Is tourism eco-friendly?

A lagoon at XCaret Eco Park

The Mexican government started to develop the Mayan Rivera in the 1970s. They planned it carefully, keeping as much of the land natural as possible. About 25% of the Mayan region has some kind of ecological protection, while only 15% of the land is dedicated to other uses such as resorts and tourism, and about 51% of the region is still covered by trees and jungle.
There are numerous eco parks, such as XCaret, Xel-Ha snorkeling area, or Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, which is one of the largest protected areas in Mexico (2,500 square miles). This reserve has canals, mangroves, lagoons and inlets. At the park, vistors are able to learn more about conservation.


At all of the eco parks you have to wear biodegradable sunscreen to protect the environment, and they post signs about keeping the parks clean from garbage.  Some hotels are even trying to improve by becoming green certified, because customers are interested in protecting the environment. We learned from our travel agent that Mayan Resorts have their own greenhouses and grow their own produce. This helps reduce gas from trucks carrying produce to the resort.


One problem with the development of tourist places, is that it can take away the mangroves that protect the coastline.  Mangroves help to filter out mud and particles, which helps to keep the coral reef healthy.  If too many mangroves are taken away along the coast, then it hurts the coral.  The sea grass also helps to protect the coral.  If you are snorkeling and step on the sea grass, then you could be damaging the coral reef.

Mayan Vegetation and Wildlife

Jungle Creatures at XCaret

      The Mexican Riviera is a very beautiful place to visit.  It is known for its long stretch of sandy beaches, palm trees, and lush jungle.

     One very important feature of this region is The Great Barrier Reef, which is the second largest reef in the world.  It has 65 species of stony coral and 500 species of fish. Unfortunately, some species are endangered, such as: sea turtles, Queen Conch, the Manatee, Elk horn Coral, and Black Coral.

The reef is home to the world’s largest population of manatees.  We saw a gentel manatee at XCaret.  It sort of looks like a sea lion or a hippo and it is a big creature that moves slowly in the water.

Enjoy Colorful Birds Such as Parrots

     There are a variety of animals in this region, and many of them you can see at places like the XCaret Eco Park. There are bats in the many underground caves and underground cenotes, pumas, lizards, squirrels, jaguars, geckos, monkeys, turtles, many colorful birds, crocodile/alligator, dolphins, and ant-eaters. In Xcaret we were able to see some jaguars and pumas in their wildlife exhibits.

Lush Green Vegetation is Everywhere

     The vegetation is very green.  There are natural mangroves by the coast as well as palm and other green tropical plants, vines, and ferns which grow everywhere. Fruits and vegetables, such as banana, corn, cucumber, and squash are also grown in Mexico.

What are the best places to snorkel in mayan Riviera?

 You can go snorkeling anywhere along the Great Barrier Reef or on Cozumel Island through boating tours.  There are also many other options in the Mayan Riviera. You could go snorkeling at Akumal Bay (also known as Turtle Bay, home of many turtles), Xcaret Ecological park, and Xel-Ha – all tourist places set up for snorkeling.  

     
Xel-Ha is the world’s largest natural aquarium and it is 207 acres of protected area. It is a massive park for snorkeling plus there are jungle paths to walk along. Xel-Ha would make a great full-day excursion and there are tour companies which will take you there.

We went snorkeling at the Marina El Cid at our hotel near Puerto Morelos.  For a half day we took a boat ride out to the coral reef. My family and I had lots of fun. We saw a stingray, eel, lots of colourful fish, and tall coral.  I would recommend that you purchase an underwater camera from a convenience store or your own souvenir shop. With your camera you can capture that moment when you see a turtle or stingray!

Snorkeling in the underground river at XCaret is also something you should try. They provide you with life jackets, snorkeling equipment, and lockers to make it easier for you.  Carried along by the river, it is a fun adventure.  Although it is sometimes dark, you can still see fish.

What can you expect when you visit ancient ruins

Kukulcan Pyramid at Chichen-Itza

     No visit to the Mayan Rivieria would be complete without visiting some of the ruins. Seeing the temples made of stone help you understand more about the ancient Mayan people. Our travel agent recommended seeing the ruins at Tulum.  It is the largest standing, walled city by the ocean, which was once a major commercial port for the Mayans.  There are 60 ruins still at Tulum and they include a castle watchtower. The great thing about visiting Tulum is that you can see the ruins and then take a break to swim in the ocean.

Many Peddlers at Chichen-Itza

     Instead of Tulum, we decided to visit Chichen-Itza, in the Yuchatan state. You can take a tour bus which leaves from most resorts along the coast and requires about a three hour drive. Chichen-Itza is the second most visited archaeological site in Mexico, because it contains the Kukulcan Pyramid, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A couple of years ago you were allowed to climb some of the ruins, but now you aren't allowed as the state wants to preserve the ruins better.  The one problem with this site is that there are many peddlers trying to sell you things at Chichen-Itza.  There are also many tour groups moving around, so it is a busy, noisy place. We noticed that some people hired a private guide, which might be a better way to go. Our guide talked a lot, especially about all of the human sacrafices. You may only want to hear the basic facts as you walk around the ruins.

     The Kukulcan Pyramid is an amazing structure, built by very ancient people that didn't have metal cutting tools or cranes. During the Spring and Summer Equinox at 3:00 pm, the corner of the structure of the Kukulcan Pyramid makes triangles of shadows that slither down the northern side of the pyramid toward the serpent’s head at the bottom.  Also amazing, the pyramid has 91 steps on each of its four sides and one on top for a total of 365 just like the days of our Calendar. Kukulcan is laid out along lines of astronomy and almost works almost like a giant Calendar.

Sounds Echo off the Temples

     It was interesting to learn how the temples were built to create an echoing of sound.  The guide told us how the sounds of musical instruments and clapping and chanting bounced off the buildings and it made the experience even more religious and intense when there were ceremonies and sacrifices. When you clapped your hands really loud you could hear the clap a second later hundreds of metres away!

     We also learned about a ball game that was played in ancient Mayan culture. Mayans played in a court surrounded by stone walls.  On the walls were stone rings (27 feet off the ground).  Players tried to get a ball through the circle without using their hands and feet, just using their knees, hips, and elbows. The captain of the losing team had his head cut off in sacrifice. The sound also echoed inside of this game arena, which was really cool!

Stone Ring in Ancient Ball Game Court

What can you do for fun in Mayan Riviera?

Swimming with the Dolphins at XCaret

After visiting ruins, the number one thing you should do in the Mayan Riviera is to go to Xcaret.  This park offers so many experiences.  You can travel through an underground river, swim with dolphins, go to the beach, swim in a lagoon, look at the wildlife park, or see the cultural exhibits and dances. My dad and I did the underground snorkeling river and we saw lots of colourful fish, and large coral. Everyone talks about how wonderful the evening show is as well.  We missed this show because we were too tired.  I wish that we had planned to go for a second day to see the evening show. 


Another interesting thing you can do, is swim in a cenote.  Cenotes are underground caves that are found all over the Mayan Riviera.  They have stalactites, which are like lime icicles hanging from the ceilings of the cave. The water is a very unusual color in the caves and you can swim, snorkel or scuba.  One word of warning about going scuba diving in caves, my cousin says this can make you feel very claustrophobic.




Swimming at an Underground Cenote


Our guide told us about a place in Cancun where you can swim with sharks.  I don't want to try this at all.  I heard that you are lowered into a tank in a cage and you are inside while the sharks feed on fish.  That sounds like a frightening experience.  It was my preference to swim with dolphins. At XCaret the dolphins are very gentle and you can have your pictures taken by professionals (although it is quite expensive).  If you are not use to sea water, the taste of salt in your mouth can seem a bit strange too; however, it is an experience you will really want to have being so close to dolphins.  


Right beside XCaret is a place called XPlor.  We didn't go to this place, but the website shows that you can go on zip lines, ride ATVs in the jungle, and swim in underground rivers, and ride on rafts.  I am not sure if this place would be very good for the environment, but it would probably be fun!

Do travelers see any culture when they visit?

Mayan Warrior at XCaret

Yes, our family saw lots of culture! On the first night at our hotel, they had fire dancers who spun torches around their neck by the pool!  Later in the week, there was a traditional Mayan performance with warriors dancing and more fire and costumes.  In addition to whatever is offered at your resort, many of the tourist places show traditional Mayan culture.  At Xcaret, for example, you can see a little Mayan village, a Mayan Warrior, and traditional Mayan dances.  Many of the tourist places, hotels and resorts offer different cultural performances, such as:

Fire Dancer

    Fire Dance – Dancers in traditional native Mayan costumes with feathers, dance with fire. Or more modern day dancers also perform the fire dance, twirling fire around their bodies, and dancing around the fire.
 

   Jarabe Tapatio-The Mexican Hat Dance is the national dance of Mexico. The folk dance is performed by a man and a woman at a fiesta. Today, Mexicans still perform Jarabe Tapatio at their fiestas and other big events. At our resort, we had a Mexican theme night and everyone dressed in traditional Mexican costumes and ate Mexican food.  It was a fun Fiesta.

   
  Danza de los Voladores de Papantla-This is a dance that you can see at XCaret.  It involves a 30 meter pole which four men climb to the top and then launch themselves with ropes to fly around the pole until they slowly come to the ground. A fifth person stays on top of the pole, dancing and playing a flute as well as a drum. The ritual was created to ask the gods to end a severe drought.  See this YouTube video below:

Who were the Mayans? How did they live?

The Mayan people were the first people to settle in the area of Southern Mexico, Guatemala, western Honduras, Belize, and northern El Salvador. They first came to Yuchatan area in around 2600 B.C, building many cities across the region.  Their people have left behind an amazing number of ruins as they were incredible architects. They built palaces, pyramids, temples made of stone -- many are still standing today.

     When my family went to the Mayan Riviera, we got to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World, a pyramid at Chichen-Itza. The pyramid was built with stone steps that led to the heavens. At the top of the pyramid a priest made human sacrafices, pulling out the heart and offering it to the gods.  We also saw many other temples.



     The Mayans had many religious beliefs. They worshipped 160 gods and goddesses and held religious ceremonies, prayed, fasted, and made animal and human sacrifices to keep the gods happy. Bloodletting was also another ritual which involved people cutting themselves and bleeding (also as a type of sacrafice).

Mayans painted their bodies red, black, white, and blue. As you can see from the warrior above, they looked very fierce.  They also believed in shaping the heads of their babies by placing boards on them, so that their forheads would slope back.


Another interesting feature about the Mayan people was that they were a very advanced civilization. They used hieroglyphics to write down their history and beliefs and they used dots and lines to sympbolize numbers. Skilled at astronomy as well, they charted the moon and sun, and developed a calendar of 365 days to track the orbit of the sun.


Although the Mayans were a large civilization with many cities, the tribes were constantly fighting so major places, like Chichen-Itza were built and then abandoned due to war and disease. By the 16^th century, the Mayan people were conquered by the Spanish who came to the New World.

What is the region and climate like of Mayan Riviera?

The Mayan Riviera is usually a warm, tropical place with many days of hot sun.

      From May to November it is the rainy season with more days of rain and more chances of tropical storms or hurricanes. When my family went in November, it was sometimes cloudy or a bit rainy in the afternoon, but it was still about 25⁰C or warmer.  It is dry and hot from January to February. The year-round average temperature is about 25⁰C but the hottest temperatures go up to about 38⁰C.

    

           From Cancun to Tulum there is a long coastline with beautiful beaches and many resorts and hotels. The area is flat and covered with tropical jungle. There are also many sink holes (cenotes) filled with water and underground rivers that wind throughout the state. On one of our tours we got to go inside of a cave where there was a huge pond inside where people could swim through.

   

How to stay safe and healthy

To stay healthy make sure you don't drink any tap water. The hotel staff usually provides clean bottled water in your room, but if they don't, you can always go to a supermarket and buy some water from there.  Another tip for when you leave the resort, don't eat any foods that have to be washed like lettuce, and fruits.  At the resort, you should be fine eating any of the food.

   Mexico has had a lot of violence due to drug problems in the country, but most of that violence has occured in the north of Mexico.  In the Cancun area it is quite safe for tourists.  You must you common sense and consider these tips:
-Try to blend in. Wearing a camera and holding a guide book makes you look like a tourist and you can be an easy target to be robbed.
- Stay in busy tourist locations or stick to guided tours and you will be safe.
- Choose ATMs in malls or stores if possible. When you withdraw money put it away immediately.
- Carry only the cash you need.  Extra cash, your passport, and possibly your credit card should go in the hotel’s safe.
- Enjoy your resort. They are usually very safe and you should spend as much time as you can relaxing there.

Our travel agent admitted that some people are worried about travelling to Mexico, but we found it to be quite safe.  Our resort was wonderful and that is where you spend the most time.  Don't worry and have fun.