1.- What is the maximum number of guests that can sleep in the Villa ?
20 guests sleep comfortably on beds and 4 more sleeping on fold-out sofas or roller beds.
2.- What is the beach at Playa del Secreto like ?
The beach is covered with white sand with no rocks or sea grass. The water is very clear and has a turquoise color. Exercise caution with high surf conditions, you might encounter an undertow current.
3.- What services are covered by the rental fee ?
Your rental includes housecleaning 6 days a week and assistance of our villa manager. Linen is changed twice a week or more frequently if needed. Dishes and kitchen will be cleaned once daily after lunch.
4.- Are meals included in the rental fee ?
No. You can hire the villa Chef at an extra cost. Check out our Food Service section.
5.- Where can we shop for groceries ?
The closest grocery store is called “Super Chedraui” and “Super Aki” located right on Hwy 307 on the entrance to Puerto Morelos (going north from Villa Sol y Luna) 7 minutes away by car. There are also several large grocery stores in Playa del Carmen (12 miles south) including Walmart, Soriana, and Sam’s Club.
6.- Where can I got out for dinner ?
You can find a wide variety of good quality restaurants and bars in Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morelos. Our villa manager will be happy to help you.
7.- Is the tap-water safe to drink ?
No, the tap water is trucked in from Puerto Morelos and during the rainy season collected from the rooftop catchment system, therefore it is not safe to drink. Villa rentals include unlimited supplies of jugs of purified water.
8.- Can you rent Jet Skis ?
No. Jet Skis are not allowed at Playa del Secreto.
9.- Are there hospitals nearby ?
Yes, Amerimed private hospitals are found in Playa del Carmen and Cancun. In Cancun we also recommend Hospiten and Galenia. Villa Sol y Luna’s manager can recommend private doctors and specialists.
10.- How can I get Mexican pesos ?
By using your credit card at any ATM machine in Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen and Cancun. Otherwise, banks and money exchange offices in Playa del Carmen and Cancun can exchange your US dollars, Euros, (or other foreign currency) for pesos.
11.- What is the weather like ?
You can check our current weather at the Weather Channel.
12.- When is the Hurricane Season ?
In the Yucatan Peninsula the hurricane season normally starts in September and ends the second week of November.
13.- What is the refund policy if the Villa is not available due to a hurricane ?
Guests will be able to reschedule their stay or receive a full refund.
14.- Is the Villa stocked with basic seasonings and consumables ?
Yes.
15.- Is there food service available ?
Yes, check our Food Service Section.
16.- Where can we buy liquor ?
All grocery stores sell liquor in Mexico.
17.- What services are available at the Villa ?
Chef service Massage therapist Babysitting Grocery/alcohol stocking service (when hiring the Chef) Day trips including: Snorkeling, Scuba diving, Deep-sea fishing Mayan ruin tours, Jungle tours, Cenotes tours Airport transportation and more. Just ask our on-site manager for assistance.
18.- Is topless bathing allowed ?
Yes, topless sunbathing is allowed. The villa offers total privacy for our guests.
19.- Are there a lot of beach vendors hassling people on the beach ?
No!, absolutely none.
20.- Can we light a bonfire on the beach ?
We have a designated area for this purpose. Ask our on-site staff for assistance. Fireworks and Chinese floating lanterns are forbidden though.
21.- Should I purchase travel insurance ?
Emergency changes of plans can always occur. Travel insurance is a good idea to protect your vacation investment.
22.- What documents do I need to travel to Mexico from the US or Canada ?
Traveling to Mexico as a tourist does not require a visa for US or Canadian citizens, but a valid passport is required.
23.- What documents do my children need to travel to Mexico from the US ?
Children need proper identification just like their parents. A US Passport is recommended, but other US Citizenship documents such as a certified copy of a US Birth certificate, a Naturalization Certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Citizenship are acceptable. In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated procedures at entry and exit points, including requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission of the parent(s) or legal guardian not present for the child’s travel. Parents of underage children (under 18 years old) should carefully document legal custody prior to traveling to Mexico. If a minor child is traveling with only one parent, the absent parent should provide notarized consent. If only one parent has legal custody, that parent should be prepared to provide such evidence to airlines and Mexican authorities. In cases in which a minor child is traveling to Mexico alone or in someone else’s company, then both parents (or the sole, documented custodial parent) should provide notarized consent. If a child traveling to Mexico has a different last name from the mother and/or father, the parents should be prepared to provide evidence to airlines and Mexican authorities, such as a birth certificate or adoption decree, that they are indeed the parents.
24.- Is there a US or Canadian Embassy in Cancun ?
There is a US Consular Agency in Cancun and another one in Playa del Carmen, part of the US Embassy to Mexico. The US Department of State provides information online for travelers to Mexico. The same is true for Canadians.
25.- Do I need to speak Spanish ?
No, our on-site staff speaks sufficient English.
26.- How secure is villa Sol y Luna and the surrounding areas ?
Beaches are within Federal Zone in Mexico , which means we can not restrict people walking in front of the villa . As a safety guideline Remember to lock the front of the villa when you are at the pool and always lock the villa completely when you leave the house. This includes all the windows, front door, kitchen, and the sliding glass doors. Also, when you leave the beach at the end of the day, be sure to bring in beach towels, all snorkeling gear and beach toys. Our staff will help but we ask for your cooperation. To ensure maximum security of our guests at night , we have installed a lacer motion-activated alarm system on the ground floor terrace facing the pool. If the security system is triggered, a loud alarm (120 decibels) will go off. The control key for the alarm will be given to the guest in charge of the group upon check-in, and must be returned to any staff member of Villa Sol y Luna during check-out. There will be a $50 US charge if the control key is not returned. It is entirely the guests responsibility to avoid triggering the alarm unintentionally, as our staff have no control over the alarm system while the villa is rented. We also encourage the use of the safe boxes inside the bedroom closets to keep your valuables. The owner and staff at Villa Sol y Luna are not responsible for loss of any valuables.
27.- How is the zika virus at Sol y Luna ?
We have never had a guest infected with Zika by a mosquito bite at Villa Sol y Luna. There are “Aedes Aegypti” mosquito that carries the dengue and zika viruses in the Yucatan peninsula but so far only isolated cases of Zika were reported last year in the peninsula interiors. We recommend pregnant women use mosquitoes anti repellent lotions or creams when you go out after 6 PM and keep all windows and screen sliding doors closed.
28.- Can a King size bed be changed into two tweens ?
Yes, at bedroom Fuego.
We booked in Jan 2019 for a Christmas vacation with 8 adults and our 9 grandchildren ranging from age 1 to 18 years. I was a little concerned that the villa was to good to be true, but I am happy to say that our vacation was everything we hoped for and more!!! I honestly can't say enough good things about the Villa and the accommodating staff. Even the most picky members of our group had nothing to complain about! --Melanie, the manager, responded promptly and graciously to our questions before we arrived. She arranged our rides to and from the airport and also for two day trips. She also set up our massage appts. (Excellent Massage Therapists at a very reasonable price!) During our stay she was only a text away! --Chef Ishmael, his wife Norma and Rodolfo, were totally amazing, accommodating and, in the opinion of the finance members of our family, hiring them was the best decision we made! Since there were so many of us...17 in total…going out to eat would have been a logistical nightmare and incredibly expensive! Norma makes the best guacamole EVER and the French Toast was so good...we had it twice! We gave the chef free rein and he never failed...everything was delicious and authentically Mexican which we asked for. The fruit arrangements he made were delightful and delicious including 2 different Christmas trees and a Snowman! He also stocked the downstairs refrigerator with the beer, wine and sodas we asked for in advance. Don Pedro was wonderful and the children loved Coco, his dog, who followed him everywhere. He recognized our need for more life vests and provided them before we could even ask! He keeps the property in pristine condition. --The cleaning staff, Ioida and Alba had a difficult task but did an amazing job cleaning around all the "stuff" we brought with us. I especially liked the organics recycling available! --Our family commented that even though the staff and chef were around it never felt intrusive or awkward. Lots of beds and bathrooms to accommodate everyone! There are so many things to do that we were never bored...kayaking, boogie boards, swimming pool, beautiful sandy beach with very few people on it...just a few walkers, hammocks, bean toss, ping pong, and a tidal pool to explore just a short walk down the beach. Wi-fi was available for the little time we were on our "electronics"! This was the perfect vacation spot for our family and everyone is asking grandpa if we can do it again! Soon!
This house has it all. The house was large, very spacious. There were 19 of us and we did not feel cramped in any room. The rooms are large, air-conditioned and very clean. The bedding's, towels and amenities were perfect for this trip. It is nestled between a few resorts but the property is very private and the beach was super clean with fun water amenities (kayaks, body boards and snorkel gear). The hammocks were super relaxing and dreamy to lie in all day! Melanie could not have been more nice and more accommodating. She even coordinated our ground transportation, excursions and local spots. Joel that lives on the property was our hero. He was always checking in with us, running for ice, moving stuff, he even climbed up and grabbed us fresh coconuts from the tree to drink and eat! He would call us out to the beach at night to help the baby turtles into the ocean which was a highlight for 3 nights of our trip! Our rooms and the house was cleaned daily by staff which were so nice. The kitchen was stocked for a cookers dream and we would definitely rent this house again for our next yoga retreat. The roof top was our yoga sessions and the view, breeze and sound of the ocean was seriously perfect. Staying at a rental house instead of a resort allows us to have more options for our guests. This house and staff were incredible! We would definitely book this house again.