Visitors from all over the world have been staying at one of the best “hoteles en Holbox” Villas Delfines this week: Couples and families from Germany, Belgium, Austria, France, Canada, the US, and of course Mexico.

A small group of gentlemen called “Palaperos” arrived, not to stay in one of the 20 separate bungalows in this Holbox hotel, but to do some scheduled upkeep on some of the natural thatched roofs.

This traditional Mayan art is alive and well here in the state of Quintana Roo.  As the workers scaled the roofs they spoke to each other in Mayan, not Spanish, and told us that in their home town of X-Catzin right near the colonial city Vallodolid, everyone knows how to thatch palapas!

When different piles of dried vegetation began to form just inside the gate behind our restaurant, we asked their Foreman, Takai to explain more.  He taught us that Palaperos work with two different types of material; one is a bundle of dried grasses called zacate.

Each of these bundles contains dozens of pieces measuring two meters long. The other material is a special kind of dried palm leaves called guano that last at least five years before needing any repair.

All around the globe people have always thatched their roofs with local sustainable materials.  While this practice has disappeared in many countries, Villas Delfines is one of just a few Holbox hotels that are happy to support local artisans who maintain their traditional craft here on Isla Holbox. Come and see for yourself how well it keeps the bungalows cool and dry.