Mexico Vacations, Yucatan
You Can Too!
Quintana Roo, Mexico. Near Cancun Mexico
Airplane
Wrecks, Cenote Car Wash, Descending God, Columbia Gardens, Barracuda
Wall. What do all of these ear-catching words have in common?
You can see them all in Mexicos
Yucatan state of Quintana Roo.
The semitropical,
scubby-jungled Quintana Roo became an official state in 1974.
The state is a dichotomy of sorts, with the Americanized party
atmospheres of Cancun Mexico
and Cozumel Mexico
on one hand, and the archaeological marvels of the Maya ruins
only a stones throw away. Make sure you get a map of Mexico before you venture out.
One of the characteristic
ecological features of Quintana Roo feature a lack of surface
rivers and streams, but enormous wells of cool, deep blue water
called cenotes, where the ancient Mayans obtained a great deal
of their water supply.
If you are having
trouble finding time and cash to get to Australia you now have
reprieve. The second largest chain of coral reefs runs between
Quintana Roos mainland coast and the islands of Cozumel
and Isla Mujeres. Its here that divers come to explore 19th century
wrecked galleons, where English pirates left their footprint.
The resort cities
of Cozumel Mexico and Cancun Mexico are both located in Quintana Roo. Today,
Cozumel is a major cruise port, where the coral is suffering from
modern day crashes. The waters off of Cozumel offer underwater
visibility of 80-100 feet and temperatures of 80o Farenheit. There
is 67,133 acres of marine reserve, presenting white, lavender
and pink corals, sponges, electric blue angelfish, hot pink wrasse,
yellow butterfly fish, and red grouper. Museo de la Isla Cozumel
is in the islands oldest hotel, where reef and community
history exhibits are displayed. Again, always have a map of Mexico before you travel around.
Cancun Mexico, the land of
the all-inclusive vacation, also offers some adventure activities
such as parasailing, snorkeling, sail boarding, personal watercrafting,
boogie boarding, fishing, diving, and skin diving tours. After
a boogie boarding session you can take a 2-3 hour drive to visit
the Maya ruins in Tulum or Chichen Itza, where you can also snorkel
in sink holes, dive underground rivers, or visit the historic
city of Vallodolid or Merida.
Riviera
Maya is the coast along Highway 307. If offers many diversions
on the way away from the bustling resort cities. There is a reef
a short distance offshore in the undeveloped town of Puerto Morelos,
22 miles south of Cancun. Tres Rios is a natural park with rivers
where travelers can swim, snorkel, and canoe. On shore at Tres
Rios adventurers can horseback ride, bike, and trek on jungle
trails. An authentic family experience can be found at Xcalacoco,
where locals are still serving authentic fish dishes to campers.
Xcaret, only 5 minutes south of Playa
del Carmen is a great educational resource, with an aviary,
museum, botanic gardens, and butterfly pavilion. You can also
get some exercise snorkeling in underground rivers, hiking through
caves, riding horses and swimming with the dolphins. Xel Ha boasts
the coasts first eco-park, preserving native tropical trees
and an aquamarine cove. Isla Mujeres offers a few scattered ruins,
with a 5-mile long limestone shelf favored by escapists. Even
though you cannot spend the night on Isla Contoy, you can certainly
enjoy snorkeling, or spotting pelicans, cormorants and flamingo,
all part of about 100 species of birds on the island.
Youll
find signs of Quintana Roos history in the cities of Tulum
and Sian Kaan. Picture an alabaster limestone castle stop
a grassy buff and youve had a glimpse of the character of
Tulum. The castle actually exists and is protected by a 3,000-foot
long wall built some 600 years ago, when Maya sailors used the
castle for light to reach land. This area of the Yucatan is the
most accessible archaeological site. Hoards of tourists arrive
each morning. Thankfully, the government has developed prescribed
paths around the site in order to protect the remains. Tulum was
used as a major trading center between AD 1100 and the Spanish
Conquest. The wealthy merchant class worshipped the Descending
God. You can view a portrait of this God above the doorway of
the Descending God Temple.
Lynn Troldahl Herschberger
explains, Tulum is mystical, magical and without question
the most beautiful place I have ever been. It is an ancient Maya
ceremonial and religious center, on the coast of the Caribbean.
The limestone coast forms a cliff overlooking much of the white
sand beach and the view is breathtaking. But, she says,
The ruins at Tulum are well preserved though not very important
architecturally. It is a late Maya city put together with much
mortar, and the carvings on the exteriors of the buildings are
barely readable.
Canals are dotted
with shrines in the mangrove lagoons, south of Tulum. These are
the canals that the Maya used to travel to and from work and home
long, long ago. The shrines are protected in the Reserva de la
Biosfera Sian Kaan. The Reserve is the last expanse of undeveloped
land on the Caribbean coast. Sian Kaan is comprised of 62
miles of beach, 2 bays, fresh and saltwater lagoons, and the Punta
Allen Peninsula. The area is protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage
site, helping to conserve the Maya heritage.
You can join a fishing
lodge in Sian Kaan for a day of sustainable fishing, or
you can use the non-profit organization Amigos de Sian Kaan
to explore Punta Allen. This organization works closely with park
officials in order to efficiently and effectively transport visitors
through the protected area. As for wildlife, there are 350 species
of birds in the lagoons of Sian Kaan, in addition to snook,
tarpon, bonefish, herons, and sea turtles.

There
are many other places to visit in the state of Quintana Roo; some
less-traveled areas. For example, Chetumal is the peaceful capital
city of Quintana Roo where travelers can swim with manatees. Coba,
a city situated in the dense jungle, is an 81 square mile archaeological
site. The physically fit can climb 120 steps at the Nohuch Mul
pyramid, while viewing wild parrots and squirrel monkeys. Among
the vegetation in Coba you can find other remains of small pyramids,
temples, ball courts, and ornate stelae, which are carved life
size depictions of kings and queens along with lengthy hieroglyphic
texts. At Peninsula Xcalak experienced divers can visit a 24-mile
long reef lined with shipwrecks, the Banco Chinchorro.
The state of Quintana
Roo offers much to the laid back and energetic traveler. A great Mexico vacations from anicient ruins to swimming with the dolphins in Mexico. Tropical
Adventure.coms tour outfitters Mayatour
can assist either type of traveler with multiple day trips among
the Yucatan. Visit TropicalAadventure.com
destinations page to visit Mayatours
web site for more information, or to reserve your trip today.