Everything we're asked, honestly answered. If something is missing, reach out.
What to Expect
It’s a tiny home with a big heart, landing you in the middle of nature. You’ll be situated between the Mangrove and the Caribbean with all of nature’s wonders surrounding you.
The interior of the tiny home measures 6m x 2.2m, with the newly expanded deck wrapping around the home in an L shape, giving you loads of room for activities, or relaxation, outdoors as well.
La Casa Pequeña operates on an honest contribution model. Most guests contribute between $50 and $80 USD per night — enough to cover running costs and keep subsidised stays available for those who need them. If your situation is different, just say so.
You'll receive an automated email to let you know your application has been received. Within 2 working days we'll get back in touch to let you know if we're proceeding with your application or not.
La Casa Pequeña is located a few kilometers south of the town of Mahahual, which itself is around 4 hours driving south of Cancun. The nearest airport is Chetumal around 2 hours away, with Bacalar being the next closest popular tourist town, around 90 minutes away.
We ask for a minimum stay of at least 2 nights, and you're welcome to apply for anything up to 30 days. After stays have started, we may consider extensions on a guest-by-guest basis.
Light clothes - always a good place to start when you visit the Caribbean. Aside from that we'd be happy to discuss your needs with regards to food and groceries, and advise you on local options. All house essentials will be supplied, from sheets and towels, to salt and shampoo. If there's anything specific you're wondering if we have, just ask.
Honestly this has changed a lot throughout the years. It used to be the internet when I first arrived, then the solar system after my first experience with storms. They've both been dramatically upgraded now. What can still be a little bit challenging at times is the isolation, both from people and from amenities so we encourage you to be mindful of that when applying. Having at least a bicycle for transport is recommended for this reason.
Sea air damages everything! From the paint on my house, to the charging port on my telephone, everything is more susceptible to damage when sea air and sand are involved. So take care to store or cover your electronics when visiting.
Time of Year
The sargasso is the biggest enemy here by the Caribbean, and typically affects the coast from April through September. December and January have been my favourite months during my time here.
Only when the house is already in use, by other guests, family & friends, or myself.
Suitability
Definitely! You'll have a dedicated workspace, a comfy chair, and an external monitor. Along with a mirror so you're not missing out on the pajaros passing by above the sea.
If there's a heavy storm passing, you may lose internet service for 5-10 minutes while the modem finds a new satellite. But about 98% of the time, you can expect smooth 80–120 Mbps download speeds.
The tiny home itself is on posts, so about 1.5m above the ground. As such there's a small staircase, 4/5 large steps to ascend to get up to the level of the deck and tiny home entrance. I'd recommend checking out the photos, and let us know in your application about any mobility concerns and we'll do our best to accommodate.
Yes, the kitchen is equipped with an electric coffee maker, a mini-oven/air fryer, and a 2-ring induction stove. We recommend cooking during the day as much as possible to take advantage of the solar system.
Probably the biggest upgrade I've made to the tiny home since buying it, was to replace the toilet from a camping one, to a normal functioning toilet. You use, you flush and there's a biodigestor taking care of the rest. We would just ask to be mindful of water consumption.
You also have an electric shower capable of providing hot water, that you'll find isn't necessary the majority of the days, but is a nice treat to have on a cool evening.
Both a proper wall-mounted air conditioner and a fan, so however hard the Caribbean sun is shining, you can stay cool. No heating — you won't miss it.
Yes, within reason. The AC is the single biggest draw on the solar system, so it pays to use it smartly: run it in the afternoon when the panels are producing most, keep the doors and windows shut while it's on, and set it to a sensible temperature rather than as cold as it goes.
At night it runs off the batteries, which is fine on a normal day. After two or three cloudy or stormy days in a row, ease off and lean on the fan, so there's always power left for the fridge and the internet.
With the upgrades that have been made to the solar system (it now comprises four 455W panels and two 5kW lithium batteries), I haven't worried about power in months.
That said, 2-3 stormy days in a row, and irresponsible use of the power could lead to difficulties. As such we always advise being mindful of appliances, especially in the kitchen, and to cut your consumption if the solar system doesn't look like it will fully charge on a given day. We do have a back up battery to ensure in the event of any power outage, you would still be able to power internet and connect to your host.
Weather
The warmest months of the year can reach up to around 40°C, but thankfully you don't feel the full force of the heat thanks to the sea breeze.
The wind can get quite ferocious when a storm is approaching, but for the most part you'll be faced with calm Caribbean seas, with 15–20 km/h winds the norm.
Pretty damn horrible. Or at least it is right now as I'm writing this. About 3m of quite thick sargazo that would prevent me from entering the water in front of the house. That said, there is still a huge amount of beauty to take in, and it only takes a 5 minute walk towards town to find a spot that is always clear in case you want to get in the water.
Unfortunately the heavy sargazo has been a sad reality here in the Caribbean over the past few years, especially from April through October. We'll have to hope the situation improves but we feel we owe it to potential guests to be honest about this.
You can request a picture of the current state of sargazo prior to your stay, along with the option of hiring local sargazeros to do a clean up.
Storm season can indeed be very intense here, but thankfully we're able to see any large storms coming days in advance, and we'll make sure all guests are notified.
Surroundings
There is a guest house of my neighbours maybe 200-300m north of the property going towards town. Going south, you'll walk 500m between beach and manglar until you reach Mahai Retreat.
We have a wonderful little store about 1.4km to the south of the house called Pirates del Caribe. Here you can find a small selection of beers, wines, fruits, veg, water, snacks and household essentials such as toilet paper and toothpaste. The best part - they also make delicious pizza and deliver anything you need directly to the tiny home!
Going towards town, the nearest shop is Matias, located about 2.5km to the north. Here you can find a very similar selection, typically with a few more refrigerated options and fruit and veg, however no pizza and no home delivery.
We would recommend doing any large shopping in the Casitas area of Mahahual, where you'll find a greater variety of shops including dedicated fruterias and mini-supers. Just let us know what you're looking for, and we'll do the rest, including home delivery of groceries if needed.
House Rules
You'll find nature naturally brings the quiet when it gets to nighttime, but we'd also appreciate no heavy music after midnight. Birds have to get their sleep too!
We all understand the omni-presence of social media in our lives, heck there's a good chance you came across this site that way. When visiting LCP, we simply encourage you to reduce the screen time and take in the sights and sounds of nature instead.
Yes, you're more than welcome to, but we'd appreciate you giving us a heads up on it first!
One or two permanent guests is what we ask for, as much to reduce the water demand and noise for neighbours as anything else. Having an extra friend or two spend a night isn't prohibited, but we just ask that you do so respectfully.
Pets
Yes, we would be delighted for you to bring a pet along with you. We feel it's a wonderful place for our furry friends to enjoy nature as well, so please let us know in your application.
No, aside from the wild animals you'll find living between the sea and the mangrove! The house is regularly fumigated, and has mosquito nets on all windows and doors, so you can enjoy the nature outside, without worrying about anything coming in!