The Riviera Maya in Mexico is Getting a New Airport

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.

The sign reads simply “Aeropuerto”.

Article Posted on May 11, 2010 by Glynna Prentice @ InternationalLiving.Com

Akumal Direct Reservations

THE MEXICAN CARIBBEAN ON THE WAY TO TOURISM REACTIVATION

MINISTRY OF TOURISM
OF THE STATE OF QUINTANA ROO
PUBLIC RELEASE, May 15th. 2009

The State Governor, Lic. Félix A. González Canto, confirmed that with the withdrawal of travel restrictions by the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Israel, Argentina, Peru and Ecuador, the recovery of tourism in the destinations of Quintana Roo will be immediate.

In the last few days more than 90 thousand tourists have arrived in Quintana Roo, showing their preference for traveling to tourist destinations in the Mexican Caribbean. It is anticipated that with the new reservations that are currently being generated, tourist activity in the state is clearly in a period of recovery.

The State Ministry of Tourism (Sedetur) announced that activities in the Mexican Caribbean’s tourist destinations have intensified, and that they will play host during the next few days to the 3rd edition of the Sacred Mayan Journey, the 4th International Open Water Swimming Marathon, Cancun – Isla Mujeres, the National Fishing Tournament in Cozumel and the XX Sport Fishing Tournament in Puerto Morelos, events in which participation is expected by a large number of sports enthusiasts, journalists and attendees from Mexico and abroad.

The state secretariat pointed out that The Sacred Mayan Journey, to be held from the 21st to the 23rd of May, promises to be the most spectacular ever, with the participation of 30 canoes, each eight metres in length, with crews of six to eight rowers, who will cross, during a period of almost 7 hours, the 28 kilometres of the Cozumel Channel, from Xcaret to the Island of Swallows, and the next day cross back to Playa del Carmen.

The Sacred Mayan Journey is a recreation of the ancient ritual pilgrimage to “Polé” - now Xcaret - made by the peoples who inhabited the Yucatan Peninsula, with the intention of setting sail to “Cuzamil” (Cozumel) to worship the Goddess Ix Chel
(Goddess of Fertility) and consult her oracle, the only one that existed in the entire region.

Similarly there is great expectation surrounding the XX Sport Fishing Tournament in Puerto Morelos, organized from the 29th of May to the 1st of June, a traditional sporting celebration which brings together more than 100 vessels and 500 fishing enthusiasts. The winners will receive attractive prizes, which include complimentary stays in renowned hotels of the Mexican Caribbean.

At 50 years since its foundation, the pioneers and founders of Akumal will celebrate this extraordinary occasion with diverse activities. The festivities will begin on Friday the 29th of May with various photographic exhibitions and the “premiere” of a video entitled “Akumal half a century ago”. The festivity will continue on Saturday the 30th with the “Night of the Matancero Expedition”, starting at 6.30 pm, and on Sunday the 31st of May with an underwater treasure hunt at the reef.

Finally, for the 30th of May, with the slogan “Put your Heart into Swimming”, the 4th International Open Water Swimming Marathon, Cancun – Isla Mujeres, a magnificent event endorsed by the Mexican Swimming Federation which promotes this sport, will take place, supporting charitable causes in a family atmosphere of goodwill.

The State Ministry of Tourism reiterated that the Mexican Caribbean is an ideal place for holding aquatic events and a perfect location for deep sea diving, swimming and snorkeling enthusiasts, who this very year will be able to enjoy the first stage of the Cancun Underwater Sculpture Museum, an ambitious project which plans to submerge 200 sculptures that will serve as new reefs and refuges for multicolored fish.

One Journalist’s View of Mexico

One Journalist’s View of Mexico

By Linda Ellerbee

Sometimes I’ve been called a maverick because I don’t always agree with my colleagues, but then, only dead fish swim with the stream all the time. The stream here is Mexico.

You would have to be living on another planet to avoid hearing how dangerous Mexico has become, and, yes, it’s true drug wars have escalated violence in Mexico, causing collateral damage, a phrase I hate. Collateral damage is a cheap way of saying that innocent people, some of them tourists, have been robbed, hurt or killed. But that’s not the whole story. Neither is this. This is my story.

I’m a journalist who lives in New York City, but has spent considerable time in Mexico, specifically Puerto Vallarta, for the last four years. I’m in Vallarta now. And despite what I’m getting from the U.S. media, the 24-hour news networks in particular, I feel as safe here as I do at home in New York, possibly safer. I walk the streets of my Vallarta neighborhood alone day or night. And I don’t live in a gated community, or any other All-Gringo neighborhood. I live in Mexico. Among Mexicans. I go where I want (which does not happen to include bars where prostitution and drugs are the basic products), and take no more precautions than I would at home in New
York; which is to say I don’t wave money around, I don’t act the Ugly American, I do keep my eyes open, I’m aware of my surroundings, and I try not to behave like a fool.

I’ve not always been successful at that last one. One evening a friend left the house I was renting in Vallarta at that time, and, unbeknownst to me, did not slam the automatically-locking door on her way out. Sure enough, less than an hour later a stranger did come into my house. A burglar? Robber? Kidnapper? Killer? Drug lord?

No, it was a local police officer, the “beat cop” for our neighborhood, who, on seeing my unlatched door, entered to make sure everything (including me) was okay. He insisted on walking with me around the house, opening closets, looking behind doors and, yes, even under beds, to be certain no one else had wandered in, and that nothing was missing. He was polite, smart and kind, but before he left, he lectured me on having not checked to see that my friend had locked the door behind her. In other words, he told me to use my common sense.

Do bad things happen here? Of course they do. Bad things happen everywhere, but the murder rate here is much lower than, say, New Orleans, and if there are bars on many of the ground floor windows of houses here, well, the same is true where I live, in Greenwich Village, which is considered a swell neighborhood — house prices start at about $4 million (including the bars on the ground floor windows)..

There are good reasons thousands of people from the United States are moving to Mexico every month, and it’s not just the lower cost of living, a hefty tax break and less snow to shovel. Mexico is a beautiful country, a Special place. The climate varies, but is plentifully mild, the culture is ancient and revered, the young are loved unconditionally, the old are respected, and I have yet to hear anyone mention Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, or Madonna’s attempt to adopt a second African child, even though, with such a late start, she cannot possibly begin to keep up with Angelina Jolie.

And then there are the people. Generalization is risky, but— in general — Mexicans are warm, friendly, generous and welcoming. If you smile at them, they smile back. If you greet a passing stranger on the street, they greet you back. If you try to speak even a little Spanish, they tend to treat you as though you were fluent. Or at least not an idiot. I have had taxi drivers track me down after leaving my wallet or cell phone in their cab. I have had someone run out of a store to catch me because I have overpaid by twenty cents. I have been introduced to and come to love a people who celebrate a day dedicated to the dead as a recognition of the cycles of birth and death and birth — and the 15th birthday of a girl, an important rite in becoming a woman — with the same joy.

Too much of the noise you’re hearing about how dangerous it is to come to Mexico is just that — noise. But the media love noise, and too many journalists currently making it don’t live here. Some have never even been here. They just like to be photographed at night, standing near a spotlighted border crossing, pointing across the line to some imaginary country from hell. It looks good on TV.

The U.S. media tend to lump all of Mexico into one big bad bowl. Talking about drug violence in Mexico without naming a state or city where this is taking place is rather like looking at the horror of Katrina and saying, “Damn. Did you know the U.S. is under water?” or reporting on the shootings at Columbine or the Bombing of the Federal building in Oklahoma City by saying that kids all over the U.S. are shooting their classmates and all the grownups are blowing up buildings. The recent rise in violence in Mexico has mostly occurred in a few states, and especially along the border. It is real, but it does not describe an entire country.

It would be nice if we could put what’s going on in Mexico in perspective, geographically and emotionally. It would be nice if we could remember that, as has been noted more than once, these drug wars wouldn’t be going on if people in the United States didn’t want the drugs, or if other people in the United States weren’t selling Mexican drug lords the guns. Most of all, it would be nice if more people in the United States actually came to this part of America (Mexico is also America, you will recall) to see for themselves what a fine place Mexico really is, and how good a vacation (or a life) here can be.

So come on down and get to know your southern neighbors. I think you’ll like it here. Especially the people.

Book Now and Akumal Direct will provide the Travel Insurance!

We want you to be excited about your visit to our little paradise. No worry, no hassle! For that reason, Akumal Direct is now offering free travel insurance to all new reservations confirmed by May 15, 2009. Some black out dates do apply. Email us today for more information!

Protect your vacation! Choose travel insurance! www.csatravelprotection.com.

LESLIE ARRIVES BY TAXI!

It's been a long time since I arrived at the Cancun airport without prearranged transport to Akumal. Traveling this year with my little dog, I didn't consider it would be a factor in finding transport. I was of course bombarded by the timeshare salesmen and taxi drivers and spent a little time talking to a few about transport options.

The bus to Playa del Carmen was definitely the cheapest option. It leaves the airport every hour and goes directly to Playa del Carmen. They are nice clean comfortable buses. You then grab a taxi from the bus station in Playa to Akumal.

The collectivos also run shuttle buses now from the airport to different locations along the coast line. You are grouped with up to 15 different people so it does take a little longer since they have multiple spots. The cost to get to Akumal was $47 US per person. This seemed like the best option. However, after talking to 4 different people they would not allow me on the bus with my little dog.

Thankfully there were other options and I ended up taking a private taxi to Akumal. At first they quoted me a cost of $156 US which they later dropped to $100 US and I allowed me to take my dog! I was quite impressed with how clean and new the taxi was. I quickly fastened my seatbelt and my little dog and made it to Akumal safe and sound! - Leslie

Check back for more updates from Leslie's return trip Akumal. Coming Soon!

Permit Success on a Cloudy Day

While visiting Akumal recently, I made a side trip to Punta Allen. As a fishing guide in Alaska, I love to spend part of my winter each year, stalking the flats of Ascension Bay in search of permit. My friend and fellow fishing guide, Guy Fullhart operates the Ascension Bay Bonefish Club in Punta Allen. Although Guy could not join me this week, I was able to share part of my time at the lodge with Guy’s partner, Dale DePreist and 4 fellow flyfishers from Ketchikan, Alaska plus one more experienced angler from the Keys.

The conditions in Ascension Bay were difficult this week. The wind had been up, blowing hard from the East making the bay choppy. Dale had landed a large permit, over 20 pounds, a few days before I arrived and Seth Conrow from Alaska had hooked one that got away. Bonefish were providing the staple action. As the odd man out, I had a boat to myself and felt fortunate to have the Caamal Brothers as my guides. Francisco, Benito and Manuel Caamal along with their brother-in-law William have over 70 years of guiding experience between them. They are legendary in these parts for putting their clients on permit.

The first day I had Benito and Manuel as my guides. We made the run across the bay and spent the entire day searching for permit. After several hours on the bow of the boat without seeing a fish, I was thinking, with sore feet and tired eyes, that I should have elected to go wading for bonefish. Bonefish are much more common and can often be found in schools in the many mangrove lagoons. Wading for bones gives the angler many more chances to cast during the day and plenty of hook-ups with these “hot rod” fish. Having caught oodles of bonefish over the years, I was really interested in pursuing the permit, known locally as Palometa, which are nototriously the most difficult specie to land in this region. Part of the difficulty lies in the finicky attitude of the permit towards the artificial crabs that flyfishermen try to offer.



Shortly after lunch, Benito spotted some “nervous water”, a subtle V-shape wake coming towards us against the waves. It appeared to be a large permit and I made a cast as he approached within range. The nervous water disappeared as soon as my fly hit the water, we never did see the fish. We ended up seeing two permit late in the day, at very close range that sensed the boat and fled before I could make a cast. It was difficult day of fishing, but still better that shoveling snow. Back at the lodge, the reports from other anglers were not much better. Seth got a few shots at good sized permit, but no hook ups. Some of the anglers landed a few bonefish to keep the skunk off the boat.



On day two, the wind was coming from the North and many clouds obscured the sun. I fished with Francisco and William and elected to wade for bones and maybe look for a permit later. I expressed my desire to stay relatively close to home due to the strong wind. I was not up for another day of standing on the bow, peering into the waves or having a bone-jarring ride home at the end of the day. After a short run in the boat William took me wading along the shore. Visibility was difficult and the wind botched the few shots I had at the scattered bonefish we encountered. We moved to a protected lagoon and found one nice bone tailing in shallow water. I managed to hook up after a series of terrible casts. He ate the fly about 8 feet from my rod tip and proceeded to run around several mangroves bushes. Fortunately Francisco and William were able to help get me untangled and boat the nice fish.

After lunch we ran farther up the bay to Francisco’s “Secret Place", looking for both bonefish and permit. We had just given up and got back in the boat when Francisco whispered excitedly to William, "PALOMETA - COMING". Sure enough a tail and fin both exposed just 50 feet away and coming. I slid back into the water while William stripped some line from my reel and handed me the rod. With the wind blowing hard I over-led the fish and landed the fly ten feet upwind. "Cast Again - More to the Right" William said. The next cast was perfect (must have had my eyes closed). Just 3 feet from his nose, let it sink and just started a slow strip when he swam up AND ATE IT!!



YeHaw! I was hooked up on a nice permit, in just two days of fishing. He went deep into the backing and fought well. Francisco was constantly reminding me, "Not too much pressure". He told me he was praying that I would not lose that fish. Hell, I didn't want to lose it either. The permit gods were smiling on me and William was able to tail the fish after many times that it came close. Lots of smiles and handshakes after that, some photos too! This is my biggest permit to date (Francisco estimated 12 pounds).

There were a few more hours until quitting time, but the clouds were thickening and the wind was strong, so we called it a day. It was a very good day, at least for me. The other guys had some (much) difficulty, in fact only one other bonefish was caught by the other 3 boats, not to mention the terrible boat ride home from the south side of the bay.

Day 3 was cold, almost too cold to wade. Francisco and William were bundled up in warm clothes. We did wade for a while, and the guys gave me several good shots at bonefish. I managed to hook 6; well six of them ate, but I only hooked and landed 4. One was on a big ugly fly that I had dropped under the bow of the boat for a snook, and a nice bonefish gobbled it up. We all laughed about that one. We waded the "Secret Place" one more time, but the cold North wind and clouds would not produce a permit for me a second time.



Dale and John have gone home to the Keys, the Ketchikan boys are back home looking for steelhead, and I have returned to the comforts of Nicte Ha and Akumal. My daughter will arrive soon with her boyfriend and are looking forward to experiencing the laid back style of Punta Allen after touring some of the Riviera Maya highlights.

For those visitors looking for a sightseeing or flyfishing experience in Ascension Bay or Boca Paila Lagoon, please contact my friends Guy and Sarah Fullhart at . The road to Punta Allen is very good now, with just minor delays for construction.

Tight Lines,
Ed Toribio

Time of my life

My boyfriend and I went down to Akumal in the beginning of September and it was fantastic! It was my first visit to the Riviera Maya and I can't wait to go back. We went down with a group of 6 friends and stayed in Casa del Sol. The house was amazing. The outdoor kitchen was a great place for us all to get together at night for dinner and we spent quite a bit of time there. If we wanted a little peace and quite the house was large enough to accommodate us all with room to spare. We were just steps away from the lagoon where we could stand on the foot bridge and watch the fish swimming in the crystal clear water. Some of us, myself included, went snorkeling in the lagoon. It was beautiful. The snorkeling was only topped by the scuba diving. It was my first time and I loved it; easily my favorite part of the trip.

Staying in Akumal was great. The restaurants in town are fantastic with plenty to choose from. The bakery has a great breakfast menu and La Buena Vida is a bar like no other. I could have never left town and been perfectly happy with my 10 days in paradise.

Of course we did leave town, visiting the ruins in Tulum and 5th Ave in Playa as well as Aktun Chen (a great cave system just minutes from Akumal). Staying in Akumal gave us the peaceful time on the beach that we wanted, but still put us within about 30 minutes or less of about everything we wanted to do.

We have been home for a few weeks now and we are still talking about what a great time we had. The only problem with my vacation was that it ended!