Frequently Asked Questions About Casa Carolina

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We have read articles in the Travel sections of our newspapers in the U.S. saying that money is available from cash machines anywhere in the world, so there isn’t any need to bring money or Travelers Checks when we travel. Maybe everywhere else in the world, but not in the Yucatan. There are cash machines in major cities such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Merida and Valladolid, and it is true that the best exchange rate is at the cash machines. Cash machines (ATMs) recently have been installed in Tulum and in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, but from what we hear from our guests, those machines are often empty. To be safe, you should plan to get all the cash you expect to need—and you will need cash in Xcalak—before you leave Playa del Carmen coming from the north, or Chetumal if you’re coming from the south. There are Casas de Cambio in Tulum, where you can exchange money. You will get a better exchange rate for cash than for Travelers Checks there and everywhere else.

You probably won’t find many places south of Tulum where you can use a credit card.

The directions to get to Xcalak are in the "Getting Here" section, along with a map of Xcalak. The most important thing for visitors to know is, DO NOT DRIVE AFTER DARK! Very few roads have lights. Many cars won’t have lights on, either. And there even may be livestock grazing on the roads after dark.

Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism provides a service called the Green Angels. These are bilingual mechanics driving green trucks who patrol the major highways every day. They provide emergency assistance, and charge only for parts and gasoline. But it can seem like a long wait until daylight, which is the next time you can start looking for a Green Angel if your car breaks down at night. There aren’t any shoulders on the road, either. So if there’s a “disabled vehicle” (aka “broken down car”) in the road, it’s in the road, not pulled off on a shoulder. It’s highly unlikely that there will be any flares or bright orange signs to help you see the car before you hit it. And if you’re the broken down car, it will be just as hard for any other vehicle to see you in the dark.

There are more gas stations in the Yucatan than there used to be, but they’re still few and far between. The new Pemex station in Majahual opened in October 2003. It’s a little bit past the turn-off to Xcalak, so if you need to get gas there, you’ll have to pass the turn to Xcalak and then go back. But if you're driving south on Highway 307, it's still a good idea to fill up in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, because the Pemex in Majahual sometimes runs out of gas.

When you pay for gas, be sure to count out each bill to the attendant. Do not simply hand over a bill, or bills, without specifying the amount.

There isn't a gas station in Xcalak, but it is possible to buy a few liters of gas in town. If you're in Chetumal, you can fill up in the city or at the Pemex just outside the city when you get on 307 to head north toward Xcalak. If you're coming in from the west, there's a Pemex on 186 not too far from the junction with 307. There are also now two Pemex stations in Bacalar, both on the east side of 307.

Depending on how many visitors there are in Xcalak at the time, anywhere from one to several local small restaurants may be open. The closest restaurant is just a short stroll down the beach. Other possibilities include Silvia’s Loncheria and the Xcalak Caribe. They prepare whatever they’re able to obtain fresh that day. And if you’re lucky enough to be here when The Leaky Palapa (reservations almost always needed) is open, you will enjoy one of the best meals you’ve ever had in your life.

You can buy just about anything at the Costco, Sam’s Club, or Wal-Mart in Cancun. But to get to any of them, you have to drive north out of the airport, toward Cancun city. That’s the opposite of the direction you need to travel to get here. Unless you happen to be in Cancun anyway, it really isn’t a very good use of your time to backtrack to Cancun just to shop, when there are now so many other resources along the way.

There is a new Chedraui supermarket just off 307 in Playa del Carmen (you’ll be able to see it from the highway) where you should be able to find everything you would have gotten in Cancun. There is also a Sam’s in Playa now, also on 307. It’s not as big as the one in Cancun, but how much do you need to buy for your vacation? Even though it may be a bit complicated to enter from the south-bound lanes (you’ll have to pass it, then turn around and come back to it), it still will take much less time than going north to Cancun from the airport. There is also a Soriana supermarket in a new shopping center on 307 in Playa del Carmen. It’s on your right if you’re going south on 307, and it may be easier to get in and out of that shopping center than the Chedraui shopping center.

There is also a new San Francisco supermarket in Tulum. It's on 307, on the right as you're heading south. Shopping there may be your best bet, because it’s a “manageable” size store. It won’t take you forever just to get through the aisles, but it should be able to meet your needs.

Grocery shopping from one of the trucks
that come right to our door.

We always enjoy shopping for produce at the public market in Carrillo Puerto (you’re stopping for gas there, anyway). The prices are probably the most reasonable you’ll find. The market is on the right as you’re going south, north of the Pemex station in town. But it is not an “open air” market and you will probably have to ask someone where it is the first time you go there.

There’s a small government-run supermarket, the ISSSTE (don’t ask us what the acronym means) on the right as you head out of Carrillo Puerto. But if you’re from the U.S., you probably won’t recognize this store as a “supermarket.” You’ll be looking for something bigger. It’s the only building with its own parking lot facing 307.

It's an exciting day when the shrimp truck shows up!

If you’re coming from the south or west, you can shop in Chetumal. There is a Chedraui in the new mall on Insurgentes. There is also a San Francisco on Insurgentes near the bus station. Just across the road from the Chedraui, on the same side of Insurgentes, is a store called Bodega. If you read the fine print on the receipt or on the employees’ name tags, you’ll see that it is a Wal-Mart. Again, it’s not as big as the one in Cancun. There is also a Sam’s now in Chetumal.

If you plan to buy things that need to be kept cold while you’re driving, you might want to bring a cooler with you (check it through as luggage) or buy a disposable cooler after you arrive. Sometimes, though, people have told us they had difficulty finding disposable coolers, so you’re taking a chance on that.

There are a few very small stores in Xcalak. They’re open mainly in the morning and late afternoon/early evening. Their stock is limited. Trucks selling produce and other food items come through at least twice a week. The quality of their merchandise is generally excellent. If you’re staying long enough, you can put in special orders and they’ll bring what you’ve requested on their next trip.

Although you can buy some things in the stores in Xcalak, you should not make the assumption that “of course” you will be able to buy some specific thing, no matter how many other small Mexican or Caribbean towns you have been in. Bring a hat, sunscreen, and insect repellant. No matter how well you tan, bring a strong sunscreen…none of this “SPF 4” stuff. In case you’re caught without your bug spray, you might want to have some itch cream with you. If there’s a condiment or food item you just can’t live without, you'd better bring it. Bring a camera and film. The disposable underwater cameras take nice pictures, and eliminate the worry about getting a good camera wet while you’re on a boat or at the water, even if you’re not underwater.

Remember that you will need cash—pesos, dollars, or even Euros—for virtually everything you may want to do in Xcalak, and that you can’t get any here: no bank, no ATM. Travelers checks can only be used for lodging or diving. The closest ATM is a two-hour drive away. You should bring enough cash for everything you can anticipate wanting to do while you’re in Xcalak.

Our solar powered electrical system is more than adequate to provide lights and keep the refrigerators running 24 hours a day. But appliances whose purpose is to produce heat use large amounts of energy. Specifically, hair dryers, curling irons, electric rollers, clothes irons, electric coffeepots, and toasters are the biggest users of energy. If you insist on styling your hair with an electric appliance, we won’t have lights to see how it looks when you finish. (And the cold drinks in our refrigerators will become warm drinks.) You might consider that worth the trade-off, but the other guests probably won’t! So try letting your hair dry naturally. We promise you will look just as good as everyone else.

Some people ask us what the weather will be like during the time they’re planning their vacation. Although we don’t know what the weather will be on specific days in the future, we can tell you that the average weather varies very little throughout the year. Most of the time the daytime air temperature is in the 80’s Fahrenheit, and there is almost always a breeze. As the water temperature doesn’t change as quickly as air temperature, it is more predictable: usually in the low 80’s Fahrenheit, never getting colder than the high 70’s or warmer than 84ºF or 85ºF. As our weather is so consistent, we don’t have “seasons” for recreational activities: we enjoy diving, snorkeling, and fishing all year. But we cannot tell you if the weather will be conducive for any particular activity on any given day in the future.

There are very few days during the year when it rains all day here. Our version of “the rainy season” tends to be passing showers. Based on what guidebooks to the Yucatan say about average rainfall, Xcalak seems to get less rain than the rest of this coast.

It depends on the weather, and how the wind is blowing. If the wind is coming from the jungle, the bugs will come too. If the breeze is coming from the sea, it will blow the bugs right into the jungle and they won’t bother you at all.

The town of Xcalak does not have running water. Most townspeople get their water from wells. So there aren't any laundromats, and there isn't anyone who provides laundry service, because it just isn't feasible. Also, the town has only had electricity since 2004, and the power often goes out for a couple of days at a time. (Casa Carolina is solar-powered and has electricity 24 hours/day.) So the laundry would have to be done by hand, or at night.

Casa Carolina provides purified water for drinking. We collect rain water for everything else. If there isn't enough rain, we supplement our supply with well water. If we are not wasteful, we have enough water for our guests' personal use, and to be able to provide clean sheets and towels. But we do not have enough water to invite guests to do their personal laundry.

Most vacationers in Xcalak wear bathing suits most of the time, and so generate very little dirty laundry. You can wear very casual clothing every place in Xcalak, at any time. So you probably won't need to bring many clothes. While you can certainly wash out a thing or two in the sink or the shower, you should probably bring all the clean clothes you expect to need with you. If you are traveling for a length of time, you should not plan to catch up on your laundry while you're in Xcalak.

The phones in Xcalak hardly ever work—and your hand-held cell phone won’t work here at all—but we have pretty good Internet access. For guests who have their own computers with them, Casa Carolina has wireless Internet access available. If you aren’t traveling with a computer, there are a couple of places in Xcalak where there is public Internet access.

Jeff relaxing with his laptop in the palapa.