Vacation Rentals by Owner

Secluded Paradise

Guest: Jon (Cedar Hills, Utah)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 08/08/11

Our family of six spent two months traveling the Yucatan (and Belize) and Casa del Sol was by far our favorite. With young children we were concerned at first, that Xcalak was too secluded and remote, but it turns out that that was the best part. It was just us and the beach for one whole week, and despite what you might think the kids never got bored. In fact, by the end of the week they were much closer because it was just them and the outdoors all week. The kids walked the beach for hours on end collecting more shells than they could carry. The four kayaks that come with the house gave us access to the reef that starts just off the beach. Even my seven-year old snorkeled. After seeing her older siblings get so excited after seeing lobster, angel fish, and turtles she quickly overcame her fear, put on a mask, and jumped in the water. I practically had to pull her from the water at the end of the day. This whole experience was unmediated. We didn’t pay a tour guide. We didn’t pay a rental for the kayaks. We did whatever we wanted when we wanted to do it. Trust me, you won’t find this anywhere else in the Yucatan or Belize without paying. Whenever the kids got tired of the water they would go across the street and explore the jungle where they found hermit crabs, iguanas, and all kinds of beautiful butterflies. Honestly, there isn’t a toy or video game I could buy that could keep there attention as intensely as the daily adventures did—and it was all right in the backyard. The constant cool breeze coming off the Caribbean at night made for peaceful lounging on the deck, under the palapa, and sitting around the fire. One night we barbecued fresh fish over the fire. We went into town and bought fish from the local fish coop and cooked it up. It was amazing! Despite being in the rainy season it didn’t rain on us even once. We had blue skies every day. The house was well equipped with everything we needed down to the smallest details. My four-year old son found the Caribbean fish guide book the day we arrived and wouldn’t put it down until we left. He was obsessed with identifying each fish that we saw while snorkeling. Once he’d identified all of them he started over and recycled his stories. Casa del Sol was everything and more! In fact, the property caretakers not only made sure everything was just right, they also took extra time helping us get to the know the area and local wildlife. It was like a having a personal concierge.

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

Off the Beaten Path...Right Up Our Alley

Guest: Jeff & Marla (Brainerd, MN USA)
Date of Stay: 04/24/11 Review Submitted: 05/11/11

"Night-life" consists of fixing a night cap, turning the music down low, relaxing on the roof-top patio and counting the stars. Looking for more??...better stick to the Riviera Maya. We knew what we were looking for and Casa del Sol IS IT!! Having been to Xcalak a few times in previous years my wife and I knew what to expect and this house was perfect for a total escape from "normal" life. Is is situated right on the beach and devided into three units. The upper floor is a two bedroom rental that we did not see. However, judging by the single unit we had, I'm sure that it is fabulous. I could see the two private decks, one front and one back, and a full kitchen would be great for elaborate cooking. The two lower units (of which we rented one for 6 nights) are almost identical and have a very comfortable and efficient layout. A beautiful bathroom with a huge shower is one of the highlights and the kitchenette with a FULL SIZE FRIDGE is very functional. During our stay, we cooked most of our own meals and there was not anything that we found lacking in the kitchen. The bedroom/living area is very comfortable with plenty of storage and closet room, a seatting area, dining table and chairs and a queen size **comfortable ** bed (with pull-out trundle below) and hammocks with hooks throughout make it a complete tropical experience. We also had access to the roof-top patio giving us a bird's eye view up and down the beach. As nice as this house is, it is the location that brought us here and brings us back again and again. All along the Xcalak coast the reef is only a couple hundred yards from the beach, making the water quite calm, shallow and warm. At Casa del Sol the soft sand beach is clean and it is only a short wade or kayak paddle (provided) to some of the most beautiful water and pure white sand bottom in the Costa Maya. A few yards further and you are finding the first rock and coral formations inside the reef perfect for novice snorkelers(us) and teaming with fish. I could have spent our entire vacation floating over these spots...but there are fish to catch in the bay. Flyfishing for bonefish and permit is world-class in Xcalak and the main reason for my interest in this area in the first place. Fished with a guide on 2 of our days-caught many bones and had a number of shots at permit. (poor casting) giving us the perfect reason to return!!

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

I'm a future guest!

Guest: Marsha & Byron Franklin (Rocky Face, GA)
Date of Stay: 04/05/11 Review Submitted: 09/07/11

Hi. I haven't stayed at your beautiful house yet, but I wanted to write a quick review of the area. I cruised in April, 2011 to Costa Maya. I had never heard of it before booking the cruise, and I just have to tell everyone - It is the most beautiful spot. We went to Pez Quadro beach club and spent the afternoon. Your guests would enjoy an afternoon there. It's so affordable, even the massages on the beach! And the food was excellent - best tacos I have ever had All together my husband and I spent less than fifty dollars, lounged all day, had drinks and ate lunch. The beach in Costa Maya is breathtaking. There's no way to explain it. It's honestly like a piece of Heaven. So peaceful with soft sand and crystal clear water. All I could feel that day was just thankful! It was my favorite stop on our cruise, and I hope to come back and visit again soon - and stay at your place :) Hopefully it won't change a bit!

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If There Is A Heaven, This Is What It Looks Like

Guest: Robinrb1 (Columbus Ohio USA)
Date of Stay: 02/18/11 Review Submitted: 03/08/11

A group of 5 of us rented Casa Del Sol for a week and were enthralled by the house, location, beach, water, coral reef and everything associated with the house! The place was clean, welcoming and everything we hoped for. We only left one day to visit some land our friends own. I, personally did not need to leave for one minute and hated to go when we did need to leave. If you want quiet, secluded relaxing, this is the place for you. There are several local restaurants close by with great menus, The vegetable truck comes by on Sunday and neighbors come by to take orders for tacos and other yummy food they deliver to you later in the day. You can walk out about 25 yards and snorkel a gorgeous coral reef teeming with fish, sea turtle and other fun ocean life! Needless to say, I loved Casa Del Sol and would recommend it to one and all!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

The Best!

Guest: Elizabeth R. (Columbus, OH)
Date of Stay: 02/17/11 Review Submitted: 03/08/11

The best snorkeling on Costa Maya (we've been there at least eight times and know this area to be the absolute best around). The best equipped kitchen (especially the sharp knives). The best sheets and towels (high quality, not your "cheap stuff for the rental property guests").! Best "get away from it all" relaxation (once you get up the road from Xcalak -- be ready for a long slow last few miles of anticipation). I withheld my desire to write as Loco David did earlier. After a week at Casa del Sol you will want to keep the secret to yourself so you don't have to compete with so many people to book the house. Xcalak and Costa Maya is for those who love sun, beach, snorkeling, fishing, wildlife, off-the-beaten path, and want to get away from night-life and harsh lights and blaring noises that surround us city-dwellers. Nothing beats the view of the stars at night from the roof! Or watching the hermit crabs come out at night to dine. The simple pleasures of life are here in great magnificence!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway.

Unique piece of paradise

Guest: Maggie (England)
Date of Stay: 11/17/10 Review Submitted: 11/26/10

We stayed in the South Unit, which is a very well maintained bed sit. We loved the location, even though we had not planned at all for any weather other than sunshine. At the end of the 'rainy season' it can still rain substantially! However it it is still wonderfully warm even if it gets a little wet! The rain only lasted three days and topped up the water reserves nicely. We borrowed the mountain bikes available and went for a lovely remote bike ride along little tracks. The bay is incredibly beautiful although we, like the locals, wished there was no so much plastic washed up from out western world! The birds and aninmals you can see close by or on car journeys are incredible. We loved our stay, and appreciated Brent's action to top up the electricity when it was not sunny enough for the solar panels. We also appreciated that he had gone to the trouble to let his neighbour Greg know we wanted privacy on our holiday. Brent ws a very pleasant and helpful host who has excellent local knowledge and introduced us to Mezcal too :) We stayed for the second week of a two week stay in Mexico and for us, choosing two different venues worked very well. Casa del sol is well worth a visit if you appreciate being well off the beaten track.

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

Vacation at a remote getaway

Guest: cw (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 05/28/10 Review Submitted: 07/25/10

I visited Casa Del Sol in June of 2010 with some fellow dive buddies, one of which heard there were pristine reefs in the area. When we arrived we were given a tour of the property which was spotless and overlooked the bright blue ocean. The house runs on solar power and uses rain catchment for water, we had plenty of water and power during our week long stay. The property also had stereos that would hook up to our iPods, which is a big plus for me. Another feature was a drawer that was filled with hammocks which you can hang anywhere around the property for easy relaxation. Right outside the back door is a well groomed beach leading to a seagrass filled shore. A short walk/swim out from the house reveals quite a bit of reef heads covered in fan coral, brain coral, corals i dont know the names of. I saw turtles, rays, barracuda, hundreds of large conch snails, scallops, lobsters, crabs, and fishes. We did a couple night dives and the water was filled with bio luminescence. In the evening you can see urchins, crabs, lobsters - roaming about. The area is very remote, our beach felt private. During the whole week i saw 2 people near our beach or in the water, otherwise it was just my group enjoying the sunrise and sunset in solitude. This is a great house for enjoying the company of your travel companions, snorkeling and seeing sealife, and catching up on all those books you have been meaning to read.

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

A real get away!

Guest: Cheryn (San Francisco, CA)
Date of Stay: 05/14/10 Review Submitted: 05/26/10

This is the place to go if you're looking for a remote location without a touristic feel, beautiful views up and down the coast (complete with cotton candy skies in the evening, just before the hot pink sunset fills the sky), time to read, and snorkeling or kayaking right from the beach—just steps from the house. We enjoyed our week here in May. We had some serious weather (I wouldn't want to be here in the hurricane months) but also had bright, sunny days with a nice wind that keeps things from feeling too hot and keeps the bugs away. The ocean feels like bath water (but cool enough to refresh), and the snorkeling is good. We saw reef squid, box fish, lion fish, lobster and many colorful others. The scenery here is amazing—along the road to the house, from the balconies, and from the beach in front of the house. This property is well cared for and has everything you need. It was fascinating to live in a house that provides 100% of its own power and water.

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

REALLY NICE ! ! !

Guest: Margie H. (Colorado)
Date of Stay: 03/20/10 Review Submitted: 03/30/10

We stayed at Casa Del Sol for a week. The location of the house is perfect. We enjoyed the tranquility so much. The house was so clean and furnished with everything you could need. The proximity to the beach was so nice as the breezes felt lovely and kept any unwanted pests away. We used the kayaks daily and enjoyed the east and west patios. I honestly cannot think of one thing we needed and didn't have. What a lovely place in paradise. I would highly recommend this house and area.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Casa Del Sol

Guest: loco david (USA Mid-West)
Date of Stay: 03/17/10 Review Submitted: 12/15/10

Casa Del Sol, After staying at Casa Del Sol last Spring, I told property owner Brent that I would write a VRBO review. After further thought, I retract. Being that I would like to rent Cas Del Sol at my will, I don't want the competition. So, Casa Del Sol is OK if you like sea rats. Casa Del Sol is OK if you like beautiful sunrises, sun sets off a wonderful third floor, flat roof deck, peace and quite, your own beach, great food and smiles -lots of smiles. A vacation and trip you will look back on the rest of your life. As you read this you realize this is probably not for you. So, let me lease at my own will and rent/lease somewhere else, please!!! Thank you, loco david

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

Excellent place to relax

Guest: Vivian (Montreal CA)
Date of Stay: 01/21/10 Review Submitted: 01/05/11

We just stayed at Casa del Sol (Dec.21-29 2010) and truly enjoyed our time there. The accommodations were well maintained, clean and comfortable. A big living area and terrace made it a nice place to relax. The beach area is big so plenty of room to relax and sunbathe. The snorkelling is the best we have seen on the Costa Maya. Brent was the perfect host respecting our privacy yet always ready to give good advice and help when needed. We would definitely like to go back ourselves and highly recommend it to others.

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

Guest: Janell weber (Ft. collins CO)
Date of Stay: 01/12/10 Review Submitted: 01/12/10

Everything was great at Casa del Sol and Jamison & Jennifer, were delightful hosts--great food at their restaurant too. We really liked the solitude at that end of the road as compared with closer to town; great snorkeling right off shore; beautiful sun rises and peaceful evenings.The house was very well equipped- more amenities than we are used to in a rental. After 20 years of traveling in Central America and seeing some of our favorite places overgrown with development, it was refreshing to see yet another small fishing village still on the map.

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Guest: carly 1 (Portland, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 03/23/09 Review Submitted: 03/23/09

Had a wonderful stay here and are already thinking about going back next year. Our unit had everything we needed and the neighbors were so great and helpful!

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Guest: Julian2 (Seattle, USA)
Date of Stay: 01/11/09 Review Submitted: 01/11/09

Hello from Wintery Seattle! We just returned from the beautiful Casa Del Sol last week and want to let you know that we had a great time. The house was beautiful- and the at teh very end of the road so if you're looking to get away from the crowds, this is it. You won't be alone: the caretakers next door are extremley helpful and warm, and will take good care of you and keep an eye on you as you snorkel or kayak out to the reef right from the beach in front of the house. You can also kayak into the lagoon behind the house too for birding and possible crocodila and manatee spotting, but we stuck to the reef and gtot our fill of encounters with squid, baracuda, spotted eagle rays, and even an octopus. This listing is for one of two downstairs units. We rented the upstairs suite with the full kitchen and enormous deck and loved it. Our only suggestions are this: make sure you get any "special foods" you want on your way down in Playa del Carmen. Once you leave there, it is pretty much just staples available. Also, no fish can be purchased outside of a restaurant in Xcalak, so buy your meat and a cooler on your way down. Finally, bring lots of sunscreen and your own snorkel gear if you have it as if the house is full, there may be a short supply. Awesome snorkeling, check. Dive company picks you up at the beach for trips, check. Remotest place you're going to find on the "Mexican Riveria", check. Excellent and helpful caretakers, check. Thanks, and enjoy!

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Guest: Steve S. (usa)
Date of Stay: 01/10/09 Review Submitted: 01/10/09

we spent a week at casa del sol, in one of the downstairs units. there are 3 units, one upstairs of 1500 sq. ft, and two downstairs, 750 sq. ft each. all units have an oceanfront deck. we had a great time here, so relaxing and quiet. the ocean is beautiful, nice sandy beach, well equiped house. if you'd like to get a taste of living "self -sufficiently" in style, this is it. it's remote, and may not be for all, but sunrises out the front and sunsets up on the roof with a cold one are to die for. bring all or most of the groceries you need for your stay, because there's no wal-mart in xcalak, or much else for that matter. some restaurants, dive shops, but no mondo mall-o. the grocery truck came twice while we were there, and luis had some veggies and meat that filled out our larder. bring cash...no plastic accepted here, or in many places on the yucatan peninsula, except in the most touristed places. the neighbors, greg and jane, who also caretake, were a riot. great people, very helpful. we swam , sunned, snorkeled from the beach ( which is not that usual on this coast), kayaked, walked the deserted road and the beach. many shells are washed to shore for shell seekers... all in all a great time in an out of the way place.

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Guest: Charles8 (USA)
Date of Stay: 01/06/09 Review Submitted: 01/06/09

We REALLY enjoyed our stay at Casa del Sol! So peaceful, and the neighbors/caretakers were wonderful! We'd go again!

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