Here’s our monthly gallery showcasing some of the region’s many natural and historical attractions. How many have you visited? Which ones would you like to explore on future visits to Royal Resorts?
Isla Mujeres
A Cancun summer vacation wouldn’t be complete without a spot of island hopping to Isla Mujeres. This Mexican Caribbean treasure is only a 20-minute ferry ride across the bay. Spend time on beautiful Playa Norte, go to Punta Sur for endless views of turquoise water, board a boat for a trip around the island and snorkeling and try the fresh seafood.
Cenote Route
Head west from Puerto Morelos along the Cenote Route, a road through the jungle to the village of Leona Vicario that lives up to its name as wooden signs advertising cenotes or sinkholes line the route. There are so many of these natural wells that form over millions of years in the limestone landscape that you can spend the whole day cenote hopping. With names like Verde Lucero, Las Mojarras, Boca del Puma, Kin Ha, La Noria and Siete Bocas, they evoke mystery and adventure. Some lie deep in caves and others are open to the sky and they all have turquoise or emerald waters. Try your hand at zip lining too in adventure parks like Selvatica and Xenotes.
Yalku
Take the coast road north from Akumal Bay in the Riviera Maya to this beautiful caleta or inlet. A popular spot for snorkeling in cool, clear turquoise waters bubbling up from underground rivers, cenotes and ojos de agua or springs in the lagoon. Get there early for the best views of the many colorful reef fish that gather there to feed and breed.
Izamal
If you want to explore further afield, visit Izamal, one of the Yucatan’s Pueblos Mágicos, a peaceful town full of history and traditions, famous for the vibrant color scheme of bright yellow with a white trim that graces all the colonial buildings in the town center. Two historic monuments dominate the skyline: the Kinich Kakmo pyramid, one of the largest ancient buildings in Mesoamerica, and the 16th-century Convento de San Antonio de Padua. Built by the Franciscan order, this sprawling monastery also has one of the largest atriums in the world and is a shrine to the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, patron saint of the Yucatan.
Izamal is also home to families of craftsmen and women who weave hammocks, embroider dresses and blouses, make papier mâché butterflies and birds or silver jewelry from the woody tips of henequen leaves. You can shop for crafts in the square and market, and for a good selection of crafts from all over the country don’t miss the Hecho a Mano store.
Thomas More Travel can help you arrange tours to these locations and many more throughout the Yucatan Peninsula.
