Tag Archives: snorkeling

Punta Venado Caribbean EcoPark

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Bike Trail out of the jungle to the beach

Bike Trail out of the jungle to the beach

The Punta Venado EcoPark is about a 10 minute drive south of Playa del Carmen. Its a little over 2000 acres with 2.5 miles of beach on the Caribbean coastline. The outdoor adventure activities in this park include horseback riding,  atv trails,  mountain biking and water sports such as kiteboarding and snorkeling.  Mountain bike trails are rated according to difficulty and cut through dense jungle where there’s a good chance of  wildlife encounters with spider monkeys, deer or a variety of other small mammals as you ride. Whenever you get hot or tired and need a break from biking,  you can always stop at one of the cenotes found near several of the trails and take a refreshing dip in these natural pools of underground water. Another way to relax and cool off at the end of the day is to take the trail towards the park’s  beach club where you’ll find a restaurant, bar,  and the caribbean ocean.

Horseback riders leaving the stables and heading to the jungle trails
the bike trail map
one of the easier jungle trails which has been graded. the more difficult trails are not graded and can be rough
Ocean, Beach, Palapa Bar and Restaurant
administrative office at the park entrance

Beaches in Mexico

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Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres, a top ten travelers choice beach in the Caribbean

Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres, a top ten travelers choice beach in the Caribbean

Mexico has about 6,000 miles of coastline and over 450 beaches with a variety of physical characteristics. These range from desert to tropical environments but while it may be  easy to classify beaches according to these objective characteristics, the choice of which beach resort  is best for a vacation  is much more subjective. A quick internet search will  turn up several sites that rate beaches in Mexico by  a variety of different criteria but there is only one objective system that rates beaches by strict criteria applied the world over and that site can be found at http://www.blueflag.org. Their system for evaluating beaches started in France around 1985 and is now run by the European Foundation for Environmental Education. In general, the Blue Flag criteria used to determine which beaches deserve to be awarded are water quality, safety, services, environmental management and information. As of now, there are 5 beaches that have earned the blue flag award in Mexico. Coincidently, all five of these beaches are also on the list of the best beaches in Mexico as published by websites such as Travelers Choice and magazines such as U.S News and Travel that use tourist opinions or travel writers opinions to rate beaches. So, if finding the best beach is a top priority on your next vacation, it comes down to a decision about the intangibles such as idyllic versus the tangibles such as environmental information signs. In the photo essay below there is a photo of Playa Delfines, a blue flag awarded beach, as well as several photos of beaches in Tulum which Travelers Choice rates as the best in Mexico. All other beach photos below are highly rated by one or more survey about best beaches in Mexico.

Playa Delfines, a blueflag awarded beach in Cancun
Akumal, one of traveler’s choices top 10 beach pics in mexico
Playa Akumal, a top choice for snorkeling and protected area for turtle nesting .
Balandra Beach, a protected biospheres and top ten travelers choice pic for best beach in Mexico
Tulum Beaches, Maya Riviera, U.S. News and Travel rates Tulum beaches as the best in Mexico
Another look at Tulum’s Beaches, Maya Riviera
Playa Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur, only coral reefs for scuba divers and snorkeling in this area
El Requeson Playa, Bahia Concepcion, Baja California, Best RV camping on the transpeninsular hwy. Baja California Sur
Gold Coast, Mazatland, U.S. News and Travel rates Mazatland beaches in Mexico’s top 10
La Ventana Beach, Baja California Sur, Best kiteboarding in mexico
Playa Los Muertos, Puerto Vallarta, One of PV’s best beaches
Las Palmas Beach, Todos Santos, Baja California, Best Secluded Beach in Todos Santos
Ensenada Grande, Isla Partida, Sea of Cortez, One of the top 12 beaches in the world
Mamita’s Beach, Playa del Carmen, U.S. News and Travel rates Playa del Carmen as the best apres beach town in Mexico
Los Cerritos Beach, Los Cabos, Baja California, One of cabo’s best beaches
El Corumel, La Paz, Baja, sea of cortez, best sunset beach in the area
Playa Lanchero, Isla Mujers, Another excellent beach a few miles away playa norte

Isla Cozumel, Mexico

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Tiki Bar

Cozumel is the largest of Mexico’s islands measuring 53 km by 14km and is found in the Caribbean Sea about 1 hour away from  Playa del Carmen on the passenger ferries which make frequent trips on a daily basis.  Although, there are a variety of things to do once you get to Cozumel the main attraction has always been snorkeling and scuba diving to experience the great meso american reef system. One travel guide book has a list of 86 attractions around Cozumel but 43 of them involve different scuba diving or snorkeling locations. Other things to do while on the island  are  related to either cultural activities,  parks or  beach clubs.

Three types of beaches can be found around this island and they will be either rocky,  smooth white sand or  hybrids. According to people in the know, rocky beaches are a indication of good snorkeling opportunities off shore and they are plentiful. The smooth white sand beaches are not as common as the rocky type but they can be found at the northern or  southern tips of the island’s  western shores such as Playa San Francisco near Punta Sur. Finally, there is the hybrid variety where sand has been brought in to build a beach on top of the limestone croppings that are the norm around Cozumel.. One such man made beach is found at the Chankannab National Park to the south of town.

At the end of the day, most people head for  San Miguel to enjoy happy hour, dinner or other cultural activites. This is the only city on the island and it has a population of over 75,000 people according to the last count. One of the main attractions here is the pedestrian only Plaza Centro where you can find restaurants, shops, street artist, cafe’s and nightlife. In the photo gallery below you will find images and more information about Plaza Centro, a few of the beaches  as well as some other highlights.

Carlos and Charlie’s
People gathering in the pedestrian only district for happy hour and live entertainment at Woody’s Bar and Grill
Office of Tourism and the clock tower are found here in the pedestrian only area
the beach and a few amenities at this beach club
Just across the road from Chankanaab National Park
a flea market in Centro San Miguel just off Avienda Rafael Melgar the main beach road through town
a view of the beachfront in San Miguel on Avienda Rafael Melgar
also found north of San Miguel only a few miles from the momument.on Avienda Rafael Melgar
this monument is a tribute to the maya civilization that once occupied this island. It is found on the beach road going north from town.
There are quite a few of these but this one is a little north of Plaza Centro on Avienda Rafeal Melgar
One of the locations where cruise ships drop anchor near Plaza Central and Avienda Rafael Melgar
an alternate mode of transportation around town
Jimmy Buffets margaritaville in Central San Miguel between the beach and Avienda Rafael Melgar

Playa Del Carmen Highlights, Xcaret Park

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This inlet leads to the carribean or the restaurant in the background

This inlet leads snorkelers and swimmers to the carribean or the restaurant in the background

Xcaret Park was created to promote nature and mexican cultural heritage. To that end, part of the admission price is donated to developing programs for the preservation of wild flora and fauna. There are quite a variety of  leisure and recreational activities in the park but all are related to this objective. In general, the main attractions include underground rivers, natural  pools and inlets for snorkeling, exhibitions which include archeological zones, re-creations of ancient mayan cities along with mayan ceremonies, flora and fauna found on interpretative jungle trails, orchid and bromelaid museums,  a butterfly pavilion,  natural habitats for jaguars, puma’s and monkeys, aquariums, bee farms and deer shelters. The latest in their long list of natural attractions is the Sea Trek underwater adventure that offers a new technology  for diving underwater without extensive training and cumbersome gear. All you need is their  new hi-tech diving helmet that keeps water out while air is pumped in from a boat that hovers above the dive site. So, it is now possible for almost everyone  to experience the coral reefs and tropical fish for which the Carribean is famous. Ladies will find this new helmet especially appealing because the helmet keeps  hair dry and prevents make-up from washing off.

This organ grinder walks around the park and plays traditional mexican folk music
Bromeliads like these are found in the musuem and on interpretive jungle trails
another exhibition of ancient ceremonies which involves bird men that descend from the top of this pole by doing circles in the air to honor the sun god.
this is one of several performances that involve ancient maya rituals and customs
here’s where you jump in and let the current move you through the waters
spider monkey island is a natural habitat for a family of these amusing primates
one of may butterflies within this pavilion
a monarch butterfly sculpture along the trail through this pavilion
cat prowling through the parks jaguar island
inside the maya archeological zone
a natural pool for sun tanning, relaxing and bathing
the opening of a horse exhibition within the grounds of a typical 19th century hacienda compound.
Xcaret inlet meets the carribean
snorkelers at the end of a one way underground river

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

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Mamita’s Beach

Playa del Carmen is located on the Maya Riviera and has the ambiance of a small beach playaresort  but at the same time it is sophisticated  in many ways. Here you will find vistors and shop owners from all over the world, special events such as the Maya Jazz Festival that features music from a variety of cultures,  restaurants that serve many different kinds of cuisine

Argentina Restaurant, 5th avenuefrom  different countries around the world, specialty retail shops with  merchandise  from all over mexico and small boutique lodging’s with distinct European styles. Most of the restaurants, cafes, shops, nightlife and other tourist activity are located on a 15 block section of fifth avenue which is limited to pedestrian foot traffic.

5th avenue retail shopThere are many other attractions in and around Playa del Carmen. Some  of the best beaches in the world can be found in this area along with miles of offshore coral reefs that offer what are just about  the most spectacular snorkeling and scuba diving sites anywhere in the world. If the beach or scuba diving are not your cup of tea, than there are several major theme parks near by such as Xcaret, Xel-Ha, Xplor and Xaman-Ha Avairy.  Each offers its own unique blend of outdoor recreational activities. These are just a few of the reasons why Playa del Carmen was selected as  the second best destination resort in Mexico for 2012 by travelers choice.IMG_1722

The Balandra Bioshpere, Baja California Sur, Mexico

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The Balandra Bioshpere is a complex of beaches, hills, dunes, and mangroves on the sea of cortez. It is one of many protected environments in Baja California Sur about 20 kilometers from La Paz, Mexico. The  bay of balandra is very shallow with clear, warm water  ideal for snorkeling and kayaking. It also forms several beaches but the main beach offers palapa´s and barbeque pits, in addition to, campsites.

Bahia Pulmo, Baja Sur, Mexico

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Bahia Pulmo is both a national marine preserve and UNESCO world heritage site found on the East Cape of Baja California Sur about 60 miles from the Los Cabos resort area of Mexico. Bahia Pulmo is unique in that it has the only hard coral reef in the sea of cortez and is one of only 3 living reefs in North America. The abundant coral growth on the rocky reefs provides plenty of shelter for a variety of colorful reef fishes, many of which are not found anywhere else. This in turn is what attracts many scuba divers and snorkelers from all over the world to the Cabo Pulmo area.