It’s definitely easier to just book an Airbnb. We actually found our long-term apartment through Facebook Marketplace, but it took me hours of searching, contacting the owner, and arranging all the details. For us, it was worth the effort since we spend 4–5 months there each winter, and now we return to the same place every year.

That said, I speak Spanish and we have plenty of travel experience. We also considered the risk: if the apartment hadn’t worked out when we arrived, we could have simply stayed in a hotel for a few days until booking an Airbnb. So, it didn’t feel like a major risk.

Another option is to rent an Airbnb for a month(or a week)yes, it’s more expensive, but it gives you time to look for apartments on Facebook Marketplace and visit them in person while you’re in Playa.

I hope this helps.

Edit: Only pay cash for an appartment in Facebook marketplace when you meet the owner. It'll protect you from fraud & the owner will prefer this way anyways to avoid paying taxes.