Puerto Aventuras, Mexico

[Anonymous]

Hi! Hoping others have spent time here and may be able to share their experiences and feedback.

We’re traveling after Christmas to spend a week in an AirBnB there with another family we know.

I understand that the community is gated but am wondering about the need for a car? It seems like golf carts are popular. But there will be 8 of us. Four adults and four kids ages 7-13. Is it so self contained that we wouldn’t need to leave at all?

Our AirBnB host I’m getting the impression that he is a bit controlling of the ins and outs of people coming in and out of the house-ie if you want to hire anyone to come in and cook or clean or whatever, you have to do it through him. While I appreciate the caution, I also speak Spanish and feel comfortable navigating interactions and services independently. I also feel confident the house manager is taking a cut from any services arranged. And be just keeps stressing that it’s the holidays so all of the prices are high and everything is expensive.

Mostly I feel annoyed, and just was hoping for feedback from those that have been there and done that and may be able to make recommendations etc. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Hi - We're making our fourth trek to PA in a few weeks. The first time, we rented a car. No longer as we find we don't go much of anywhere. That said, we stay steps from the ocean and adjacent to the marina. We just hang and the beach or the pool. There really isn't much to explore beyond the marina. And there really isn't much in the marina! We found some strange partially developed area with walking paths and have gone there just to explore - but it's not a destination. If you're far from either, a car or golf carts could be nice. The big grocery store outside the gates is walkable - and then you can hire a taxi to transport you back if you don't want to carry a lot of bags.

If you're flying into the Cancun airport, consider a stop at Costco or Sam's Club before arriving in PA. You can hire a driver to make a stop on the way to PA. Some things - like proteins, baby carrots, and snacks/chips - are better at Costco than the local grocery store. Could be useful with 4 kids. We're also two families with 4 kids, and it'd been great to buy some familiar items in bulk. The local grocery is a massive grocery store - just doesn't have all the things we're looking for. Also, note that there is a small farmer's market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It's good for produce and fresh fish. Not much else.

If you want to leave PA, like to go to an Xcaret park or cenotes, hire a taxi. It's going to be much cheaper than renting a car. We've done a few of the Xcaret parks and enjoyed them. And one nearby cenote, which was fun. If you just want to do water activities, there's no reason to leave. There's a golf course and a lot of the resorts have tennis courts. There's some sad-looking swimming with dolphins. The dolphins will play catch with you if you're lucky (no need to pay, you can walk up to the water). You can rent paddle boards and the like. Fishing, snorkeling, scuba. We haven't done any of these. The kids are little and content with the pool and ocean!

We haven't hired any services beyond a swimming teacher for our littles, so I can't help with that.

For anyone considering a visit to PA, it is just about the least Mexican place in Mexico. I live in Chicago and our Mexican food is WAAAAAY better than anywhere I've eaten within the PA resort gates. Food in general is pretty poor. The Dutch-owner gelato shop is the one exception. PA is a good destination for families with small kids and retirees. Older teens and young adults could be very bored without leaving the resort - there's very little nightlife, too.

I'll try to remember to check this if you have further questions.

[Anonymous]

OP here—thanks so much for the above feedback! We’re currently trying to figure out a possible car rental but with 8 of us it gets expensive. Maybe just doing taxis will be better.

One other pickle in the equation is that we cannot check in til 4pm. And I’m not quite sure what to do if we land at 11, make it out of the airport by 12, maybe grab lunch in puerto Morelos at a beach club or something and then go down to PA? Any suggestions on how to fill that time with tired little travelers in tow?
I think we’ll mostly stick around the house with the exception of maybe going to Jungala one day for some variety.

Our host said we’re a 5 minute walk from the Catalonia beach but keeps pushing golf carts as the preferred way to get around and saying everything gets reserved and busy and full at the holidays so if we don’t book now there won’t be anything. Maybe that’s partially true but I feel like he’s making a hard sales push. And wants to coordinate any services we select so he can get the kick back.

I had heard it was ~600 pesos per day to have someone come in who can cook and clean for the day. And he told me that is the local price and the holiday tourist price is $2000 pesos per day. That’s a significant jump. I think he’s used to Americans who don’t want to have to think about anything or are too nervous to arrange things so he just sets things up at his own price.

Anyways, thanks again for your thoughts and feedback!

[Anonymous]

Hi again. If all goes smoothly, you likely won't be in PA until after 1pm, more likely closer to 2pm. An accident or a traffic jam and you can be delayed quite a bit. I'd ask if you could drop your luggage off at the house. At that point, the prior guests should be gone and someone will likely be there cleaning. I'd keep my electronics/valuables with me and leave everything else if I could. Then go explore the marina and have lunch, coffee, gelato. Then walk to the beach just to check it out, etc.

I think that'd be easier than trying to stop midway and dealing with all the luggage. With kids especially, I'd be more likely to do that than include an extra stop. And everyone will be energized to explore a new place that they'll be at for a week. I suppose if you could get a massive van for the entire crew and paid for the driver to wait while you ate. That could be an easy stop; luggage stays in the car (except for valuables!).

As for the golf carts, I'd see how long the walk is to the marina. To the extent there's action, or someone wants a latte, that's likely where you'll go. We'd have to be a good ways away to warrant a golf cart. PA isn't a pretty or interesting place to walk - but it is a pretty safe place to walk. Just have to watch for vehicles after dark. I haven't been to Catalonia Beach - have you confirmed that you can easily access it and it's free? We're a good bit south and I know that there aren't many access points to get to our bit of beach. And in some spots, it's only the narrow strip in front of the water that is open to the public.

I will also share that it's rarely been hot. It's never been D.C. summer hot or anything close to it. Last year, the pools were colder than the ocean and only got comfortable during the last few days of a 10-day trip - so you may spend more time at the ocean than you expect. The kids didn't mind the pool, but the adults did.

It does rain occasionally - we bring card games and arts and crafts for the kids for rain days or when we'd like them out of the sun. Also, PA is VERY casual, more casual than any other resort area I've been to. If folks are getting dressed up, I haven't seen them. T-shirts and shorts are fine for nearly all occasions. We'll dress up slightly for the holidays, but just a tad.

[Anonymous]

I just looked up Jungala. That's far from PA unless you have a car or are willing to take a bus. It'd be an expensive taxi.

Check out the Xcaret parks. Several are quite close. The main Xcaret park is a long, fun day for all. XPlor is big fun for the older kids. My son was 10 last year and loved it. My then 5 year old was still too little. I'm hoping to try Xel Ha this year, the most water-focused.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just looked up Jungala. That's far from PA unless you have a car or are willing to take a bus. It'd be an expensive taxi.

Check out the Xcaret parks. Several are quite close. The main Xcaret park is a long, fun day for all. XPlor is big fun for the older kids. My son was 10 last year and loved it. My then 5 year old was still too little. I'm hoping to try Xel Ha this year, the most water-focused.

OP here—thanks again! We stayed in Puerto Morelos a few years ago and loved Jungala, but, it was also quite close and we had a vehicle. We did Xel-ha that trip also, which the kids enjoyed but we found it to be a bit crowded and not as clean as Jungala.

Appreciate all of your feedback! Helpful in envisioning how we’ll navigate!

[Anonymous]

You're very welcome. Thanks for the info about Xel-Ha. If we go, we will try to go before the crowds descend - we arrive in PA on 12/19.

One last tip - if you are cheeseburger fans, check out Mamalonas, which is just south of the main gate beyond the gas station. It's a great burger and a fun time. Onion rings are better than the fries. My favorite is the Americana burger. The kids love it. It's very walkable for dinner once the weather has cooled. And you'll want to walk back after consuming all those calories. https://www.yelp.com/biz/mamalonas-burgers-puerto-aventuras

Hope you have a GREAT trip.