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Playa Norte on Isla Mujeres
- Mexico's Caribbean Riviera Maya |
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Villa del Palmar in Cancun
- Mexico's Caribbean Riviera Maya |
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Our Cabana in Tulum
- Mexico's Caribbean Riviera Maya |
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Local Girls in Playa del Carmen
- Mexico's Caribbean Riviera Maya |
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White Soft-Sand Beach in Tulum
- Mexico's Caribbean Riviera Maya |
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Path from Our Cabana in Tulum
- Mexico's Caribbean Riviera Maya |
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Pescado Tikixic Fish Lunch - Isla Mujeres,
Mexico's Caribbean Riviera Maya |
Mexico’s Caribbean Riviera Maya (Big cities -
Cancun & Playa del Carmen and Smaller villages - Tulum & Puerto Morelos)
(1/25-2/8/2012)
What is your description of romantic paradise? How
about sitting on a picturesque powdery white sandy beach under a thatch beach
palapa sipping a margarita or cerveza (beer) enjoying the warm tropical Caribbean
climate? Throw in swimming in warm crystal-clear turquoise water with gentle
waves, bikini-clad beachgoers, long walks with warm breezes on palm tree lined white
soft-sand beaches, dining at night in romantic soft-lit restaurants with
romantic music, or partying to the wee hours of the morning.
Add in world-class
snorkeling and diving in one of the most magnificent offshore coral reefs in
the world, a rich history of ancient Maya legacy with a Mexican flavor, special
attractions of highly rated nature parks and Mayan ruins, and hotels suitable
for everyone’s needs ranging from luxury all-inclusive 5-star resorts to
charming seaside inns and $60/night budget hotels. For us, that’s pretty close
to paradise.
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Beach at Playa del Carmen
- Mexico's Caribbean Riviera Maya |
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5th Avenue at Night - Playa del Carmen,
Mexico's Caribbean Riviera Maya |
Welcome to Mexico’s Caribbean Riviera Maya in the
Yucatan. Experiencing extensive recent development, just 10-15 years ago Mexico's Caribbean Riviera Maya was described as idyllic fishing villages. 90 miles of beaches (some the
most beautiful in the world) affords a wonderful relaxing romantic get away
with activities for the more active such as great snorkeling and scuba diving in
the Great Maya Reef – the second largest barrier reef in the world with more
than 500 species of fish, manta rays, and sea turtles.
There is also sailing,
fishing, kayaking, windsurfing, and parasailing. The Mayan heritage gives Mexico's Caribbean a different ambiance and cuisine than the rest of Mexico with a mythical
history.
We explored four places along the coast – Playa del
Carmen, Tulum, and Puerto Morelos, and Cancun.
At the center of the Mexico's Caribbean Riviera
Maya and its largest city, cosmopolitan Playa del Carmen (know locally as just
‘Playa’) is now Mexico’s fastest growing city. Along mile-long pedestrian-only 5th
Avenue (Avenida Quinta), you can stroll a cobblestone-like pavement of shops,
boutiques, intimate hotels, restaurants, and sidewalk cafes (see photo).
We stayed right on
Playa del Carmen's 5th Avenue in the quaint boutique hotels of Posada Mariposa and Hacienda
Mariposa offering very good value for their great location near Playa del Carmen's best
beach with a great deal at the upscale Mamita’s Beach Club (see photo). Our days passed
quickly enjoying the beach and people watching during the day and choosing
among the scores of restaurants along 5th
Avenue at night. From Playa del Carmen you can take a ferry to
the large island of Cozumel famous for its snorkeling, scuba diving, and
Mexican cuisine.
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Beach in Tulum - Mexico's
Caribbean Riviera Maya |
We loved Tulum about 40 miles south of Playa del
Carmen. Although Tulum is rapidly upgrading (with increasing prices), it is
what Playa del Carmen once was - ideal for solitude, contemplation, and
communing with nature. With no Cancun-style big hotels, Tulum's stunning uncrowded
beaches have small beach cabanas and chic eco-hotels nestled among palm trees
offering a nice blend of laid-back ecological on-the-beach experience with
modern comforts falling to sleep listening to gentle ocean waves. Many have
their own small restaurant on the beach (see photos).
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Bench at 'OM Tulum Cabanas'
- Tulum, Mexico's Caribbean Riviera Maya |
We stayed at the OM Tulum Cabanas and
Beach Club - a good combination of laid-back budget comforts right on the beach
with a nice restaurant and beach palapas (see photo). The town of Tulum is about 2 miles from the beach. Other than the exquisite
beaches, the number one attraction in Tulum is the small Mayan ruins by the
same name above a beautiful beach.
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Dos Ojos Cenote - Tulum,
Mexico's Caribbean Riviera Maya |
Near Tulum are over 110 cenotes that are entrances
to underground rivers flowing through massive limestone caves and caverns with
stalagmites and stalactites (see photo). All rivers in the Yucatan run underground and two
of the longest underground rivers in the world are located here. Snorkeling or
scuba diving these wonders is an interesting excursion.
Also near Tulum, there are also several
highly rated eco-archaeological parks such as Xcaret and Xel-Ha affording many
activities (i.e. beaches, snorkeling, zip lining, river tubing, jungle and
cenote discovery, boat trips, animal exhibits, Mayan culture) and
all-you-can eat (at Xel-Ha) for one price - kind of like an eco-Disneyland. The
nearby Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve offers an even more authentic experience of
the remarkable natural wonders of this region encompassing almost every
ecosystem that exists in the Yucatan.
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Village of Puerto Morelos
- Mexico's Caribbean Riviera Maya |
Just 20 minutes south of Cancun, Puerto Morelos is
the gateway to the Riviera Maya. The town of Puerto Morelos retains a fishing village feel (see photo) with good
restaurants, some of the best of the Riviera Maya Reef, spectacular beaches
with wonderful swimming north of town, and a tranquil bohemian atmosphere. Huge
new 5-star all-inclusive hotels dominate Puerto Morelos' beautiful northern beaches.
For a
budget stay in Puerto Morelos on the northern spectacular beach, we choose to stay at 2-star Acamaya Reef in a rustic cabana with
beach palapas – great location but not loaded with amenities or high price. A
40-minute walk along the beach or an $8 taxi ride to town gets you to many nice
restaurants and shops. We took a snorkeling trip to the magnificent reefs of
the National Marine Park with Charlie Brown - a great snorkeling trip with a
personality you will never forget.
To
begin our trip, we found a brand new 5-star all-inclusive resort north of the
Cancun hotel zone called Villa del Palmar Cancun Beach Resort & Spa - a gorgeous
large hotel with gourmet restaurants, four beautiful pools, and nice beach (see photo). A beautiful
place to relax with few activities although they can arrange all the many
excursions that Cancun has. Villa del Palmar is located next to the car ferry
to the beautiful island, Isla Mujeres, where awaits you a fun less expensive
adventure.
A 45-minute ferry ride takes you to Playa Norte on the island of Isla Mujeres, one
of the loveliest beaches in the Caribbean with open-air beach restaurants and bars
to idle the day away meeting other travelers from around the world (see photo). A wonderful signature island dish is
Tik-n-chik, which is a whole fish marinated in achiote and grilled (see photo). Great snorkeling trips can be arranged on Isla Mujeres or
you can rent a golf cart and explore this beautiful 4-mile long island.
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| Mayan Tzolkin Calendar |
Some history... An interesting historical note is after a run of
5,200 years (long time before even the Mayan's used this calendar), the amazing Mayan Tzolkin calendar ended on December 21, 2012.
Believers of the Apocalypse say it means the end of civilization. The explanation
we like better is that it will usher in a new era leaving behind greed and selfishness
bringing an era of love, peace, generosity, and a more balanced relationship
with the environment.
Helpful travel planning tips... Peak travel season (and peak prices) to Mexico’s Caribbean
Riviera Maya is from November to April. Many people are escaping the cold
season in North America and Europe. Because summers can be hot, this is a nice
time to come because it is the coolest time of year (high temperatures
averaging about 84ºF, 29ºC). Locals told us that early May and late October
are good off-season times for better prices. Although we went to Mexico’s Caribbean
Riviera Maya in the middle of
the peak season, we were able to find some good deals using savvy traveler’s
techniques.
Mexico’s Caribbean Riviera Maya is serviced by
Cancun’s modern airport, English is widely spoken, people are very friendly,
the food is very good with a wide selection of dining options, accommodations
are available for everyone’s taste and budget, transportation around the region
is efficient and inexpensive using buses and collectivos (air-conditioned
vans), and using common sense, we never feared for our safety. USA Today said the Mexico’s Caribbean Mayan Riviera was the “Hot travel trend for 2012" and will probably be even more popular in the future. In fact,
many cities have already increased air service to Mexico because of the boost in
travel demands.
We loved Mexico’s Mexico’s
Caribbean Riviera Maya and plan to return. This beautiful
destination is being discovered and prices are on the rise - don’t delay!
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