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4th Annual CEA Wine & Cheese Festival - FEb 25, 2009

FEBRUARY 25, 2009 - CEA CENTER IN AKUMAL, MEXICO

Akumal Direct is proud to continue to be a part of this event which hopes to raise awareness and the many CEA programs that are so important to the continued well being and enjoyment of this little corner of paradise.

Tours, Games, Workshops, Environmental Products, a Silent Auction and much more! - To learn more about the festival please visit the CEA online at www.ceakumal.org To volunteer or donate to the Silent Auction please contact the CEA via email at info@ceakumal.org

Akumal Direct will again be hosting the "Cheese Table" at this years festival. Please stop by and visit with the Akumal Direct staff. We love the CEA and we love cheese!

MÉXICO'S ONLY PGA TOUR EVENT RETURNS TO THE RIVERIA MAYA

Mayakoba Golf Classic is proud to announce that tickets for the third edition of México's Only PGA TOUR are now on sale. The 2009 Mayakoba Golf Classic will take place from February 25 through March 1. Prices start at only $20 USD.

The Mayakoba Golf Classic made golf history when it became the first PGA TOUR event to ever be contested outside of the United States and Canada in February 2007. Now, as the tournament enters its third year, it continues to establish itself as one of the finest stops on the PGA TOUR schedule in the eyes of players, fans and sponsors alike.
Tickets and additional information can be found on their website at http://www.mayakobagolfclassic.com/

Spring Equinox at Chichen Itza

UNDER THE MAYAN SUN

The ancient Mayan site, Chichén Itzá is one of the greatest surviving monuments of the Mayan civilization, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as well as the setting for a spectacular display at the time of the Spring Equinox.

At the precise time of the spring equinox, at 1.31pm GMT, the sun casts its rays on the balustrade, in turn highlighting a feathered serpent that seems to be moving or slithering its way down the steps towards the well of sacrifice.The Kulkulkan temple is the site of a dramatic display of Mayan astronomical knowledge.

Chichén Itzá Spring Equinox 20 Mar 2009
Free Admission Opening Hours
7.30 am (1.30pm GMT)

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays! As we look forward to a new era of great hope, promise and good things to come - All of us here at ADR would like to extend our best wishes to you and your families for a safe and happy holiday season. We appreciate your support and look forward to serving you in 2009.

Highway 307 Construction!

For those of you who frequent Akumal, you are familiar with the ever evolving entrance off of Highway 307. And once again, the entrance is being redone!

Current construction consists of a new overpass from the beach side of Akumal to the Akumal pueblo. The entrance is all torn up with non-stop construction and workers on site. It is expected that the work will be completed prior to the holiday season but remember…it's Mexico!

When entering Akumal be sure to use caution and be aware of pedestrians at all times. When arriving from the north; entering the beach side, you will need to drive to the Retorno just south of the entrance and circle back.

There really is no telling how long it will be but once its completed it will be a great way to get across the highway!

I'm here for a few more weeks. Check back for more Akumal tid-bits!

- Leslie

more hwy 307 pictures from Leslie

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!

Quinto viaje del Stensrud's

Our travel begins July 15th. We depart from Portland,Oregon via Mexicana to Mexico City. Destination, Cancun International Airport! This is our fifth trip to Akumal and our first experience with Mexicana Airlines and the Mexico City airport. I must say after reading some leery posts we were skeptical about our arrival to MC (in truth, we were a little freaked out).

To our relief, the service Mexicana provided was impeccable! Our flights both to and from were on time and we had zero problemas finding our way around the airport. Hmmm... all that pre-trip stress for nothing!

Our daughter decided to go on this trip (last minute) and was able to get on all of our same flights, except the flight departing from Cancun to Mexico City; instead, she would be departing an hour ahead of us. While checking our bags, we inquired about the possibility of bumping her to our flight and to our surprise, the agent put all of us on her flight at no additional charge.

After arriving in Cancun and getting the green light with our baggage, we immediately found Easyway Car Rental waiting for us with their sign in hand. We highly recommend Easy Way, each time their service has been flawless with us.

We arrived to our final destination on Half Moon Bay and our favorite condo; Yool Caanal around 8:00 p.m. After falling in love with the white sandy beach and amazing views, we return to Yool Caanal and Half Moon Bay again and again. It’s our little slice of paradise and always feels like we are coming home to a familiar place.

As we sit on the balcony enjoying the view it seems like we never left. It must be that we keep the scenery etched in our minds while we’re away.

May I also add that booking our trip with Akumal Direct Reservations has been our choice year after year. We highly recommend their friendly staff and helpful services!

Now back to what we love about Yool Caanal...location, location, location! We like the garden entry; a garden setting wrapped in palms and a variety of blooming bushes and plants. The vivid plant life invites an assortment of butterflies and the stone pathway leads you away from the road to the building where there are five condominiums with wall-to-wall beach side windows. The condo presents a private location, on a less populated stretch of the bay. Not to mention the best snorkeling is directly out front of the building. On the upper balconies, you can actually see fish, turtles and rays swimming below.

After settling in, we head into town for a late dinner at Turtle Bay. It is customary that we eat at La Cueva del Pescador our first night; however they were getting ready to close.

This was our son’s first trip, the trip we promised him after his four-year stint in the Navy. He is well beyond that now and is in his third year of college in the dental field. A well deserved vacation to celebrate his many accomplishments…he gives Turtle Bay a two thumbs up!

It gives us pleasure to see family and friends enjoy the beauty of Akumal and surrounding area. You can see why people fall in love with this place! How cool is this heart shaped coral!

We spent a day at Xcacel beach riding the waves and a day on a Tulum beach in front of Zulums. A small entrance fee required at Xcacel, a protected turtle nesting ground. There is free parking just across the road from Zulum.

The ocean was a bit rough; hence tropical storm Dolly. Nevertheless, we didn’t let the surf spoil our fun…it actually made for a better ride.

We also re-visited Xel-Ha and as usual opted for the AI, we stay all day so it’s worth it. We heard there were Manatees somewhere on the property and were anxious to get our first look. We found them in a fenced enclosure and the larger of the tree was quite friendly. We walked through a small un-marked gate entrance to greet the gentle giants, the friendly manatee seems eager to get some attention. We found that he/she liked a belly rub, as it would roll over seeming to enjoy the touch.

Some of our favorite eats and drinks were La Buena Vida, Lol-Ha, Turtle Bay and the Loncheria and of course down town Tulum. Unbelievably we did not fit in La Cueva del Pescador this trip, a first. We voted LBV for best drinks and our new favorite drink is a caipirinha made with limes, rum, fine sugar and/or sprite….very refreshing.

We bought grilled chicken in Akumal Pueblo and ate lunch at El Ultimo Maya, they were both yummy. In Tulum, we ate at Don Huacho’s twice and revisited past favorites La Nave, Charlies and Don Cafetos and of course Pizza Leos in Chemuyil.

We also paid our respects to an old favorite Oscar ye Lalos in the new location on the edge of 307. Noticeably the beach atmosphere is gone, hence “old favorite.” However, the new location is clean and very nice. We stopped for a few drinks and our complimentary tequila shot topped with jalapeño pepper.

Other outings included; Grand Cenote, Tulum Ruins, Muyil Ruins, Yalku Lagoon and Sian Ka’an guided boat tour. A first for Muyil and the Sian Ka’an boat excursion.

The ruins and the boat trip were a memorable experience. We floated in the lime stone canal using a life vest. The canal stretches for miles connecting to lagoons and eventually the ocean. The canal is bordered with mangroves and was once used by the Mayans to deliver goods. Beautiful, refreshing and peaceful….we had it all to ourselves.

A climb to the top of El Castillo and sacrificing your sister to the Mayan Gods…. Priceless!

This way to the beach…we found some interesting coral shapes….and beautiful Akumal skies.

We stopped to get some almond tequila off 307 at the restaurante and market place at mile marker 283. The building is bright yellow you can’t miss it. The tequila is tasty and they do offer samples of other flavors but we thought the almond was best. The flavored tequila comes in a plastic water bottle, no label and very rustic. We bought two and it has become quite a tasty conversation piece. There is a donkey tied behind the building that drinks coke from the bottle. Afterward we couldn’t help feeling sorry for the donkey.

The day has come and until next time, we will be dreaming of our favorite view from the Yool Caanal balcony...forever etched in our mind. Thanks again Akumal Direct Reservations for making each trip a memorable experience. We are looking forward to visit number 6 !

Stensrud Photo Album

Frequent Akumal visitors, Chris & Cheryl Stensrud return to Akumal this week with their children; Michael and Hailey

"The tropical storm missed us. Looks like it went over the top of the Yucatan. The bay looks good minus some fairly large waves on the other side of the reef. I'm sure we'll venture out in the bay today. Not sure what is on the agenda… maybe Coba? More pictures to follow!" -Cheryl Stensrud

Hechizo's Restaurant cont....

We've recently posted about the fantastic experience at Hechizo's restaurant in Tulum. Photos can't do it justice, but it gives you an idea of the level of cuisine we're talking about. Hui and Stefan do a wonderful job!


The dining room at Hechizo's



Oven-roasted red beets with mild blue cheese, mandarin segments, and watercress salad



Seared ahi tuna with lemon-garlic butter on sweet- spicy salad of citrus, jicama and green apple



Seared scallops on sauteed spinach and avocado salad with oven-roasted plum tomato and parma ham in a green tomato-butter sauce



Watermelon and mild mexican goat cheese on watercress salad with honey-balsamic reduction