Mini Vacation in Chelem

Summary:

Keep it simple and enjoy a mini beach vacation in Chelem. Walk to the beach in 30 seconds or the town square in 10 minutes. This peaceful space will give you a perfect place to enjoy the beach for the weekend. Relaxed and quiet, enjoy the pool, comfortable bed, and be able to walk to the beach on a whim. This is the perfect, centerally-located place for a quick beach vacation.



The Space:

Your room is located in the town of Chelem, about 15 minutes west of Progreso, Yucatan. We have a space that feels like a real home (because we live here too, in our own private apartment).

Stretch out on a brand new double bed furnished with cool sheets, and settle into easy living. The poolside room has a mini refrigerator to stock all of the wonderful local fruits and a small table to eat on. There is a dresser, built in shelves for storage, and an attached bathroom and shower. This room is located right before the pool in our lobby open space There are no steps.

Enjoy being steps from the pool and enjoy the building wireless anywhere on the grounds.

Walking, you can get to the beach in about 30 seconds and it takes less than 5 minutes to restock needed food necessities (milk, cheese, drinks, snacks) at any of the close, locally owned small stores .

If you are looking for a real, honest, simple experience in small town Mexico, surrounded by good people, you will find it here. You will live among the locals of this small beach village. Chelem is our home and we love sharing it with guests.

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



(Air conditioning is included in the rental. Please use only when the room is occupied. We require conservation of electricity usage due to the high cost in the state and capacity is at 100%. )



Guest Access:

You will have access to your room, pool, pool area, and rooftop (please be cautious). Wireless internet included.



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 west 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. Wander the streets, greet residents with a Buenos dias ect, and generally feel safe and welcome. There are times of the year with the town fills with visitors but life still continues on as is but with just more people. 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, Soriana, and Cheaudri grocery stores 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 and NOB. This is a real Mexican village that has opened up its arms to expats from around the world and "snow birds". 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 a locals price. 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.

Across the street from your apartment is the town sports park. This provides many opportunities to see daily life for townspeople and a walking path with exercise area. In all directions, there are plenty of streets to walk, meeting locals and expats alike. Parking is street side, and very safe. Numerous restaurants are located within walking distance that cater to both the tourist and the local residents.



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.



We take care of all outside areas but keep your home private for you.



- 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.