Vacation Rentals by Owner

Romay Family

Guest: Nita & Richard (London, UK)
Date of Stay: 12/01/11 Review Submitted: 01/21/12

Best holidays ever! Thank you Maureen and Joe for being such wonderful hosts. The Villa is beautiful, comfortable and impeccable. We enjoyed the great snorkeling and the exciting experience of fishing our own lobsters for dinner. It was lovely waking up to spectacular sunrises and we had the most relaxing beach walks. Thank you :)

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Most relaxing Vacation ever

Guest: Tim (St. Paul, Mn)
Date of Stay: 09/09/11 Review Submitted: 12/17/11

We wanted a quiet vacation on the beach in Mexico where we could relax and be away from huge crowds of people. Casa Que Canta provided this and more. The town of Mahahual is so much different than Cancun - small - laid back - slow paced - with beautiful beaches and great restaurants. Our home for 10 days was 10 minutes out of town on a secluded section of beach with great swimming and snorkeling. We actually caught our own lobsters with the help of the owners. The reef out front was an easy swim and had tons of beautiful fish. We visited several near by ruins on the advice of Joe and Maureen -the owners - and had the place all to ourselves. The villa was spacious - felt more like a home than a rental - and we were treated like family. My girl friend particularly like the small aviary in the courtyard full of Parakeets and finches. We will definitely be back again.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Terrific Relaxing Vacation

Guest: Sandy (Oakdale, MN)
Date of Stay: 06/26/11 Review Submitted: 07/09/11

This was a very relaxing vacation. The villa is beautiful, accomodations wonderful. A terrific place to relax and unwind from the hussle and bussle of a busy working life. The snorkeling near the reef, a nice swim to it, was fabulous. Very colorful and diverse fish, rays, lobster, etc. The palapa near the beach was a place to enjoy lunch and a cocktail! The beach was cleaned up every morning so the sand was pristine. The rooftop pool was a nice place to take a final swim at the end of the day. The interior was wonderfully decorated and feels like home. Joe and Maureen were very helpful in recommending things to do. Hope to come back soon.

Recommended for:Families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Great Couples Vacation Spot

Guest: Maureen432 (Seattle)
Date of Stay: 06/19/11 Review Submitted: 06/28/11

From the moment we arrived at Casa Que Canta until the day we left we couldn't have been more pleased. The villa itself and the surrounding garden areas are actually much nicer than the photos on the web site. We were greeted by Emanuel and Sandra the caretakers. Over the next week they went our of their way to make sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. The villa is large - the four of us had tons of space. We particularly enjoyed the small roof top pool on sunny days. Great place to cool down - sun bathe - or read a book. Joe and Maureen - the owners - were extremely helpful in providing information on things to do in the area. Mahahual itself is small and fun town with lots of nice restaurants and shops. Only seems to be crowded on cruise ship days - other than that we had the town to ourselves. For two couples looking for a secluded, quiet, and relaxing vacation you could not do better than staying here.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway.

Dogs barking ALL NIGHT

Guest: willy (mpls)
Date of Stay: 02/08/11 Review Submitted: 06/23/11

Nothing in the description said- VERY BAD snorkeling, Dogs barking all night, dogs attacking during the day(one must take a big stick along on your walk down the beach to fend off the dogs) no equipment was as described and,BTW, bad snorkeling means - NO FISH,NO PLANT LIFE(I took a picture underwater of 1 REALLY boring starfish), or ANYTHING AS DESCRIBED BY OWNERS("scooter"- Oh, we forgot to tell you...) Is a very pretty place to stay(housekeeping staff was an extended family, ready to do anything for you including cooking for you) but, another thing is, be ready to wear shoes even to go up for a pee break, because the walkway and stairs are so rough you NEED shoes., and it's really strange that if you are in the living area, or kitchen, you have to go OUTSIDE, to a restroom...either on the same level, or to go up stairs. We will assume that some kind of privacy curtains have been installed between the units so that one could actually be comfortable(dress how they want or not!) in their "bedroom" clothes, and not have to worry about who is seeing them! When on vacation, you shouldn't have to feel that you have to "dress up" to lay around and watch tv or read.... To put it bluntly- 3 star place for 5 star price for which we would be willing to pay a 1 star bill(we won't be back-ever)

Owner response:After many years of getting 4 and 5 Star reviews we are of course quite disappointed to have guests rate us so poorly. If you look at all the other reviews you get a completely different impression. There are neighbors that have dogs in the area - very common in Mexico - and they will bark when strangers are in the area. Barking all night however is not the case. As to the snorkeling, the Costa Maya area including our villa is rated as some of the best snorkeling in Mexico. You do have to get to the reef itself to see the corral and fish. If you snorkel in the grass inside the reef of course you won't see much. The reef is close with tons of fish if you just swim to it. In regard to the stairways - they are lightly roughened concrete. Being on the beach everyone tends to have wet feet a lot and a textured surface is far safer to walk on then smooth tile. The villa also has a total of 5 bathrooms - just none with direct access to the kitchen and living room areas - a plus to most guests. There are also curtains on the sliding doors between the villas - they were added in March based on this guests comment. We go out of our way to provide all our guests a pleasant, safe, and enjoyable vacation and regret this couple was not satisfied. We however feel strongly that the other reviews given by visitors are far more reflective of what Casa Que Canta has to offer than this particular review.

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Casa Que Canta

Guest: Tania (Farmington, New Mexico)
Date of Stay: 09/25/10 Review Submitted: 10/04/10

What a wonder experience this was! I was a little skeptical when my brother suggested a rental house in Mahahual as I am used to the more touristy areas but I would not have changed a thing. The house was spectacular and the beach beautiful. I am not a person who enjoys crowds and this afforded us family time with no distractions. The photos were spot on and the property was very well maintained. Joe and Maureen were pleasant, helpful, and ready to answer any questions we had about the house or the area. There is plenty around to do.... snorkeling of the beach was just beautiful. We also kayaked and made plans to zip line not too far away. The town of Mahahual has restaurants with fresh fish and we particularly enjoyed Fernando's. I think we are already planning our return!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Hi Joe, Maureen, Santiago and Esther!

Guest: Tricia (Colordo)
Date of Stay: 09/25/10 Review Submitted: 10/03/10

We are back in Clolordo and sort of sad to leave the Majauhaul, we can say at the very least your place and hospitality made it top notch! Chis and I were badly needing exactly this type of vacation, "off the grid" and to be but a few of the gringo's in town. The house was beautiful, your location was top notch, snorkeling was awesome and the 4 of you made us feel welcome and well cared for. I really was going to hide in the closet and let the others go home and stow away at your place. If I did really did i would miss my anamials at home (however having Mocha and Latte definitely helped) and they were too cute,We deifitenely forsee more plans and trips in the future, I am sure some with Gary and Janice hope you dont ever get sick of us. If you ever need a place to stay while in CO. please let us know, you are always welcome. Just prewarn Fernando and Carlso we are coming so they a can plan ahead they are good people. What more to say, you have a geat set up. IT is a home away from home and havea great local reputationm, knowledge of locale hisoty and Joe is quite the stroy stell. Iever wanted to leave!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

2 semaines EXTRAORDINAIRES!

Guest: Mylène (St-Bruno-de-Montarville, Québec, Canada)
Date of Stay: 07/17/10 Review Submitted: 08/04/10

Notre expérience à la casa que canta a été extraordinaire! Nous étions 4 adultes et 4 enfants, nous avions les 2 unités de la villa. Chaque coin de la maison est à découvrir...tout est superbement décoré et fonctionnel. J'y retournerais demain matin! Santiago, Esther et leur fille Laura sont super gentils, serviables et très attachants. Carolina, la cuisinière que nous avions engagé est fantastique! La région est vraiment à découvrir, les routes sont belles, beaucoup de choses à voir et à faire, 2 semaines n'ont pas suffit. Encore merci à Joe, très bon service!

Owner response:Thank you for your kind words. We enjoyed having you stay at our villa a great deal. The photos of you sent us of the trip say more than any words can. It would appear that the warm Mayan sun and white sand beaches agreed with everyone. We sincerely hope to have you visit us again in the future. Joe & Maureen

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Maureen432 (Seattle)
Date of Stay: 03/06/10 Review Submitted: 03/06/10

We had a great time! Beautiful house, great hosts and the added benefit of pets away from home! Snorkeling was great, frsh lobsters, lots of beach walks, couldn't ask for more - Thanks Tron, Kirsten, Bill, & Micheline

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Guest: steve100 (Ft Collins, CO )
Date of Stay: 06/11/09 Review Submitted: 06/11/09

"My 12 person family stayed May/2009. What a perfect place for a beach get-away. First the villa is perfect for a big family gathering, lots of space with big bathrooms/ bedrooms and a well supplied kitchen. Plenty of places to be in or out of the sun and be near the water. The villa is spotlessly clean and a very thoughtful layout. The beds are perfectly comfortable with nice linens. Joe, the owner is very responsive to your needs and concerns. The beach is great with a modest reef 250 yards of shore. We snorkled their often both with the kayak and just taking a nice swim out. You can walk the beach north for miles. I don't think we saw 5 people any where on the beach the entire week. All the pictures on this web site are accurate and not over stated. My dealings with Joe and Maureen, the owners, Santiago and Esther, the caretakes, were easy and honest. I would stay again and have it on my list for a future vacation."

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Great family vacation - kids loved it!

Guest: Maureen432 (Seattle)
Date of Stay: 04/26/09 Review Submitted: 04/07/10

We would like to thank Joe & Maureen for their outstanding hospitality and great recommendations of places to visit. Our children transformed this place during the past 5 days from “Casa Que Canta” into “Casa Que Grita” calling “Mocca” and “Latte” as they played with the dogs on the beach. That alone would have sufficed to make them happy here but there was so much more. You could easily spend a few tranquil days on the beautiful beach right out front of the house, kayaking and snorkeling at the reef. But you can also head into the amazing Sian Ka’an reserve wwereyou can find perfect and isolated beaches or enjoy the breath taking views of Bahia del Espiranta Sanot on a boat trip with the local fisherman. Our special thanks goes to Santiago and Ester for making our stay very nice and smooth. Thanks for having us! Have a great time in your amazing beachfront home at Rio Indio!! Joachim, Martina, Alicia, Diego & Edwardo, Claudia, Gabriel, & Diego

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Pati2 (South San Francisco, CA)
Date of Stay: 09/19/08 Review Submitted: 09/19/08

We stayed at Casa Que Canta only 4 days, Sept 2nd - 6th. It was way too short. There were 5 couples and we had the entire beach to ourselves. Ester and Santiago, the caretakers, are very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed every minute we spent there and will definitely rent it again. I highly recommend this place for those of you that don't want to deal with a bunch of tourist but still wish to see paradise.

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Guest: Rebecca May1 (Madison, WI USA)
Date of Stay: 07/21/08 Review Submitted: 07/21/08

We stayed here for two weeks in July 2008. The photos do not do this place justice, you will be so psyched when you pull up and see it for the first time. It was a perfect place to have a relaxing, beautiful time. The tradewinds provide cool air no matter what the temperature inland, the caretakers are gems, and there are so many wonderful spots for sitting and relaxing (chaise lounges, sofa grouping on the balcony, chairs on the private upstairs balcony, comfy couch in the courtyard facing the ocean, huge raft chairs for the water, lots of beach and sand, and hamocks that Santiago will expertly put up for you anywhere you choose! Mahahual is tiny and really grew on us. Friendly people, great cheap food, small stores with most of the things you will need. We did not see an American tourist our whole stay, so be prepared to fully experience Mexico if you go. The closest ruin might be smaller than at Tulum, but we had it to ourselves and an excellent guide, so really got to experience the place. Bacalar is about 45 minutes away with lots of fun daytrips and Mexican, but no American, tourists. Cenote Azul and the restaurant at it were a highlight, the adults could sit back and enjoy the evening while kids swam in beautiful water. This place is a real find!

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Guest: Don and Carol Ramberg (Pine City, Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 04/02/08 Review Submitted: 04/02/08

We stayed from March 25 - April 1st, 2008. We had a wonderful time and the home is just beautiful! The caretakers, Santiago and Esther, are the nicest people. They will do as much or as little as you request from them and they go out of their way to respect your privacy. Majuahaul is nearby and a fun place to visit...they are working hard to recover from Dean. The beach is so fun for shell hunting and the snorkeling is great. This is the perfect place to get away from the typical touristy, busy resort-type vacation. We enjoyed our stay very much!

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Guest: Tugil (White Bear Lake, Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 12/31/07 Review Submitted: 12/31/07

Stayed there for a week in December 2007 before the grand opening. Absolutley gorgeous accomodations that are remotley located for privacy with great beech walking but close to lots of activites. Tons of conch shells along the beech. Santiago and Ester are wonderful caretakers.

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