Casa Na Bolom

Guestrooms in a fascinating cultural foundation and museum, set up to protect the Lacandon people

Staying at the Casa Na Bolom museum is guaranteed to enhance your visit to San Cristóbal. Founded in 1951 by archaeologist Frans Blom and photographer and conservationist Trudy Blom, the house has become a cultural centre for studies into indigenous cultures and the conservation of the Lacandon Jungle and its people.

Volunteers run the house and continue the Bloms’ work (money from guests goes towards various community projects in the jungle), and tours of the museum are included in the price of your stay. Throughout the house you’ll see photos taken by Trudy Blom chronicling her explorations and excavation work. Rooms are characterful, with antique wooden furniture and multi-coloured textiles. You can talk to members of the Lacandon villages (if they’re in town), attend one of the regular candle-lit piano concerts in the museum’s small chapel, or simply swap stories with other enthusiastic guests over delicious communal meals. Afterwards, cosy up before bed in front of your own fireplace.

Highs

• Money from guests directly benefits the Lacandon people
• You get a free guided tour around the museum - an architecturally and culturally fascinating building with many artefacts
• Lying in bed, warm and cosy from your open fire
• There are fascinating trips to the local villages, where you'll visit markets, dress up in traditional Mayan clothes and try the local hooch

Lows

• Non-central location, about 7 blocks from the Zócalo (main sqaure)
• Rooms have no central heating and can feel damp and chilly in the mornings
• You’re not staying in a boutique hotel but a museum, so be prepared for people wandering about the courtyards
• No safeboxes in the rooms, although you can leave valuables in the reception/office