“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.

“You don't have to die to get to heaven” Before my stay at Casa del Perro Feliz, I had never been to the Yucatan peninsula and I found the listing for the house on the internet. As you know, there can be a big difference between the experience promised in the listing and your actual stay. Everything about my 10 days at this fabulous house far exceeded my expectations. The house is spacious and sweet. Maria and Ulises, the caretakers, are dedicated and gracious. The bay is a Caribbean dream. We were there for the Christmas and new year holidays and we almost never even saw our neighbors--which meant we had the whole bay to ourselves. The nearby town of Tulum was exciting and the food was great. There are many things to see in the peninsula but, for us, the most magnificent were the cenotes. Swim in as many of them as you can. There is one 5 minutes walk from the house, but our favorite was the Grand Cenote, a few minutes drive. This was a memorable and rewarding trip for me, my wife and our 3 children. I'm saving up so we can go back.

“Paradise in the Mayan Riviera” What a magnificent place! I've rented homes online before and what I saw was not always what I got. This exceeded my expectations in beauty, location, services and comfort. Udi's home is designed to perfection. The staff couldn't be better. Martin is an amazing chef. We will definitely return. It was particularly nice to go in July when we could watch the sea turtles lay their eggs on the beach, but this would be one of my top picks anytime of the year. The bedrooms are all gorgeous and the view from the living room is spectacular. Thank you for giving us the perfect family vacation. It was exactly what we hoped for!

“A beautiful, large, private home, bring the whole family!” Casa Tortuga was a wonderful place to rest and relax or to come home to after a long day of adventure in and around Tulum. We had 4 adult couples and it was still more space than we needed. Kitchen was fully stocked with what we needed to cook our own meals and we enjoyed spending time together in the kitchen and main room preparing meals and eating and hanging out. We loved getting to use the ourdoor grill, the kayaks, the hammocks, beach chairs, etc. Gabi and Luis were excellent hosts and made us wonderful breakfasts each morning from local produce in the local styles. She also helped us set up a fishing trip and locate other services we were interested in during our stay. Would highly recommend for a family getaway as there are fun things for everybody to do, whether its hanging out and relaxing on the property or making a short drive to scuba, snorkel, hike ruins, shop, eat/drink, lounge on another beach, fish, the list goes on! Was a great place to rest and rejuvenate and still enjoy some exciting Mexican adventures.

“Can't wait to go back!” The house was gorgeous! We went with 2 other couples and 2 teenagers - it was perfect for our group. We loved the decks on different levels - our group was able to spread out nicely in the house. The pictures of the inside of the house don't do it justice - the furnishings were very nice and the house is well stocked with games, beach bags and a cooler. And the beds were very comfy! We also loved how one of the bathrooms had a door to the outside so you didn't bring in a bunch of sand every time you used the bathroom The house was easy to book and the owners were extremely helpful and answered all of our questions pre-trip The beach is lovely. We had a great time beach combing and watching the pelicans. Maria and Bernadino were great. We had them cook dinner for us one night and it was amazing. They set the table for us, cleaned up and packed up leftovers. There was enough food left over for dinner the next night. We loved Tulum. We were in Mexico at the height of spring break, yet we had the beach to ourselves. The kids loved Matinee cenote and we arranged a snorkle/dive trip with the dive shop at the end of the road. 2 people in our group are divers, but the rest of the group wanted to snorkel. They were able to accommodate the entire group and we had a great time

“Paradise!” Our two families stayed at Casa San Francisco for one week (4 adults and kids 19, 16, 14, 12 and 12). The house was perfect for our vacation! There was enough room for everyone in this beautiful house and being right on the beach was heaven. Everyone in the group swam in the pool and ocean, and many went kayaking and snorkeling in our 'back yard.' Beach towels are included at the house, as well as toiletries like you would get in a hotel. Although many places to see where close-by, some of the best time that we spent was just hanging around the villa, reading in the hammock, relaxing on the beach or swimming. The location of the house is great to get to many attractions, most only 1/2 hour or so away. Some of the activities we did (other than relaxing at the villa) were snorkeling at Yal-ku lagoon, visitng ruins at Tulum and Coba, shopping in akumal, Tulum and Playa del Carmen, visiting Hidden Worlds and Xcaret parks, and visiting other beaches (Akumal, Tulum, others). Guille (the staff manager) was very attentive and helpful with suggestions on places to go or things to do. Some in our group were worried about security given the news from other (far-away) parts of Mexico, but we felt very safe at the villa with the security provided. Marcia from akumal Direct Reservations was extremely helpful in pre-trip advice and answering our many questions about the place. It's always a little nerve-wracking preparing to go somewhere you have never visited, but she helped put us at ease. One thing we did not do but I wished we had done was to have dinner cooked for us one night as this was a highlight for others who had stayed at the house (as written in the guestbook). I highly recommend Villa San Francisco for a family or large group vacation.

“Perfect” This lovely home, location and the staff met and exceeded our expectations. Everything every one has said in prior reviews hold true. All the recommendations at the home in the binder were great, the food prepared by the care staff was better than anything out there. The location and beach is spectacular for people of all ages. We hope to return!

“Great stay but some repairs needed” My husband and I plus a friend stayed at Casa Cavu and very much enjoyed it. The bay is so close that you have wonderful views from every room, and the pool is great and sparkling clean. Isidro and Rosio could not be better caretakers. I have never seen a more thorough housekeeper and Isidro cooked a fabulous dinner for us one evening - the tortilla soup is unreal! My criticisms have to do with the upkeep of the house itself. The owners really need to have some maintenance done on the outside. On our first night a light in our ceiling went out because water seeped into the recessed fixture. A bit of water was also coming down along the wall. Grant it, the rain was really pounding, but from the outside you can easily see cracks and areas of repair that are needed. A paint job is in order too. Really the outside looks kinda shabby and does not match the inside. Isidro and Rosio do such a nice job of making the place pretty and welcoming that it's a shame the exterior is not matching. Some attention to the upstairs outside deck would also go a long way. This did not stop us from enjoying the house, and we did a lot of cooking ourselves in the spacious kitchen. The beds were comfortable and the bathrooms are cute too, though they are showing some real wear also. We routinely sat out on the patio and enjoyed cocktails as the sun went down. The kayaks are great. Akumal Direct was very easy to work with and I wouldn't hesitate to book through them again. Management was very responsive and did their best to accommodate our request for a coffee grinder (which is impossible to find) as well as bringing us a couple of much-needed small, plastic tables to have by the lounge chairs. All in all, a wonderful stay. I just hope the owners keep the place up!