Cen Balam - Akumal

The Best Views and Access of Half Moon Bay, Seaweed Free! - Cen Balam - Akumal
Our Beach is Twice the Size as Others With Plenty of Loungers and Palapas - Cen Balam - Akumal
And a Beautiful New and Large Pool that Even has a Sunning Ledge - Cen Balam - Akumal
Gorgeous Beach Views When You Just Open the Door - Cen Balam - Akumal
And a Private Corner Beach Porch with Comfortable Seating - Cen Balam - Akumal
You don't get closer than this for Real Time Beach/Bay Watching in AC Comfort   - Cen Balam - Akumal
The Condo is Named After Its Gorgeous Jaquar Painting - Cen Balam - Akumal
The Open Floor Plan  Makes For Great Family Gatherings - Cen Balam - Akumal
Dining Area Showcasing some of the Condos Mayan Artwork Collection - Cen Balam - Akumal
Comfort, Design and the Unique Art of the Area All in One Location  - Cen Balam - Akumal
From the Dining Looking to the Kitchen and Hall - Cen Balam - Akumal
There is even a mini-office for doing that dreaded email! - Cen Balam - Akumal
Entertaining and Cooking, and Of course with a Fabulous Beach View! - Cen Balam - Akumal
The Hall Leading to the Bedrooms and Bathrooms - Cen Balam - Akumal
The Master Bedroom is Outfitted w/ Mayan Linens and More Beautiful Artwork - Cen Balam - Akumal
The Master Bedroom Looking Towards the Living - Cen Balam - Akumal
The Light and Airy On-Suite Master Bath - Cen Balam - Akumal
Looking Towards the Dressing Area and On-suite Master Bath - Cen Balam - Akumal
Off the Master Bedroom is A Large Porch with Views to the Gardens and Pool - Cen Balam - Akumal
The 2nd Bedroom also has a King Bed, It's Own Balcony, w/ Views to Our Gardens - Cen Balam - Akumal
The 2nd Bedroom Is also Outfitted with Local Linens and Stunning Artwork - Cen Balam - Akumal
Coming from the Beach Paseo towards Our Expansive Pool - Cen Balam - Akumal
With the Best Views and Snorkeling for in Miles! - Cen Balam - Akumal
No Beach Clubs, Just for us! - Cen Balam - Akumal
We Even have a Lawn Area ! - Cen Balam - Akumal
Coming From the Condo to the Pool: Native Palms and Blooming Tropicals Abound - Cen Balam - Akumal
Our Tranquil Pool: We Keep Private for Only US, NO Day Clubs! - Cen Balam - Akumal
Plenty of Seating and Swimming Space - Cen Balam - Akumal
We even have a Laplane perfect for Working Off Those Chips and Margaritas - Cen Balam - Akumal
The Laplane Looking Towards the Main Pool - Cen Balam - Akumal
Our Complex Has the Feel of a Small Private Resort - Cen Balam - Akumal
Looking From the Pool Through Our Gardens Towards the Beach Paseo - Cen Balam - Akumal
Some of Our Magnificent Gardens - Cen Balam - Akumal
White Bird of Paradise - Cen Balam - Akumal
Yal Ku Lagoon, Literally a 2 minute walk - Cen Balam - Akumal
Sian Kahn, 15 Minutes Away - Cen Balam - Akumal
Nearby are Many Many Attractions including Mayan Ruins such as Coba - Cen Balam - Akumal
Akumal Means  "Land of the Turtle", and here's why! - Cen Balam - Akumal
This Could Be You in Our Bay - Cen Balam - Akumal
Views, Views Everywhere! - Cen Balam - Akumal
The Kitchen Is Traditional Mexican Meeting Functional Modern, Fully Equipped - Cen Balam - Akumal
Plumeria blooms fragrent the Air of Our small complex - Cen Balam - Akumal
A Rare Caribbean Pygmy Owl in Our Gardens - Cen Balam - Akumal
What Can be Better:  Drinks on Our Beach as Sunset Approaches - Cen Balam - Akumal

Cen Balam - Akumal

Beachfront, Stunning Huge Pool, Great Internet
5 Guests · 2 Bedrooms · 2 Bathrooms · Condo · Entire place · 1500 Sqft
Icon4.93Fantastic
15 reviews
Diana
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This host responds to 33% of inquiries in within 48 hours
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This is Cen Balam: Cherished for years, this lovely two- bedroom, two-bath La Sirena #5 is a corner unit located directly on Half Moon Bay, Akumal in between the beach and the complexs beautiful, tropical gardens, which surround the large, blue- tile lined pool, with both a lap lane and a sunning ledge.

Experience the best of the Mayan Riviera here: the snorkeling, the food (from restaurants or your own kitchen), the local renowned craftsmanship, and of course the sunset views, all in a quiet tropical beachfront setting.

Cen Balams owners love this part of the world and have traveled throughout Latin America collecting amazing, one-of-a-kind Latin American artwork. This artwork adorns the condo and is its focal point. Exotic objet dart include Mayan wood carvings, oil paintings of local flora and fauna, and Guatamalen weavings. All beautifully displayed.

With the floor to ceiling windows and patio on the beach side, and the multiple patios on the courtyard side, panoramic views abound. White sand and the turquoise waters of the bay, and sea beyond, amazing garden views of flora and fauna, and the jungle beyond dominate.

Inside, each of the two bedrooms has a very comfortable king- size bed, with quality linens and wonderful detail, and each has its own private patio. The two accompanying bathrooms are well equipped, as is the kitchen, indoor dining area, living area, and outdoor dining area on the beach side patio.. There is even a mini-office for that work day or e-mail!

As travelers ourselves we have adapted our policies to be much more supportive than the standard, including more flexible payment and cancellation options. We have also implemented the most modern current cleaning protocols. And our staff are dedicated only to us, they dont move around to other complexes... Less exposure. Finally our complex is twice the size as others, with the same number of units. So social distancing is natural. Check out our website for details!

Everything is provided for a stress free vacation: Free parking, Wifi, daily maid service (except on Sunday), unlimited bottled water delivered to the unit, full air conditioning, satellite TV, all linens, including beach towels, and so much more!

Make sure to look at our other 2 bedroom listings and their reviews VRBO # 44902 #4523903 and VRBO # 4315869.

DETAILS
Cen Balam (Cave of the Jaguar) was intended as a private second home and has only recently become available as a vacation rental. The owners and guests love the second-floor, corner location, with its feeling of increased privacy and security, and its views over Half-Moon Bay and the Caribbean beyond.

The condos design and location provides wonderful flow-through sea breezes. There is also A/C throughout, and ceiling fans in all rooms, including the open-air beach front beach front patio. Cen Balam is also one of the few units in the area that have the finest in upgraded doors and windows, which provide increased security, protection from the elements, including noise, heat and storms.

The kitchen, with its custom made window shade, has been remodeled, with additional cabinets, and new appliances while still retaining the local tropical rustic character. It is well stocked with Fiesta Ware dishes, and green, hand-blown Mexican glassware, as well as matching cutlery. Enjoy playing in this wonderful kitchen surrounded by views of Half Moon Bay.

The dining area boasts a large supply of table linens, many of which are local or Guatemalan handicrafts, as are the throw-cushions and bed scarves in the bedrooms.

Both bedrooms can be opened to the breeze. Both feature Mexican and/or Maya décor, including framed antique prints of Frederick Catherwoods original drawings of Maya ruins. Both beds have embroidered Guatemalan throw-cushions and hand-made bed scarves, and both bedrooms have their own private patios, with a table and chairs, ensuring a peaceful place for that early morning cup of coffee, as well as a shady place to relax. These patios overlook the beautiful gardens surrounding the swimming pool and the jungle beyond.

All the rooms are decorated with original Mexican or Maya art. Many of the wood carvings are by Efrain Cetz, acknowledged as one of the finest Maya craftsmen practicing today. His large, bas-relief, cedar carving of a Maya Death Canoe overlooking the dining area was based on an original design carved on a piece of ancient bone found at the Maya site of Tikal in Guatemala.

The pieces in Cen Balam represent commissions by the owners, but carvings by Efrain Cetz (aka Chino) are now available in Lamanai (a not-to-be missed shop on the beach, outside the Lol Ha Restaurant Palapa). Many of the paintings in Cen Balam are by Isabel Schober, a local resident and artist.

A permanent library on Maya art and history (books are clearly marked) is available for guests use while in Cen Balam. There are also various paper back novels for relaxing on the beach (take one if you need to; leave one if you can). An assortment of games is present in the condo, and a television (with Netflix) has been installed for the convenience of guests.

And to make your vacation even more stress free, we can help with airport transfers, groceries and even tour planning! Let us know what you wish!

As a reminder, we follow a seasonal cancellation policy. As there are constant changes being made by the OTAs, this may not always be reflected properly in their system. As an integrated partner with proven exceptional service and fairness, our Rental Agreement takes precedence. For Details see our rule or feel free to ask Ask Questions.

Sleeping Configuration

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Master Bedroom
1 king bed
Gorgeous bed with handmade Guatemalan linens
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Garden Bedroom
1 king bed

What this place offers

IconIron & Board
IconHair Dryer
IconLinens Provided
IconPaper Towels
IconFull Kitchen
IconOven
IconGas Grill
IconCharcoal Grill
IconHigh Speed Internet
IconDesk
IconDesk Chair
IconSmart TV

Nearby activities

IconScuba diving or snorkeling
IconFishing Charters
IconSurfing
IconDeepsea fishing
IconMiniature Golf
IconWalking
IconNature Viewing
IconBird Watching

Suitability

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Child friendly
Welcome
Children's books and toys
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No events allowed
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No smoking allowed
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No Parking
Plenty of free on-site private parking

Meet The Host

Diana
Owner
Diana
I have always loved vacationing to and experiencing different cultures. And for some reason could never get enough beach or snorkeling time! We dreamed of owning our own 2nd home, and when we came to Akumal in 1995, it set the standard for our dream. We wanted to create our little slice of paradise with all the ideas that we had gathered, and providing the perfect casual, luxury getaway for ourselves and our guests. And we love it just as much all these years later
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IconMember since: July 2020
IconSpeaks: English
IconResponse rate: 33%
IconResponse time: within 48 hours

Scenic views

IconBeach view
IconBay view
IconMarina view
IconGarden view

Location

Beachfront
Waterfront
Oceanfront
Bayfront
Park

Getting around

We are directly on the best part of Half Moon Bay. We have one of only beach areas that never has any seaweed, and we keep it private just for us and our guests. Right off our beach is some of the best snorkeling in the entire region.

If you want to explore the area, we do recommend renting a car. But you don't really need it if you want hang on our beach and gardens. As Akumal is very small, and Half Moon Bay has only 1 road, it it very easy to walk everywhere. We also have a local transport system called collectivos, as well as taxis and or course bicycle rentals or golf cart rentals that we can help arrange. urs etc.
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Exact location provided after booking.

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Policies and Rules

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Check In: 3PM - Flexible
We have lockboxes with codes which we will provide to you once full payment is provided. We also have on-side staff that can help if needed. Once final payment is made, we provide LOTs of details: maps, access info and phone numbers. And we would love to help you with additional planning.
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Check Out: 11AM
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No pets
Minimum age limit for renters: 25
Maximum occupancy: 5
House Rules
For Christmas and New Year's rentals, we require either Christmas week or New Year's weeks, or both weeks, we cannot accept splitting of weeks.

TO ensure everyone's enjoyment, we do have some house and complex rules.

These are attached to our rental agreement which we do need signed.
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Payment Policy
We accept multiple types of payments, including checks. Reservations will be held for 7 days after confirmation. A deposit of 50% of the total balance is required to confirm your booking. If payment is not received by this time your reservation may be canceled.
Upon receipt of final payment, a detailed Planning Guide including access documents will be provided to you.

Please see our rental agreement or website for additional details: www.akumalbeachcondo.com.
If you have questions, just let us know. We try to keep it easy.
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Refundable Damage Deposit
Fully refundable damage deposit that is refunded app. 14 days after your departure. Also, if desired, as an alternative we have Rental Damage Insurance for $59.
Cancellation Policy
Worried About Covid-19?   We realize this is an evolving environment and it seems  hard to plan a vacation right now.   So as long as the COVID-19 situation is with us, having hard cancellation rules now don't seem right.    Planning a great vacation should be FUN and stress free.

So we have implemented  new Super Flexible Payment and Cancellation Policies for bookings made for 2020, and does not apply to Holiday Dates (XMAS/NY). 

- You can make a reservation with as little as 25% of the total rental fee to hold your dates.
- You can make payments monthly, quarterly: we can fit to your schedule.    Let’s talk.
- Your reservation does need to be paid in full, 30 days prior to arrival.  If you need to cancel, your deposit will be refunded without penalty.  If you are booking with less than 30 days before arrival, we can grant some flexibility as long as you are paid in full 14 days before you arrive.In the unfortunate event you must cancel your reservation due to last minute imposed travel restrictions, etc, you will receive a refund of 100% of total reservation charges if booked direct. 
- If you must cancel for other related COVID-19 reasons, less than 30 days prior to arrival, but more than 14 days, you will receive a refund of 50% of total reservation charges.
- Your reservation is nonrefundable if your written cancellation is received less than 14 days prior to arrival.
 
No one can think of everything.   If you have other extenuating circumstances, let us know.   We are here  to help!

Please note, these relaxed policies are meant to provide peace of mind in the changing COVID-19 world, where none have us have any control over government/various imposed travel restrictions.   They will not apply to other situations.  

We still highly recommend a Cancel for Any Reason Travel Policy.   There are several that are great. 
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