Our Frequently Asked Questions

Each person entering Mexico is required to have a passport (even children.) If you are traveling with a minor without both sets of parents, you will need written, notarized permission from the absent parent giving permission for international travel. If you are traveling with a minor who is not your child, you will need a written authorization from the parents stating your guardianship of the child.

Yes, during the low season and within 3 weeks of a booking date if we are not booked, we may make special accommodations for bookings. Please contact us with your questions and we will do our best to accommodate you if we can, but please note during the high season it is difficult to deviate from our Saturday to Saturday rental period.

We accept checks and all major credit cards through Paypal. Please note, you do not need a Paypal account in order to make a payment.

It’s probably a good idea and necessary if you plan on renting a car as car rental companies will not accept debit cards or cash for rentals.

Yes, $300.00 USD cash is due upon your arrival.

• Playa Azul:
  
  Occupancy: 6 Guests
  
  Maximum Occupancy: 8 Guests*
  
  Bed Types: 3 king beds, one set bunk beds
• Casa Soleada:
  
  Occupancy: 8 Guests
  
  Maximum Occupancy: 12 Guests*
  
  Bed Types: 4 king beds, two sets of bunk beds

For large parties of up to 20 people, both villas can be rented.

* Please note there is a fee of $300 per person/week for guests above the standard occupancy (up to the maximum occupancy).

Yes, any child over 2 will be counted as a guest.

We have had children of all ages stay comfortably in both villas. However, there are a few important features you should be aware of when making your decision.

Infants:
Infant children can be easily accommodated in either villa. Both houses have an assortment of baby gear. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way.

Toddlers:
All of Playa Azul’s bedroom entrances are exterior, which may not be optimal for small children staying in their own room without a parent or older sibling. Additionally, Playa Azul’s upper level sundeck and patio decks have widely spaced railings an unminded toddler could potentially fit through. Therefore, if you have toddler children, Casa Soleada may be a more suitable option for you.

Elementary-aged Children:
Due to the exterior entrances in Playa Azul, we recommend your children share a room with an older sibling or parent. If you plan on having younger children stay in a room by themselves, Casa Soleada may be a better option for your family.

Any cancelation 90 days or more prior to your scheduled arrival will incur a $500 cancellation fee. Cancellations occurring from 90 days down to 60 days prior to arrival will incur a cancellation fee equal to the deposit paid. Cancellations 60 or less days prior to arrival will result in the forfeiture of the entire rental amount.

There are many third party “Trip Insurance” companies available. We strongly encourage you to take out trip insurance in case of any unfortunately situation which would result in your trip cancellation.

A car is highly recommended as we are in a very rural area. You must rent your car ahead of time – during high season cars are not available last minute.

There is a medical clinic in Akumal and a reputable hospital in Playa del Carmen (approximately 45 minutes away). We also have the contact phone number for a physician that makes personal house calls if needed as well.

Tips are greatly appreciated depending on the level of service you received.

Once you get to the Villa almost everything is covered and included in the rental. Upon arrival and check in, a security deposit will be required for use of the recreational equipment. This deposit is returned to you in full provided there is no significant damage or loss of equipment.

Items that are not covered:
Groceries – While our cooking services are free of charge, you will need to provide the food, or for a small fee our staff will do the shopping for you.

Laundry – We also charge a small fee for personal Laundry.

Tipping – We strongly encourage tipping of the staff upon your departure.

Items that may incur an extra fee:
Additional guests: $300 per person/week
Arrival/Departure not on a Saturday: $300 for each occurrence (maximum $600)

The villa is located right on the ocean on a sandy beach approximately 100 feet from the water.

No. We supply nice large beach towels for your use.

No, our villa will supply you with everything you need.

Yes, every bathroom is equipped with a blow dryer.

We have two Pack n’ Plays at each house, baby gates, as well as booster seats with removable trays and an infant bathtub. If your young child is sleeping in one of our bunk beds, we do have a special sleep rail we can install. There are plenty of beach toys in the outdoor cabinets, as well as a small selection of child-sized life jackets and snorkeling gear. Not all our gear is out for each rental, so if you need something please let us know in advance so we can have it ready for your arrival.

Yes, all bedrooms are air conditioned, but living areas of the house are not. However, there is a natural breeze off the ocean that keeps the living areas comfortably cool.

Yes. Each bedroom has its own private on-suite bathroom.

Yes, we are pleased to accommodate your furry family member, but please be aware of Mexico’s animal importation and veterinary requirements as well as your airline’s pet policy. Typically, if your pet is small enough to travel in-cabin, the obstacles are reduced to a simple vet inspection and update of any necessary vaccinations. However, for larger animals that travel as checked luggage or cargo, most airlines have weather/temperature restrictions. In general, many airlines will not fly your checked pet if the forecasted temperature at your departure or arrival destination exceeds 85°F or is below 10°F, even if your pet is traveling in cargo.

Water for bathing and house use is brought in by truck to our private water system for use in the villa. Both villas have 5 gallon purified water dispensers for drinking and brushing your teeth.

Each villa has 120 feet of beautiful, sandy beach with direct walk-in access to the ocean. The entrance into the water is shallow with a combination of sand and rock. Because the bay is protected by the world’s second largest barrier reef, there is not a large current or dangerous swells near the shoreline. You can swim, snorkel, kayak, and paddle board easily in the bay, but we strongly recommend you wear water shoes to protect your feet from any rocks, sea urchins, or shells.

Tankah Bay is protected from large surf by the barrier reef, resulting in relatively calm, enjoyable waters perfect for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and paddle boarding. There are some coral rocks in the water, so we do recommend wearing some sort of water shoe to protect your feet from any scrapes.

Yes – right out front is the world’s second longest barrier reef, which attracts fish of all types. Or, just steps from the villa is a subterranean river cenote that is popular with snorkeling enthusiasts. There are also many dive shops very close for scuba diving.

We are pleased to say we are one of the best appointed homes on the beach. Our villas are equipped with its own personal outdoor pool, outdoor shower, several kayaks (and the appropriate safety equipment), stand up paddle boards, snorkeling gear, patio chairs, children’s beach toys, hammock chairs, and beach lounge chairs.

No, the sand here is very fine and fires tend to turn the area into a blackened tar that leaves it impossible to walk through for years. Additionally, our villa, Playa Azul, has extensive flammable palapas that could be disastrous if a spark were to blow toward the villa.

The pools are located on the villa’s private patio, immediate off of the villa, but are not securely fenced, therefore, children should be supervised at all times.

They are many fishing providers in the area, most of the reputable companies operate just up the highway in Puerto Aventuras.

This area of Mexico is high tourist zone and is extremely safe for tourists of all ages. Crime in the area is pretty well isolated to petty theft, with very minimal crime involving physical harm. Our villas are located on a private, residential road, away from the main tourist zone of Tulum. Our road has private security that monitors all vehicle and pedestrian traffic past the guard gate. Additionally, we have a care-taker family that lives in the casita on the property full time. However, Mexico is a poor country, so you should remember to lock up your personal items such as purses, wallets, cameras, passports, computers, etc. We have provided lock boxes in every bedroom to secure your valuables.

There are currently three restaurants within walking distance of the villa.

Casa Cenote restaurant is located right on the beach just a few lots down and is the perfect spot to grab a drink and relax.

Blue Sky restaurant, just next to Casa Cenote, has a great assortment of entrees and are known for their fantastic brick oven pizzas. Each night they have a unique special. Very, very good for dinner!

Ceilo Maya, located right next to Blue Sky, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Just a short 4 mile drive South are the Tulum and Tulum Beach tourist zones where there is a multitude of restaurants and bars.

North of the villa there are the small towns of Akumal and Puerto Aventuras, both offering a great mix of dinning and shopping options. Many restaurants in the Puerto Aventuras area are seated directly across form the dolphin lagoon.

If you are up for a slightly longer drive, 45 minutes away is the well-known tourist zone of Playa del Carmen. Here you can find anything your heart desires.

You’ll be able to find ATMs in multiple locations throughout Tulum. They are readily available at the local banks and grocery stores. Please keep in mind that the systems will dispense only Pesos.

Life is too short to cook on vacation! Our fantastic staff can prepare a full menu of breakfast and dinner selections. As kitchen space is limited, meals are served “family style”. All cooking services are included at no cost to you, however your party is responsible for providing the groceries. Our staff will provide you a list of ingredients required for your meal.

Meals are prepared right in the villa kitchen. Space limitations restrict the number of entrees our staff can prepare effectively, making “family style” meals the best option to ensure a fabulous dining experience. If time and space allows, we will do our best to accommodate additional entrée requests for a fee of $20.00 per additional entrée but we do limit to a total of 1 additional entree.

Dinner is typically served at 6 pm. If you prefer to eat earlier or later than 6 pm, our staff will prepare the food and leave it so you may warm it up at your convenience.

Our staff’s normal work hours are 9 am to 5 pm. All of our staff have young children at home, so it is difficult to accommodate late dinners for our guests without infringing on our staff’s personal time with their families.

Lunch is not included in our rental fee as our staff is occupied with their duties during the day to ensure your visit is nothing but excellent. If you have a special request for lunch, we will do our best to accommodate you for a fee and if time allows. We want every stay to be perfect, so please just let us know how we can help.

Groceries are about the same cost as U.S. pricing.

There are many nearby options these days for grocery shopping and supplies. Most of our guests find the American-style grocery store, Super Chedraui, just minutes away in Tulum most convenient. You’ll be able to find most of your grocery needs. They also stock toiletries, pharmaceuticals, and recreational goods.

Additionally, there is another grocery store as well as various fruit and meat markets throughout Tulum.

For a quick trip, just a few lots down there is the “Mini Super Cenote”, a small convenience store that surprisingly has a good selection of last minute items.

At Tankah Shores we are able to deliver your groceries prior to your arrival for a $25 USD fee. Simply complete the grocery order form and submit it back to us at least 1 week before you arrive.

Yes, our staff will come in each morning and wash all the dishes. We ask that you please rinse and stack your dishes after use to prevent from attracting any insects, and they will be cleaned in the morning.

Guests do not have direct access to our laundry facilities, but our housekeeper will be happy to do your laundry for a fee of $5.00 USD per load. Laundry is washed, line dried, and will be returned to your room when ready.