Beach front cabana with kitchen/kitchenette?

[BeccaSF]

Hi all,

This forum is absolutely fantastic! It's a wealth of information, and I've found some great stuff. I was hoping you experts could let me know if I'm on the right track!

My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Tulum in late April or Early May. We're looking for a place that fits as many of the following criteria as possible (listed from "absolute must-have" to "would be awesome, but not a deal-breaker")



Beach front location - preferably on a great beach, where we can walk out and go snorkeling, or take a long lazy stroll



No adjoining rooms (something with a lot of privacy, where you won't here the guy next door sawing logs, or the kid upstairs running around at 6am)



around $150 a night, up to about $200 (so $1000-1400 a week, but less would be fantastic!)



kitchen or kitchenette - we both love to cook, especially when we can get our hands on fresh local produce and seafood.



outdoor BBQ - see above! Also, we life in San Francisco, so cooking outside under the stars on a warm night happens MAYBE once a year!



sea kayaks available - a lot of rentals in Akumal / Soliman Nay included complimentary ones, which I loved the idea of, but I'm pretty sure I'd rater stay in Tulum. Are there places to rent them?



Comfortable beds - pretty self explanatory



Table (inside or out) or sitting area - I hate when the only place to sit is on the bed!

For the most part, everything else is negotiable. We're really trying to find something off the beaten path, where we can relax and appreciate nature. We're planning on doing a lot of snorkeling, kayaking, exploring Sian Ka'an and the ruins, and generally being adventurous!

The places at the top of my list right now are Casa Estrellita, Casita las Palmitas, and Casa Buho or Palapa at Rancho San Eric. Possibly Hamaca Loca (can anyone confirm that one of the cabanas does have a kitchen?)

I'm going to email Cababas la Luna to see if they still let guests use the communal kitchen, but I'm a little concerned that the cabanas seem close together.

Playa Selva and Nueva Vida de Ramiro looked fantastic, but unfortunately they're a bit out of our price range.

If we forgo the kitchen requirement then I was thinking Suenos, Hamacha Loca, or La Posado del Sol.

Is there anything else that should be on my radar? Any advice, opinions, or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Becca

[itsjustme]

Welcome BeccaSF. Isn't this a GREAT place to hang when your local weather is cold and ugly.

Here's the link to my same question several months ago. Lots of information you can use. Good luck with the research
http://www.tulum.info/showthread.php?t=4419

Happy planning!!!! :wave::wave::wave:

[itsjustme]

Snorkling from Tulum beaches is pretty much only by boat. The reef is a ways out from the beach. You will have the nice long beach walks though.

[beachreader]

"The places at the top of my list right now are Casa Estrellita, Casita las Palmitas, and Casa Buho or Palapa at Rancho San Eric. Possibly Hamaca Loca (can anyone confirm that one of the cabanas does have a kitchen?)

I'm going to email Cababas la Luna to see if they still let guests use the communal kitchen, but I'm a little concerned that the cabanas seem close together.

Playa Selva and Nueva Vida de Ramiro looked fantastic, but unfortunately they're a bit out of our price range.

If we forgo the kitchen requirement then I was thinking Suenos, Hamacha Loca, or La Posado del Sol."


If you really want the kitchen part of things, there are a few options. If full-on beachfront is your #1 priority, you should know that Casita de las Palmas is not quite beachfront. It's an awesome unit and a fabulous deal, but it's like 50 yards behind the primary dune. Amazing roof deck, though, so I wouldn't knock this off your list. Just thought I'd mention the location doesn't match your criterion #1.

If you go after May 1, Playa Selva's 2-story bungalow would fit your bill very well, with a shared outdoor kitchen. If you're willing to give up the kitchen part of things and go after May 1, Nueva Vida de Ramiro has many options that fit your budget.

Cabanas La Luna is building a restaurant, and I believe their plans are to limit the use of the communal kitchen to coffee and tea and the like.

I don't know much about the places in Rancho San Eric, but if you can find something in your budget, that would be a great place to go. You'll really need a car if you're down that far south, though.


I think but am not sure that Casa Tortuguita or Casita Limon (both same owners, both on vrbo) would fit your needs and budget as well.

Have fun choosing!

[minniemex]

Welcome to the forum!!

Some great advice already given!! You listed your wants, could you list your priorities too?? Like, walking on the beach more important than snorkeling?? Already been said, you really can't snorkel from shore in Tulum and if this is a deal breaker, then it is not the place for you. It is easy to make a trip up to Akumal for the day to snorkel though. Or a longer day trip over to Cozumel by ferry out of Playa.

There are so many great properties in Tulum though, that finding the perfect one for you should be no problem. Like Beachreader said, if you wait until May, most prices are the lowest of the year so your choices of places to stay will multiply.

Let us know the order of you wants.

[beachreader]

Actually, depending on how calm the water is, you can snorkel off the beach in Tulum, you just won't see a reef unless you're a really strong swimmer. People do see some fish, rays, stuff like that, but you're probably imagining more action such as you find at the reef. I've seen the water calm enough to snorkel, but it can also be too rough for any but the strongest and most determined.

So you can go up to the north beach, just north of El Paraiso, and hire a boat there to take you out to the reef that's offshore in front of the ruins. I haven't done that myself, but it's supposed to be a great little trip.

Or, as Minnie said, you can easily take a day trip (or a half-day trip) up to Akumal, where they're famous for off-beach snorkeling, especially for their turtles. Next to Akumal is Half-Moon Bay, and near both is Yal-ku, a lagoon that many people liken to a natural aquarium.

And you should definitely try snorkeling in a cenote, crystal-clear fresh water. Not always much in the way of fish, but cool rock formations and other stuff to look at.

[MakinHay]

UGH.... Posting under my husbands name again... OOPS

Greetings... you will love it here!
As most have said, what I was thinking already! There is a ton to do in Tulum, and it sounds like you have your accomadations under control. The activities are all about how much you want to cram in, or how much down time do you want. Walking the beach in Tulum is the easy part... cant go wrong there. Snorkeling like the others say...well if it were me... I would stay in Tulum, take in a cenote or two but then make a day trip up to Akumal. You have Akumal Bay there, then just to the north Half-Moon Bay which is good on a calmer day and then also Yal-Ku lagoon just to the north and west of Half-Moon. makes for a fun day trip and way easy to get to even without a rental car. But you can always do what I do... not fit a bunch of stuff in so that you have an excuse to come back. I have been down 6 or 7 years now and I have yet to see the Ruins... I keep saying "one of these trips".

Just my two cents... ENJOY, ENJOY.... :)

[beachreader]

But you can always do what I do... not fit a bunch of stuff in so that you have an excuse to come back. I have been down 6 or 7 years now and I have yet to see the Ruins... I keep saying "one of these trips".


That's what I do too! I make a little list every trip of stuff I'd like to see or do, and then there are always a few things left to cover on the next trip. Like for some reason, I still haven't eaten at El Oasis, and I've never been to the monkey preserve. And I always bring some pesos home to start me for the next trip. :)