Keeping the Enviornment First

As responsible development of the Playa Del Carmen area continues, the vision for sound environmental awareness is engaged by the General Directorate of Environmental and Urban development. Recently, environmental education was promoted in the Solidarity with the Fourth State Children's Drawing Contest Organic "Quintana Roo between Forests and Forests.”

The objective of the contest was to instill environmental education and awareness. Playa Del Carmen responded with this contest after listening to people who require conservation and protection of natural resources and realizing the beauty of this area is key for its continued attraction to tourism. The winner will participate in the state, to be held on 5 June, World Environment day

The Director General of Social Development, Sergio Sosa Humberto Tolosa, stressed the importance of involving Playa Del Carmen with the surrounding culture. The competition fostered the unity of the citizenry, by involving teachers and students in 20 schools, as well as parents.

http://www.american-development.com/

Developing while preserving ecolgogy

As the indigenous ecology of the Playa Del Carmen area is the center point of so much attraction, the outgoing Governor of the state of Quintana Roo, Félix González Canto designated 3 new reserves today. This designation totals over 76,000 acres on the Yucatán Peninsula.

According to the legislation, Two of the new reserves, Chichankanab Lagoon State Reserve (28,600 acres), and Bacalar Lagoon Ecological State Park (12 acres) will protect important water sources on the mainland of the Yucatán Peninsula. The 49,000-acre Cozumel Forest and Wetlands State Reserve is being created on the island of Cozumel off the eastern coast of the Playa Del Carmen to protect forest and wetland resources.

Andrew Rothman, of the American Bird Conservancy’s International Conservation Officer who heads the organization’s Mexico program said “We are thrilled to see the government step up to the plate and take this action. Mexico is a wonderful birding destination, but like many other parts of the world, it is rapidly losing precious bird habitat to agriculture and development. Large land protection efforts such as this will go some way to conserving native bird populations and U.S. migrants that winter there or stop over en route farther south,”

In the same report, Gonzalo Merediz, the Executive Director of Amigos de Sian Ka’an (which means Friends of the local ecological habitat which is named the Sian Ka’an) “The new protected area in Cozumel is one of the most important conservation actions by the state government of Quintana Roo in many years. It not only represents a tool to preserve pristine tropical forest and endemic bird and mammal species, it also helps to promote a sustainable development on the largest inhabited island in Mexico and the most important cruise destination in the world. On the other hand the official protection of the Chichankanab lake creates the opportunity to create low impact ecotourism projects to help the local communities that are among the poorest in the Yucatan while directly protecting six endemic fish species”

This indicates another recent and important step in the effort which developers and the Mexican – American conservation communities work together to keep the beauty of the Riviera in full bloom.

http://www.american-development.com/

THE PLACE YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW

Visit Mexico

Visiting a different country should be more than just a vacation. Visiting Mexico is not about choosing the best locations but about deciding the kind of experience you would like to add to your life. Think of wandering through lush forests with pristine waterfalls and exotic flowers or discovering small towns with meandering streets facing the mountains. Imagine walking into the jungle to find a pyramid by the sea or attending a concert of a symphony orchestra in an emblematic building of one of the biggest cities in the globe. It only takes a few hours to render yourself to unknown pleasures and enter a totally new dimension of experiences. In the Mexico you still haven’t seen there is a whole new world of possibilities to explore and adventure is yet to come.
This is the vacation I wanted to stay home. This is the thing I said wasn't for me. This is the girl I was not supposed to meet. This is the life I would be missing.

Once an important site of worship for the Mayas, Tulum still keeps some of its splendor, and the beauty of its temples by the blue sea will dazzle you. All along the wonderful coastline of the Mayan Riviera, places like Milamores Beach will make you feel as if there is no other place to go —white sand and an unbeatable landscape where you can either ski on water or just relax until sunset comes and wait for an excelent  dinner under the stars. Then take the road to the Cenote Dos Ojos and plunge into its magical waters guided by a professional diver. You may want to stay there forever. 

Tulum, Quintana Roo
One of the main archeological sites of the country, this Mayan walled city is a must when you visit the Riviera. Walking through its streets it is possible to imagine ancient times in this part of the globe when the Mayan culture reached its peak. This is one of the best examples of the praised Mayan architecture.

 Milamores Beach, Quintana Roo

The Mayan Riviera is all spectacular beaches and amazing views of the Caribbean Sea. In Milamores you can find all kinds of activities, from water–skiing, snorkeling or skydiving to yoga or massages if you are feeling more like relaxing. The food is also excellent and a nice cocktail to accompany good reading is always available.

 Cenote Dos Ojos, Quintana Roo

Cenotes are transparent pools connected to subterranean water bodies. The Cenote Dos Ojos in the Riviera Maya is part of a cave system of at least 60 km and has surprisingly warm waters, which makes it perfect for snorkeling and diving. Customized tours are easy to find in Playa del Carmen or Tulum.

WWW.AMERICAN-DEVELOPMENT.COM

Enjoy the endless activities and relax with the lush sceneries at Xel-Ha

Only nature in its perfection can prove that magic exists, and it thrills and bewitches us throughout every corner of Xel-Ha. The place where the waters are born is a tropical scenario of astonishing beauty, now officially acknowledged as a Natural Wonder of Mexico, where a turquoise lagoon, a gentle flowing river, and the exuberant jungle meet by the sea.

Xel-Ha is an aquatic paradise unique in the world. With a mask and snorkel you can swim amongst hundreds of multicoloured fish that have made the river and inlet their home.

The emerald-green jungle surrounding the river and lagoon creates an exotic landscape unimaginable anywhere else in the world. You can explore this Natural Wonder on foot, bicycle or train, and admire a variety of plants and animals in their natural habitat.

Xel-Ha is a universe dedicated to ecology and to the preservation of native flora and fauna. The park houses a turtle camp, its own dolphin lagoon, a family of manatees in the inlet, and an apiary; all these areas promote species' preservation, with the intention of safe-keeping and achieving a better understanding of the region.

It is only a few minutes away from the mysterious Mayan ruins of Tulum; its location makes it ideal for visiting both places the same day. It is located 24 miles south of Playa del Carmen in the Riviera Maya.

http://www.xelha.com/

A day in the “Zona Maya”

There are a lot of places to go and things to do in the Zona Maya (Mayan zone), delicious beverages, fresh air, lagoons and cenotes (sink holes),with crystal clear waters and of course Mayan ruins, historical remains from an ancient culture, that it's still alive nowadays. You can have a great family day visiting all the places the Mayan Zone has to offer, Museums, archaeological zones, colonial churches lagoons and cenotes , places where anyone can spend the hole day.

You can make arrangements and take a jungle tour, where you will see all the wildlife and biodiversity Quintana Roo has. Before going to the jungle, you can have a superb breakfast, prepared with all the delicacies the state has to offer.

Local people are often nice and and warm, they are also wonderful hosts willing to share their culture and traditions. They are skillful cooks, preparing traditional Mayan food with recipes passed down through generations where you can enjoy delicious and authentic Mayan dishes.

Colorful and traditional, the city of Carrillo Puerto has nice hotels where you can spend the night, so you can head early in the morning to Chunyaxche and Muyil, in the northern part of the municipality.

These towns are famous for their beautiful Mayan ruins and the lagoon, a place where ancient Mayans carved and traced canals.

Going down to “La lagarera” natural reserve we can ride a bicycle throughout its natural hills and then have a pleasant pic nic in Nueva Loria.

Lagoons like Balam and Laguna Azul offer beautiful crystal clear waters, full of flora and fauna where you can spend the day in a unmatchable natural place.

And finally, the natural reserve of Sian Kan 'an , where you can camp at night, and visit the ceremonial sites of Tixcacal guardia, Chanca Veracruz and the sanctuary of “De la cruz parlante” that form the ritual attractive where you can see the Mayan customs and traditions.
(Source: The International.com)