Tag Archives: Playa del Carmen

Exploring the Underwater Wonders of Playa del Carmen – Saturday Afternoon at Río Secreto!

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Living in Playa del Carmen has a certain feel and allure that can sometimes seem indescribable. Playa has been growing so fast the last 10 years and yet it still somehow achieves to maintain its quaintness; and preserve its natural wonders, which are discovered on daily basis. One of those wonderful places is Río Secreto.

Rio Secreto was discovered in 2007, by a man who stumbled upon a hole in the ground, and set out to explore it. He did not know at this time, however, that he was discovering the longest, partially sunken, underground river system in the Yucatan Peninsula; reaching about 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) long and 15 outlets within different areas. It was formed over the centuries and is a very stunning yet fragile lime stone formation.

Do I need to be a cave diver to enjoy this reserve to the fullest?

Unlike most of the caves found across the Yucatan Peninsula, which are completely flooded, and consequently making it completely necessary to acquire special dive training to explore them, Río Secreto is unique because it is only partially flooded, not requiring special diving certification. There are even some areas you can walk on dry soil, making the experience of passing from one gallery to the other much more interesting, since you don´t really know what you may encounter!

Prepare to be amazed and learn something new about these mystical caves at the same time!

The adventure starts right at the entrance of the park. You jump into a van and they drive you on a dusty road deeper in the jungle until you get to the entrance of the cave. Here you will find bathrooms, changing rooms and a locker area where you will get geared up in a special wetsuit, water shoes, a helmet specially equipped with a lamp on it (like a pro) and life jacket. Then a Mayan Shaman will say a prayer for the group that is about to go in; and safety instructions will be provided at that time as well. Then you can be on your way! It should be noted that large groups are not allowed to enter all at the same time.

Once you get into the cave, your guide makes the whole experience incredibly unique.  They will show you the different types of rock formations, which do not stay on simple stalactites and stalagmites. You will discover curtains, towers and helectites; you can even see the roots of ancient trees making their way into the rocks to get water from the river! You will notice many different colors on the rocks due to the minerals they contain. It truly is a surprisingly alive new world!

Throughout the tour, your guide will answer every question you may have, and will give you directions on where to stand and what you are allowed (or not allowed) to touch, always keeping in mind that this is an ultra-fragile environment.

At some point you enter a dome full of stalactites at which point your guide will ask you to float and turn off your flash lights… I cannot tell you how this experience ends but I can only say that there´s nothing like it, trust me on this!

After a long tour, let´s go for a bite!

Once you end the tour, you are both happy and hungry! That´s why after you are out of the caves and change into your dry clothes, you´ll get to go to the Palapa and find a very tasteful and nutritive buffet dinner including soup, salads, a variety of mexican dishes, sweets and drinks. And why not relax for a while on a hammock, next to the Palapa, before heading back to your van to leave?

Rio Secreto is definitely a MUST do if you are visiting the Riviera Maya and/or living in Playa del Carmen! It is comforting to know that just a few miles south of your home, you can enter a magical underwater world!

If you are living in Playa del Carmen and want to know more about what there is to do in the area, be sure to follow our special Playa del Carmen blog.

-By Bea Lozano

Xcaret Turtle Release and Conservation Program – A Community Effort with Outstanding Rewards!

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The Riviera Maya is invested in nature and ecology!  Residents and local organizations work hard every day to help protect the natural environment and amazing wildlife surrounding us.  After all, conservation and care is contributes to preserving the beauty that we all love about the Riviera Maya.

One of the biggest efforts that takes place all throughout the Riviera Maya is the protection of the sea turtles.  This past Monday Xcaret Park held its first sea turtle release of the season sending off the baby turtles to arrive into their natural habitat in the beautiful Caribbean Sea.

We were very excited to be a part of this event which takes place at different points throughout the year! These beautiful marine turtles are truly exceptional creatures!

Who came to witness the Sea turtle release at Xcaret?

There was an incredible turn out of attendance to witness or volunteer for the Xcaret Sea turtle release. Xcaret encourages locals and nearby Playa del Carmen neighborhoods to get involved, volunteer, and help support these efforts of conserving sea life.

The children from the “Ninos del Mar” school were invited to watch the release and also learn about how being eco-conscious, recycling and conservation help to save the life of the sea turtles and all their natural surroundings.  Great lesson if you ask me!  If you see firsthand how your actions make an impression you are much more likely to remain conscious of it now and in the future.

Some Facts about the Sea turtle release and conservation in the Riviera Maya

Xcaret released two sea turtle species which arrived from Xcacel beach to Xcaret! The two particular species, the green turtle and loggerhead turtle, are two of the four specials that arrive to Quintana Roo each year.  There seven different species of sea turtles around the world and six of them make way to the coast of Mexico.

As part of the Marine Turtle Conservation Program in the Riviera Maya, turtles are rescued, rehabilitated and then released into their natural environment in the wide open sea.

The time of the release is carefully planned to take place in the late morning-mid day hours to make way for the turtles to have a safe return to the ocean.  Since the biggest sea predator for the turtles are sharks the operation is done way before dawn before the sharks feed in the evening.

What happens to the Sea turtles after they are released from Xcaret?

Unfortunately, despite incredible efforts made to protect these wonderful beings, only one out of every 1000 sea turtles will reach adulthood.  This is due to various reasons including sea predators or human interference.

But the good news is that these efforts do contribute to a beautiful life for the surviving turtles.  Since the turtles are tagged at release, the Xcaret released Sea turtles have been identified all over the Caribbean in places like Miami, The Bahamas and Cuba.  These amazing creatures make their way far beyond what we can imagine and live a beautiful life.

Interestingly enough the females which were released will find their way back home in 15 years when they are ready to nest.  Pretty cool huh?

Saving the turtles is a combined community effort in the Riviera Maya

I would like to stress a major point about the Xcaret Sea turtle release program.  This is a wide community effort.  Xcaret asks the entire community to get involved and become an active part of saving the wildlife and preserving natural life in the Riviera Maya.

In 2012 Xcaret was the first private park ever to be featured in National Geographic Magazine for their efforts in protecting, caring for and releasing the sea turtles giving an even bigger visibility!

If you are living in Playa del Carmen or are thinking about moving to the Playa del Carmen neighborhood discover all the ways you can get involved.  It truly doesn’t take much to save a life!

-By Bea Lozano

Playa del Carmen’s Coloreate 5K Road Race – A Colorful Way to Have Fun and Stay Healthy

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Living in Playa del Carmen is becoming more and more fun every day!  Aside from the fact that you get to wake up to gorgeous weather and scenery every day there are always so many options of things to do!  When you are living in Playa del Carmen there is almost no reason to stay indoors and watch TV!

This past Sunday was an event in Playa del Carmen like I have never seen before.  The Coloreate 5k Race was not just an everyday road race but a party full of fun and lots and lots of color!

I would like to highlight something incredibly special about this Playa del Carmen running event.  This occasion was not just for runners, it was an event that brought the entire community together to interact with each other!  It didn’t matter the age or athletic abilities, everyone could join in!

If you don’t like to run, its ok, perhaps you walked or you were there to be a cheerleader for a friend.  But in the end of the race everyone came together to the Municipal Palace in Playa for a huge party with music, and dancing, and COLOR!!!

Race contestants were greeted by some very energetic and crowd pleasing hosts from Pirata Radio, in Playa del Carmen, who started everyone off with a great pre-race party including upbeat music, and even a warm up routine.

Then it was time to go!  The route starting from the Municipal Plaza down 20th Avenue, down Constituyentes, through to 10th and then looped around to CTM to 5th Ave and then up 8th Street to finish back at the Plaza.

Throughout the entire route, volunteers were throwing handfuls and buckets of non-toxic, sweet flavored powdered color which in the end left each runner with a massive tie dye effect.

Once crossing the finish line everyone was greeted by a spirited party, and given packets of the same color powder, which would be used later to throw in to the air creating a massive storm of color in the Municipal Plaza!

But before that our fantastic hosts from Pirata Radio got the whole crowd excited with music, dance contests and even a show given by an amazing 11 year old girl who put on an exceptional performance showing us the brilliant art of belly dance.

At the end, the crowd got pumped with upbeat music, and all at once everyone threw packets of powdered color creating a sweeping color cloud all through the Municipal Plaza!  It was invigorating, exciting and something that I’ve never seen before.  What an imaginative and cultivate way to bring a community together!

This idea of a radiant storm of color started off a as a tradition in India and has been picked up all over the world, and it’s no wonder why!

If you missed this fun colorful event you are in luck!  The race will be repeated on March 3rd at 3 pm in Cozumel, to coincide with the famous Cozumel Carnival!

To learn more about what’s going on around town stay up to date on our Let’s retire in Mexico blog and don’t forget to follow Mexico real estate on facebook!

There are so many great reasons to love living in Playa del Carmen! What’s your favorite?

-By Bea Lozano

The Inspiring Cirque Du Soleil Set to Grace the Riviera Maya with its Magic in November 2014

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If you are a resident in the Riviera Maya it is likely that you have already heard the great news that Cirque du Soleil is making its grand entrance to the Riviera Maya later on this year!

This news comes with great excitement since many people have waited years for this genre of entertainment to make its way to the Cancun/Riviera Maya area.

Bigger cities in Mexico have seen various visits from Cirque du Soleil but never to the Riviera Maya region. And now, not only will Cirque du Soleil be headed to town for a visit but they are coming to stay!

Cirque du Soleil joins hands to create an experience like no other

Cirque du Soleil has teamed up with Grupo Vidanta, a major Mexico resort developer, to build Latin America’s first permanent Cirque du Soleil Theater.  In fact, there are only a few other locations in the world where the show will run daily in a permanent location, one of those well-known locations being Las Vegas.

The new venue will is going to be built on the Riviera Maya strip about 10 minutes South of Cancun airport, nearby to the beautiful Mayan Palace resort which is directly affiliated with Grupo Vidanta.

Cirque du Soleil is sets out to create a Customized Experience in the Riviera Maya

The new Yucatan jungle inspired theater will be like no other Cirque Theater ever built, as it is intended for a smaller, more intimate, experience.  It is planned to consist of only 600 seats and will operate as a dinner theater, making this Cirque show to be even more unique and special.

This exclusive Riviera Maya Cirque du Soleil show is expected to be 70 minutes long and will run daily, adding yet another “must do” on the itinerary for visitors to Cancun and the Riviera Maya.

Strong news for the healthy growth of the Riviera Maya

This news would have to get some people thinking, clearly this kind of investment has come about due to the increased demand of tourism and residency in the Riviera Maya.  Certainly the Riviera Maya is different than Las Vegas but they share a common factor, which is that people will continue to travel! And people will always continue to seek new entertainment options in the region.

The Riviera Maya is a solid location that shows promise; as we continue to see major initiatives such as this, we can feel more confident in that every day.

Since the Theater will not be open until November, there are still plenty of things to keep you busy.  For more information on upcoming events and things going on around town don’t forget to subscribe to our special Playa del Carmen blog or follow Mexico real estate on Facebook.

In Playa del Carmen you can Still Dance No Matter How Deep the Water Gets!

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The only way to get through life is to dance while doing it-even when you are in the deepest of oceans!  Dance through life in Playa del Carmen!

For more information about living in Playa del Carmen watch real life testimonials and learn how anyone can peruse their dream of living in paradise!

-By Bea Lozano

1st Annual Peek-rroton Dog Run in Playa del Carmen – Fun for everyone, especially our Furry Friends!

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Running in Playa del Carmen is fun for everyone! Of course, even for our furry friends!  On Sunday February 9 Playa del Carmen residents came out to enjoy a fun and fairly non competitive road race with their friends, family and their dogs.

Playa del Carmen’s 1st annual Peek-rroton was a huge success and a quite enjoyable one.  Some of our team members were at the race with their own dogs along with our favorite Top Dog “Topper”.

There were dogs of all kinds! From large Great Danes to mini Chihuahuas; some even dressed up for the occasion!

The race was a 3 kilometer race.  Some walked with their dogs while others ran!  But no matter how you got to the finish line or at what speed; one things is for sure, that everyone was having a great time!

A free and fun race for everyone!

Registration for the event was absolutely free, which was a big benefit for the entire community of Playa del Carmen.  Normal road races would range anywhere from 200 to 300 pesos for registration.

This unique running event in Playa del Carmen was an awesome event for adults, children, retirees, and of course the dogs!

Bringing the Community of Playa del Carmen together!

The first ever race was held at CTM with 10th avenue which is essentially becoming the “new Playa”.  It made me happy to see the diverse community of Playa residents come together to take part in this Sunday morning event.

Next Peek-rrton in Playa del Carmen!

We are excited to hear that there will be another Peek-rroton coming soon which will take route through some of the beautiful jungle area of Playa. I hope that this race, as well as other events like this one, will spread throughout the different neighborhoods in town highlighting that Playa del Carmen is not just about the beach and 5th avenue!  It is a safe and lively town all the way through!

Playa del Carmen is a Pet Friendly Town!

It’s not doubt that Playa del Carmen is dog friendly and continues to show their love for animals.  Animal rescue is a huge initiative in Playa del Carmen.  If you are thinking about adopting a dog find out how you can rescue and save a life at Playa Animal Rescue (PAR).

If you liked this, you’ll love this:  Join us next week at the Playa del Carmen Colorate 5K road race where all participants will be splashed bright with color as they run towards the finish line!  If you don’t like to run, come cheer on your friends!  See more about running in Playa del Carmen!

Love Plank! A New Unique and Exciting Culinary Experience in Playa del Carmen!

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If you live in Playa del Carmen and have not heard of Plank yet you are in for a real treat! Plank is one of the newest additions to Playa del Carmen’s hot restaurant scene offering, not just dinner but a whole experience!

From the excellent food to the unique fusion cocktails, everything deserves an unlimited amount of starts and a special high five for excellence and service!

If you are familiar with Imprevist, The GYM, Indigo Beach and Porto Playa you will probably have good confidence that this new restaurant addition brings nothing but quality and good standards. That is because Plank is brought to you by the same owners who have continued to bring Playa exceptional high quality products and services-known and loved by residents and tourists in Playa del Carmen.

So what is there to brag about?

The Sweet Scene!

Let’s start with the fact that a first impression is always given by looks! You wouldn’t show up to a job interview wearing sweat pants would you? So if you want to show you are worth it, you’ve got to look good! And Plank does just that!

The restaurant is not oversized but it is not tiny. If offers indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the beautiful street of what some are starting to call “the new Calle Corazon”.

The entire ambiance is romantic and sleek with just the perfect amount of light to enhance its surroundings.

The bar is uniquely placed and beautifully designed with a sweet display of citrus and spirits! Perfect place to relax and have a cocktail before sitting down for dinner! You can also enjoy a laid back environment watching the game on two perfectly visible flat screen TV’s and an excellent sound system.

Mouthwatering Dishes!

Well now that I’ve got you hooked and into the restaurant let’s talk about the most important thing on the list-the food! Plank offers something entirely different from other restaurants in Playa, and it’s not because of what they are cooking, but how they are cooking it.

Each entrée is grilled on special wooden planks or Himalayan salt planks both designed to infuse every bite with a unique and special flavor, which traditional grilling can’t provide. Plank is the only restaurant in the entire region to have introduced this special cooking style which makes it truly like no other in the area.

Having tried nearly every entire dish on Plank’s superb menu I can tell you that this is where it’s at! The chefs of Plank have worked hard to combine the perfect ingredients and just the right amount of love into every dish being offered.

The menu offers a variety comfortable variety of selections for every taste from tender steaks, elegantly prepared shrimp and seafood, classic BBQ baby back ribs, fusion flatbreads, grilled meat skewers, to classic comfort foods like mac and cheese and chicken pot pie!

They even have an excellent bar menu offering a few more classics like Buffalo wings, beef or chicken sliders and nachos!

One thing that I have to say is that Plank takes the word gourmet and delivers it in a very special fashion which everyone will love! Whether you are a gourmet food lover or someone who prefers simplicity each and every dish is cooked with absolute quality and care.

Tasty Drinks!

Every heard of a Smoked Dirty Martini? Did I get your taste buds working a little bit? Well, I don’t want to give away too much. You’re just going to have to try! But I will say this-At Plank the excellence and uniqueness that is infused into their food flows right into their cocktails as well.

There’s no fluff when talking about these cocktails. They use quality ingredients, premium spirits and creativity that is being brought to you by experienced bar tenders who have made cocktail science, not just their job, but their business!

Try your classic favorites, pick from a list of new and fun fushions or simply ask your bartender to surprise you with something new!

Plank also has a lovely wine selection and bottled and draft beer!

Exceptional Service!

You’ll love the ambiance, you’ll love the menu, you’ll love the drinks but what is the most crucial ingredient to a successful business? As always, it’s the service! Good service is what keeps you coming back and gains your faith in a quality company!

There is no doubt in my mind that Plank has mastered all of the proper elements to run and maintain a fantastic restaurant but also to provide an enjoyable experience for their customers.

A good experience comes from value! And at plank value is ranked high!

If you love food like I do…fall in love with Plank!

Looking for more: Here’s another fantastic Playa del Carmen restaurant suggestion!

Xplor’s Bravest Race – Do you think you are Brave Enough to Cross the Finish Line?

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The first ever bravest race at Xplor Park was a huge success this past Sunday in Playa del Carmen!  This was a well anticipated race well planned by the makers of Xplor, who strived to deliver a quality fun experience for both competitors and spectators of the race.

The Bravest race was a 5k obstacle run with daring challenges and opportunities to overcome fear. The race did not revolve around time, but rather around clearing the obstacles and challenges ahead of you.

Finishers of the race finished with sincere pride for their athletic and mental achievement.  Many who participated in the race spent months training physically and mentally.

In addition to the main race, there was also a Bravest Kids Race where the youngsters were able to show their “kiddie” strength.

The Bravest Race was a fun event for all ages!

There was plenty of room to handle a high demand of the race.  There were new races groups starting every 30 minutes throughout out the day, ending at 2 pm.

Watching the race was just as fun as competing in it.  Family and friends got to enjoy watching their loved ones on huge LED big screen TV’s while enjoying live music, food and entertainment.

The Bravest race was an event including the whole community.  The Playa del Carmen Boy Scout chapter volunteered by handing out water and supplies and also by directing competitors in the right direction.

The bravest race also supported exceptional cause for charity! Krispy Kreme Doughnuts were being sold as a way to collect proceeds for “Projecto Sonrisa”, a group of Patch Adam type animated clowns who make special hospital visits to brighten the days of sick children.

The race was sponsored by TV Azteca, the second largest TV network in Mexico bringing lots of extra attention to Xplor, Playa del Carmen and the entire Riviera Maya!

After the race there was a huge party which turned out to be a great family fun day for all competitors, volunteers, and spectators!

We are looking forward to the next Bravest Race which is expected to be scheduled for July!  Do you think you are the Bravest?  Come and find out!  See you in July!