“My 2nd stay and I plan my 3rd trip again soon!!!” This was my second visit to Guanaja Caribbean Cottages and I can't wait to go back again. The cottage is adorable and having top quality towels & linens are a real plus. I also appreciate the pillow top queen size bed, most places in the islands only have a mattress on a bare board! Having a full kitchen is nice, but I didn't need it, I ate all my meals ate the resort. This time I was more adventurous. Kay, the owner, took me on a hike to an amazing waterfall close to the resort. We had it all to ourselves, well a pup followed us up & that added to the island charm. We sat by the pool of the waterfall for most of the afternoon, then stopped at Bo's place for a cool drink before heading back to the cottage. I snorkeled the reef the last time I was there, but this time Kay took me on a snorkel tour to the drop off. I saw an amazing variety of sea life, including nurse sharks. Kay said 95% of all Caribbean sea life can be found at Guanaja. I also enjoyed the snorkel tour to Red Hill, it was a coral garden, also beautiful and like swimming in an aquarium. The coral & fish at the coral garden are different than the sea life on the reef, except I did see a nurse shark both places. The octopus was also amazing & the giant green moray eel. I also had a tour of the local fishing village, Mangrove Bight. The people are very friendly and the village is like visiting the old Caribbean. I loved the variety of meals- crab, lobster, lamb, and local cuisine that I had never had before. The dinners are four course and I was stuffed after dinner. The deserts that really stood out for me was the creme brulee, pineapple flambe and flan. Even the soups & salads were special. Kay makes a green papaya salad that is so good, it had fresh mango and pineapple in it and a local cheese with a homemade pineapple vinegerette. The food was one of the highlights of the trip.

“Incredible Location, Fantastic Host - Highly Recommended” Our group of 8 had a fabulous stay at Swan Villas. It's just outside of Placencia in Maya Beach. The house is uniquely designed and very relaxing. Loved the private suites and especially the pool, when the heat got to be too much. There is lots of wildlife around, like iguanas and birds. The view is to die for. We enjoyed the kayaks on the "lake" side of the house and walking on the beach right across the street. Great restaurants in the area. We went to the Bistro 3 times. We were divers after the whale sharks and would be out most of the day. The house is very secure and the host is readily available and very helpful. Rudy gave us some great tips for the area, and even on to our next stop in San Ignacio. Would love to visit again.

“15 days by the sea” A very special place this Casa del Cielo de las Estrellas. Far from the crowded areas, close enough to the village of Mahahual for basic shopping, with a private enchanted beach, the house has pretty much everything you need. Don't expect luxury, but good taste in interior and exterior decorating is everywhere. You'll have that warm feeling of being in a good place. The house is not big but we never felt like we needed more space (I have to mention that, for one week, 3 friends came along and joined us). No conditioned air, but the windows were open almost all the time (don't worry about bugs, there are screens at every single window) and that was enough to cool down the place even at 40 C outside. The breeze from the sea was almost perpetual and it made a big difference. Things to do around there: swim and snorkel right in front of your house, go visit the myriad of Mayan ruins, fish and cook your capture (even I was able to catch fish), go kayaking, look for sea shells and marine snails. Or just sit on one of the 3 terraces or under the palapa just nearby the shore line and have a drink or a cup of tea. Regarding activities, Rudolf's Internet site is a gold mine data wise. And he'll answer your questions in no time. You'll love the taste of the fresh fruits there (don't hesitate one moment to buy them from the vendors on the side of the highways) and, if you're not very swanky, you'll like the local made cheese and ham as well. We ate 2 or 3 times at the local restaurants and a few other times outside Mahahual, in little "cocina"s located in small villages. The simple, not very fancy ones, won by far, in my opinion. Anyway, if you're looking for tranquillity and you're trying to get disconnected from today`s world tumult, Casa del Cielo de las Estrellas is the place to be. Did we lack anything while there? Yes: a blender and a shaker! Will we go back? Certainly. If time will allow. That's another thing we lacked there. Whish we could've stayed longer...

“Great beach experience with all the conveniences.” Great location in akumal on the beach. Accommodations were spacious and prices excellent. They have a cook who will deliver meals to your own dinning room at very reasonable costs and the food is very good. The accommodations are not plush but very clean and all of the people who work there are muy simpatico.

“Year # 6” I recently returned from the Riviera Maya and my 6th year stay at Villas DeRosa Resort. In my reasonably priced dive package they included: airport transfers, a comfortable and clean ocean front condo, and an abundance of good food, transportation to the dive sites and some great dive guides. The common areas, pool and beach are safe and clean. The staff is friendly, flexible and willing to help. Planning year #7. dhw

“Just what we're looking for...” My Boyfriend and I were looking for a small intimate place to stay for my Birthday. And we found it at The Villas DeRosa! We stayed in a 1bd beach front condo over looking the amazing ocean below. The service was amazing! The staff is friendly and helpful and the food was fantastic! We love akumal and wouldn't stay anywhere else. Don't let the dirt road off the highway that leads to the resort fool you..it truly is a diamond in the rough. We're looking forward to our next visit.

“Love Nah Uxibal!!!” I have just returned home from a wonderful time at Nah Uxibal in Mexico, it is by far one of the most relaxing and wonderful experiences. I swam and snorkeled every day and spent time on the white sandy beaches reading. Nah Uxibal is one of my favorite places on earth, I always feel well taken care of and so relaxed. Victoria and Javier are wonderful care takers always available for questions or help with what ever is needed and so very kind. The property and the rooms are cleaned every day and the property is well tended to and very secure. The kitchen is stocked when we arrive and the rooms were clean and set up very nicely. This trip we hired a chef recommended by Jeannette and he was totally amazing, cooking us healthy yummy meals and such a good spirit and it was quite reasonably priced! I would highly recommend it with large groups. I have visited Nah Uxibal three times and it always has a wonderful feeling of beauty and comfort. Jeannette and Skip have created an amazing magical place in Nah Uxibal. I look forward to returning to Nah Uxibal!! it is surely hard to leave. I spent a day in Tulum shopping for gifts for friends back home and it is so easy to get there and back either driving or taking the little shuttle bus from the main road. Every time I visit I always visit the ruins either in Tulum or Coba this time I visited Ek Balam which was also amazing. I also really enjoy swimming in the cynote that are all over the Tulum area. But my favorite time spent in Mexico is at Nah Uxibal and spending time in the water swimming, snorkeling or kayaking or reading on the beach and not going anywhere. The beaches are well kept and groomed. As the days pass relaxation sets in and the worries of life melt away and it regenerates the spirit. Thank you Nah Uxibal and Jeannette, Skip, Javier and Victoria!!! I want all my loved ones to experience such beauty and regeneration of spirit!!!

“Beautiful Setting, Relaxing Stay” This is our second visit to Tankah Bay and it's pretty hard to beat our first stay. This was definitely comparable. The house was beautiful, clean, spacious and perfect for what we wanted. The caretakers were absolutely wonderful and very accommodating for our needs. I recommend taking advantage of their cooking skills, it will add to your relaxing experience and the food was excellent. Everyday you can stroll on the beach, take a swim, snorkel and kayak. Everything is right there, almost no need to leave the property. Within walking distance you have the Manatee Cenote, I highly recommend, just go early because it can get busy. Also, within walking distance, you have two bar/restaurants. My favorite part of the day was relaxing under the palapa, right on water, watching the birds hunt and dive. The beach side of the villa also offers privacy with a patio and lounging areas sheltered by hedges. I'd like to give a special thank-you to the property manager who provided us with fresh eggs from a local farm when the grocery store ran out of them just before Christmas. The Tulum ruins are a must see, as well as the Coba ruins. If you are adventurous, you can climb largest ruin in Coba and get an amazing view of the jungle. I could go on and on about how amazing this place is, but, you'll have to find out for yourselves! We will definitely be back and highly recommend this stunning villa. A much needed escape from the gray and cold of winter.

“The best & most picturesque beachfront hacienda on the Riviera M” My husband and I had the pleasure of staying at Hacienda Kukulkan during our Mexico trips, and consider it by far, the most gorgeous private home on the beautiful Mayan coastline! So look no further, you have found your dream vacation home in the Caribbean! From the minute we walked in, it completely took our breath away! The front of the house opens to a big tennis court on the left. There's even a fully equipped gym with panoramic views of the ocean, all which gave us the added motivation to work out on our vacation! ? The center of the house has an open air courtyard with a cute pond, and pretty patio furniture, and all rooms are built around it, some with spectacular ocean views. We spent many a night doing dinners under the moonlight and breakfast when we wanted to just laze in. The maids did a wonderful job with cooking & housekeeping, going out of the way to make sure we were comfortable. What is so impressive is that every room and every piece of furniture is custom designed! We spent hours in the fabulous pool overlooking the ocean, with music playing in surround sound throughout the villa. The location was awesome! Puerto aventuras surrounding a beautiful dolphin marina is convenient, close to all the night life & shopping at Playa and also the fabulous Tulum beach ruins. We felt safe and secure in this gated community! 3 years later, we were back to get married & the ambience was surreal! The courtyard, steps from the ocean, was perfect for our Reception, with Cocktail Hour by the pool. We hosted our family there, and the 8 bedrooms were more than sufficient to accommodate all. Our wedding was a huge success and our guests cannot stop talking about the gorgeous hacienda! We highly recommend Hacienda Kukulkan as your abode, to enjoy paradise in style! Like us, you would go back!! We are thankful to the owners (Rick & Sandy Spell), Marina of Riviera Maya Haciendas & Eddie, and maids like Mariana who made our stay there so memorable!

“Super fabulous, very happy family...” The property and villa is exceptional. Very well decorated and has the best vibe for entertaining. Mimi was our concierge and was very helpful and welcoming. This was a surprise trip for my family. All they knew before hand was cancun airport. I had pre arranged night time chef service. That was a+. we had 15 people who were all accomadated for at ease. Anna Paulo was our main chef. She made beautiful desserts! We also had Martin as a daytime bartender, he made sure everyone had a beverage from the dock to the pool to the garden. Good stuff :) The family enjoyed taking the golf carts into the dolphin area with shops and stores. We rented them for the week. The villa had them ready when we arrived in the driveway. Best thing ever was the night entertainment. Worth every penny . Water drums and fire dancers. 1 hour show. So amazing. You feel the drums and the water color splashing about with heat from the fire ...it's quite impressive, must see! I'm already making plans for the next trip back. We felt safe. Had everything a large group needed. Very accomadating. Playa Del Carmen was pretty close by by taxi. Bring water shoes if you go in the ocean. My next trip will include a tequila tasting at villa for one of the nights and a day trip to the salt caves and everything else the same :) Super Fabulous Vacation @ Hacienda Del Mar!! Summer From Michigan

“Better than we could have imagined” We just got back from a weeks stay at the lovely Casa Caribena. My husband and I booked the house for 1 week with 10 other people. All adults, a mix of couples and singles. I really cant say enough good things about the staff of Casa Caribena and the house itself. The location is beautiful, the views from every balcony in the house, the food!! Believe the hype, it was fantastic. The staff are all so sweet and helpful. The house was always clean, very spacious. You will have trouble deciding where to hang out, as there are so many wonderful spots around the house. The roof top was a favorite of mine. I did yoga up there every morning and it was a quiet heaven. The beach is a bit rocky as others have indicated, but it was beautiful and clean nevertheless (not a negative at all). The sand is soft and nice, but just when you get out to the water it's a bit rocky. Many days we took the kayaks out and snorkeled from there. We saw tons of wildlife right from the beach. The Tulum Ruins and shops are a quick cab ride away. I felt completely safe the entire time. I would go back in a heartbeat! I will say, the electricity in our room went out in the middle of the night one night. I told Lily, and received a call from Lisa (the homeowner) within an hour, saying they were working on it and she was so sorry. It didn't cause us any problems at all and it I was actually nice to be able to see how accommodating and quick they were to fix a "problem" if you even want to call it that :) There's also a nice restaurant and Cenote a few houses down that you can walk to. Blue Sky (the restaurant) had great food, drinks and staff. Casa Caribena is truly such a gem! Heaven on earth!

“Beautiful Home Perfectly Managed” The home was beautiful and the service was top notch. Mimi the concierge is among the best we have ever worked with.