Beginning June 25th, the ancient Mayan city of Tulum will open the doors past sunset offering visitors the opportunity to enjoy the magic of the archeological site under a bright new light. The night visits to the walled city’s 15 pyramids will be illuminated in shades of red, blue, and amber. The night tours were suspended last year for lighting maintenance, now Tulum is ready to receive visitors again starting with two schedules: 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The $275 pesos ($22 USD) admission fee includes a headset for an audio description of the history and other explanations about the site.
"I swam with the neatest turtle yesterday in Akumal Bay, he surfaced for air and was just inches from my face. He looked at me then swam right next to me. It was magnificent!" - Robin (Akumal Direct guest)
The British Petroleum oil spill that struck the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010 and continues to spill from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig may raise concerns about traveling to Mexico, but the greatest impact has been on the U.S. states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. The Mexican Caribbean, Cancun, and the Riviera Maya, Mexico, have not been affected. In fact, travelers who want to vacation in these areas can reap the benefits of some great travel deals.
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico is primarily surrounded by the U.S. states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas (known as the Gulf Coast), and the island of Cuba to the southeast. It also borders Mexico’s Bay of Campeche, the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, and the southerly Caribbean Sea. Cancun and the Riviera Maya, located in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, border the Caribbean Sea southeast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Although the oil continues to spill into the Gulf of Mexico, active measures are being taken to stop the oil leak and contain the oil flow. Already having devastated the Gulf Coast’s shorelines, oceans, and natural ecosystems, impacting its wetlands, wildlife, birds, fish, dolphins, whale sharks, and other marine life, additional methods of containment — including thousands of feet of booms to confine the oil — are being employed to prevent further environmental damage.
Mexico Spared! Since Cancun and the Riviera Maya border the Caribbean Sea further to the southeast, the ecosystems of this region have not been affected by the oil spill. Given the increased containment measures, along with the wind flow patterns and water currents surrounding the Gulf of Mexico, the oil slick is being carried north towards the southeast coastline of the U.S. by the Florida Keys, and will most likely not impact Mexico.
Did you know? Archaeologists have learned that the Maya were innovative farmers? In the swampy lowland areas of the Yucatán, seasonal flooding, low soil fertility, and high water tables all make farming a challenge. The Maya cultivated swampy land using a system of raised fields and canals that was low maintenance, all natural, extremely productive, and, most important, sustainable.
Raised fields worked like this: Maya farmers dug canals through the swamps, piling the excess soil onto the inner fields, which raised them two to four feet (0.6 to 1.2 meters) and reduced waterlogging. The canals served the dual purpose of providing irrigation and natural fertilizer. A few times each season the Maya harvested water plants from the canals and spread them on the fields to further enrich the soil. The irrigation and fertilizing resulted in an extended growing season for crops grown on the raised fields.
Archaeologists previously thought that raised fields alone produced more than enough food for the local community, giving people a comfortable surplus for trade. However, new research combined with the real-time experiences of local farmers is giving us a better understanding of agriculture and ecology in the region. To support a growing population and economy during the rise of Maya civilization, raised fields were probably integrated with the dry-field system more familiar to us.
Today, agricultural researchers and farmers are learning from the ancient Maya. In areas of Central and South America impoverished by poor soils and thin crops, researchers are teaming up with local farming communities and governments to develop ways to make small-scale subsistence farming profitable, thereby enriching the local economies. The raised-field system that worked so well 1,500 years ago often proves to be the best way to farm the land today.
Renowned Mexican jazz singer, Caro Montes will open the concert with the debut of her first solo project. Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, Montes has performed at the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival for the past four years as part of the jazz/rock group Aguamala.
Phil Perry, R&B singer, songwriter and musician, got his start in the music industry as a member of the soul group, The Montclairs, AND Brian McKnight, an American singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and pop and R&B musician.
World Turtle Day was initiated in 2000 by the American Tortoise Rescue, a turtle and tortoise rescue organization founded in 1990. The group brings attention to turtle conservation issues around the world and highlights ways each of us can help protect these gentle but jeopardized animals. Despite its hardships, May is a busy month for turtles. Many have recently emerged from winter hibernation and are beginning their search for mates and nesting areas. For this reason, May 23 was designated World Turtle Day.
Turtles have been returning to the beaches of Akumaland the Mexican Caribbean to nest for centuries. This is our legacy, to ensure their safe return to Akumal beaches for generations to come. In the spirit of World Turtle Day, we at Akumal Directwould like to share a few ways you can help to honor these fascinating creatures.
Protect Turtle Habitat
Become active in your local conservation commission or parks and recreation department, and work to preserve turtle habitat.
Don't Pollute or Litter. Pollution makes its way into bodies of water and wild areas, poisoning turtles and destroying their habitats. Reduce the amount of garbage you produce, and dispose of it properly.
Enjoy Turtles in the Wild. Never keep wild turtles as pets or buy them from a pet store. Learn to enjoy turtles by observing them in their natural habitat, where they belong.
Man-made lights are a huge threat to sea turtles. Please no flashlights, flash cameras or video recorders with artificial lighting during the sea-turtle nesting and hatching season.
Spread the Word. Educate others about the importance of protecting turtles from commercial exploitation, pollution and throughout the world.
Big Summer Discounts! Save up to 50% off Beachfront Villas! Limited Time Only. Choose from some of Akumal's favorite villas. We also have great weekly rates available on 1, 2, and 3 Bedroom condos! Please see our specials page for details on this and other special offers now available!
New Reservations Only, Subject to Availability. Must confirm by May 31, 2010. Reservations must arrive June 30, 2010.
Great value 5 bedroom ocean front home with pool right in the heart of Akumal. Walk to everything! Fabulous snorkeling right out front. 50% OFF NEW RESERVATIONS ONLY. ARRIVE BY JUNE 30, 2010.
Cute and comfortable 3 bedroom villa on the ocean. Easy walk to everything! Great staff and customer service! 50% OFF NEW RESERVATIONS ONLY. ARRIVE BY JUNE 30, 2010.
4 Bedroom Villa in Akumal within easy walk to Half Moon Bay for great snorkeling and Akumal Bay for restaurants, dive shops and other services. Great Staff! Great Architecture! 50% OFF NEW RESERVATIONS ONLY. ARRIVE BY JUNE 30, 2010.
Wonderful 5 bedroom home right on the white sandy beach at South Akumal. Beach side pool, hammock, great alfresco dining, kayaks, plus all the mod cons that you would expect of a luxury villa like this! A wonderful place to spend the perfect vacation. 50% OFF NEW RESERVATIONS ONLY. ARRIVE BY JUNE 30, 2010.
Luxury 4 Bedroom Villa in the private residential community of South Akumal. Elegant and very well appointed for your enjoyment. Sandy Beach with very few people, Swimming Pool, and many many amenities. 50% OFF NEW RESERVATIONS ONLY. ARRIVE BY JUNE 30, 2010.
3 Bedroom Beachhouse on Tankah Bay. Big sandy beach, Swimming Pool, AC, Wireless Internet and a Great Staff! 50% OFF NEW RESERVATIONS ONLY. ARRIVE BY JUNE 30, 2010.
For all the fame (and high prices) of Belgian and Swiss chocolate, you'd think they invented the stuff. Not so. Thank southern Mexico and northern Central America for the universally craved elixir. Chocolate topped our list of Maya foods that changed the world, and legions of gourmets and chocoholics would argue it is the most important food on the planet.
Most of Mexico's fine chocolate is made not into candy bars but into table chocolate — solid tablets the size of a hockey puck, often combined with sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and other spices — even chile peppers. These aren't designed to be eaten like candy but broken into pieces and melted to make a drink. Still, they are hearty and delicious eaten right out of the wrapper; I've never succeeded in getting one home from a trip to Mexico.
Article posted May 19th in the SFGate by Christine Delsol who is a former Chronicle travel editor and author of "Pauline Frommer's Cancun & the Yucatán."Read more here
By now almost everyone has heard that December 21, 2012, is believed by many to be the end date of the sophisticated Long Count Calendar created by the ancient Maya civilization in Central America. Countless books, websites, magazine articles, newspaper headlines and even a major motion picture have predicted a catastrophic climax of events on that fateful date. Yet others, including most modern Maya, believe the date marks not an apocalypse, but a coming cosmic renewal and a rebirth of human consciousness.
The staff and organizers of the "2012 Cosmic Convergence Celebration" fall into the latter group and believe that 2012 will not be the end of the human race, but will instead usher in a new era of human history: an era of transformation and renewal. In that spirit we have begun planning and organizing a spectacular musical celebration of Mayan culture and human diversity that will be broadcast live worldwide on television and the internet.
After sheltering jeweled royals for centuries, the oldest known tomb in Mesoamerica—ancient Central America and Mexico, roughly speaking—has been uncovered, archaeologists announced Tuesday (today).
Apparently caught between two cultures, the 2,700-year-old pyramid in Chiapa de Corzo (map), Mexico, may help settle a debate as to when and how the mysterious Zoque civilization arose, according to excavation leader Bruce Bachand.
At the time of the pyramid tomb's dedication, hundreds of artisans, vendors, and farmers would have known Chiapa de Corzo as a muggy town, redolent with wood smoke and incense.
Above them towered the three-story-tall pyramid, a "visually permanent and physically imposing reminder" of their past rulers and emerging cultural identity, said Bachand, an archaeologist at Brigham Young University.
The two rulers found with the pyramid-top tomb had been coated head-to-toe in sacred red pigment. At the center of the tomb, Bachand's team found a male in a pearl-beaded loincloth. To his side lay a companion, likely a female.
On their waists were jade beads shaped like howler monkeys, crocodiles, and gourds. Seashells inlaid with obsidian formed tiny masks for their mouths, which in turn held jade and pyrite ornaments.
Arrayed around the royal corpses were offerings to the gods: ceramic pots, ritual axes perhaps associated with fertility, iron-pyrite mirrors, and a red-painted stucco mask.
"These people were at the top of society, there is no doubt about it," said Bachand, whose work was partly funded by the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration. (The National Geographic Society owns National Geographic News.)
Slightly lower on society's ladder were two apparent human sacrifices, an adult and child, who looked as if they'd been tossed into the tomb. The adult was slumped against the side of the crypt, an arm craned awkwardly over his or her head, Bachand said. To read the article in its entirety, visit National Geographic's DAILY NEWS!
Mexicarte (the bright pink shop by the entrance arch) offers unique and authentic pieces from various artisans and craftsmen from all over the Mexican Republic.
The fine works and vibrant handicrafts displayed at MexicArte come from as far north as the Raramuris from Chihuahua, passing by the central part of Mexico, with emphasis inMichoacanand Jalisco, and our neighbor small communities.
Celebrate and preserve the rich heritage of local artists and local culture!
"Water enters the Gulf through the Yucatan Strait, circulates as the Loop Current, and exits through the Florida Strait eventually forming the Gulf Stream. Portions of the Loop Current often break away forming eddies or 'gyres' which affect regional current patterns. Smaller wind driven and tidal currents are created in nearshore environments. Drainage into the Gulf of Mexico is extensive, covering more than 60% of the United States, and includes outlets from 33 major river systems and 207 estuaries." (Texas Pelagics)
As engineers prepare to lower a giant containment dome over one of two remaining oil well leaks in the Gulf of Mexico, there is mounting concern that ocean currents will carry the oil slick around Florida, into the Atlantic ocean, and up the Eastern seaboard. A powerful eddy known as the "Loop Current" links to the Gulf Stream, which carries warm water up along the Atlantic Seaboard. The slick is still some 100 miles away from the Loop Current, but according to AccuWeather, "small local spirals, known as eddies, often break off of the Loop Current and could cause the slick to wander and spread just about anywhere." But a University of Miami professor says this is already happening.
"I think in the Keys within a week or so we should expect to see some early arrivals of oil," says Hans Graber, a professor at the University of Miami, who has been watching the progression of the oil based on satellite images. He tells the Tampa Tribune, "You see these spaghetti-like filaments. What we can't tell from space is whether this is a thick layer of molasses or is this like a thin sheen on the surface. If this goes on for weeks and perhaps months, then I think it's just a matter of time when the oil will show up all along South Florida. It's not a question of 'if.' "
Meanwhile, globules of oil are falling to the ocean floor, threatening every link in the ocean food chain and imperiling a string of precious coral reefs along the continental shelf of the Gulf. Louisiana State University oceanographer Robert S. Carney tells Nola.com that "hail-size gobs of oil with the consistency of tar or asphalt will roll around the bottom, while other bits will get trapped hundreds of feet below the surface and move with the current." And marine scientist Paul Montagna says, "The threat to the deep-sea habitat is already a done deal— it is happening now. If the oil settles on the bottom, it will kill the smaller organisms like the copepods and small worms. When we lose the forage, then you have an impact on the larger fish."
Today is a pivotal day for engineers struggling to stop the leak. The 100 ton containment dome has arrived at the spill, and BP's contractors are expected to lower it down today. The dome would work as a giant cup covering the well, funneling oil up to a drill ship. If it works, it would stop as much as 85% of the leak, which is currently gushing hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil a day. But such a maneuver has never been tried at such a depth, and Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry cautioned yesterday, "I know we are all hoping that this containment system will work, but I want to remind everybody that this containment system is a first of its kind deployed in 5,000 feet of water."
Engineers are worried about any number of complications that could arise, from the pipe clogging with "ice plugs" because of the low temperatures to the volatile cocktail of oil, gas and water exploding as it rises to the surface. "It's very dark down there ... and we will have lights on the (submersibles), and we know exactly where to put this and guide it into place," David Clarkson, BP's vice president for project execution, told reporters yesterday. When asked what the odds of success were, another BP executive replied, "This has never been done before. Typically you would put odds on something that has been done before."
To read the article in its entirety visit gothamist online HERE
Whether you’re an experienced diver or wanting to acquire the art, Akumal provides the perfect ecological setting to view amazing specimens of natural beauty underwater. Akumal is a tourist resort located 62 miles south of Cancun, between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, with a tiny native population of 1,198.
The name “Akumal” means “place of the turtles” in Maya language. Surrounding bodies of water and beautiful, white sandy beaches provide the ideal setting for many sea turtles’ breeding grounds.Akumal was established in 1958 mainly as a location for scuba divers to experience the many species and types of turtles which call the area “home”. Akumal Bay and Half Moon Bay provide optimal opportunities to survey the land and underwater life during diving tours and expeditions.For experienced divers, local dive shops offer a variety of different diving trips to the 30 reef sites which include shipwrecks, cenotes and caverns and a breathtaking amount of marine life that you can view. The dive shop makes all the arrangements and you can lease a scuba tank and regulator, mask, flippers and anything else you want. You can book an all day diving trip or if you are more adventurous, you can visit the caves, caverns and cenotes that make Akumal unique. Travelers from all over the globe come to explore the cenotes and caves of Akumal and this small village is truly a diver’s paradise.
Dive shops also teach courses so you can get certified to dive in open sea. They teach all levels from resort course to advanced cave diving. And what better place to learn to dive than Akumal, one of the best locations in the world to go diving? These PADI Certified Instructors will guide you through the process of certification so you can enjoy exploring the wonders of the reef that awaits you in Akumal.Cavern and cave diving is a popular activity for tourists. These caves are called “cenote”, which means “sacred well” in Maya. Dive packages offer several locations and various depths of diving, group packages, equipment rental and instruction to fit varying diver needs.
For the article in its entirety, please visittravelvista.net
Taken at the historic Mayan ruins of Tulum, right here in the beautiful Riviera Maya of Mexico. Jocelyn Ambrosini of Alameda decided to celebrate her eighth birthday (March 11) with the Sun that always shines everywhere. Little sister Julia, 6, who has just learned to read, also likes to keep up with her local Alameda news. Smart papers yield smart people.
"The Sun Shines Everywhere" attempts to show the Alameda Sun in every state of the Union and every country in the world.
Submit a small descriptive paragraph along with a photo of yourself enjoying the AkumalSun to the Alameda Sun, 3215-J Encinal Ave., Alameda, CA 94501.Submissions may also be e-mailed to editor@alamedasun.com. The Sun Shines Everywhere is published on a completely random basis.
Article taken from Alameda Sun- Published: Thursday, 13 May 2010
At 9 a.m. this morning (CDT), Mexico finally opened bidding for the construction and operation of a new international airport. It will be located on the stretch of Caribbean Coast, also known as the Riviera Maya. Technical proposals for the airport must be received by November 15, though bidding companies must be approved before then by the Mexican commission overseeing corporate competition.
The long-anticipated project has been years in the planning and has been delayed a number of times.
The new airport will be located west of Tulum, at the southern end of the Riviera Maya. (The Riviera Maya runs south of Cancun down to Tulum.) A 1,500-hectare lot (about 3,707 acres) has been set aside for the airport, which is expected to cost about 3.2 billion pesos. The proposed airport is expected to be able to handle three million passengers, even in its early phases.
Mexico president Felipe Calderon formally re-launched the airport project in a speech on March 22. Within days, however, the Ministry of Roads and Transports postponed—yet again—the date to open bidding. Among naysayers, this fueled their skepticism about a project that has been on-again, off-again for years.
But on the Riviera Maya itself, concrete evidence—literally—that the airport would happen has been going up left and right for months. Today, driving along the Caribbean coastal highway from Cancun down to Tulum, you see federal- and state-financed construction everywhere.
“The infrastructure to support a new airport is in place,” says Shawn Bandick, a Canadian realtor in Playa del Carmen. “They’re putting millions of dollars into infrastructure.”
Along the highway that runs down Mexico’s Caribbean Coast, new overpasses have been built at the towns of Puerto Morelos and Aventuras, near Cancun, and are under construction at Playa del Carmen. The overpasses allow through traffic to head directly down the coast, easing congestion at the beach resorts. At Akumal, a new road around the back of town, locals say, can easily connect up with an airport access road. And in Tulum, the beach town closest to the airport’s proposed location, an entire new downtown is under construction. Workers there busily lay new cobblestone walkways, carefully stepping over surveyors’ gridlines that mark off new commercial lots.
Much of this infrastructure was already needed for the Riviera Maya, which has exploded as a tourist destination over the last decade—outpacing the government’s own projections. But it also paves the way for the new airport—and the additional tourism it is expected to bring. At present, Cancun is the only international airport serving Mexico’s Caribbean Coast.
The launch of the new airport bidding process is also something of a personal triumph for Calderon. When he first took office as president, Calderon set forth an ambitious agenda to improve Mexico’s infrastructure—for expanding and upgrading highways, railways, sea ports and airports. The infrastructure program was meant to be a hallmark of his administration, a key element of his legacy as president. And a new Riviera Maya airport was a crown jewel in that program. But the drug war, the global economic recession, and even the H1N1 flu last year all conspired to divert energy and funds from his original goals.
With the bidding process now under way, Calderon may see the airport largely constructed before his term ends in 2012.
After years of fits and starts, today’s announcement finally justifies the optimism of a sign at the highway turnoff near Tulum that leads to Cobá. Down this road is the parcel of land set aside for the new airport, where nothing—as yet—exists.
Sea turtle nesting season is one of our favorite times of year in Akumal. As oil continues to spill out in the Gulf of Mexico, it could very well impact the future nesting habitats of the loggerheadand green sea turtles that make their way to our beaches every year.
In a recent statement from the Caribbean Conservation Corporation, “Sea turtles are highly migratory—spending different life-history stages in different habitats—sea turtles are vulnerable to oil spills at all life stages: eggs on the beach, post-hatchlings and juveniles in the open ocean gyres, subadults in nearshore habitats, and adults migrating between nesting and foraging grounds and on the nesting beach. The areas under the biggest threat from the oil spill are also the most sensitive: the marshes, the estuaries, the places where life starts.”
Even if sea turtles avoid direct contact with oil slicks, eating contaminated food is a direct exposure path, and reduced food availability is an indirect exposure route. Oil can be trapped in the sediments of turtle grass beds, killing the seagrass, a significant component of green turtle diets.
Current efforts to stop the oil before it reaches US shores are heroic, but may not be enough. We have to hope for the best but prepare for the worst – for not only the sea turtle but the 400+ animals that are threatened by the spill.
One never needs an excuse to have a good time at Lol-ha but if you need one May 5th, come and celebrate this Mexican Holiday at Happy Hour! Specialty drinks, delicious Mexican Tapas from the region of Puebla, (5 de Mayo marks the day of the Battle of Puebla) and lots of Mexican music and cheer!
Did you know? Cinco de Mayo - or the fifth of May - has grown in some areas of the US into a much larger celebration than is found in most of Mexico, outside of Puebla.In the United States, it has taken on significance and commercial value as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with substantial Mexican-American populations.Some of the largest Cinco de Mayo festivals are held in Portland, Denver and Chicago.
Theindependence of Mexico is often misunderstood by many Americans. Mexico’s true date of independence from Spain is on September 16 and occurred in 1810.
Fly fishing is also a favorite past time along the Mexican Caribbean. Fly fishers pursue bonefish, tarpon, snook and barracuda among others.
Puerto Aventuras and it's marina have been high lighted in many sport fishing journals and one of our favorite lodges Pesca Maya has been featured several times on ESPN.
The off-season, which generally means fewer people and lower prices, is the best time for fishing enthusiasts to visit the Rivera Maya.
The best thing about fishing in the Riviera Maya - Having the day's catch grilled on the beach or at one of your favorite Rivera Maya restaurants! It's how we like to close our days here in the Caribbean!
For more information on species, seasons, fishing charters, captains and fishing forums, please visit us here
Beginning June 25th, the ancient Mayan city of Tulum will open the doors past sunset offering visitors the opportunity to enjoy the magic of the archeological site under a bright new light. The night visits to the walled city’s 15 pyramids will be illuminated in shades of red, blue, and amber. The night tours were suspended last year for lighting maintenance, now Tulum is ready to receive visitors again starting with two schedules: 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The $275 pesos ($22 USD) admission fee includes a headset for an audio description of the history and other explanations about the site.
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