Sandos Caracol Nature Resort & Water Park - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

26717 reviews

• 

  Good but room to improve.

  We were at Sandos (Dec 26th to Jan 2nd) - group of 17 (aged 81 - 14) Check-in was smooth and welcoming, and it was a nice touch to have drinks available on arrival. The rooms were clean and well maintained; however, housekeeping often came very early in the morning, which made it difficult if you were still sleeping or in the room, and rescheduling or getting fresh towels wasn’t easy. The grounds are absolutely beautiful, but there is a lot of walking, so it may not be ideal for guests with mobility issues. The food overall was good. That said, it was extremely difficult to get reservations at the à la carte restaurants, with no real consistency in when reservation times were released. The buffet food was good as well, but we didn’t like that you had to line up to get food. We’ve traveled to many all-inclusive resorts and have never experienced that before—usually you can walk around and choose what you want. The lineups made the process take much longer than necessary. The evening shows were amazing, and the New Year’s Eve party was absolutely spectacular—definitely a highlight of our stay. The beach is beautiful, and although we were able to get a spot everyday thanks to an early riser in our group, it does get quite busy, especially on days when the waterpark is closed. Overall, we loved our stay, the resort itself is stunning and all staff were really friendly. However, due to minor inconveniences (frustrating a la carte process, lining up for a buffet, room service) we likely wouldn’t return.

  Feb 05, 2026
• 

  Excellent Restaurant

  La Jungla restaurant wonderful breakfast experience. Relaxing , amazing food and excellent staff. Kayla, Isichio, Genano and Alondra Thanks for everything!

  Feb 05, 2026
• 

  We were sad to leave

  We just returned from a two‑week stay (January 18–31) at Sandos Caracol – two adults and one child (age 7) – and had a fantastic experience. We were Royal Elite guests, and although this was our second time at the resort (our first was in 2017), it was just as enjoyable as we remembered. Check‑In / Check‑Out Both processes were quick and easy. No complaints at all. Room We stayed on the ground floor of Building 78. The room was recently renovated, modern, and very comfortable. Beds were great, and the fridge was replenished daily. There was only one day our room wasn’t cleaned, which wasn’t an issue for us. Hot water was always available, though the shower took about 5–7 minutes to warm up. Again, not a problem. One of the highlights was the daily visit from monkeys on our balcony—sometimes twice a day! We requested an extra balcony chair and received one in under 20 minutes. Grounds The resort grounds are beautiful and full of wildlife. We explored extensively both day and night (brought flashlights and blacklights) and saw a huge variety of animals: a scorpion in a tree, frogs, peacocks, coatis, monkeys, agoutis, and tons of birds. Many guests forget to look up—so much of the wildlife is in the trees! The resort is large, but because there’s so much to see, you hardly notice the size. Some areas may be more challenging for those with mobility issues. Beach The beach is long but not very deep. As early risers, we had no problem finding chairs, though by around 10 AM it became difficult. Our son loved playing in the sand, and we appreciated how calm the ocean was thanks to the rock barriers. Swimming was easy, and the snorkeling was excellent—my husband went out almost daily and spotted rays, eels, shrimp, nudibranchs, crabs, lots of fish, and even a horseshoe crab. Fishing wasn’t successful due to the abundance of rocks; the line kept snagging. Pools & Waterpark We used the Royal Elite pool once—it felt similar to the other pools, just quieter. We used the main pool near the beach a few times. It was quite cold, but our son didn't mind. Chairs were easy to get in the morning. We visited the waterpark once for about an hour. Our son enjoyed the medium slides but ultimately preferred the ocean. Food We tried the Mexican buffet once, but our son didn’t like it, so we didn’t return. We ate at the main buffet many times for all meals. Food was consistently at the right temperature with enough variety for everyone. The main drawbacks were the layout—lines could form—and the limited server availability due to them being busy, but we didn’t mind getting our own drinks when needed. El Nido was a favourite for lunch. Our son loved the cheese pizza, and we couldn’t get enough of the al pastor tacos. We tried nearly all the à la cartes (except the Brazilian) and enjoyed them. Royal Elite breakfast was disappointing: our meals took almost an hour to arrive, and the food was cold and unimpressive. RE lunch was much better—fast and tasty. The RE snack bar by the pool was hit-or-miss: once quick and delicious, the other time extremely slow (about an hour wait) but still tasty. We never got sick from any food. Excursion We booked one excursion through the dive shop—a snorkel trip—and it was absolutely worth the cost. For $140 USD for all three of us, we enjoyed a two-hour boat trip directly from the beach to a quiet spot with outstanding marine life: turtles, rays, a large eel, and many varieties of fish. WiFi WiFi was strong around most of the resort. It was weaker on the beach, but honestly, who needs WiFi there? Overall We had a wonderful vacation and were sad to leave. We would definitely return. While we were Royal Elite, we feel our experience would have been just as enjoyable without it.

  Feb 04, 2026
• 

  Not really Adults only when you pay for it

  Very disappointed that we paid extra to have Adults only Select Club and they allowed children in tonight at the Kin Beach Club. If we wanted to be with kids all day we would have paid less and got a regular room package.

  Feb 03, 2026
• 

  Lovely Stay! Definitely would come back!

  I just returned from a fantastic stay at this resort! My partner and I are well traveled, and we absolutely loved Sandos. I truly consider reviews when picking a resort, so I was a little hesitant when reading the surplus of negative reviews posted before our departure. Here is my detailed overview: Check in: This is the reason the hotel receives poor reviews. We did wait 2 hours (11pm-1am) to checkin, as there was only one *friendly* person working the front desk. However DO NOT LET this deter you from the hotel. Suck it up, there was a 4 year old in front of us who did not complain the whole time, she was just sleepy, and excited for her stay. Rooms: BEAUTIFUL. My partner and I stayed in a "family superior suite", with bunk beds, and a king bed. Comfy bed, lots of room, and was cleaned daily in the morning. Our bathroom was lovely, with a large marble shower that had great water pressure. Food: Great. Lots of options for little children (as there are tons of kids at this resort), and each night there was a different theme. Buffet staff were friendly, prompt with re-flling waters, and there was a surplus of food each given night. *Book your Al a carte's at night, or very early in the morning. The app/wesbite where you book resets at MIDNIGHT, and this is when I was able to book. Each were fantastic, my favourite was probably the Los Lirios. Drinks: Smoothie bar was a fan fav for my partner and I, the bar also offered a myriad of drinks with fun names and whatnot. Friendly staff. Beach: The beach I would rate 3/5. We're big ocean lovers, and whilst the ocean itself was beautiful, there were a lot of rocks. However, there was one large area where there were no rocks, but you could only walk in waist deep - and there were wave banks to reduce the large waves from the younger swimmers. However this is GREAT FOR children. The median age at this area of the beach was probably 7 years old, it truly was a paradise for young kids, with soft sand & shallow waters. WE never had any trouble finding chairs, whether it was 9am or 3pm. Entertainment: Solid shows at 9pm each night, there was one pirate themed one that was absolutely incredible, with standing ovations for the circus-like acts. Lots of seating, and cup holders to place your drinks! Nature: THIS IS THE PLACE FOR NATURE LOVERS. I truly felt as if I was immersed in the jungle whilst staying at this resort. There were monkeys, and caves going under the pathways of the resort. The waterfalls and cenotes were just stunning, and I witnessed over 4 weddings during my 7 day stay overlooking the crystal cenote near the lobby. These weddings could only seat approximately 30 guests, but the view is priceless. Overall: I recommend. It's a nature paradise roughly 1 hour away from the Cancun airport. It's great for a girls trip, a couples paradise, or a young family getaway.

  Feb 03, 2026