entry was done by a well-known Bacalar artist. The floors are of Italian ceramic tiles of gold and brown in all areas except the bedrooms which are of brown tile. All walls are painted white, with two soaring walls of white hand-cut stone in the living and dining areas.

On the first level upon entering are all the bedrooms and baths, with the master suite to the left wind and the other two bedrooms with full bath to the right wing. A half bath is off the hallway. The master suite consists of open airy bedroom, dressing room with wall-to-wall closets and bathroom. All closets are of native mahogany and have sliding doors on top as well for additional storage.

The second level is just a few steps down from the entry, fanning out to the open central living area, which in turn, leads out to the long covered porch. The floor is tiled as well. The wall facing the water is of glass doors and glass louvered windows. All kitchen cabinets are also hand-made of mahogany.

An unusual feature of the house is a wine cellar. Additional storage spaces are outside. The house is connected to city water and a large built-in cistern holds a great capacity for water storage. After almost 15 years of waiting, phone lines have been installed, so that one can now enjoy the luxury of privacy with the convenience of telephone and fax. Cable TV (in Spanish) and internet service are available.

Housekeeping and grounds maintenance included. Telephone and Internet and cable TV (in Spanish) are available. Also available on request are massage, yoga, laundry & tours. There is a live-in caretaker on the premises.

For information and to arrange to arrange for a visit to Villa Bacalar, contact George at glange7@gmail.com