We HAVE NOW SOLD our little piece of paradise in Mexico…our palapa covered bungalow in Paamul, on Mexico’s Mayan Riviera. 
If you’ve read any of our blog or followed our adventures on other websites, we know we moved to Mexico to run a small hotel. But we also came here to find a new place to live and a new way of life. Before we ever moved to Playa, back when we still lived in San Francisco, we were regular visitors to the beach at Paamul.
Paamul is a little cove south of Playa del Carmen that has been subdivided into palapa covered lots. Lots are rented so that people can install house rv’s/trailers and then build out around them: decks, living areas, kitchens, bathrooms, etc. We always thought when visiting the beach and restaurant that it would be a cool place to live–down by the ocean in an open air, tropical style. And what a style it can be. The little thatched covered lots have been transformed into some amazing homes by the people living there. With very few building restrictions, and no permits required, and labor and materials being very cheap, people have built some pretty impressive places a few steps away from the Caribbean Sea.
When we decided we were making the move to Mexico, we knew that we didn’t want to live in the hotel. Who wants to live where they work? So our first thought was Paamul. The idea of beachfront living at affordable prices really appealed to us. So, when we went down to sign the final papers to buy the hotel, we also went down to Paamul and bought a palapa covered trailer/lot. We picked one that was nestled up against the jungle so that we had open air, sunshine and bird songs flowing through the living space. We thought it was pretty cool. We added a few things, heightened a few walls, but generally it was ready to go. We even bought furniture that we stored there in anticipation of our new life. And we finally had a place to use our kayaks! Our dream is that we would wake up every morning, swim and kayak on the calm bay, cook breakfast in the large open-air kitchen, take a quick shower in the open air walk-in shower and then head off to the hotel for a day’s work. Well…it didn’t quite work out like that.
When we pulled into the area, driving our van, the Big Bastard, along with our pets and everything we own (see The Ultimate Road Trip), we ended up moving into the hotel anyway. We knew we’d have to spend at least a couple of weeks getting organized at the hotel, and besides, the palapa had sat empty for 6 months and needed a thorough cleaning before we could move in. It just would be a matter of time, we thought.
The weeks stretched into months and we were still living in the hotel. When the architect/contractor at the hotel ran off with our money (that’s another story and future blog entry), we ended up hiring our own work crew and supervising the remodeling and renovation of the hotel on a 24 hour basis for a couple of months (no, we had never done anything like that before). We kept hoping and planning on returning to our little seaside casita (little house). But even after the construction was finished and the hotel officially opened, the first several months were non-stop work. Eventually we realized we would have to live in town near the hotel and had to give up our dream of our little thatched roof home.
The casita consists of an outdoor area with large living room space, dining room space, a huge kitchen with dining counter, a separate vanity, bathroom and walk-in shower. Attached to the outdoor living area is a 26-foot one bedroom, one bath trailer/rv which has been stuccoed to make it blend in with the surrounding living area. In addition, there is a second completely enclosed air-conditioned bedroom and a separate laundry room with washing machine.
The outdoor living area is tiled throughout. The kitchen has a gas stove and refrigerator included with plenty of cabinet space. The bathroom is also tiled in beautiful colorful Mexican tile with more cabinets for storage. 
On the side of the palapa is an open space for parking even the biggest vehicle. Behind the lot is a large area which can be turned into a backyard, patio, garden, etc.
The location is unique in that it does not have another lot with a trailer or rv on one side of it, which guarantees privacy and quiet. The palapa sits on the final building space at the end of Jungle Road in Paamul. From your living/dining area, you can look out upon a tropical forest and be serenaded by the local birds. It is open to the sea breezes and the sunshine. The other side of the lot (behind the trailer) has another palapa lot and trailer which is occupied approximately three months a year by its single female owner. You won’t find a quieter, more private spot in this area. Because of its location at the end of the road, it also offers more usable space than most of the other homes in this area.
This beautiful palapa is located in the beach community of Paamul, about 10 miles south of Playa Del Carmen and 50 miles south of Cancun in the heart of the Mayan Riviera. For a link to the community go to www.paamul.com and to Google Earth for a view of the area. Paamul offers its own 24 hour security, an excellent restaurant, pool, dive shop and use of one of the prettiest beaches in all of Caribbean Mexico. The Yucatan’s world famous coral reef comes so close to the shore in Paamul that it is an easy swim for a morning snorkel among beautiful tropical fish. The community is also just 15 minutes away from the exciting restaurants and night life of the resort town of Playa del Carmen.
Paamul is a friendly community consisting primarily of Americans and Canadians. Some are retired and live here year-round, while some simply use Paamul as their vacation home. There are always community activities and friendly people to meet.
Happily we’ve now sold our little palapa home in Paamul to a very nice couple. We’re sure they’re going to love it. For many more photos, click here.
