Casa de los Pianos

The rooftop patio was a lovely spot to take in the area, and it even has a kitchen for making meals up there. There's a bathroom on the roof too, though it didn't seem to have been cleaned recently. We hardly used that space, so it wasn't a big deal. Out back, there's a walled yard with a lawn, badminton net setup, and clotheslines. In summer, the afternoon rain can catch your laundry, as it did ours. We were a group of 11, so we booked the whole house for four nights in September 2016. There are four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom and shower, and I believe you can rent the rooms separately. The place is spacious and comfortable, with air conditioning, a full kitchen, washer but no dryer, satellite TV, WiFi, hair dryers, a pool table, kids' toys, and a high chair. We had a one-year-old with us and asked for a playpen, which the owner kindly bought for our stay. Uayma is a small town a short drive from Valladolid, and its quiet, off-the-beaten-path feel was a big part of why we chose the house. We needed someone in our party who spoke Spanish reasonably well. We found the town wonderful and felt safe there. We were also there for the Mexican Independence Day celebration, which was a lot of fun. My dad often tells people he felt safer there than back home in Utah. There are snacks and drinks for sale in the house, with prices marked, and you can leave payment in the little wooden box in the kitchen. We found it easier and cheaper to shop at one of the nearby convenience stores. For water, there's a dispenser with five-gallon jugs. When one is empty, you can exchange it next door for a full one for about 20 pesos. We refilled smaller bottles and kept them in the fridge. For groceries, we went to Super Che, one of several supermarkets in Valladolid. Booking was through the owner by email. I found the listing on VRBO and saw it on similar vacation sites too. The owner lives in Germany and sometimes replies herself, sometimes through an employee. Her sister lives nearby in Valladolid. They let us book without a deposit, and we paid on arrival through PayPal, though cash was also an option. Yessi, their local contact in Uayma, met us after we texted her our arrival time, opened the house, and showed us how everything worked. She mostly speaks Spanish, but was very friendly and helped with our questions all week. This was one of the best parts of our trip. People we tell about it are jealous we found such a beautiful place, and we would definitely stay again.

Even though we stayed just one night, this lovely house gave us one of the best stays we've ever had.

For the price, it's a really spacious, comfortable place. We had a great stay!

A beautiful home in a lovely town, with kind people.