For those in search of a simple but idyllic beach vacation, Cabanas la Conchita could be heaven on earth. Wake each morning to bright blue skies and the warm Caribbean just yards from your room; fall asleep to the sound of the ocean and the rustle of palm fronds. Days can be filled with swimming and snorkeling, diving and cycling or hiking - or just relaxing on the quiet little beach.

Cabanas la Conchita is one of our favorites amongst the cluster of casita style resorts on this stretch of coast because of the careful and artistic design, the simple luxuries of spotlessly clean bathrooms with hot water, and the pretty and well screened rooms.

The resort is well managed and the staff knowledgeable about the area; they also speak excellent English. As an added bonus, it is (for the moment at least) fairly quiet and isn't big enough to be overrun with large groups and families - unlike some of the other properties nearby.

True romantics will love the simple pleasures here. We can hardly imagine a better honeymoon hideaway than the beachfront cabaña #1, yet the room rate isn't much more than a meal for two at some of the restaurants in Cancun.

Electric lighting, powered by a generator, is available between the hours of 6:00pm and 10:00pm, and ceiling fans operate overnight. There are no modern amenities such as air-con, TVs, telephones and no electrical outlets in the rooms for hairdryers or other appliances.

However the basic facilities are all within easy walking distance; several casual restaurants, a public telephone, exchange house, bicycle rental, diving and snorkeling trips and even adventure tours can be arranged nearby. Massage service is now available at the hotel too.

Between July and October, guests may share the compact gardens of the hotel with nesting turtles. The turtle nests are protected by small fences and this may leave the gardens a little crowded at times, but everyone enjoys watching the baby turtles as they leave their nest a couple of months later and bravely head towards the ocean.

As development overtakes the Caribbean coastline south of Cancun, this little paradise is one of our favorite discoveries. Visit Cabanas la Conchita soon, before the rest of the world finds it too!