The Planning Process: Step 2 — Just Imagine Vacations

It seems we are sticking with our plans to work backwards. As we explained in the previous installment, we found our condo in Puerto Aventuras for 6 weeks from February 17-March 31. We also are planning to head home via Calakmul, staying in places we either loved on the way down or were sorry we missed. Continuing our backwards movement we started looking for a 2 week rental in Telchac Puerto on the gulf coast of the Yucatan.

Our friends Caroline and Bob, are currently in Telchac so we felt it would be wise to take them up on their offer to look at some of the rentals in the area. They first visited this area last year and are there for a month this year, and will be renting the same beachfront property for 2 months next year.

The search for a rental started with Airbnb which had several options along that coast but most of them were either too far east, too far west, not pet-friendly or away from the beach.

Step two, at Caroline’s suggestion, I joined a local Facebook group and inquired about rentals on the beach. This was much more promising, and we were in touch with owners/managers who had two good possibilities. In both cases they were willing to meet Caroline and Bob to show them the property.

The first property was quite a way east of Telchac and was still under construction. There was a pool, a walk to the beach, but the best room, the second story master, was not going to be available to the guests. With no real yard to let Maya out in, no direct beach access and the prime room off limits we decided to keep looking. Ben does lovely work and the places he handles are well worth checking out, even though this didn’t work for us.

The second place was close to the marina which was appealing to us. Set back from the beach but only because it was protected land, so it was beach front. It was colorful, and the owner/manager was extremely friendly and helpful. What concerned us was it had your typical Mexican furniture, so no place really comfy for Mike to sit and his back requires that – especially after weeks on end in our car. It also was 3 units and they were looking for long term rentals. We were afraid this might be just a bit too crowded and we wanted our two weeks on the beach to be relaxing – our down time.

On a whim I decided to look on Trip Advisor and low and behold I found a place. It was just east of the village, next to a beachfront restaurant. It had 3 bedrooms, a private pool and was indeed on the beach with no other guests sharing the property and plenty of space for Maya. They were pet-friendly. I immediately sent the information to Caroline and Bob, who said they thought they recognized the place. On their morning walk they headed in the direction and found it next to Bella Mar restaurant. They gave us the thumbs up and agreed that it felt like the right place. It is a 20-minute walk down the beach from where they will be staying.

I guess the third time’s the charm, or maybe it is our own version of Goldie Locks; you just have to keep looking until you find the one that is “just right!”

When we mentioned we had decided on a place in Telchac Puerto other friends of ours, who also love Mexico, told us they thought that we would be very happy there. They had spent their vacation last year on the beach in this very same fishing village and said the people were so friendly and the beach was perfect for long walks. They said their days consisted of reading, beach walks, swimming and repeat. They also said the local dogs loved to come visit and hang out. This sounds exactly like the Mexico we first fell in love with so many years ago! It is good to know these places still exist.

To really seal the deal Caroline posted a picture of her ceviche dinner the same night I had ordered ceviche here at a local waterfront restaurant. Mine came in a small dish surrounded by tricolored store-bought tortilla chips for $8.99. Hers came in a mound too high for one person to consume and was surrounded by fresh home-made chips for $7. Now, Charleston is a foodie’s paradise, and this is not a knock on the restaurants here, but it was a sign we were headed in the right direction.

Ceviche served to Lydia in the Charleston area

On the other side of this equation, Mike spent hours setting our rental page on Home Away. If you would like more information about our 1-3 month rental near Charleston and close to the beaches let us know.