Showing posts with label copal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label copal. Show all posts

Thursday, June 10, 2010

EcoBeachHotels.com Offers Unique Eco-Friendly Hotel Options

EcoBeachHotels.com is a partner site to MayanHoliday.com that offers information and reservations at eco-friendly hotels and sustainable beachfront accommodations around the world.

Two of their featured properties for this summer are Azulik villas and Cabañas Copal, which are located in Tulum, about an hour south of Playa del Carmen. Both properties have been recognized for their high standards and level of commitment to sustainable accommodations for eco-conscious travelers.

Azulik VillasWith more than 900 million people traveling each year, the tourism industry wields tremendous influence over the economic, cultural and natural heritages of numerous areas particularly rich in biological and cultural diversity. If not practiced conscientiously and in unison with the surrounding environment, tourism can lead to over-development, cultural exploitation, habitat destruction, waste and excess pollution.

Azulik and Cabañas Copal are oceanfront properties that cater to families and singles searching for a unique experience that will not only relax the mind but also recharge the soul. Azulik is a popular wedding destination for couples seeking an intimate setting in luxury villas, complete with a unique Mayan-themed dayspa and in-room dinner services.

Azulik Villas

From October 20 to 24, guests are invited to experience the Fourth Forum of Healers Workshop, where experts from around the world will be on-hand to educate and facilitate a wide variety of techniques and therapies used in the healing arts.

For more information or to book these and other eco-friendly hotels, visit EcoBeachHotels.com.



More:
Riviera Maya Hotels
Airport Transportation
Tours & Activities
Riviera Maya Guidebook

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Healers Unite in Tulum - October 26-31

Azulik TulumThe 2007 Healer's Forum will take place at the EcoTulum Resorts from October 26-31. The conference features free lectures with internationally recognized healers and native shaman, free daily yoga and sunrise Tai Chi as well as a full moon ceremony, a Temascal Mayan sweat lodge, fire dancing, drumming and performance art. Private sessions can be booked with visiting healers.

The location is a totally natural environment, with holistic Mayan spa services, 32 miles of pristine white sand beach, a friendly beach bar and gourmet restaurants, all nestled on a ridge between the Yucatan jungle and the Caribbean Sea. Romantic candle-lit cabanas are available, ranging from $30 to $285/night.

MayanHoliday.com - Mayan BathA typical day begins with morning yoga and meditation sessions, followed by a healthy breakfast buffet of ripe tropical fruits, crunchy homemade granola, organic eggs with chaya, corn tortillas, fresh fruit juices and robust coffee or tea. After a short digestive break, guests can opt for a therapeutic massage or take part in a round-table discussion with a local shaman, covering topics as diverse as auras, crystal therapies, herbology, Mayan astrology and energy cleansing. There is no cost for attending seminars but individual healing sessions will carry additional prices depending on the therapy.

At dusk, indigenous dancing and a ceremonial farewell to the sun set the stage for a two-hour ritualistic journey into the Temazcal, an ancient Mayan steam bath that purifies the body and mind with the use of hot steam generated by herb-infused water poured over fire-heated lava rocks. Newly cleansed when they reemerge, guests are led down to the beach at dusk where the celebration continues with a final toast and colorful extravaganza in honor of the full moon.

MayanHoliday.com editors attended this retreat last year and were amazed with the beauty of the location and the diversity of the topics covered.

Hotel Recommendations:
Azulik
Cabanas Copal
Zahra

More:
Riviera Maya Hotels
Airport Transportation
Tours & Activities
Riviera Maya Guidebook

Sunday, February 11, 2007

EcoTulum Resorts: A True Getaway

The Beach at Hotel Zahra - Courtesy EcoTulum
If Playa del Carmen has become the antidote to Cancun’s mass commercialism and over-development, then Tulum is becoming the antidote to Playa del Carmen. For some travelers, Playa del Carmen’s bustling Fifth Avenue walkway, shop-lined town square and trendy beach clubs –- the very things that have made it so popular -- have changed the town’s sense of tranquility and turned it into its own, albeit it more hip, mini-Cancun.

Carved treetrunk tub - Photo courtesy EcoTulumFor visitors seeking a real tropical getaway, where the focus remains on nature, on the beach, on the environment, the Cancun coast and Riviera Maya still have some secrets to be uncovered. Some forty-five minutes south of Playa del Carmen, passing by the front-gates of more than a dozen large-scale resort complexes, the road narrows as it enters the dusty town of Tulum. The mile-long main street has a bus station, a handful of restaurants and cantinas and a few auto repair shops.

The real draw of the area is two miles due east, where the crossroad ends at the beach and the bright lights of Cancun and Playa del Carmen seem like a distant memory. There are several hotels along this several-mile stretch of beach and (except for one just-built resort complex) they are nothing like the massive beach resorts that dot the coastline farther north. Simplicity reigns here: no marble lobbies, no white-gloved waiters, no 12-person Jacuzzis.

Cabanas Copal - Photo courtesy EcoTulum ResortsThree of the area's top hotels are operated by EcoTulum Resorts, a company known for building sustainable accommodations that harmonize with nature, rather than hiding their guests from it. The company started in 1998, with four cabanas at their flagship hotel, Cabanas Copal, on Tulum's pristine beachfront. Today, Copal offers 47 rustic cabanas, some perched on a ridge over the beach and the others staggered from the waterfront under a canopy of palmtrees. The hotel is clothing-optional and is as laid-back as you can get. There is a great restaurant (with Wi-Fi access) and beach bar, so guests never have to leave the property if they don’t want to. There is no electricity, but candles illuminate the common areas and rooms each evening.

Guestroom at Azulik - Photo courtesy EcoTulum Resorts
In 2003, the company opened Azulik, offering 15 hardwood villa-like cabanas with thatched-palm roofs, rope-suspended beds, sea views and palm-covered walkway bridges that create a romantic, timeless and faraway ambiance. There is no electricity in the villas, but there are safes for laptops and other valuables in each unit. Each room has a carved tree-trunk bathtub and each evening, the staff lights hundreds of candles around the resort and in the guestrooms. Nudity is allowed throughout the property.


Jungle trails at EcoTulum Resorts - Photo by Joshua HinsdaleThe company’s third property, Zahra, was opened in late 2003 and was designed to appeal to traveling families and others who want a taste of the eco-friendly experience but aren’t quite ready to go all the way. Electricity is available from early morning until 11pm and each of the 22 rooms has a ceiling fan and electrical outlet for charging batteries and such. There is wireless Internet access in the hotel’s restaurant and bar area and a convenience store is just across the street. Nudity is allowed on the beach, but not in the common areas.

The properties crown a stunning 500-meter-long beach that is just two miles from the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum. The beach has been a meeting point for centuries and continues to be the featured attraction for area visitors. Nudity is permitted at most spots and there are many good places for swimming and snorkeling. Other area attractions include tours to Mayan ruins sites, kayaking, scuba diving, cycling and jungle tours. All can be arranged through the hotel tour desks.

Mayan Bath - Courtesy Maya SpaA holistic day spa, based at Copal, serves guests staying at any of the properties, as well as outside visitors. Dubbed Maya Spa, it features a variety of therapeutic and relaxing treatments, many performed by traditional Mayan healers. Popular treatments include Chocolate Massages, Healing Massages and a Mayan Clay Massage, where natural clays are rubbed on the body to detoxify the skin, then rinsed away to leave the body fresh and clean. There are crystal therapy treatments, body wraps, Reiki and waxings as well. One of the spa’s signature treatments is the Mayan Bath, a traditional ritual that includes a body massage with essential oils and honey followed by an exfoliation treatment and cool rinse in a floral bath. It can be done in the privacy of a cabana or outdoors, on a cliff overlooking the beach. Another unique option is the Mayan Temazcal, a traditional sweat lodge ceremony, guided by a local shaman, that helps guests get in touch with nature and also with themselves.

Visiting the Tulum beach zone and the EcoTulum resorts is a truly amazing experience. It whisks you away to another time and another place -- where life is simple, where the only thing that matters is your friends and loved ones, and you can focus on your relationship with nature and the world around you. It is not just a vacation, but a deeply spiritual experience that will change the way you look at yourself and the world you live in.

More:
EcoTulum Resorts Official Site
Cabanas Copal Info & Reservations
Azulik Info & Reservations
Zahra Info & Reservations
Riviera Maya Hotels
Airport Transportation
Tours & Activities
Riviera Maya Guidebook

Thursday, October 19, 2006

EcoTulum Resorts: A True Getaway

The Beach at Hotel Zahra - Courtesy EcoTulum
If Playa del Carmen has become the antidote to Cancun’s mass commercialism and over-development, then Tulum is becoming the antidote to Playa del Carmen. For some travelers, Playa del Carmen’s bustling Fifth Avenue walkway, shop-lined town square and trendy beach clubs –- the very things that have made it so popular -- have changed the town’s sense of tranquility and turned it into its own, albeit it more hip, mini-Cancun.

Carved treetrunk tub - Photo courtesy EcoTulumFor visitors seeking a real tropical getaway, where the focus remains on nature, on the beach, on the environment, the Cancun coast and Riviera Maya still have some secrets to be uncovered. Some forty-five minutes south of Playa del Carmen, passing by the front-gates of more than a dozen large-scale resort complexes, the road narrows as it enters the dusty town of Tulum. The mile-long main street has a bus station, a handful of restaurants and cantinas and a few auto repair shops.

The real draw of the area is two miles due east, where the crossroad ends at the beach and the bright lights of Cancun and Playa del Carmen seem like a distant memory. There are several hotels along this several-mile stretch of beach and (except for one just-built resort complex) they are nothing like the massive beach resorts that dot the coastline farther north. Simplicity reigns here: no marble lobbies, no white-gloved waiters, no 12-person Jacuzzis.

Cabanas Copal - Photo courtesy EcoTulum ResortsThree of the area's top hotels are operated by EcoTulum Resorts, a company known for building sustainable accommodations that harmonize with nature, rather than hiding their guests from it. The company started in 1998, with four cabanas at their flagship hotel, Cabanas Copal, on Tulum's pristine beachfront. Today, Copal offers 47 rustic cabanas, some perched on a ridge over the beach and the others staggered from the waterfront under a canopy of palmtrees. The hotel is clothing-optional and is as laid-back as you can get. There is a great restaurant (with Wi-Fi access) and beach bar, so guests never have to leave the property if they don’t want to. There is no electricity, but candles illuminate the common areas and rooms each evening.

Guestroom at Azulik - Photo courtesy EcoTulum Resorts
In 2003, the company opened Azulik, offering 15 hardwood villa-like cabanas with thatched-palm roofs, rope-suspended beds, sea views and palm-covered walkway bridges that create a romantic, timeless and faraway ambiance. There is no electricity in the villas, but there are safes for laptops and other valuables in each unit. Each room has a carved tree-trunk bathtub and each evening, the staff lights hundreds of candles around the resort and in the guestrooms. Nudity is allowed throughout the property.


Jungle trails at EcoTulum Resorts - Photo by Joshua HinsdaleThe company’s third property, Zahra, was opened in late 2003 and was designed to appeal to traveling families and others who want a taste of the eco-friendly experience but aren’t quite ready to go all the way. Electricity is available from early morning until 11pm and each of the 22 rooms has a ceiling fan and electrical outlet for charging batteries and such. There is wireless Internet access in the hotel’s restaurant and bar area and a convenience store is just across the street. Nudity is allowed on the beach, but not in the common areas.

The properties crown a stunning 500-meter-long beach that is just two miles from the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum. The beach has been a meeting point for centuries and continues to be the featured attraction for area visitors. Nudity is permitted at most spots and there are many good places for swimming and snorkeling. Other area attractions include tours to Mayan ruins sites, kayaking, scuba diving, cycling and jungle tours. All can be arranged through the hotel tour desks.

Mayan Bath - Courtesy Maya SpaA holistic day spa, based at Copal, serves guests staying at any of the properties, as well as outside visitors. Dubbed Maya Spa, it features a variety of therapeutic and relaxing treatments, many performed by traditional Mayan healers. Popular treatments include Chocolate Massages, Healing Massages and a Mayan Clay Massage, where natural clays are rubbed on the body to detoxify the skin, then rinsed away to leave the body fresh and clean. There are crystal therapy treatments, body wraps, Reiki and waxings as well. One of the spa’s signature treatments is the Mayan Bath, a traditional ritual that includes a body massage with essential oils and honey followed by an exfoliation treatment and cool rinse in a floral bath. It can be done in the privacy of a cabana or outdoors, on a cliff overlooking the beach. Another unique option is the Mayan Temazcal, a traditional sweat lodge ceremony, guided by a local shaman, that helps guests get in touch with nature and also with themselves.

Visiting the Tulum beach zone and the EcoTulum resorts is a truly amazing experience. It whisks you away to another time and another place -- where life is simple, where the only thing that matters is your friends and loved ones, and you can focus on your relationship with nature and the world around you. It is not just a vacation, but a deeply spiritual experience that will change the way you look at yourself and the world you live in.

More:
EcoTulum Resorts Official Site
Cabanas Copal Info & Reservations
Azulik Info & Reservations
Zahra Info & Reservations
Riviera Maya Hotels
Airport Transportation
Tours & Activities
Riviera Maya Guidebook

Chablé Maroma: Discover the Riviera Maya's Most Exclusive Family-Friendly Hotel

The Chablé Maroma hotel in Playa Maroma has done what few hotels have even attempted to do -- successfully combine luxury with family-friend...