There are just two recommendable hotels in Cobá if both are booked, consider staying nearby in the village of Nuevo Durango, or heading to Tulum or Valladolid, each about 40 minutes away by car or bus.

The low-key Hotelito Sac Be (Calle Principal, tel. 984/206-7067, US$25/30 s/d with fan, US$35/40 s/d with a/c) has spotless rooms with one or two beds, television, and a small desk. All have private bathrooms and nice yellow tile floors. Service is very friendly, and there’s a simple restaurant and snack shop in front (and next door, too).

Villas Arqueológicas Cobá (facing Laguna Cobá, tel. 984/206-7000, toll-free Mex. tel. 800/557-7755, www.villasarqueologicas.com.mx, US$79 s/d with a/c, US$130 suite with a/c) started out as a Club Med, believe it or not, along with two sister resorts in Uxmal and Chichén Itzá. The threesome are now independent but maintain the same high-quality service and lodging. Rooms are boxy but attractive and surround a courtyard with a well-tended pool. The hotel restaurant serves good, albeit somewhat overpriced, meals, and there’s a reading room with a good selection of books on Mayan and Mexican history.

Units have air-conditioning but no TV or telephone, and there’s a tennis court in back. The hotel has a pretty view of Laguna Cobá, but resist the temptation to go swimming: Crocodiles lurk in the reeds along the shore, waiting for meat scraps from local kids and tour groups. Continental breakfast is sometimes included, and there’s free Wi-Fi in the lobby and library.