Xaman lk: Special introductory rates. Sat TV, internet, pool in San Bruno

Welcome to Xaman Ik, Mayan for North Wind . . .
You really need a break from your demanding job and the relentless
pressure of life in the fast lane, never mind the snow and bone
chilling cold of a northern winter.
Now you can get away from it all at Xaman Ik, a private oceanfront
oasis built in 2008 and perched right beside the emerald green
waters of Mexico's undiscovered Gulf Coast.
Designed by one of Mexico's top young architects - recently
featured in Architectural Digest - Xaman Ik is located three hours
west of Cancun and 45 minutes from the charming 466-year-old colonial
city of Merida.
Xaman Ik is tastefully decorated with antiques, original art and custom
designed and made furniture, with warm reminders throughout of Mexico
and the seaside.

The two-storey villa includes:
* Private oceanfront plunge pool with in-water seating area and
shallow tanning ledge.
* Roof top terrace with a thatched-roof palapa and spectacular, 360-
degree view of the ocean and lagoon behind, ideal for watching the
sunrise and sunset.
* Oceanside, wall-to-wall, screened, sliding glass doors are featured
on both floors, affording an unobstructed view of the Gulf whether
you are lounging in the living or dining rooms, bustling around the
kitchen or just lying in bed.
* Three bedrooms, two on the oceanfront and the third facing the
lagoon. All have queen-sized beds with pillow-top mattresses and
walkout terraces or balconies. The master bedroom has a private bath
with a charming roofless,outdoor shower.
And to complete the feeling of being somewhere special, luxury
linens, thick bath towels and giant beach sheets round out the
picture.
* Fully equipped kitchen with everything new, including fridge, gas
stove, microwave, coffee maker, electric kettle, toaster, blenders,
pots and pans, serving dishes, cook and bake ware, utensils and
several sets of designer cutlery, dishes and glasses. Everything
you will need for a quick bite or gracious entertaining.
* SKY Satellite, IPod docking station, LCD TV and DVD player, with lots of current big box office DVD's to choose from. And for your reading and entertainment pleasure, there is also a nice stack of puzzles, cards, games and reference books on local birds, animals and all things Mayan.
* Pressurized water system with hot water on demand throughout,
including the kitchen. For your peace of mind, the deep, sweet-water
well comes equipped with a UV purification system.
* BBQ grill, ceiling and floor fans. Two-piece bathroom on the main
floor. Pool-side shower. Ample outdoor furniture ideal for idling
away your time or soaking up the rays.
* So you can stay in touch, you will have the use of a local cell
phone, for which you can easily buy extra minutes during your stay.
It comes already programmed with the property manager's contact
information.
* Laptop plug-in internet access is available.

FYI: the best sunrise and sunset views are from the rooftop terrace's
palm palalpa, best enjoyed while sipping a fresh squeezed orange juice
or margarita, depending on the time of day.

Merida - with its top restaurants, cultural activities, captivating
street life, timeless architecture, art galleries, museums and
shopping - is a thriving city of more than 1 million built on the site of the
ancient Mayan city of T'ho.
There is so much to do and see in and around Merida and all along the
Yucatan's unspoiled Gulf coast.
Enjoy a gourmet meal at a gracious, 19th century hacienda. Take a
tasting and gastronomy tour of the city or a cooking class with a chef
fresh from New York City. Or shop the numerous local mercados for
fresh, local ingredients.
How about a walking tour welcoming you into some of Merida's grandest
colonial homes, many now owned by the city's growing number of
expats.
Visit one of Merida's museums or art galleries. Shop. Golf.
Or take an eco-tour by boat into the mangrove swamps near the Gulf
with a local Mayan guide. Bird watch or kayak the environmentally
protected lagoons, where you will see thousands of flamingos.
Fish in the gulf, dive a cenote, prowl the cave systems
or ride a mountain bike through thatched hut Mayan villages.
Walk in the footsteps of the Maya, one of the most advanced of the
ancient cultures. The cities of the Mayan world are right on your
doorstep at Xaman Ik.
Xaman Ik is near a half dozen abandoned Mayan cities, including the
newly discovered salt trading port of Xcambo, ten minutes away, and
the great city of Dzibilchaltun. Xaman Ik is also near the World
Heritage Site of Uxmal, the doorway to the well-traveled Mayan Puuc
Route.
Fabled Chichen Itza - one of the new Seven Wonders of the World - is a
quick hour-and-a-half highway drive, near the mysterious Ek-Balam.
Or you can just kick back at Xaman Ik; sway in hammock under the rooftop palapa with that novel you haven't had time to crack, work on your tan by the villa's own oceanfront pool or practice making mojitos until they are just
perfect.
Have a massage on the beach or a top chef prepare a private, three-course gourmet meal right in the villa's own kitchen (he even does all the shopping
and clean up).
Learn about Mayan spiritual and healing practices and ceremonies from
local Mayan elders.
Or just meander along our wide, white sand beaches, stooping to pick
up a seashell for your collection or toss an errant starfish back.
Plunk a lounge into the Gulf's edge and dangle your feet in the
emerald waters as you watch the dolphins play just offshore and the
pelicans wheel and dive. If you are lucky, you may even see a flock
of deep pink flamingos fly overhead from the lagoons behind Xaman Ik.
Buy freshly caught fish for dinner from the docks in Puerto Abrigo just down the road.
And when you are tired of relaxing, head into the nearby port towns of
Progreso or Telchac Puerto for a meal out and some people watching on
the Malecon. As can be expected, the local restaurants - including
one a half kilometer down the road from Xaman Ik - specialize in local
seafood, which can include shrimp and lobster in season, cooked to
order. Or try authentic Yucatecan Mayan dishes such as Poc Chuc.
Xaman Ik is a place where you can do it all or just do nothing. It's
your call.
Best yet, this trip won't bust the budget. Mexico is still one of the
best value vacations around with top beachfront accommodations such as
Xaman Ik, restaurant meals, tours and the like at some of the best
prices seen anywhere in the tropics.
Furthermore, Merida and its nearby beaches are considered among the
safest vacation spots in Mexico or the Caribbean.
Merida also has several of Mexico?s top teaching hospitals, with many
English-speaking doctors. Get too much sun? The doctors here even
make low-cost house calls.
What Mexico's Gulf Coast doesn't have are chock-a-block all-inclusive
resorts. Well okay, there is one.
But our little bit of paradise is so much more than just another in
a long list of look-alike, hot spot vacation destinations. Merida
and the coast is tailor made for the seasoned, sophisticated traveler
wanting something more: to discover the heart and soul - and the
culture, art, environment, architecture, food, history and people -
of this enchantingly authentic corner of Mexico.
Getting here is easy, too - either fly into Merida's own international
airport less than an hour's highway drive from Xaman Ik.
Or take a cheap charter direct into Cancun and drive the toll highway
or take the high speed bus straight to Merida.

Special introductory rates. Prices (in $US):

* January to April: $600 weekly, $2,100 monthly.
* July and August, Easter Weeks, Christmas and New Year:
$850 weekly, $3,200 monthly.
* All other times: $500 weekly, $1,800 monthly.
Additional night: $125

Ask us about our special low, low last minute rates 

Please note: For privacy reasons, we do not fill in occupied dates on the display calendar.

Minimum stay, one week. Maximum of six guests. Security deposit
required. Rates include one house and pool cleaning per week and a
welcome basket with bottle of wine.

Local bus goes right by the door, but a rental car is recommended.
Private gourmet chef, massages on our beachfront, personalized food
shopping, extra cleaning, laundry service and a variety of tours and
activities (fishing, banana boat rides, diving, kayaking and eco
tours)available at extra cost.

Note: We will also consider house-swapping offers for either this
property or our historic log home, located north of Barrie, in
Ontario, Canada. Our square-timber log home is right in the heart of a four season, recreational playground, with skiing, swimming, boating, fishing,
water sports and hiking.
Our three-bedroom, custom-built log house is steps from the shores of
Lake Simcoe and just over an hour's drive north of Toronto, Canada's largest
city.