The Mayan Riviera on the Caribbean Sea has been a major tourist attraction for 4 decades. At long last, I saw for myself what it had to offer. Except for the woefully mismanaged dead coral reefs, it did not disappoint.
Pristine beaches, warm turquoise waters, abundant wildlife, ancient ruins, underwater caves (cenotes) friendly locals & great food, the southeast tip of Mexico has a lot to offer the visitor.
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Note:
This is the 2nd post in this series to cover the region. See the first here.
With the fact that there has already been a thorough post about this area in this series, plus the recent rec-listed post by Ojibwa about the history, I feel less than compelled to go into great detail about the area, especially as I am no expert about it.
Instead, I merely will share brief vignettes, photos, and miscellany to pique the curiosity of the prospective visitor as the peak season in the area approaches. With that said, I sure was glad to be there during the slow season, as the busy times of year might too crazy for an off-the-beaten-path type like myself.
Beaches
It hardly needs to be said that the region is home to what some believe to be the nicest white sand beaches anywhere. The image of turquoise/azure waters banked by soft white sand (that somehow stays cool in hot weather!) makes the person in a cubicle or cold clime envious without a single word added.
With that said, my thing is really not to lie on a beach and cook my Caucasian skin, so the beaches (and swimming pools) are not the big draw for me. Add that the temperatures are rather too hot & muggy for my liking, and the beach itself become a place I avoid between 10 am and 3 pm. Smart thing too, because I never got sunburned unlike 80% of the gringos who visit.
Fauna
The iguanas are the 1st thing that blow the visitor away. They are just everywhere and you think, Golly, do these things want to eat me?
I was especially leery because I had been to the island of their distant relatives in Komodo who certainly would enjoy devouring a human given the chance.
This small guy deserves some attention too, however, even if he is not likely to try to bite me.
This guy is a half bear, half raccoon thing called coatimundi (also called "coati").
The rest of these creatures were in a park called Xcaret. It was not the type of thing I would have visited on my own accord, but having been given free tickets, I couldn't say no.
I found it amusing that these 2 creatures' human mascots played one another in the NFL last weekend.
These pelicans do not seem to know what they are.
Either that or they don't want to follow the rules.
Fight the power!
You also come across lots of primates on the city streets where people want you to pay them to "Touch their Monkey" or take a photo of them. Some of them are the cutest little pigmy monkeys, but I could not bring myself to condone that type of exploitation (such short leashes in such hot weather.)
Culture
Like the monkeys on chains mentioned above, Mayan costumes are not uncommon in urban tourist meccas. But it will cost you to snap pix of the people dressed up in random locales.
I was actually staying at this resort where a group of local Mayan elders welcomed some foreign visitors.
This Mayan ceremony welcomed Tibetan monks from India.
Only a few handfuls of other people were fortunate enough to be there to witness it.
It was especially fun for me to catch glimpses of the Tibetan culture which I had seen in such vivid detail in years past.
This monk is making a sand madala, or what I call "sandala". Not to be confused with a sandal or sand dollar.
This woman was selling embroidered hankies for a dollar.
Although the price seemed a bit high, I paid her for one, but not without also getting a photo of her dignified Mayan self.
RUINS
Chichen Itza, recently named one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World".
(But so was that lame decades-old Jesus statue in Rio, so don't put too much merit in the label).
We were very lucky to catch it on a day that rained heavily that morning. It can be unbearably hot there on a normal day.
Less fortunate was the fact that they have closed the pyramid and all ruins to tourists. (Unless you are rich heads of states types that is, from what I have been told.) The people seen on the stairs are workers cleaning them. The only local ruin that still allows clambering is Coba, to my knowledge.
Tulum is situated right on the ocean cliffs, so it has the bonus of being a place to hang out and play instead of just checking out Mayan architecture.
from Ancient America: Tulum, a Maya Port by Ojibwa
It was a major link in the rather extensive trade route of the Maya. Its seaside location made it a transportation hub: both maritime and land trade routes converged here. Its fortifications show that it was an important site, one which had to be defended from raiders and enemies.
....
There is a cove and landing beach in a break in the sea cliffs that would have been perfect for trading canoes coming in. This characteristic of the site is probably one of the reasons the Maya founded the city of Tulum here in the first place. The structure presently known as the Castillo has a small shrine which was used as a beacon for incoming canoes. It marks a break in the barrier reef that is opposite from the site. The Casillo is 7.5 meters (25 feet) tall and the lintels in the upper rooms have serpent motifs carved in them.
NOTE: The iguana at top of the photo above.
Cenotes
The highlight of the region for me was the cenotes. I have not seen something quite like them in another part of the world. It was both a way to cool off on a hot day (every day), and a way to use the mask & snorkel in an ecosystem unlike the normal ocean reef routine.
I especially liked the parts of the cenotes/rivers where they meet the mangrove forests near the coastline. You can see the blending of different habitats where the freshwater meets the sea.
This shot shows the fish exfoliating my feet. They nibble all your skin while you relax cooling of on the cenote shore. I am told there are spas around the world that now charge people for this very service. Who'da thunkit!?!
The sinkhole cenote has stalactites above it and had some lovely Mayan drumming inside while we were there.
From the previous DKos Travel Board diary about this region by davidseth:
There are also many cenotes, limestone sink holes with fresh water, that are part of the world’s largest underground river system. These were sacred to the Maya and are still used for ceremonies. And, best of all, you can swim in the cool freshwater as they do. That is really refreshing on hot days. The water is surprisingly clear. And the cenotes make for wonderful entrances for exciting cave diving.
Adios
With only 9 nights of vacation to burn, this trip was far shorter than the extended advoyage I prefer (and normally DO).
It is also a hugely over-touristed region where jackals and sharks look to harangue the unsuspecting sap into buying time-shares at every turn. (Somehow, we got roped into TWO of such quicksand "free lunch" events and yet emerged from each $200+ richer without spending any money.) Do not try this trick unless you are a skilled stubborn fellow canvasser like myself!
The people were amazing overall, and much of the food was very good and fairly-priced. I did end up with a little GI problem after a while (no, I didn't drink the water), but those are the breaks.
In hindsight, the region south of Tulum sounds like what the rest of the Mayan Rivera used to be like, and I would have chosen to spend my time there had not a friend offered us the use of her time-share for free.
I would advise all travelers who do not go to this area for the all-inclusive booze/food gluttony extravaganza to steer clear of Cancun and the high season at all costs. The other areas can be enjoyed if you spend time away from tourist traps and get to know the locals. But this is true of every country I have ever visited, so it is hardly news.
The DKos Travel Board is a franchise diary series started by plf515 in 2008, managed today by DebtorsPrison & myself, LaughingPlanet. If you have enjoyed any the the diaries listed below, please consider writing about a place you know and/or love in the future.
List of Past DKos Travel Board Diaries:
USA
Hawaii
Big Island - Purple Priestess
Missouri
St. Louis - GoldnI
Montana
Big Sky Country Part 1 - Ed in Montana
New York
New York City - plf515
Oregon
Portland – Hardhat Democrat
SE Portland - Hardhat Democrat
Pennsylvania
Lancaster - spedwybabs
Washington
Olympia - YellerDog
Other countries
Cambodia
Agony to Angkor Wat - LaughingPlanet
China
The Other Tibet - Xinjiang - LaughingPlanet
France
Avignon - Turkana
In The Footsteps Of Cezanne - Turkana
Van Gogh's Ear - Turkana
Haiti
Tourist with a Purpose - parryander
India
A Musical Journey Through India - WarrenS
Aurangabad - LaughingPlanet
Sacred Cities - LaughingPlanet
Indonesia
Vanishing Rainforest - Sumatra - LaughingPlanet
Laos
Communist Buddhists - LaughingPlanet
Mexico
Cancun, playa del Carmen, Tulum - davidseth
Colonial Mexico - TKWow
Netherlands
Amsterdam: History And Art - Turkana
Pakistan
Northern Areas- LaughingPlanet
Tibet
Imperiled Culture - LaughingPlanet
We have a rogue traveler on Daily Kos. Her name is Charlotte Lucas & she is a ripe 96 years young. I recommend looking at any of her diaries for fascinating glimpses of places she visited many years ago.