Mexico's Best Beaches

From the LA Times -- June, 2008

Cancún: In terms of sheer beauty, Mexico's best beaches are in Cancún and along the Yucatán's Quintana Roo coast, extending south almost all the way to the Belizean border. The powdery, white-sand beaches boast water the color of a Technicolor dream; it's so clear you can see through to the coral reefs below. Cancún offers the widest assortment of luxury beachfront hotels, with more restaurants, nightlife, and activities than any other resort destination in the country.

Tulum: Fronting some of the best beaches on Mexico's Caribbean coast, Tulum's small palapa hotels offer guests a little slice of paradise far from crowds and megaresorts. The bustling town lies inland; at the coast, things are quiet and will remain so because all these hotels are small and must generate their own electricity. If you can pull yourself away from the beach, nearby are ruins to explore and a vast nature preserve.

Isla Mujeres: There's only one small beach here -- Playa Norte -- but it's superb. From this island, you can dive El Garrafón reef, snorkel offshore, and take a boat excursion to the Isla Contoy national wildlife reserve, which features great birding and a fabulous, uninhabited beach.

Playa del Carmen: "Playa" is Mexico's hip beach destination with a dash of third-world chic. Above all, it's easy and low key. You walk to the beach, you walk back to the hotel, you walk to one of the many good restaurants. Next day, you repeat. The beaches are white sand; the water is clear blue and perfect for swimming. If you feel the urge to be active, not far away are ancient Maya ruins, Cozumel, and the megaresort of Cancún, offering all the variety that you might want in a beach vacation.

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Now open: Quinta Palmera Boutique Hotel

Built above a restaurant in Playa's happening international district at Quinta Avenida and 30th Street, this upscale Argentinean-owned executive-style hotel is great for guests that prefer the urban loft-like lifestyle over the scrubby beach ambiance that pervades many of the town's lodging options.
The Quinta Palmera has only six rooms, three with balconies and Jacuzzies and three with indoor jetted tubs. Each unit has modern Mexican architecture with rockwork, marble, work desk, and modern bathroom. They feature cold air conditioning, iPod docks, 26-inch plasma TVs, laptop computers with fast wireless Internet access, electronic safes, and telephones. Guests can order room-service breakfast and get complimentary access to a Mamita's Beach Club with chairs and umbrellas. Room rates range from $120 to $220, depending on the size. Highly recommended.

Direct Contact:
Official website
Phone in MX: 984-803-5007

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Hotel Profile: Casa Ticul Playa del Carmen

Located in the newly bustling northern part of Fifth Avenue (Quinta between 38th and 40th Streets) this independently owned adults-only boutique hotel opened in early 2008. It is named after an old Yucatan city 60 miles south of Merida known for its clay pottery and leather shoes, but the environs here are decidedly more contemporary. The cozy lobby feels like a stylish home in 1940s Europe and the quaint courtyard with a small pool and sundeck looks especially charming after the sun goes down.

The 20 rooms are thoroughly modern, with dark wood furnishings, luxury bedding with pillow-top mattresses, large flat-screen TVs, powerful air conditioning, minibars, safes, nice bathrooms with rainshowers and plenty of hot water, bedside slippers, radio alarmclocks, diffused lighting and complimentary wireless Internet access, even by the pool.

Across the street is a large condo complex and there are many shops, restaurants and bars within easy walking distance. A great stretch of beach, backed by luxury hotels and beach clubs, is just two and a half blocks away and the ferry dock and town square are about a mile and a half to the south. Rates range from $130 to $220. Highly recommended.

Direct Contact:
Casa Ticul Hotel
MX: 984-267-3501

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Riviera Maya Jazz Fest

This year's Riviera Maya Jazz Fest takes place November 29 to December 1. The event takes place at Mamita's Beach Club, which is just a mile and a half north of the Playa del Carmen town square. The shows take place on the beach and are free to the public.

Schedule:

November 29
Marcus Miller
Aguamala

November 30
Tower of Power
Los Dorados

December 1
George Benson
Sacbe and Luis Conte

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Hotel Profile: Acanto Suites & Lounge

Where peace and tranquility dress up with veils, mirrors, incense, and a sparkle of Hindu mystique

Acanto is a native plant of Asia and Africa, adapted to the Mediterranean region for its utilization in gardens. The plant is used to represent arts, and Acanto Hotel is considered by some to be a unique piece of art among the hotels in the Riviera Maya. That’s why owners and employees of this hotel aren’t surprised by guests and tourists fascinated with this structure full of details that transports visitors to a magical and relaxing atmosphere.

Since a few years ago when Acanto opened its doors, the management and the owner decided the hotel should have a fresh Mediterranean style and a mystic Indian touch. So it was then that the designers Iliana Sánchez and Griselda Colín knew how to understand their ideas, mix them with the magic of Playa del Carmen, and turn this place into reality, creating a tranquil and calm atmosphere for its guests. No doubt that if you escape from La Quinta Avenida and walk on one of the side streets, you will agree with the guests that this is the perfect place for a romantic escape; the location is excellent, and it is beautifully decorated, unique and interesting.

The elements that were mainly used to build it are dark wood and bricks filled with eye-catching colored fabrics that match the wood of the heavy furniture, and the enigmatic sculptures of the gods Brahma, Shiva, and Ganesha. The bamboo, the big vases, and the mirrors mix up with the plants, and tropical trees are lit up by the torches and candles that at night turn Hotel Acanto into a visually fascinating space.

The 7 suites that currently exist are all the same, and they are in the process of adding 13 more to this charming complex. With a total of 20 units, Acanto will be a dreamy condo hotel with an exclusive restaurant, and luxury residences of one, two, and three bedrooms with prices that start from $275,000 usd. A few have already been sold.

Equipped with an enigmatic charm, the suites at Acanto have full kitchenettes, television, air conditioning, large showers, big terraces, and a common area with swimming pool and BBQ. Additionally, it has the personnel willing to make their guests come back to enjoy the services they offer: full time concierge, 24-hour security, cleaning service, wireless internet, and long distance phone calls, among others.

The hotel’s staff ensures that the mysticism in the decoration of this place is a key factor when the visitor to the Riviera Maya chooses the hotel, because the feeling of peace and tranquility of this place attracts people from all around the world. That’s why even if there are renewals and changes on the decorative objects and the structure, Acanto will keep on being a beautiful Hindu precinct that perfumes with the smell of incense the streets of this wonderful multicultural town in the Mexican Caribbean.

This hotel is a clear example that in Playa there’s place for everything; to venture, to invent; from styles and objects of distant cultures, to the most purely Mexican, but always trying to be authentic, innovative, and of course, perfect.

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Make Free Calls Home

There are many different ways to make calls home from vacation in the Riviera Maya. You can use the hotel phone, which will set you back about $5/minute. You can purchase pre-paid calling cards at a local convenience store and place calls from a payphone, though you won't be able to receive calls and you'll have to deal with street noise and other issues associated with using a public phone. The fee for this is about $.50/minute.

You can also head to the local calling station, where an attendant will connect your call, then you sit or stand in a little booth to have your conversation, then you pay the cashier for the minutes used. These calls cost about $1/minute, for a call to the USA.

Another option is to purchase a WiFi phone and use any wireless Internet connection to make and receive calls - with your own phone number - for pennies a minute. With an account from Skype, you can make free calls to anyone with a Skype account (normally run from a computer) and you can also make or receive calls to/from any regular phone, for a small fee, which is about $.02/minute. WiFi connections can be found across the Riviera Maya, in hotel rooms, restaurants, bars and even some spots along the beach.

MayanHoliday.com recommends the following Netgear WiFi phone:



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Riviera Maya Underground Film Festival

PLAYA DEL CARMEN -- The Second Annual Riviera Maya Underground Film Festival will be held from October 3 to 7, 2007 at selected cinemas around Playa del Carmen, including the Ayuntamiento de Solidaridaridad, Plaza Pelicanos' Hollywood Cinema and Plaza 28 de Julio.

The film festival a celebration of short films and filmmaking and showcases the talents of renowned and promising filmmakers from around the world. It will feature new works from local and international filmmakers as well as lectures, workshops and forums on cinematography and filmmaking. Included films will be in four categories: Documentary, Fiction, Animation and Experimental.

Some of the guests at this year's film festival include Jonas Cuaron - the son of acclaimed director, Alfonso Cuaron - and Diego Catano, the actor who starred in two award-winning films, "Temporada de Patos" (Duck Season) and "Watching It Rain." A free and non-profit event, the five-day festival will also showcase films by non-profit organizations and Mexican universities as well as an exhibition of international, award-winning short films.

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Playa del Carmen Named Top Retirement Haven

According to the September 2007 release of the 15th Annual Global Retirement Index, Mexico tops the list as the world's top retirement paradise. Paradise for retirees can be defined by real estate costs, special benefits for seniors, culture, safety, stability, availability of health care, climate, infrastructure and cost of living.

According to the Managing Editor of International Living, retiring in Mexico means, "you can still have all of the amenities you grew accustomed to north of the border." The United States, ranked number 19 in the index, fell short in the area of special benefits for retirees.

It is no secret that Baby Boomers are financially ill-prepared for retirement years. More and more Americans are seeking low cost retirement destinations abroad to maximize their golden years on a very limited income. It's probably also true that Boomers appreciate the "manana mentality" lifestyle found in Playa del Carmen, the Riviera Maya and the rest of Mexico.

Last year, the Dallas Morning News reported that approximately one million Americans live in Mexico. According to the CIA World Fact Book on Mexico, nine percent or 9,783,080 of Mexico's population as of July 2007 is "White." Some of the more popular American retirement destinations in Mexico are Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, San Miguel de Allende and Rosarito Beach.

Reasons Why Mexico Ranked Number One for Retirement:

• Goods and services cost less
• No import taxes when you expatriate
• Quality medical care and prescriptions cost a fraction of that in the States
• Geographic diversity
• Beachfront property for less than $100,000
• Rich, historical culture
• Availability of cable TV, high-speed Internet, cell phone services, modern living
• Abundance of retirement hobbies, touring, shopping, concerts, theater and fine dining

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Bali Club Celebrates First Year in Playa

Playa del Carmen's Bali Club has invited readers of MayanHoliday.com to celebrate the club's one-year anniversary. DJs from across Mexico will be there, along with live performances and a video retrospective of the club's first year. Cover charge is $35 and includes open bar.

The event takes place September 20-22. Bali is located on 12 Street between Quinta and 10th Avenue.

General description:
You might think you took a wrong turn and ended up in Cancun when you make your way through the narrow entrance at this late-night spot, only to find a dark and cavernous dance club, large enough to accommodate up to 1200 partiers. A 15-foot Buddha crowns the stage, where live artful performances happen every hour or so. The whole place seems to be a dance floor, with the throngs gyrating to Latin pop, rock and international music. Open 10pm-4am daily. Highly recommended.

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Hurricane Dean: Playa Damage Reports

Playa del Carmen -- This beachfront tourist town has suffered only minor damages from the massive storm Hurricane Dean, which came ashore in the early morning hours about 100 miles south of town. Electricity has already been restored and many shops are opening back up for business. Even the ban on alcohol sales has been lifted -- a sure sign that things are slowly returning to normal.

The beaches and waterfront facilities suffered moderate damage. Many palm trees were uprooted and the facades and roofs of many buildings were blown apart. The tidal surge pushed sand half a block up from the beach in some areas.



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Riviera Maya Escapes the Worst of Dean

TULUM -- Hurricane Dean plowed into the Caribbean coast of Mexico Tuesday night as a Category 5 storm, with sustained winds of 160mph, making it the most intense Atlantic storm to make landfall in two decades, and the 9th strongest Atlantic storm in history. At post time, the storm had weakened to a Category 3 and is moving across the western side of the Yucatan.

The eye of the storm came ashore around 5:30am local time near the Majahual cruiseship port, which is about 40 miles north of the Mexico-Belize border and more than an hour south of Playa del Carmen. Fortunately, the area is sparsely populated and had largely been evacuated.
Dean was the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 in South Florida. Reports indicate the storm was intensifying right up until landfall, feeding off the Caribbean’s warm water temperatures.

The Cancun airport will be open for arrivals and departures as early as tomorrow and most hotels, restaurants and tourist centers will reopen within days.

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Hurricane Dean Threatens Riviera Maya

Local officials in Playa del Carmen and Cancun are urging tourists to leave the Yucatan Peninsula as quickly as possible to avoid the dangerous situations likely to come about with the passing of Hurricane Dean. The storm, currently a Category 4 but expected to grow into a 5, is forecast to strike the region by Tuesday.

The Cancun and Cozumel airports are still open, but could close as soon as Monday if the storm stays on its current path. Some flights into the region have been canceled and extra planes are being positioned in Cancun to help evacuate tourists whose return flights are not scheduled until after the storm is supposed to hit.

The editors of MayanHoliday.com urge all tourists to leave the area as quickly as possible, even if it means renting a car and driving inland, toward Mexico City. Even though emergency plans are in place to house tourists in safe areas away from the beach, resort towns are not good places to be during severe weather.

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Hotel Profile: OM Lounge & Hotel

Built above the ultra-hip red-and-black OM Lounge, this 17-room hotel is great for travelers primarily concerned with proximity to the Playa del Carmen party scene and the beach. The rooms have simple furnishings, walk-in shower stalls, TVs, exotic candles, powerful window-unit air conditioning, mini-fridges and refillable pitchers for purified water.

Given their unbeatable access to the 12th Street nightlife scene, the rooms themselves somehow seem to remain fairly quiet, especially on the upper floors. Guests can secure their valuables in a safety box at the front desk. Rates: $60 - $150.


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Hotel Pick of the Week: Hotel Basico

Básico is a concept hotel owned by the same company that runs Deseo, just down the road. It has 14 rooms, including three suites, housed on three floors and built above Quinta with an entrance on 10th Street.

The beige facade owes its unusual color to the Caribbean sand that was mixed with concrete to form its solid walls. The design was conceptualized by a well-known avant garde design firm in Mexico City called Omelet, since, as management says, it takes “huevos” to do the kind of design they do. The theme is rooted in 1950s Mexico and Latin America, when oil production and construction boomed and beach vacations were a sign of prosperity.

The building shines with creative use of tile (imported from Mérida), glass, rubber, and latex. Rooms have high beds with built-in minibar and lighting system, exposed plumbing, a corner rain shower, TV with DVD player, and colored neon accent light, plus air-conditioning and a security safe. The ground-level juice bar doubles as the front desk. The patio level features a Veracruz-style seafood restaurant, and the visually striking rooftop terrace features canopy sunbeds, a trendy bar, projection movie screen, ocean views, hammocks, and two smallish plunge pools, modeled after holding tanks commonly found at Mexican oil fields.

Guests have complimentary use of the hotel’s three-wheeled bicycles during their stay. Rates range from around $150 (patio view) to $235 (ocean view) and are slightly more in high season.

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Acanto Releases 3D Drawings of Condo Project

The new Acanto Condominiums are located one block from the beach and Fifth Avenue, walking distance to Playa del Carmen's top restaurants, nightlife and shopping.


The project will feature 20 spacious villas, ranging from one to three bedrooms and starting at $275,000. The property offers roof-top terraces, swimming pool, jetted tubs, underground parking and on-site restaurant. Owners receive full title, hotel-like services, beach club membership and gym membership.


Most condo owners purchase a condo to use part of the time and Acanto allows owners to put their unit into a managed rental program, allowing the investment to earn income. Financing options are available.

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Dancing on the Sand in the Riviera Maya

The editors of MayanHoliday.com pick the top spots to have sand between your toes and a drink in your hand:

Blue Parrot, 12th Street at the beach. Get there early to reserve a coveted waterfront table. If you fall out of your chair, you’ll land on powder-white sand. Dancers spill out from the wooden dance floor all the way to the water line. Fire dancers perform on the beach behind the club most nights at around 11pm-midnight.

El Pirata, between 12th and 14th Streets. This no-frills beach bar offers a laid-back alternative to the Blue Parrot next door. The music is loud, the bar stools swing, and the tables on the beach are just steps from the lapping waves of the Caribbean.

Mamita’s Beach Club, 28th Street at the beach. Who says you can’t go dancing during the day? The folks at Mamita’s prove that getting your groove on by sunlight can be just as fun as by moonlight. The party gets going in the early afternoon and peaks just before sundown, then quickly dwindles. Arrive early to claim a coveted beach bed.

Señor Frog’s, Plaza Marina, at the ferry dock. Built above the beach at the base of the ferry dock, this resort-town stalwart packs in a primarily American clientèle in search of good Mexican food, pop music, and sometimes ... love. Dancing patrons can get their drinks to go and boogie on the beach below.

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Local Dining in Playa del Carmen

You don't have to go to Fifth Avenue to find good food in Playa del Carmen. Eating where the locals eat can be a great way to stretch your budget while experiencing some local charm.

Some places to try:

Bambu
Eighth Street between Quinta and 10th Avenues
Great for inexpensive Mongolian stir-fry. Pork, beef, shrimp, and vegetarian options are available.

Coctelería el Paisano Veracruz
Avenue Juárez, just west of Highway 307
Eat seafood with the locals. The restaurant specializes in shrimp cocktail but also serves fried fish, ceviche, and other dishes.

El Amendro
Fourth Street between Quinta and 10th Avenues
This typical Mexican restaurant is popular with area workers and budget travelers. The shaded dining room has plastic tables, and the menu includes selections from around the country, including sopes, panuchos, quesadillas, and torta sandwiches. Daily lunch specials ($4) include a main dish, small salad, rice, beans, and a fruit drink.

El Faisán y El Venado
Highway 307, just north of Avenue Juárez
This is a popular local spot for tacos, quesadillas, and seafood. El Fogon
30th Avenue between Fourth and Sixth Streets, in front of Harmon Hall
Located along the busy 30th Avenue strip of local restaurants, El Fogon serves a mixed-grill plate (parrillada mixta) big enough to serve three people. Also try the fried Nopal cactus. Highly recommended.

El Fogoncito
30th Avenue between 28th and 30th Streets
Where do the bartenders and restaurant workers go when their shifts are over? Chances are, you’ll find them at El Fogoncito, which is open 24 hours. Top dishes include tacos al pastor (cut right from the fire) and tortas de carne. Very inexpensive and very good.

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Condo Profile: The Blue Pearl Suites

This collection of eight private villas feels more like an upscale apartment complex than it does a hotel. It's located on First Avenue, just a half-block from the main 12th Street party zone, with popular spots like the Blue Parrot, El Cielo Bar, Kartabar and Squid Roe, but somehow retains its privacy and serenity.

The owners, a charming couple from Mexico City, moved to Playa to live out a stress-free life focusing on conservation, recycling and natural living – and the Blue Pearl Suites is a beautiful physical reflection of this philosophy.

The units range from a fairly simple one-bedroom apartment with king bed and two twins (designed for four guests) to a spacious two-level two-bedroom villa (accommodating up to seven guests), complete with sitting room, patio splash tub and full kitchen.

All condos feature local handcrafts, natural fibers, garden or terrace, flat-screen cable TV, cold air-conditioning, ceiling fans, sofa beds, wireless Internet access, and kitchenettes with stainless steel sinks, recycling bins, and complimentary drinks (water, coffee and organic tea).

All furnishings are made by local artisans and the floors feature in-set river stones, giving the rooms a crisp and organic feel. The terraces are spacious and hammocks are provided, allowing guests to sway with the tropical breezes. Some rooms have ocean views.

Guests can even call ahead to have their kitchens stocked with groceries and other items to their liking. Dish washing services is provided. Guests can come and go as they choose, without the hassle of a reception area to slow them down. For visitors that need assistance, though, someone is always available to help out with anything that may arise, from offering tips on restaurants and tours, to helping set up massages or other activities.

Rates range from $700-$1400/week and vary by season. For more information, visit The Blue Pearl Suites online at thebluepearl.com.mx. Reservations can be made in the Mayan Holiday Reservations Center or via a US-based phone number, at 888-898-9922.

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Playa del Carmen: Comparable to NYC?

Susan Pigg offers an article about Playa del Carmen in the Toronto Star. To read the complete article, go here.

Excerpt from the article:

PLAYA DEL CARMEN -– "This is just like Fifth Avenue in New York," says front-desk clerk and transplanted Parisian Mathias Rodriguez, motioning to the charming main drag in this beachfront city. "You can get everything you want here."

Well, not quite. There's not a Saks store in sight, and Versace hasn't ventured here – yet.

But it may be only a matter of time, given the speed at which Playa del Carmen has been transformed from a quaint Mexican fishing village into a cosmopolitan Caribbean getaway with almost too many eclectic bars, restaurants and upscale shops to count.

Many of them are scattered along 5th Ave., the brick-paved walkway that runs right through the heart of Playa and is just a 500-metre stroll from the best reason for coming here – the miles-long stretch of Caribbean beach. Sharing the street is an interesting mix of pricey jewellery, clothing and artisan shops, as well as the usual silver and souvenir stops.

Read the entire article.


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Photos of the Day

Typical scenes of Playa del Carmen:




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Please email it to us and we'll put it on the site.

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