What brought you here to Mahahual? (about us)

Turning the jungle into a paradise and learning to love it

When we first came to this part of Mexico, all we saw was jungle and sea. And beautiful beach. The name Mayan Beach Garden came from our passions. We both love Mayan Ruins, Marcia loves gardening and both love the Caribbean (Marcia likes to be IN the Caribbean and Kim likes to LOOK at it!)

All of the structures at Mayan Beach Garden have been constructed by owner and builder by trade -- Kim Bales, using tradesmen from local towns. Originally from Seattle, Washington, Kim built a hotel and restaurant from a jungle lot. He knew what he was doing, having built multi-unit complexes for many years before coming to Mexico. Marcia used to be a software art director at Sierra On-line (the gaming company) and you will find artwork scattered around the hotel in the form of mosaics, mexican art and handicrafts.

But what brought the two of you to this jungle in the first place, you might ask?

In the early 1990s, Marcia took one of those team building courses that many companies force on their employees. The purpose of the course was to see how many goals the members of the team shared. When Marcia and Kim tried it as a couple, despite Marcia completing 100 goals, they still only shared one goal -- and that was to visit Mayan Ruins. Sp off they went.

In 1995 we visited Tulum and considered the idea of buying a piece of property. We stayed at Camp Peter Pan located north of Tulum. We slept in a rustic palapa that was elevated on stilts. I felt like staying in a treehouse. It was magical. We returned the following year to find that electricity had changed everything and rapid grown had set in. Learning about a place called Mahahual, we found our beach -- remote, secluded tranquil and exactly what we were looking for.

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Living and Loving the Costa Maya and Mahahual

Chit Palm flowers from Mayan Beach Garden

Introduction to My Friend Jim Conrad

By Marcia Bales • June 3, 2023

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Art Club at Mayan Beach Garden

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Mosaic made of flip-flops and hanging over the bar at Mayan Beach Garden

Mosaic and Art at Mayan Beach Garden

By Marcia Bales • March 28, 2022

Those who pass through the door of Mayan Beach Garden usually come for the beach, but once they are here, they find many pieces of native art and original mosaics created from both tile and flip-flops found on the beach. I'm happy that people like the work that comes out of here. It isn't all mine. I couldn't do it without the craftsmanship of Rafael Palafox, who has worked here at Mayan Beach Garden for 14 years and now he can take my drawings and turn them into fabulous floors and tile work. I can't even claim all of the flip-flop work because all my guests bring me flip-flops and as I write this, Doris, my cook, is cutting flip-flop bands into tiny pieces. I never started out to be an artist, but after many years of working in art, I feel defined by art, pulled to create and fulfilled when I do. I remember as a child doodling over my homework, and later as a college student drawing people laying on the beach. My friends were mostly artistic spirits, so I think it was no surprise to anyone when I majored in art and began defining my self through paintings that were segmented in many pieces, much like mosaics. One of my favorites is pictured below.