MAYAN RIVIERA ESCAPES HUSTLE, BUSTLE OF CANCUN.Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer RIVIERA MAYA "Riviera Maya" is a tourism district following the highway 307 of Quintana Roo, Mexico. It historically started at Playa del Carmen and ended at Tulum pueblo, though the towns of Puerto Morelos to the north of Playa del Carmen and Felipe Carrillo Puerto inland are both currently , Mexico - The Riviera Maya's greatest strength is it has just about everything neighboring Cancun has - and less. While Cancun has evolved into a kind of Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. of beach destinations - a mass of grand hotels, chain restaurants, traffic congestion The condition of a network when there is not enough bandwidth to support the current traffic load. congestion - When the offered load of a data communication path exceeds the capacity. and sweaty night clubs - the relatively remote Riviera Maya, which fronts the Caribbean Sea Caribbean Sea (kâr'ĭbē`ən, kərĭb`ēən), tropical sea, c.970,000 sq mi (2,512,950 sq km), arm of the Atlantic Ocean, Central America. along the east side of the Yucatan Peninsula, has plenty of luxury accommodations but places a greater emphasis on breathtaking natural beauty and ecological adventures. ``The Mayan Riviera is like Cancun was 25 years ago - pristine beaches, untouched nature and not as much construction,'' said Cristian Carlsson, general manager of the Xpu-Ha Palace, which is among the area's leading hotels. Located in the heart of the Sian Ka'an Sian Ka'an is a biosphere reserve in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. It has been a Mexican national park since 1986 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. Part of the reserve is on land and part is in the Caribbean Sea, including a section of coral reef. Biosphere biosphere, irregularly shaped envelope of the earth's air, water, and land encompassing the heights and depths at which living things exist. The biosphere is a closed and self-regulating system (see ecology), sustained by grand-scale cycles of energy and of Reserve about an hour's drive from Cancun, the Riviera Maya includes a large portion of the Great Mayan Jungle, which holds millennia-old cenotes (sinkholes) and the ancient Mayan cities of Coba and Tulum. The area offers more than a dozen archaeological sites, reserves and ecological parks, plus a blossoming infrastructure of hotels, from five-star resorts to rustic beach bungalows. Mind you, Cancun remains the perfect spot if you're a spring-break reveler ready to party the nights away, or perhaps a gung-ho first-timer who's looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. something akin to Hawaii's Waikiki Beach or Jamaica's Montego Bay Montego Bay (mŏntē`gō), city (1991 pop. 82,002), NW Jamaica. One of the most popular resorts in the Caribbean with highly developed tourism facilities, Montego Bay is also a port and commercial center. . But for travelers truly looking to get away from it all and perhaps indulge in some adventurous excursions, the Riviera Maya is a great alternative. ``The all-party impression of Cancun has driven a lot of people to seek refuge to the Riviera Maya,'' said Charles Ross Charles Ross can refer to:
You won't find properties like the Xpu-Ha Palace in Cancun. The sprawling, all-inclusive resort An all-inclusive resort is a holiday resort that includes all meals, soft drinks, and most alcoholic drinks in the price. Many also offer a selection of sports and other activities included in the price as well. They are often located in warmer regions. is set among acres of mangroves, and there's a snorkeling inlet, two ocean-view pools (without annoying party hosts with microphones), an aviary aviary Structure for keeping captive birds, usually spacious enough for the aviculturist to enter. Aviaries range from small enclosures to large flight cages 100 ft (30 m) or more long and up to 50 ft (15 m) high. Enclosures for birds that fly only little or weakly (e.g. , botanical gardens and a massive, freshwater lagoon. The low-rise coastline of the Riviera Maya - buildings are limited to three stories - gives the area a much different look than Cancun. Soon after settling in, we booked a daylong tour with Alltournative Expeditions to Punta Soliman and Nohoch Nah Chich Nohoch Nah Chich is the world's third longest known underwater cave system. Only Sistema Sac Actun and Sistema Ox Bel Ha are longer. Nohoch Nah Chich is Mayan for Giant Birdcage. It is located south of Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico. . Punta Soliman is a remote ocean bay near Akumel, accessible by kayaks from the beach. With no one else in sight, we paddled out about a half- mile, docked in a shallow reef, then snorkeled among colorful fish and breathtaking coral formations. Nohoch Nah Chich, located in the tiny Mayan village of Rancho San Felipe, featured a clear underground inlet. Our group swam through a cave filled with stalactites Stal`ac`ti´tes n. 1. A stalactite. and stalagmites as our guide illuminated the path with a high-powered underwater flashlight. He advised us to not say a word, to just take in the sights in silence, and the experience was blissful and spiritual. The water was so clear that swimming actually felt like flying. We spent the rest of the afternoon in the company of a local Mayan family. Without electricity, they cooked a hearty lunch over an open fire, serving chicken and rice with homemade tortillas and salsa. Afterward, we lounged on handmade hammocks before journeying back through the rocky jungle in an all-terrain vehicle. The next day, we visited Xcaret, a bountiful park billed as ``a tribute to life.'' In Xcaret, water is omnipresent om·ni·pres·ent adj. Present everywhere simultaneously. [Medieval Latin omnipres : ocean, lagoons, inlets, underground rivers - all set among dense jungle foliage. Upon entering the snorkeling inlet, we were immediately greeted by a sea turtle, as schools of fish glided about. A few miles down the road the next morning, we found Xel-Ha, a similar biological park but a bit less crowded and more organic. We took a leisurely inner-tube ride down a lazy river, then jumped into natural wells fed by subterranean rivers. Near the reef, large iguanas ate from our hands, and the snorkeling was the best yet, as massive amberjacks, groupers and stingrays circled just a few feet offshore near a floating bridge that led to Mayan caves. Later, at the coastal city of Tulum, we surveyed ancient Mayan ruins overlooking what had to be one of the world's most beautiful beaches. Over five days, we never once made a foray into Cancun. We were content to remain on the Riviera Maya - pleasantly exhausted from our daily sun-washed adventures. Thus, we got everything we wanted. And less. Gerry Gittelson, (661) 257-5218 gerry.gittelson(at)dailynews.com IF YOU GO Useful Web sites for planning a trip to Mexico's Riviera Maya: www.mayanriviera.com www.cancunandrivieramaya.com www.mayan-riviera.com www.thenettraveler.com/quintanaroo/fprivieramaya-in.htm www.cancunvista.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1) Snorkelers in the Yucatan Peninsula's Xcaret can commune with aquatic life in lagoons, inlets and underground rivers. Gerry Gittelson/Staff Photographer (2 -- color) The turquoise waters of a snorkeling inlet are protected from the rough surf of the Caribbean Sea at the Xpu-Ha Palace resort on Mexico's Riviera Maya. Box: IF YOU GO (see text) |
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