# Accomodation in the Yucatan



## InAnotherLife (Oct 31, 2013)

Greetings All!  New member here humbly asking a few questions.... 

I am a 31 year old American woman who has had dreams of the Maya ruins at Chichen Itza since I was a small child... it wasn't until I stumble upon pictures of them on the net in 1999 that I realized it was a real place. It was a very "hair on the back of your neck rising up" experience. 

I've been saving all year to finally make my dream of living in the Yucatan for six months come true..and I plan to leave in 30 days. I have done as much research as I can on the net as far as pricing and expectations. 

I am here to ask about rental pricing in the Yucatan, particularly the Mayan Riviera. I am NOT interested in Cancun or other heavy tourist area. I am a simple woman and my home need not be fancy. I want to pay Mexican prices not ******. lol. All I can find on the net is American owned rentals wanting American prices and of course tourist hotels.

My needs:

-No more than $400 US per month for rent.
-2 bedroom 1 bath with basic amenities.. stove, fridge, shower, toilet, sink with running water. Dont need washer or dryer.
-Most have fairly consistent Internet service able to be installed.
-Near but not on beach. A few kilometers away at most.
-I prefer to be in a genuine Mexican neighborhood/suburb with locals and a Mexican landlord... My Spanish is adequate.

I will flying in and then getting temp accomodation while I search in person. Also plan to have a Mexican friend come with me on the search. I want to look in the outskirts of Tulum Pueblo, Chemuyil, Puerto Aventuras.... any other ideas as far as where to look?

My question is for those of you with experience in this area... Is this reasonable? Will I be able to find something for this $400 or under price? Currently that would be $5,200 pesos a month or under. 

Thanks in advance from my heart to yours. 

In Lak'Ech <3


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

Based on the places you have chosen as potential sites for moving, I would say you are oriented to living around tourist havens which is fine and, as long as you do not wish to live directly on or very close to a beach you may find this modest home you seek at $400USD a month for rent. The area around Tulum, Chemuyil and Puerto Aventuras is very touristy and full of expats and that´s OK but you asked for other suggestions on the Yucatan Peninsula. If it were I looking for a modest home on the peninsula near a beach, I would head for the Gulf rather than the Caribbean. The Gulf, after all, is much closer to Chichen Itza than the Caribbean and the beach areas from Chicxulub to Dzilam de Bravo on the Gulf Coast are almosr pure sugar white sand fronting a mostly clear aquamarine and normally calm sea ideal for swimming in warm waters. The towns along this seafront are mostly modest but charming fishing villages with few tourists except for local Yucatecans and your rental cost goals are much more likely to be met. 

You could also explore the somewhat isolated region on the Caribbean from Punto Herrero to Xcalak but be advised that developers are lusting after that region so shop intelligently. Then of course there is the Bay of Chetumal where, no doubt, you could find very reasonable rentals even on bayfront lots.

We love the beaches at and around Tulum but there are reasons to hesitate about actually moving there. This is all quite subjective biut to each his own.


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## Belizegirl (Oct 21, 2010)

It is possible to get what you are looking for in Playa Del Carmen, away from the tourist areas. There are not very many small villages within the area you mentioned and, being able to have fairly reliable Internet installed may be very iffy. The Internet providers, generally, want you to sign a one year contract and once you have done so it could take weeks to have it hooked up. Your best bet, for Internet might be a smartstick from TelCel. 

You will be best off coming down, staying somewhere and searching for your home. 

As Hound Dog mentioned, in Calderitas (the bay of Chetumal), you can find inexpensive housing. In Chetumal, you can find a brand new house for next to nothing. A new one room house for $125 US/month. However, there is no beach and walking in the water there feels like you are walking in mud.

Calderitas has a certain amount of charm and I enjoyed living there, for a time. Chetumal, not so much.


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

Your dual interests in the Myan Riviera but not touristy.... that's going to be hard to accommodate. Maybe you can find something on the very outskirts of Playa del Carmen but WOW, that is very touristy.

Another possible option for your would be Puerto Morelos. It is by far the least touristy place I've found on the Riviera. AND there is a possibility of finding something in your price range there.... not actually in Puerto Morales but in 'La Colonia', which is the Mexican village that sits out on the highway where one turns to go out the 2 miles to Puerto and the beach. 

There actually aren't very many places to stay in La Colonia.... certainly no hotels or apartments but there is one place, Casitas Kinsol Gueshouse, that MAY work for you and MAY fit your budget. A link is below as well as another link to a B&B there... not so much for staying there but the lady might be a valuable resource for you. 

Using Puerto Morales as a home spot, you can easily travel via bus up and down the Mayan Riviera and even inland. Heck, one can even bus over to Merida for a few days and check out that wonderful city and surrounds. If there is ONE 'secret' beach place I'd send you to, it would be Isla Holbox. Hard to get to (plenty doable by bus, but will take a while) but OH so worth the trip. Idyllic. 

This site won't let me post Links but google: "casitas kinsol" and "maya echo" and "alma libre books" and "casa los tortugas holbox".

Enjoy your stay in the Yucatan.


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## Tucson (Oct 30, 2010)

InAnotherLife said:


> Greetings All!  New member here humbly asking a few questions....
> 
> I am a 31 year old American woman who has had dreams of the Maya ruins at Chichen Itza since I was a small child... it wasn't until I stumble upon pictures of them on the net in 1999 that I realized it was a real place. It was a very "hair on the back of your neck rising up" experience.
> 
> ...


Hola and welcome (n your housing search) to the state of Quintana Roo. Your search may bear a little more fruit if you direct your questions to Quintana Roo specific forums. You may try Online Community & Travel Guide, Serving Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, & Costa Maya | In The Roo and Playa del Carmen info as well as posting your search on Pelican Free Press. The latter site is specific to Puerto Aventuras and the first two cover anything from Playa del Carmen down to Tulum. The Yucatan would be more Merida focused (which is 3-4 hours away from Playa del Carmen).

In Puerto Aventuras you may be able to find a studio but it is doubtful you will find the ideal of two bedrooms. If you venture into the other side of Highway 307, on the Puebla side, you will find a very different community (where the locals live). Also, Playa has lots of neighborhoods where the cost of housing is probably a lot less. You'll need to decide for yourself what your comfort level is. Playa del Carmen is a very large city (in excess of 300,000 people) and covers a great geographical area. You'll see that when you come.

When you arrive at the Cancun airport, look for the ADO bus counter outside Customs and Immigration (on your way outside) and buy your tickets for a comfortable ride into Playa del Carmen. There are several hostels and inexpensive places to stay in Playa del Carmen while you search. Most of us who do not have cars in Quintana Roo rely on the Colectivo van service (about 20-25 pesos) to get between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. In the other direction, the Colectivo runs just about to Cancun. It is shared van service and you will see the white vans with green and/or orange-red stripes. Colectivo is spelled out clearly on the front of the van. They run regularly up and down the highway. If you need more specific info, send me a personal message. 

The ADO bus station is a big deal: you can catch those big Greyhound style buses to just about anywhere in Mexico (even your dream pyramids). Tulum has a different style of ruins (later era, more flat than Chichen Itza's pyramids) but the whole area is beautifully perched upon the hills (well, to us, they are hills) over the sea. Coba is pretty cool, too, you can actually climb the 120 foot pyramid by means of the rope hanging down the stairs. It's being left unimproved so it's a different experience because it is so natural. The view from the top of the pyramid is worth the harrowing experience to get up there. 

We have our vacation property in Puerto Aventuras and it has been a great place for us these past 9 years. Mexico is a lot like the USA in that there is such a wide variety of different weather, geography, and people. Please keep us all posted on your progress!


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