The house was a comfortable reward for the bone-rattling drive that took us 3 3/4 hours in a SUV from Tulum in the dry season. I'm a sissy behind the wheel, especially in a rental vehicle, and recognize that the pitted dirt road may bother other drivers less. Just know what you're getting into.
The reward will be to escape the crowds that fill the Cancun-Tulum coast and find yourself in a comfortable, modern house on landscaped grounds, one mile outside a village with rudimentary tourist infrastructure.
The house had no Internet; and wi-fi worked in the village only one of the six days we were at the house. This was great for a family vacation since we five screen addicts had to spend our time talking to one another and reading on the beautiful roof decks, when we weren't on outings. We most enjoyed the swimming, in front of the house and especially at the uncrowded "piscina natural" a few kilometers away, kayaking from the house around the lighthouse & in the lagoon, hiring a boat to go snorkeling & dolphin- & bird-watching (we did it 2x), and cycling into town.
The two bedrooms were comfortable, the fold-out sofas in the downstairs living space somewhat less so. There was always hot water in the showers, though the flow was sometimes weak. We had no interruptions of electricity. Eduardo the housekeeper was friendly and helpful. He combed the small private beach in front of the house to clean the bits of debris that the water deposits onshore, especially after a storm. The main problem at the house were mosquitoes and no-see-um's. The severity of the problem depends of course on the season and the weather, and how much they bother you. We sprayed ourselves when on the decks, and relied on the screens when indoors, but on the one night it rained we had to keep the windows closed because the no-see-ums came in right through the screens.
While we liked the low-key Punta Allen, its grocery stores are bare-bones. Only one guy sells fresh fish, and he doesn't have it daily. This disappointed us since we prefer cooking to eating out. We fortunately heeded the owners' advice to stock up in a Tulum supermarket before arriving.
Because the house is in the Biosphere, we had to pay the visitor fee of US$2 per person per day. We didn't mind but were distressed by the proliferation of private villas and boutique hotels in the Biosphere along the Tulum-PA road.
Joel and his family, the owners, were great, responsive and eager to please.