Gabriella's Casita a Luxurious Retreat in a Private Gated Community

• Janet D.

  Janet D.

  • Guest J
  • Date of stay 03/24/13
  • Review Submitted 04/09/13
  Gabriella, your a delight! Thank you for your warm welcome, your help and this wonderful opportunity. I hope to return next year! I enjoyed every second of my thirteen day vacation. Gabriella's casita is more beautiful than the photos on her site, and situated in a quiet neighborhood on a beautiful palm lined beach. The water is stunning and the sand soft and white. Enjoy a leisurely walk to the next cove for great food and some shopping. Everyone is very friendly! Don't forget your camera and snorkel gear! Warm regards, Gabriella!

  Recommended for: Tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, sightseeing, romantic getaway.

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• Haven in the Treetops

  Haven in the Treetops

  • Guest Jeanne C.
  • Date of stay 03/09/13
  • Review Submitted 03/17/13
  My partner and I had one week to spend in this beautiful studio in Akumal Sur. We chose this location based on the description, photos, and others' reviews. We were not disappointed! Gabriella is a wonderful host (and a great storyteller!). The bed was supremely comfortable, and all the furnishings, cleanliness, and order made us feel pampered. This was a great home base from which to explore. We spent quite a lot of time in Akumal. It is a short drive away...one day I walked there along the beach, just for fun...maybe a 3-mile walk round-trip. The weather was somewhat windy for us. We had one day when the sea was not choppy, and we did snorkel and dive...I saw sea turtles and lots of fish. On windy days, though, snorkeling was still great at Yal Ku, and I'm sure at other local cenotes, as well. It was also fun to visit Aktun Chen just down the road...they have a dry cave, a cenote for swimming, and a fun zip lining experience! Further down, we saw Tulum and a beautiful beach there below the ruins (wear a bathing suit!). Coba is also a nice day trip from here. In Coba, we recommend finding a place to eat the Mayan-prepared charcoal chicken...such a unique flavor...delicious! There is quite a lot of wildlife in this little haven. Birds start singing and chirping every morning outside the casita around dawn. In the rocks at Tulum there are iguanas, and at Aktun Chen they house monkeys, parrots, deer, wild boar, snakes, and a few wild cats. This was a wonderful little vacation. We highly recommend staying here, and we will surely return!

  Recommended for: Age 55+, sightseeing, romantic getaway, adventure seekers.

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• Much More Than a Winter Escape

  Much More Than a Winter Escape

  • Guest Paul
  • Date of stay 02/20/13
  • Review Submitted 03/08/13
  Our intention was to escape the snow and chill of upstate New York, and we'd heard that Akumal was a pleasant destination. We chose Gabriella's casita based on the VRBO write-up. We were more than pleased with our stay! The casita is exactly as pictured and described, and Gabriella is a treasure. We snorkeled right off of her beach, and enjoyed the kayak for a trip out to the reef. AC and ceiling fans made sleeping comfortable, as did the excellent bed and bedding. There are so many things to do within an easy drive that an 8 day visit just scratched the surface. Cenotes are a dream - great for cooling off in the afternoon after pounding around a Mayan ruin or two in the mid-day. Two thumbs up!

  Recommended for: Age 55+, sightseeing, romantic getaway, adventure seekers.

  Owner response: Thank you for sharing your discoveries of the area that after 15 years of living here I did't know. Future guests of my casita thank you also when I share your discoveries with them. Your limitless energy to explore and enjoy is an example to us all. I look forward to your publication of the hidden trasures of Riviera Maya.

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• A Perfect Retreat with an amazing host!

  A Perfect Retreat with an amazing host!

  • Guest Karen L.
  • Date of stay 12/15/12
  • Review Submitted 01/28/13
  Clean, Clean, Clean!!!! If you want a spotless place to stay with good quality sheets and a private beach look no more! Gabriells Casita is the best! I was lucky enough to get this terrific place for three weeks over christmas and can't say enough good things about it. In a private gated locations and close enough to drive to either Tulum or Playa. Its so quiet and peaceful and Gabriella is a delight. You'll only see her if you want to. Very private and a bargin at this price. Don't wait, book it now, you won't be sorry.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, sightseeing, romantic getaway, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Gabriella's Casita

  Gabriella's Casita

  • Guest Canuck Expat
  • Date of stay 11/13/12
  • Review Submitted 12/03/12
  Here's my first review on VRBO and I'm happy to post it. South Akumal is an upscale, secure, gated community, perfect for anyone preferring to soak up the Caribbean in peace and quiet while avoiding the usual all-inclusive circus. The owner, Gabriella, is a colourful, worldly and very generous personality. The local staff maintains the guest suite tastefully and grooms the beach meticulously. The property is a steal for the posted rate. There's beautiful coral offshore but we were mostly looking for rays via snorkel and kayak. Look for them in the weedy areas a bit north of the casita but still well within South Akumal, and look in the late afternoon. I wish we could post pictures here of what we found, because we found a lot! A spotted eagle ray swam right under our kayak before we could bail out and take a shot, and we caught up with them later. FYI, there aren't many restaurant options in the area; we went a few times to Lol Ha on the main Akumal Bay, about a mile north (exit at the overpass). Great staff there. The casita's kitchen is small but the fridge isn't, so if you want to make most of your own meals (like we did), we'd recommend stocking up at Mega in Playa Del Carmen or Chedraui in Tulum. (In our opinion the Chedraui between Akumal and Playa isn't the best.) Please enjoy this property. We consider ourselves to be very lucky to have found it.

  Owner response: Thank you for staying at my guesthouse and for taking the time to write a review. It was a pleasure hosting you and trust you will be able to come stay with us again.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

Low season 04/14/2012 - 12/16/2012 $120/night
Holiday* 12/16/2012 - 01/04/2013 $200/night
High* 01/05/2013 - 04/05/2013 $175/night
Low 04/06/2013 - 12/20/2013 $120/night

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.

Sorry this information is not available. Please contact the owner/manager for more information.