New Year’s Eve, Playa del Carmen 2015

It is hard to believe we are already making plans for the end of the year! 2014 has gone by so fast and it has been a great year for us at Top Mexico Real Estate. Throughout the year many new and exciting projects were born, happy customers lived their dream of owning a home in paradise and our sales team grew, becoming greater than ever!

If you are visiting or live near the Playa del Carmen area, we have compiled a list of places that are offering New Year’s dinners to say goodbye to the old year and welcome 2015. Remember that good places get booked quite quickly, make your reservations as soon as possible!

I M P R E V I S T · Resto & Wine

1 Avenida Norte Entre Calle 14 Norte y 16 Norte Bis SN

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo

+52 984 168 7025

reservations@imprevist.mx

 photo happy-new-year_zps838834e7.jpg

For only $130 USD you will enjoy a delicious gourmet dinner in a nice and romantic setting. Your dinner includes admission to a night full of live music and dancing at the 1st Annual Plank New Year’s Eve Bash!

Alux

Av. Juárez Mza. 217 Lote. 2 Col. Ejidal entre diagonal 65 y 70.

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo

52 01 (984) 2062 589 / (984) 1471 563

info@aluxrestaurant.com

 photo cena_zpsbe92d3f4.jpg

If you want to experience a unique gastronomic experience in an amazing place, you cannot miss the opportunity to enjoy your New Year’s dinner at Alux. This beautiful restaurant offers not only the best food and wine in town, but also a mesmerizing ambience: located in a subterranean palace adorned by stalagmites and stalactites and special lighting to create a magical atmosphere.

Enjoy this natural attraction unlike any other; do not forget to bring your camera. Their excellent selection of menus and extensive wine selection combined with a unique setting make for memorable destination dining.

Kool Beach Club

Calle 28 y Playa

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo

01 (984) 803 19 61

eventos@koolbeachclub.com.mx

 photo kool-beach_zps86694158.jpg

Kool Beach Club is offering a full night of fun on the beach for @ $140 USD. This gourmet 4 course steak and lobster dinner includes a premium open bar from 9pm – 1am, New Year’s Eve party kit, DJ and other entertainment. Ring in the New Year at a Kool, hip location on the beach.

Wah Wah Beach Bar

Calle 2 Nte y Playa

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo

52 984 143 6009

wahwahbeach.com

 photo beach_zpsfbd78a12.jpg

Wah Wah offers the best party in paradise! No cover, no expensive meal, and no reservations needed! Just come as you are and have FUN! Wah Wah’s will be offering their full menu. Renato and The Jam Session Combo will be rocking the stage all night long and at midnight they will have their annual Balloon Drop.

It’s better on the beach!

Wah Wah Annual Hangover Haven

Just when you thought the party was over, celebrate the First Sunrise of 2015, at Wah Wah’s 1st Annual Hangover Haven! Wah Wah will be serving an all you can eat breakfast buffet with unlimited bloody mary’s and live music for only $220 Pesos. Wah Wah Annual Hangover Haven is from 6am – 11am on January 1st.

Rise and shine into the New Year!

Top Mexico Real Estate wishes you a Happy New Year!

And remember, here at Top Mexico Real Estate…We Make it Happen!

Christmas Celebrations in Mexico: Posadas, Guadalupe-Reyes and Others!

If you are visiting or live in the Playa del Carmen area, be ready to have a different Christmas experience. Many celebrations are still attached to religious dates and traditions, some of them are similar to other countries and some others are very unique.

We have listed some of the holiday celebrations you will find in Mexico, and the meanings of the celebrations; so if you get invited to a Posada, or get the “Mono” in the King’s day bread you know what people are talking about.

Guadalupe- Reyes:

This is the name given to the festivities that surround Christmas: starting on the 12th of December celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe and including Christmas, King’s day (January 6th) and for some people even Candlemas (February 2nd).

The Virgin of Guadalupe:

Christmas Celebrations in Mexico start with the festivities offered to the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12th. The Virgin of Guadalupe is the Patron Saint of Mexico, and has millions of devoted followers, every year in the Riviera Maya you can see guys running or biking on the roads carrying her image.

In the city, you might see groups of people marching in the streets carrying the image of the virgin, and using fireworks before arriving to the church to pray and hear mass. These celebrations go for many days previous and after the 12th of December.

 photo Guadalupe_zps72ee7423.jpg

Posadas:

Mexico celebrates Christmas with a variety of religious events, to commemorate the birth of baby Jesus and one of the most traditional is the Posadas.

Posadas starts on December 16th, and it commemorate the 9 day journey Joseph and Mary took to Belem. According to the tradition, Joseph, accompanied by his wife Mary, walked from the town of Nazareth in Belem to meet their tax obligations. Upon arrival, the Virgin was about to give birth, and they went to inns and homes asking for shelter. After being rejected many times, they took refuge in a barn where baby Jesus was finally born.

Posadas can come in any shape, from traditional style with the figures of Joseph and Mary being carried away from home to home, the traditional song asking for shelter and finally praying the rosary; followed with a party with food, drinks and a pinata.

If you have human contact of any sort, expect to be invited to many posadas a week; they can be organized by work, school institutions, and so on. Not surprisingly, people put on some extra pounds in this period!!!

 photo Posadas_zps95cfc382.jpg

Cena de Navidad (Dec 24th):

One of the things that confuse foreigners the most is the fact that Mexicans celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve: there is a big dinner with friends and family, then presents are opened and everyone stays up late!

For dinner, Mexicans have traditional offerings such as: turkey, pork tenderloin, ham or they go for Mexican Christmas dishes such as: Bacalao, Romeritos or traditional Tamales.

Dia de Reyes (King’s Day, Jan 6th):

According to the Gospel of Matthew, the three wise men found the divine child by following a star across the desert for twelve days to Bethlehem. Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar — representing Europe, Arabia, and Africa respectively– travelled by horse, camel, and elephant in order to present baby Jesus with gifts.

In Mexico, this festivity closes the Guadalupe- Reyes period and it is celebrated by joining friends and family and sharing some “Rosca de Reyes”, a traditional bread that has dried fruit on top and a hidden figure of baby Jesus is baked inside. If you get the baby Jesus figurine, prepare yourself to offer a party with Tamales on El dia de la Candelaria!

 photo KingsDay_zps9c6820a4.jpg

Dia de la Candelaria (Candlemas, Feb 2nd):

If you haven’t eaten enough by now, Candlemas brings one last celebration. The people that got the baby figurine in the Rosca de Reyes has to offer a party with Tamales and Atole, and the festivities are finally over!

Celebrating Christmas in Mexico can be surprisingly different or familiar, depending of your country of origin. What is important is keeping an open mind to enjoy everything the festivities have to offer.

Here at Top Mexico Real Estate, we hope you have a wonderful time! Happy Holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Mayan Riviera is an extension of paradise…and we give thanks for being here.
Our winters are mild, free of ice and cold…and we give thanks for living in a warm place…with warm people…surrounded by nature and smiles.
We give thanks for the beauty that surrounds us, and for the wanders we see every day.
We love the ocean and we love the jungle…and we give thanks for the place that we live in.
We give thanks for the opportunity to work together, because it is YOUR trust that allows us to be here.
Happy Thanksgiving from Top Mexico Real Estate

November, Things To Do In the Riviera Maya

Finally the fall is here, we notice a drop in the temperature, the cool breeze; this is our favorite time of the year!  It also marks the return of tourists and snowbirds escaping the cold weather, so we have prepared a list of things to do during your stay in the Riviera Maya during November, 2014.

November, things to do in the Riviera Maya: OHL Classic at Mayakoba

The OHL Classic at Mayakoba made ​​history in the world of golf by becoming the first PGA TOUR event to be played outside the United States and Canada. Today, the OHL Classic remains the only PGA TOUR event in Mexico and Latin America, with a total purse of $ 6.1 million dollars. The participants can also get 500 points for the FedEx Cup and an invitation to the Masters, it is the most important golf tournament in Latin America.

The tournament is held annually in November and will feature 132 professional golfers. The tournament is held in El Camaleon Golf Club at Mayakoba, designed by Greg Norman. The rising star, Harris English, is the current defending champion of Mayakoba. Past champions include: John Huh (2012), Johnson Wagner (2011), Cameron Beckman (2010), Mark Wilson (2009), Brian Gay (2008) and Fred Funk (2007).

The best golfer in the country, Carlos Ortiz, three times winner of the Web.com Tour, and defending champion, Harris English, head the list of players who are planning to compete in the only PGA TOUR event in Mexico. There will be also five “Major” winners amongst the 132 participants: Ángel Cabrera, Padraig Harrington, Retief Goosen, Justin Leonard and Mike Weir, as well as the Spanish player Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño.

 photo OHL_zps678d52ff.jpg

When:

November 13th-16th

Where:

El Camaleon Golf Club

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo

https://www.ohlclassic.com

Schedule:

Thursday 13th at 6:20a.m.-First Round of Professional Competition

Friday 14th at 6:20a.m.-Second Round of Professional Competition

Saturday 15th at 9:00a.m.-Third Round of Professional Competition

Sunday 16th at 9:00a.m.-Final Round of Professional Competition

November, things to do in the Riviera Maya: The Cancun Challenge

Live the Cancun Challenge, an exciting event with NCAA college basketball. Every year, thousands of fans gather in the Convention Center at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya to enjoy some of the best college basketball teams fight it out for the championship.

Support your favorite basketball team during the game while enjoying the Riviera Maya.

 photo CancunChallenge_zps068267fd.jpg

When:

November 25th-26th: Men’s tournament

November 27th-29th: Women’s tournament

Where:

Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya

Km 72, Carretera Cancun-Chetumal

Puerto Aventuras, Mexico, 77710

Reservations: +52-984-875-1130

Schedule:

Thursday, Nov. 27, 2014Riviera Tournament

Hartford (A) vs. Furman (H)

Noon CT

Florida State (A) vs. Washington(H)

2:30 p.m. CT

Mayan Tournament

Charlotte (A) vs. Montana (H)

5 p.m. CT

Princeton (A) vs. Wake Forest (H)

7:30 p.m. CT

A (Away)

H (Home)

Friday, Nov. 28, 2014Riviera Tournament

Furman (A) vs. Florida State(H)

Noon CT

Washington (A) vs. Hartford (H)

2:30 p.m. CT

Mayan Tournament

Montana (A) vs. Princeton (H)

5 p.m. CT

Wake Forest (A)vs. Charlotte(H)

7:30 p.m. CT

Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014Riviera Tournament

Washington (A) vs. Furman (H)

Noon CT

 

Florida State (A) vs. Hartford (H)

2:30 p.m. CT

Mayan Tournament

Montana (A) vs. Wake Forest (H)

5 p.m. CT

Charlotte (A) vs. Princeton (H)

7:30 p.m. CT

November, things to do in the Riviera Maya: Riviera Maya Jazz Festival

Have you ever dreamed of listening to great jazz music under the stars on the beach, well now you can. Mark your calendar, the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival is almost here! Remember this is a free event, but you need to arrive early to get a good spot on the beach and you may want to bring chairs, blankets, snacks and some beer or wine to enjoy during the event.

 photo RivieraMayaJazz_zpsd75c117b.jpg

When:

November 27th-29th

Where:

Mamita’s Beach Club

Playa del Carmen

+52 (984) 803 2868

Schedule:

Thursday 27th

Colin Hunter

Pato Machete

TAKE 6

Jorge Vercillo

Friday 28th

Hiram Gomez

Pat Metheny Unity Group (Chris Potter, Antonio Sanchez, Ben Williams)

Saturday 29th

Kenny Garrett

Virgil Donati

Chick Corea & The Vigil

Living the Gourmet life in the Riviera Maya – A visit to the Wine and Food Festival!

When Cancun was founded a little more than 40 years ago, the intention of it was to create a new place that could have all the accommodations for tourists all over the globe and share the beauty and exotic nature of this part of Mexico.

Over the years, as Cancun and Riviera Maya have boomed with 5 star hotels, and its once fishing villages flourished into exciting travel destinations, it’s not rare to find wonderful events where you can experience all the luxury and leisure, the finest cuisine and drinks that can be found here! That’s what the Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine and Food Festival is all about.

Last Sunday I got the chance to take part is some of the great festivities of this amazing festival, in one of the most exquisite hotels near Cancun. Being such a food and wine lover as I am, spending an afternoon at the Gourmet Tasting Village was a delicious experience to say the least.

Just at the entrance you could see all the colors, you could smell so many flavors and feel your mouth watering instantly. You just have to grab a glass of wine take a leisurely stroll to find food samples of well-established restaurants, 5 star hotel restaurants, new edgy cafes, pastry shops, wine cellars and artisanal breweries from Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya as well as other regions of Mexico and all over the world.

I particularly enjoyed the selection of wines that I found at Wines from Argentina and an artisanal beer from Monterrey, as well as a stand with smoothies of typical fruits of the Yucatan Peninsula.

My jaw dropped at one stand that had Crocodile Stew! Yes, crocodile stew; and you know what, even if at first I felt strange trying; it actually turned out to be pretty delicious. I am generally open minded and enjoy trying new things when I have the opportunity.  This was the perfect venue to do so!

Other delicacies that I could try belonged to Nikkei Cuisine (recently introduced to the area), chocolate bullets spiced with chipotle chili, shrimp and mango ceviche, stuffed mushrooms with different kinds of cheese, oreo cookies made out of olives, smoked salmon (this was one of my favorites as the salmon perfectly smoked just how I like, yumm) and the other dessert that caught my attention was one called Damiana Sour.

This last one is based on Damiana Liquor cream transformed into ice cream by introducing it into liquid nitrogen on site, which was actually something pretty amazing to watch! It tasted like a mix of fresh and delicious herbs, like a minty sweet explosion inside my mouth. To neutralize the effect, you had to try a Guanabana fruit mollusk; which was a much softer flavor but equally delicious.

By the end of the day I was full with an over the top culinary experience and my heart was also full with love and happiness. Since I moved here 10 years ago I have never stopped being grateful to the Universe, Mother Nature and the human beings that, just like me, decided to take a chance on this area and made it our home.

If you too want to live here and be grateful for these experiences, you are more than welcome to take a look at our blog Let´s Retire in Mexico for more insights on events, places to go and life in paradise.

-By Bea Lozano

Playa del Carmen Carnival Spectacular!

Playa is for sure a place that you should never underestimate the word fun!  As the entire town has evolved, more and more incredible events and celebrations are brought to this amazing town. Carnival is one of many of those exciting events that arrive to Playa del Carmen each and every year.

Last week we celebrated a fantastic Carnival celebration in Playa, ending on Fat Tuesday (the day to indulge before Ash Wednesday). Parades filled the streets of Playa each night with dancing, exciting Caribbean music, and outstanding colorful costumes.

The parade runs through the main streets of Playa del Carmen giving everyone a chance to be a part of the action. The spectacular parade arrives to the Municipal Palace square in Playa del Carmen where you will be submerged into the very heart of the Carnival action, with more live performances from entertainers of the community and Caribbean Carnival show extravaganzas.

As the town square turns in a huge entertainment venue it is a perfect place to join with friends and family for a night out and to eat traditional Mexican Foods and snacks!  As the carnival does purposely coincide with Fat Tuesday you have a perfect excuse to indulge!

Some of the best Carnival favorites which are typical to these kinds of events are those delicious churros, marquesitas, shrimp on a stick and of course corn on the cob with chili and mayo!  Other more familiar favorites like hamburgers, hot dogs and tacos are also a hit at Carnival time in Playa!

As an even bigger treat, those who are staying or living in Playa del Carmen have very close access to the ferry dock which brings you right into the most amazing Carnival on the Riviera Maya, in Cozumel.  While each town or city holds its own version of Carnival, the most talked about and popular Carnival can be found on the beautiful Island of Cozumel.

Since both events run for the entire week you have plenty of time to experience both!  Fat Tuesday in Cozumel is particularly an event that shouldn’t be missed.

Be sure to visit our Let’s Retire in Mexico lifestyle blog for more exciting Playa del Carmen news and events!

-By Bea Lozano