Budget Living: Mexican Beach Town

Summary:

We have the perfect beach apartment for you! So much space (and storage): bedroom, living room, dining room, bathroom, and kitchen. Stay a few days, a week, or for a few months. Settle in and start your Yucatan beach experience in CHELEM, Mexico. Your apartment is located within town and easy walking to stores, restaurants, and the beach. No car needed! Plus, consistently good internet to help keep you connected. This is a great place to taste life in Mexico.



The Space:

Located in the town of Chelem, we have a space that feels like a real home (because we live here too!) Our home is classic beach style: tile floors, louvered windows, simple living from an earlier Mexico. We have set up our home so that you can enjoy being here with little hassle but have also added the conveniences that make a vacation fun (like a pool). Walking, we can get to the beach in about 30 seconds and it takes us less than 5 minutes to restock our needed food necessities (milk, cheese, drinks, snacks) at the local store (owned by a family who works and lives here also). If you are looking for a real, honest, simple experience in Mexico, surrounded by good people, you will find it here. We live among the locals, we are locals. This is our home and we love sharing the experience of Chelem and the Yucatan with our guests, who soon become our friends.

Contact us with any of your questions- we will help, regardless if this is the perfect stay for you or not.



(A/C is available but a separate, extra cost. Please ask for more information.)



Guest Access:

You will have access to your apartment, pool, pool area, and rooftop (please be cautious). Wireless internet included. Air conditioning requires an additional charge .



The Neighborhood:

Chelem is a quaint and sleepy beach town located less than 30 minutes north of Merida, the capital of the state of Yucatan, and about 5 miles east of the port town of Progreso, a major stopping point for Caribbean cruises.



A popular vacation spot for Yucatan peninsula residents, especially Meridians, stucco beach houses ranging from basic to luxurious line the Gulf shore around Chelem for miles. The town has become in recent years a popular spot for expats primarily from the U.S. and Canada, many looking to retire in the relative safety and warmth of Chelem.



There are several expat-owned restaurants in the Chelem and the nearby towns, which have become gathering spots – especially over the weekends. There are also plenty of locally-owned eating spots, ranging from back-patio kitchens serving seafood and tacos, to small restaurants with pizza, hamburgers and such.



There are a couple small grocery stores with basic amenities and a small variety of fruits and vegetables (as well as fruit and vegetable stands). For larger scale shopping with plenty of variety for food and goods, there is a large Walmart-owned store in Progreso, as well as the Super Aki grocery store and Cheuadrui grocery store in the center of Progreso.



Our street is a beach entrance street (entrada). It is sand based and you will see locals and tourists walking northward to go fishing, swimming, or beach combing. Its generally pretty quite and sleepy but you will hear locals advertising their goods for sale and at times street dogs. Its part of life here and shouldn't be noticeable unless highly sensitive to noise. Ask us for more info and we will share with you how we live here.



Getting Around:

The drive to Progreso is about 15 minutes for those with cars; for anyone wishing to use public transport, passenger vans (“combis”) run frequently between the center of Chelem (a 5-minute walk from Rio y Mar) to the center of Progreso for 10 pesos each way, from 5:30 am to 8:30 pm.

Public transportation TO Progreso is located 4 blocks away in the main square, across from the Mercado (outdoor shopping area). Combi's fill almost full and then they take off to Progreso and drop you off in the heart of town, next to the Super Aki shopping store. To return home TO CHELEM, pick up the same combi in front of Super Aki and take it to Chelem. Ask the driver to drop you off at our corner, at the baseball (campo de beisball) field.

The town has new moto-taxi's that can help you get around faster. Also, Uber can be called to pick you up as well. There are NO taxi's that sit permanently in Chelem, only Progreso.

Lots of street side parking. We park on the street and have yet to have any issues. Of course, lock your doors and keep valuables with you, as anywhere in the world.



Other Things to Note:

Chelem, Yucatan, Mexico, is a delightful mix of Mexico. This is a real Mexican village that has opened up its arms to Mexican and foreign tourists from around the world.



You will find quiet, peaceful streets where children play outdoors safely and there are just as many motorized vehicles as bikes and walkers. The town stores offer all the necessities at fair prices. And when the pace gets a bit too slow, you can easily get on the main road and drive to neighboring Progreso or even Merida in less than hour.



- Chelem is an authentic Mexican beach town. It is not touristy so you will experience what we and all other local families experience. Please talk with us about anything that might be of interest or of concern. Chelem is a safe, family friendly town.



Across the street from your apartment is the town baseball diamond. This provides many opportunities to see daily life for townspeople. In all directions, there are plenty of streets to walk, meeting locals all along the way. Parking is street side, and very safe. Numerous restaurants are located within walking distance that cater to both the tourist and the residents who live here.



-We operate a restaurant next door. It is separate, but at times when we host a band (once a week in winter, occasionally during other seasons), you may be able to hear the music. Music always ends before 10pm. For most, the restaurant is a great place to meet others and learn about Chelem and the area.





We provide towels and linens and ask that care be shown to keep items in good condition. There is a laundry business across the way if needed. For long term stays, we can help you arrange for a local to clean should you desire (very reasonable prices and the opportunity to meet townspeople) or we can provide basic cleaning items (bucket, mop, broom, towels- you purchase chemicals of your choice). We take care of all outside areas but keep your home private for you.



-The apartment has air conditioning in the bedroom. IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RENTAL PRICE. Electricity is very expensive at the beach and so this is an option if needed. Some require it, many others do not. A lot depends on the season and where you are from. We charge a nightly use (only those nights used) and require it be used for sleeping only (no 24 a/c is available). Please ask us any questions regarding this. A/C is not available in the winter or spring.





- We live on site with our two children and two pet dogs. We keep them to our private quarters but you may at times see the children use the pool (never the dogs!). We always make sure guests are comfortable with pets before we allow our pets access of shared areas. We do let the pets have access to the property if guests are uncomfortable. Please communicate with us regarding our pets. Typically, the dogs want to be near us (unless you feed them bacon). If children are renting, we are much more restrictive with the dogs.



- The pool and patio are shared. Please clean up any messes made. Do not use glass around or in the pool. Pool usage times are change but we require nighttime to be a silent use time. At times, it is very warm in the Yucatan and quick swims before bed are the perfect way to cool off. Just remember that voices carry in concrete buildings.

-Hot water is available. At times, the weather and the fact that our water storage sits on top the roof, have us turn the boilers off. Please let us know if you need them turned on. Also, in winter, they do blow out if there are strong winds. Just send us a message and we will relight them.



- Wifi is through the national company Telmex. It is cable based and the best the area has to offer. The majority of times, it is perfectly wonderful for us. There can be service breaks but they are infrequent. Be prepared for a back up if you depend on internet. Please communicate with us if you are having internet issues.

- Utility services are pretty good in Chelem. Please be aware that electricity and at times, water service, do get interrupted. We will always keep you informed and help you navigate anything that comes up. We live on site so those things are important to us as well.

-Chelem is basically a cash economy. You will find banks/ATM's in Progreso and business's that take credit cards. In Chelem, it's just best to have pesos. Even dollars are not welcome by locals as they are difficult and time consuming to change for local residents.



Interaction with Guests:

As much as you want or need. We love getting to know our guests but if privacy and space are what you want, just let us know. Everyone is different and we get that. But do know, we are here to help or just hang out poolside with you. We love Mexico and we love sharing it with our guests.