Dear Friends:

This #MexMonday (Edit: Make that #TravelTuesday too!) we’d like to show you another beautiful part of Mexico that you may or not may know! El Cuyo, Yucatán!

The beaches of El Cuyo, Yucatán

Located on the northeast tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is a small and virgin fishermen village with beautiful white sand beaches called “El Cuyo”, that is unknown so far by most people.

Only two hours away from Cancun, El Cuyo is one of the “hidden treasures” of the Yucatecan emerald coast. It is a very small beach community (Population: 1,500 aprox) where you can enjoy the tranquil ambience! It is truly a place to disconnect from the hurried city life, and just enjoy the beauty of nature!

The village of El Cuyo, Yucatán!

This paradise is nestled inside another hidden treasure of Yucatan: The National Park of Ria Lagartos, internationally famous for the 20,000 pink flamingos that come to the area between January and September. Large groups of sea turtles also visit the beach shores between June and August, to lay their eggs in the sand. Are you into bird watching? This is a superb place for it, too!

Pink Flamingos flying over El Cuyo, Yucatán

You can find large groups of pink flamingos here too!

El Cuyo’s priviledged location will help you see incredible, breath-taking sunrises and sunsets over the beach. At night, you can enjoy a romantic campfire on the beach and gaze into an infinite sky filled with stars.

The breathtaking sunsets at El Cuyo, Yucatán

Sunset @ El Cuyo, Yucatán

How to get there

There are many ways to get there, but you have basically 2 options: Bus Ride or Drive Yourself! If you plan for a bus, just get to the Cancun Bus Station and ask for buses going to Tizimín, Yucatán. Once you get to Tizimín, you need to take one more bus to get to El Cuyo, and thats it!

If you are more adventurous and want to rent a car to drive to El Cuyo, we have prepared this Google Map specially for you!

View El Cuyo, Yucatán in a larger map

As you arrive to El Cuyo, you will cross the Ria Lagartos causeway over a red lagoon. The lighthouse, built on the remains of old Mayan ruins, welcomes you as you drive into town.

Here are some pics from a recent trip with friends to this hidden paradise!

El Cuyo, Yucatán

Look at this gorgeous place! El Cuyo, Yucatán

Looking into the horizon at El Cuyo, Yucatán

Relaxing on the endless beach of El Cuyo, Yucatán

Wanna see the full set of photos? Click HERE to watch our Flickr gallery!

Happy #MexMonday & #TravelTuesday too! Don’t forget to follow us at Twitter, and fan us at Facebook too!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Woke up to blue skies, warm weather, and sunshine… another great day for a Cancun Beach Sunday!

Mexican Caribbean Paradise: Cancun!

Beaches of Cancun!

I spent this great Cancun Beach Sunday visiting some family & relatives that came from Mexico City to enjoy this Paradise; yes, even us Mexicans know the jewel we have and we enjoy it just as much! They stayed at a hotel in Cancun’s Hotel Zone, where we first met and lounged for a while at the pool area. The Jacuzzis seemed really inviting, so I indulged and relaxed away at the warm, bubbly water…

Pool Area! Nice!

We stayed there for a while, enjoyed some nice family time with our relatives, took up some sunshine at the beach, and finally I ordered a delicious grilled hamburger for lunch, as I hadn’t had anything but a glass of orange juice after waking up earlier in the day; I was starving! Maybe that’s why the burger tasted so delicious, lol! Or maybe it was a real good burger, too!

Restaurant at the Pool / Beach!

Suddenly, the sky turned a little dark & cloudy…

gloomy skies!

… and a little rain started falling! It quickly turned into downright heavy rain, but as its always the case, it only lasted a couple of minutes and then just as quickly as it began, it was over, and the sun was shining again!

Cancun Is Safe Tip: These kind of “flash rains” are very common in Cancun, and they are nothing to worry about. They just form seemingly out of nowhere, and as quickly as they start, they usually pass over, and the sun shines again; its only a matter of waiting for a while!

There was this really cool & nice bar at the beach!

Cancun Beach Bar

So after a while there, we decided to move to another spot. My family and I went now to Playa Tortugas, or Turtle Beach, one of the favorite beach of the Cancun locals, as well as the rest of the world!

Sea of Playa Tortugas, Cancun

Playa Tortugas is at Km 6.5 of the Cancun Hotel Zone, right in front of a now closed place called “Pepe Tigers”, and also infront of a big local tour operator offices. Getting there is really easy: Just hop into any bus going to the Hotel Zone, they all stop there! Just kindly ask your driver to let you know when you are in Playa Tortugas and they’ll gladly do it!

Entrance to Playa Tortugas

As we already said, Playa Tortugas is a local favorite. Many local families go there on Sundays to unwind and have a good family time & fun at the beach. They pack ice coolers with beverages and lunch, and they make their own beach pic-nic in Cancun! You can also find people from just about any part of the world getting a healthy dose of sunshine & sea at Playa Tortugas any day!

Chilling out at Playa Tortugas!

Playa Tortugas, Cancun, Mexico

Beautiful Playa Tortugas!

Cancun Is Safe Tip: We’d like to remind you again that its a good idea to rest well and sleep early the night before going to the beach, in order to be able to get up as early as you can and arrive to the beach in the first hours of the morning. Why? A variety of reasons, actually! In the early morning and until past mid-day, the sun rays are not so hot and the weather is more fresh & breezy; you can also pick the perfect spot to lie down, as not many people are gonna be crowding the beach! Also, have you ever watched the sun rise at the beach? You have to do it!

Playa Tortugas is also home to a Little pier; you can both take a ferry or other boats to Isla Mujeres, or you can also shop around for souvenirs, as they recently are doing some work on the pier and more little shops selling handcrafts, clothing, & souvenirs are opening.

Pier of Playa Tortugas, Cancun

Local handcrafts sold at the Pier of Playa Tortugas, Cancun

While taking a walk at the pier we came across these amazing animals: 2 “Barracudas” just fished out of the water! Look at the size of these things! And the teeth! Yikes! Can you imagine getting a bite from one of these cuties? Well, it happens sometimes, and let us tell you, it is definitely not pretty! Don’t have to worry much though, barracudas usually don’t come near the shore, you only may come across them if you dive or snorkel a little deeper, and even so, if you don’t get too close to them, they won’t see you as a threat and they’ll leave you alone.

Barracudas @ Playa Tortugas, Cancun

Look at the teeth!

Barracudas are usually cleaned up, cut and prepared right away, to make a delicious fresh ceviche

There are a lot of empty beach chairs waiting for you , as you can see!

Beach chairs & beds at Playa Tortugas

Cancun Is Safe Tip: Most beaches in Cancun have beach chairs/beds available. Most of the times they belong to a restaurant or business that will either rent them to you for a price for the day, or ask you to order something to drink or eat in order to use them. It’s always best to ask before using one and then having somebody come to tell you that you cant use it without paying. Plus, prices aren’t high: a normal beach bed / chair rent fee for a day is between 8 to 10 USD.

You can also order something to drink or eat and have it delivered right at your spot by a waiter!

Waiters @ Playa Tortugas, Cancun

Cancun Is Safe Tip: You can also find this service at most Cancun beaches. The waiters are normally working for a restaurant or bar and will approach you to offer their services. It is not obligatory to order anything to be on the beach, though. You only need to order anything if you want to use the chairs or beds, if you don’t plan in doing so, you can be at the beach as long as you want without a problem.

As in most beaches in Cancun, you can find restaurants & bars right at the beach in Playa Tortugas. Prices always vary, so the best is to scout around a little first; compare prices & promotions, or as we like to say in Mexico “If the place is crowded its probably good!” lol, some common Mexican folk culture for you! =) You can also always ask the locals: we are more than happy to help!

Beach Restaurant @ Playa Tortugas, Cancun

The sea was warm & delicious, as you can tell by the many people enjoying it!

Sea of Playa Tortugas, Cancun

Sea of Playa Tortugas, Cancun

Sea of Playa Tortugas, Cancun

After a great day with my family & relatives at Playa Tortugas, we decided to call it a day, since we were pretty worn out by all the sun! We hugged & said good bye, and off I went again to my place, for a much needed & relaxing bath, refreshment, and some time to chill out and write about the great Cancun Beach Sunday I had!

Until next Cancun Beach Sunday, we’re sending much sunshine & warm wishes from Cancun to you!

Remember, Cancun is Safe & a beautiful place to visit! Come see for yourself!

For watching our complete Flickr photo gallery for this Cancun Beach Sunday, please click here.

Posted by: Camilo Olea

Domingo 12 de Diciembre del 2009:

¡Un día perfecto para ir a las paradisiacas playas de Cancun!

Las paradisiacas playas de Cancun!

Este domingo disfruté de un delicioso día en la playa de Cancun en compañía de mi familia. Primero, pasamos un tiempo agradable disfrutando las instalaciones de un conocido hotel de la zona hotelera de Cancún. Un poco de jacuzzi super relajante, rayos de sol, y una deliciosa hamburguesa a la parrilla recién preparada a la orilla del mar… ¡perfecto!

Relax en la Alberca!

De repente, se comenzó a nublar un poco… ¡y en poco tiempo ya teníamos una fuerte lluvia encima!

Cielo nublado...

Cancun Is Safe Tip: Lo bueno de este tipo de lluvias en cancun es que asi como comienzan, terminan: ¡rapidamente! No duran mas de unos minutos; después se van y ¡el sol regresa con toda su fuerza!

¡Un moderno y fresco bar en la playa!

Bar en la playa en Cancun

Después de que pasó la lluvia, decidimos movernos y fuimos a la famosa Playa Tortugas; preferida de los locales y turismo nacional , aunque visitada por turismo de todo el mundo.

Playa Tortugas, Cancun, Mexico

Playa Tortugas se encuentra en el Kilometro 6.5 de la Zona Hotelera de Cancún, frente al ahora cerrado “Pepe Tigers”, y también como referencia frente a oficias de una agencia de tours acuaticos; Playa Tortugas es una playa favorita no solo del turismo internacional, sino también de los Cancuneses y en general todos los Mexicanos que nos visitan. Es una playa muy familiar, con un ambiente siempre alegre, llena de cosas que ver, y por supuesto, con unas de las mejores playas y mares de todo el mundo: ¡Cancún, el caribe mexicano!

La entrada a Playa Tortugas

Diversión familiar en Playa Tortugas

La hermosa Playa Tortugas!

Llegar a Playa Tortugas es muy fácil: todo lo que tienes que hacer es tomar cualquier autobús que vaya a la zona hotelera saliendo del centr0; todas las rutas de autobus tienen paredero justo frente a Playa Tortugas, simplemente avisa al conductor del autobús que por favor te indique cuando esten en Playa Tortugas y listo.

Cancun Is Safe Tip: De nuevo queremos mencionar que recomendamos ampliamente el hacer un esfuerzo la noche anterior, acostarse temprano y descansar bien para poder llegar a la playa lo más temprano posible, de ser posible 8 o 9 am; ¿por que? por que mientras más temprano sea, los rayos del sol aun no serán tan fuertes, el clima se sentirá mas fresco y menos bochornoso, aparte que por supuesto la playa es casi toda para tí, y ¡puedes elegir el mejor lugar a tu gusto! Otra parte positiva de hacer esto es que si llegas realmente temprano, antes de que amanezca, puedes ver personalmente un hermoso amanecer en una de las playas mas hermosas del mundo, el caribe mexicano…

Playa Tortugas es hogar de un pequeño muelle embarcadero desde donde se pueden tomar ferrys y embarcaciones a Isla Mujeres. Actualmente se encuentra en desarrollo una ampliación de otro pequeño muelle donde pudimos ver que se piensa dar un giro mas comercial, con tiendas de ventas de ropa, artesanías, recuerdos de la región, etc.

Muelle de Playa Tortugas, Cancun

Artesanías locales en Playa Tortugas, Cancun

Cancun Is Safe Tip: Los camastros en las playas tienen distintas modalidades: o bien pueden ser parte de las instalaciones de el hotel y en casos como ese su uso solo es exclusivo para huespedes del hotel; como también pueden ser de uso de algún restaurante o comercio, que normalmente exige algún consumo mínimo o incluso cobra una cuota de pago por su uso durante todo el día. Lo recomendable es siempre preguntar antes de dar por hecho cualquier cosa.

Camastros en Playa Tortugas,Cancun

Cancun Is Safe Tip: En Playa Tortugas y en algunas otras playas de Cancun, existen meseros dispuestos a brindar servicio de comida y bebida a la carta; los precios varían completamente de acuerdo al negocio o comercio, aunque siempre se encuentran buenas ofertas y promociones, lo mejor es preguntar siempre al mesero si tiene alguna promocion para turismo nacional o locales, generalmente así es.

Servicio de Meseros en Playa Tortugas, Cancun

En la mayoría de las playas de Cancún existen restaurantes justo a la orilla de la playa; los precios siempre varían y la calidad de alimentos y servicio también, así que lo aconsejable es tratar de averiguar un poco con la gente local. Preguntar amablemente y sin miedo por sus opiniones, generalmente la gente local es bastante tranquila y te da sus opiniones sin problemas.

Restaurante en Playa Tortugas, Cancun

Como podrán ver el mar estaba delicioso… ¡mucha gente estaba nadando!

Mar de Playa Tortugas, Cancun

Mar de Playa Tortugas, Cancun

2 barracudas gigantes recién pescadas! Solo miren esos dientes! Se imaginan ser atacados por una de estas amiguitas? No debe ser nada bonito! jaja Normalmente las barracudas se utilizan para hacer ceviche; recién pescadas se proceden a limpiar, cortar y preparar, e inmediatamente se usan para preparar un delicioso ceviche tan fresco como es posible, con pescado recién salido del mar!

Barracudas recién pescadas en Playa Tortugas, Cancun

Barracudas recién pescadas en Playa Tortugas, Cancun

¡Saludos calurosos y llenos de buena vibra desde Cancun! ¡Hasta el próximo Domingo de Playa en Cancún!

Foto galería completa de nuestro Domingo en Playa Tortugas, Cancun AQUÍ

Dear Friends from all over the world:

Hurricane / Tropical Storm IDA UPDATE

Monday, November 09, 2009

We can see clearly now, Hurricane IDA is finally gone from Cancun & Riviera Maya!

Real Time Hurricane IDA Cancun information

Powered by hurricane-tracking software from Stormpulse.com

What was formerly known as Hurricane IDA has now downgraded to Tropical Storm levels. Tropical Storm IDA, as it is now known, has crossed the gulf of mexico and is known en route to the USA. It should make landfall overnight.

tropical storm ida

The Weather Underground

A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect from Grand Isle Louisiana eastward to the Aucilla river Florida,including New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 24 hours.

At 300 PM CST, 2100 UTC, the center of Tropical Storm Ida was located near latitude 28.4 north, longitude 88.5 west or about 60 miles / 95 km southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and about 165 miles / 265 km south-southwest of Pensacola Florida.

Ida is moving toward the north near 18 mph / 30 km/hr.  A reduction in forward speed is expected overnight.  On the forecast track, the center of Ida should reach the northern Gulf Coast tonight.

After landfall,Ida is expected to turn eastward on Tuesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph / 110 km/hr, with higher gusts. Weakening is expected this evening as Ida moves over cooler waters prior to making landfall,and is expected to merge with a frontal zone on Wednesday.

A dangerous storm tide will raise water levels by as much as 3 to 5 feet above ground level along the coast near and to the east of where the center makes landfall as well as in areas of onshore flow in southeastern Louisiana.  Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

For storm information specific to your area in the United States,including possible inland watches and warnings,please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.

Click here to see an Amazing, extremely detailed google maps view of Tropical Storm IDA courtesy of WunderMap, by The Weather Underground

Reporting LIVE from Cancun,

Camilo Olea,

www.cancunissafe.com

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Tropical Storm (UPDATE 11/08/09) HURRICANE IDA CANCUN

What was previously a Tropical Storm, has now turned into a Class 2 Hurricane. Hurricane IDA, as it is known now, has Winds between 96-110 MPH. However, a hurricane WARNING has been only issued from Playa del Carmen up to Cabo Catoche. Hurricane WARNING means that Hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within  the area in the next 24 hours. This is NOT a clear indicator of a direct hit. It is very usual for us to get lots of hurricane watchs & warnings, and rarely have one actually hit us. Last one was in 2005, and before that one, several years passed in between also. So, we still reccommend to STAY CALM, and just pay close attention to the development of Hurricane IDA in CANCUN by keep coming back to this page.

A Hurricane Watch has also been issued east of the Mississippi/Alabama border to Mexico Beach Florida.  A Hurricane Watch is now in effect from Grand Isle Louisiana to Mexico Beach Florida.  This watch does not include the city of New Orleans. A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 36 hours.

Reporting LIVE from Cancun, Cancun Is Safe!

We want to make clear that it is NOT a hurricane, yet. It MIGHT become one, but that is not for certain at the moment. It has become a Class 2 Hurricane now. However, IT WILL NOT HIT CANCUN. To help calm fears and dissipate information about the development of Hurricane IDA , we will be using this channel to keep posting updates right as they come along. Please keep coming back to this page to be updated to the latest information.

Hurricane IDA current and forecasted tracks:

HURRICANE IDA 5 DAY PROJECTED PATH

Image courtesy of The Weather Underground

Just another sunday at paradise…

I woke up early, around 7 am, to be on time to pickup Oscar & Camila, my friends that came to visit Cancun for their very first time all the way from Brazil! I picked them up at their hotel at 8:15 am, and from there we took off to the hotel zone.

This is the first time they came to Cancun, so I decided to take them to my favorite beach in Cancun, just at the end of the hallway between Cocobongo and The City. I love to always begin my visits to the beach there, and from there just walk and walk until I get tired and then comeback to the starting point!

We got there fast and quickly found a spot we liked!

Then we took our clothes off (we had bathing suits under ready lol) and voilá! Ready for a Cancun beach sunday!

Oscar & Camila, our Brazilian friends, ready for a hard day ahead!

Tip: Its a good idea to arrive early in the morning to the beach, since in that way the beaches are almost empty, very calm, and the sun is still not that hard on you. So, I recommend to make that extra effort, sleep early the night before, and wake up at 7:00 am to get to the beach at 8:00am, if not earlier! You won’t regret it!

We immediately proceeded to take pictures of this beautiful paradise!

Turqouise-blue Cancun ocean!

Blue skies, blue sea! Cancun!

Cancun Beach!

Checkout this beautiful paradise! Don’t you want to come?

Beach Club

Theres also a beach club at the beach, very cozy & relaxing as you can see!

Love in Cancun!

Ah, Love in Cancun! Inevitable!

A local Cancun family enjoying paradise!

Like every sunday, local (and non local too) families come to enjoy this paradise!

Mother & daughter at paradise!

Mother & child enjoying paradise!

Tables & Sunshades at Cancun beach

You can rent these tables & sunshades for 100 MXN pesos (approx 9 USD) for the whole day!

Hard day at the office!

A hard day at the office!

Father & Son @ Cancun!

Father & son enjoying Cancun!

After a 4 hour (Aprox) stay at the beach, we decided It was time to go, sadly! Oscar & Camila had to be on time at their hotel for the checkout, and we still had to have some lunch. So, after a nice trip downtown, I decided to take them for lunch at another personal favorite spot in Cancun: a delicious and not-so-expensive seafood restaurant in Market 28 (Mercado 28), the “Pescado con limón”! (Fish with lemon). (Hi Mariana! =) )

The heat was now on and feeling really strong, so , wisely, first thing we did was order the company of 2 beautiful and ice cold brunettes and a blonde! lol

2 ice cold brunnettes and a blonde! Need anything else?

We began lunch with an entree for the 3 of us, a delicious mixed ceviche. The ceviche had shrimp, fish, and shellfish! Absolutely delicious! We wolfed it down pretty fast! lol

Mixed Ceviche! So delicious!

The ceviche was joined by a side order of delicious, fresh guacamole!

Fresh Guacamole!

After this, we ordered fish fillet smothered in grounded bread and fried, “Filete Empanizado”, as we call it in Mexico. Delicious as well! The order comes with a side order of french fries and a little salad… This time there were no pictures! No time to take pictures! lol

After resting for a while, we went walking around Mercado 28, looking for a Corona Tshirt for Oscar. We found one pretty quickly, and after a little bargaining with the shop clerk, Oscar walked away happy with 2 Corona Tshirts!

Shortly after we left Mercado 28 and I proceeded to bolt to their hotel, as time was a little tight. After an emotive good bye and promises to see each other again soon (hopefully) They were off to finish packing, and I was off to my appartment, to take a bath to remove all the sand and salt water, and chill for the rest of the sunday!

Just another hard Sunday at paradise for you!

Cheers!

To view the full photo session of the lovely day please click here to be taken to our Flickr account. Thanks!

It’s a very hot and sunny day in Mahahual and everybody is getting ready for the fun trip of the week. We woke up early (my boyfriend Paco and I), I was feeling very excited. We went to the entrance of the Costa Maya cruise port, we put on our helmets and got on an four wheeler.

The rest of the gang were waiting for us at the Gas station. We were sixteen, 8 girls, 8 boys. We all knew each other. We work together at the Costa Maya port. The guys would drive the vehicles and us, the girls, would hang on to something in the back sit to prevent falling down at a very high speed and break all of our bones. Do you think that’s funny?  Well, it is.

The day was perfect. No clouds in the sky, the sun was shining really hard over our heads and as we started driving trough the road that would lead us to the beach I could feel the temperature rising over my face and shoulders. I was wearing sunglasses, a handkerchief on my mouth and that weird helmet as a protection.

I held on to Paco really tight but he could feel I was nervous and a little insecure.

He used to be an excellent ATV guide a few years ago so for him was as easy as getting on your car and driving to work on regular basis.

But for me it was a new experience. This wasn’t a typical tourist trip. This was a “fun trip”. And let me explain you what that is in Mexican terms: You do whatever you want to do. You take risks, you break the rules, you let yourself go, and you open trails. But always with responsibility and covering each other’s back. We were a team. All of us.

Paco and I were another team.

So in order to give him total freedom and to enjoy the ride, I had to let go all my insecurities and trust my life to him.

The boys knew very well all the roads and how to drive at about 60 miles per hour through dirt, cement and beach dunes because that’s what they do for a living every single day at the port when the big cruises come.

but my activity there is to take the tourists to different archaeological Mayan sites of the area. So my idea of speed at work is walking up the stairs of the Mayan pyramids and help sixty and seventy year old ladies meeting at the TOP of the temples.

You see, I recently moved to this small fishermen town called after a flower, and my idea of fun is to walk down the beach on weekends at a very slow pace with Paco, taking pictures of pelicans, egrets and magnificent frigates, or if we decide to go out on a Saturday in an “all-kind-of-animals-watching” excursion through the mangroves driving a golf cart.

But when I see myself “flying” and jumping in an All Terrain Vehicle at a very high speed with my mouth and face all cover in dirt and sand, well, the idea of fun starts to change.

I remember having all kind of thoughts that day at the first part of the trip. The kind of crazy thoughts I didn’t wanted in my mind while I was grabbing to Paco really tight like we were ONE. Thoughts like “Oh my God I’m going to fall” OR ” I swear that if I make it in ONE piece I will stop complaining about..”, whatever you want to fill in the blanks with. It doesn’t matter.

And all those thoughts and feelings wouldn’t let me live the experience through my senses. So I decided to really let go, stop my mind and my negative thoughts about falling or breaking and become one with the elements. I could feel the hot wind in my face, I could taste the salty breeze of the sea drying my lips out, the noises of the ATVs accelerating and covering us all with sand and dust and I felt happy. I felt the perfectness of the moment. I realized that the secret behind every experience specially the extreme ones, is when I connect my brain with my sensations and not with my thoughts.

I think that’s the reason why most of the people that practice this kind of sports are mostly men. For them is easier to disconnect the logical part of the brain and be connected at 100% with their feelings and sensations. In the other hand, women tend naturally to “think” different possibilities of what it could happen if anything goes wrong.

But this time my intuition told me that everything is fine, and thanks to that feeling I was able to had one of the greatest time in my life with the person I love. This trip helped us to get closer as a couple and trust each other a little more.

After a few stops on the way to cheer with beers for the magnificent day we were living and take pictures of the whole gang, we got to “El Placer”.

If you are staying in Cancun or anywhere in the Mayan Riviera and want to take a look at this town where the most luxurious cruises of the world arrive, take the federal highway 307 (It is the same ONE that connects you with the resorts all the way down to the lagoon of Bacalar and Chetumal) and drive south until you get to a small town call Limones. A couple of kilometers ahead you will see a roundabout call Cafetales. That’s the entrance to Mahahual. Drive down for about 45 minutes in a straight line, through the protected area of the Biosphere Sian Ka’an (”where the sky meets the earth” in Mayan language). The road ends exactly on the beach, right next to the lighthouse were the marine soldiers are. From there you will see the cruises.

Mahahual develops in the middle of an extended area between two important bays (’Bahia del Espíritu Santo’ to the north and ‘Bahia de Chetumal’ to the south). We drove north were the beaches are pretty much virgins, you don’t see a soul on weekends and the resorts are not “All Inclusive”,but beach clubs with water activities, like snorkeling OR scuba diving in the second larger reef in the world almost untouched by human hands. The wildlife is alive. Butterflies full of colors, singing birds, palms and trees exploding with different greens with all kind of shapes and sizes.

“El Placer” is one of those beach resorts where the adventurer can spend the day without being interrupted all day long with beach vendors and experience “heavens on earth”.

We stopped there for a couple of hours, and we immediately jumped into the water with our masks. After snorkeling for a little while we found a sinkhole (underwater hole that connects the fresh water of a ‘cenote’ with the sea), and right next to the hole, three big starfishes lying in the sand. It’s amazing to see these beautiful creatures, they look like a piece of rock but they are alive; they feel, move, breath and when I was there, floating and holding one in my hand, and looking how it opens and closes its little mouth, I thought how sad is to look at the dead stars pilled one on top of the others in the markets where the tourists buy their souvenirs. They are sold for two bucks. Anyone can have one. If you buy ONE you are being part of that predator system that is killing the reefs.

The point is that we are turning a beautiful being into merchandise for a profit. We are altering one of the most important and fragile ecosystems of the world.

In order to help survive thousands of species of fishes, sea plants, and corals we need to create a conscience of oneness. Everything is interconnected.  Every time you go snorkeling don’t step on the corals, don’t get anything from the waters just because you think your kid is going to like it. You are destroying, killing, changing something that is there for you to see and enjoy in the water, not outside it.

We came back before sunset. We were really tired. I felt like I had ran a triathlon. I was as red as a shrimp and I had a really strong headache after so many hours of being exposed to the sun. But the experience was amazing, everything was perfect.
I had a really great time with a beautiful group of people from different parts of Mother Earth. I grew up. Thank you Mahahual, thank you Mexico.

Thank you guys.

On the road to pleasure! (El placer)

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The whole gang on the road to "El Placer" (The Pleasure in english)