You can easily find much cheaper 1-bedroom places here. And even 2-bedroom places, but we came during the early part of high season which made it a bit more of a challenge.

It is always interesting to me when people label a place “too touristy” mostly because of the presence of foreigners. If that’s true, then cities like London, Paris, Prague, etc., aren’t worth a visit. Come on! lol

Much of what you write about SMA I could write about Playa del Carmen, to be honest. Most people we know either pan it as being too touristy or skip it altogether without ever giving it a shot. It’s true that if you only hang out on 5th Ave, then you will find the town touristy, but you actually don’t have to go very far to find yourself in what I would consider a pretty typical Mexican beach town… one that is pretty low-key and actually quite scruffy around the edges. Same goes for the food—if you eat at the tourist restaurants, it will be expensive, but Tony & I know the places where you can eat for less than $3US per person… and the food is excellent! Rent is slightly more expensive here than other places in Mexico (though maybe not as compared to the Pacific coast…), but if you hunt around and are willing to stay for a month or more, there are definitely deals to be had! Our rent is actually lower than yours (and includes all utilities + internet), but we are only in a 1 bedroom unit.

Anyway, I get that not every place is going to work for every person. And certainly, the things you look for when seeking out a base is different than what you want when traveling. But most times, I think people pan places after spending just a day or two there and without really making an effort to get to know the place. Hopefully your post clears some things up for people who would skip SMA without giving it a chance!

Right now it’s high season so it’s going to be tricky to save much on accommodation unless you’re outside of centro and San Antonio.

Thanks for such great compliments!

Thanks,
Gerry

I will definitely miss the Mexican food, although there are some places to try in Budapest that sound promising. I may just have to bring a tortilla press with me so I can make homemade food when I have a big craving. 😀