MEXICAN CHARM with CARIBBEAN FLAIR

This place is everything you could want for your vacation. Gilly’s home is beautiful, well kept, clean, and very spacious indeed. Believe it or not, the photos don’t do this place justice! You're provided with everything you need, from beach chairs, to a washer/dryer! The complex itself is very attractive, and feels secluded but safe and welcoming- and you even have access to a lovely pool.

The location is excellent: the beach is a 5/10 minute walk away max. and there is a wide variety of restaurants, bars and shops also within walking distance. You can also get to Tulum, a number of cenotes, and other popular attractions within a very short space of time.

The hosts are incredible! They answer all queries promptly, and ensure you have everything you need for your stay.

I could not recommend this house highly enough!

7 of us (2 couples with 3 children, ages 8, 6 and 2), stayed here for 7 full days. We enjoyed having the room to spread out (3 bedrooms and 3 full baths) in a quiet, private condo, where you can see animals from the back patio. We never saw our neighbors! Each condo is a 2-story unit that is completely separate from the next one. The beach was a 10 minute stroll down a tree-lined street. The kids loved to play in the waves of an ocean with the most turquoise water (nice, slightly rough after the rain). The beach was not crowded, and the sand did not get hot! The kids loved the quiet pool which we pretty much had to ourselves. We loved how central the place was, central to: Cancun, Tulum, different eco parks, and Cozumel. The pier to catch boats to Cozumel is just a short walk from the beach access. It rained for 3 days, but we still made use of it by exploring. Chris, the property manager, met us at the condo, and he had arranged transportation to and from the airport (which I highly recommend) and also to our excursions (including Xel-ha eco park, which is just amazing - you can spend an entire day here with different water activities for all, food and alcohol included). Chris was very helpful! The Walmart and another grocery store are about a 25-30 minute walk or a taxi ride away. The area felt safe to walk, day or night. The main shopping and restaurant area is along 5th Avenue, a street along the beach about 10-15 minute leisurely walk from the condo. The srreet is closed to cars. Shops run from high end stores, to Old Navy, Starbucks, to big souvenir stores to small shops in which you can bargain from jewelry to clothes, leather to hats. There are hotels and restaurants, some of which are only accessible along the beach. On the last day, we discovered Inti, a restaurant/holistic center which has great food, a very relaxing setting, yoga in the mornings and awesome smoothies. We had massages there for an amazing price and service was great! We also walked to El Fogon for their big platter of meats to share (so good), the Japanese restaurant nearby, and the little street place on the way to 5th Ave for a snack of coconut ice cream or mango smoothie. But we loved being able to eat breakfast at home and even lunch if we wanted to. The beds were comfortable. The washer and dryer were well appreciated. Everything was clean. Drinking water was provided. We had everything we needed, from beach chairs to plates and pots! We had a great stay!

We loved Gilly's place, the house was just perfect, well situated and just a little walk from the beach, we enjoy the 10 days a lot and hope to come back again!

Gilly was very kind and guide us all the way to there , transport was arranged as well and we felt safe all the time! Lovely place that feels like home

We had the fabulous opportunity to spend a month celebrating my Mums 80th birthday in Playa and were fortunate to have picked Gilly and John's place. It was absolutely perfect for everyone who came down to join our celebration. A few minutes walk to the warm blue waters, soft white sand, shops, nightlife, wildlife and more ! Yet every time we came back to Gilly's casa we felt like we had our own quiet and secluded hide-away . Our mornings were filled with the delightful sounds of the happy chirping birds and visits from our little jungle friends who entertained us with their sweet curiosity . Our nights were filled with strolls on the plaza, unbelievable restaurants, dancing the night away or simply hanging out in the comfy lounge.

Gilly left us with a great guide to everything we needed, Chris the property manger was amazing in attending to our every need and Damas, the cleaning lady had the place sparking upon our arrival.

The worst part is that after a month of bliss, we did not want to leave !!

We traveled to Playa del Carmen as a family of six, grandparents in our sixties, children in their thirties and grandchildren seven and three. Gillian's beautiful condo accommodated us all perfectly. The condo is visually stunning, three large bedrooms, one on the first floor and two on the second and three full bathrooms. The layout meant that we could be together and still have privacy when we wanted a little alone time. The kitchen had everything we needed and although we loved going out to sample the wonderful food we also enjoyed shopping at the Mega, a short cab ride away, and making our own feasts. The dining room fit us all easily and there were plenty of dishes. There was a blender so we could make frozen drinks which we then took out to the amazing patio that faces a private, bird watchers paradise. Each day we identified new birds and our grandchildren also loved watching for the coatis, small furry animals, that passed through several times a day. The pool was clean and large enough to swim in or just to lay on a tube and soak up the sun. A short walk from the condo brought us to a white sand beach that was perfect for walking, sitting or splashing in the waves. The condo came with beach chairs, umbrella and cooler - everything we could want to enjoy the spectacular view. It was also a short walk into Playa which we did frequently. Gillian was so helpful in answering all our questions before we left and Chris, the condo manager, was helpful while we were in Mexico. Playa itself was a lovely place to visit. It felt very safe, it was easy to get around both on foot and using taxis - we never felt the need for a car. The food was excellent from the cheap and tasty tacos directly across the street from the Mega grocery store to the more upscale options along 5th Avenue, a pedestrian shopping and eating area closed to vehicles for many, many blocks. We've been to a number of places in Mexico but this was our first time in Playa. We will be back.