Adjacent to Fishermen’s Village Resort, Playacar, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, 303-913-3336,
Rates: $3,000-$5,000 per week, depending on the season.
Stay here if you: are ready for the pleasures and challenges of renting a vacation house in Mexico. This charming little casa is 2,500 square feet, with four bedrooms, a small pool, kitchen, living room, dining room, inviting patios. It comfortably sleeps up to 10 people, so it’s quite a bargain when you split up the weekly rental. But listen, amigo, this is not the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Beach. Things can go wrong. The local management company is quick to fix anything that’s amiss, and it stops by daily to check on you, but they are more reactive than proactive. For example, many of the house’s light bulbs were burned out when we arrived, and the house had not been fully cleaned. We mentioned it to the property manager and everything was immediately made right, but still. The maid comes in three times during the week to tidy up. Other than that, you’re pretty much on your own. The house is owned by a group of Denverites, so you can always call home and complain — that’s the owner’s cellphone number above. Keep it with you.
It’s close to: a prayer mat of a beach that lies just across the sleepy street. Playa del Carmen, a midsized village filled with restaurants, shops and clubs, is a mile north, a pleasant walk or $5 cab ride. It’s also an adventurous ferry ride to the island of Cozumel; 45 minutes south of the always-cranking Cancun; and 30 minutes north of sleepy Akumal, my favorite snorkeling lagoon in Mexico.
The rooms are: roomy, all with queen or king beds. The ground floor has three bedrooms, one with its own bathroom. The upstairs suite has a king bed, bathroom and wrap-around patio that overlooks the light-blue Caribbean. The kitchen is fully loaded: big fridge, stove, microwave, bottled water and blender (no dishwasher, though). The living room has every toy (iPod docking station, cable TV, DVD, CD, WiFi). There are plenty of towels and linens, as well as a washer/dryer. If you pay attention to who showers when, there is ample hot water. Air conditioning works well in every room.
They put all of the money into: location — across the street from the beach and a short walk to Playa del Carmen. The house is funky but comfy. A chair by the pool might be wobbly. A curtain in a bedroom may be hung backward. But I have stayed in Amigos de Corazon three times and have always left happy. Playacar feels safe. It’s gated, in a fashion, with regular security patrols.
The bottom line: This is a small house in Mexico, not a luxury resort in Florida. If you’re a five-star spoiled brat, stay away. If you like the bargain price, being on your own with lots of room, staying in to eat breakfast and dinner now and then, enjoy an early-evening cigar with a fine sipping tequila sitting on a patio overlooking a beach, well, esta casa es su casa. Other properties in the area are available through the property manager at . And former Boulderites Andrew and Lisa Leigh run Sol Maya Properties in nearby Puerto Aventuras, and rent houses and condos throughout the area. They promise to take extra good care of Coloradans; visit them at .
Bill Husted
