If you have always wanted to learn more about the Mayan culture, an evening trip to Dos Palmas, a tiny Riviera Maya community six miles from Tulum, may be the answer.
The Dos Palmas visit is part of a sustainable development project to create an additional source of income for Mayan communities and combat migration. In turn, visitors learn about the timeless traditions of a proud people and their profound respect for the environment.
The evening begins with the community leader welcoming visitors to Kaakulshan as it is known in Maya. As darkness falls and the jungle is full of the sounds o
f nocturnal creatures, visitors make their way to the temascal or pre-Hispanic sweat lodge for a purification ritual. A Mayan priest blesses them and they feel a tremendous sensation of peace. With the chants and the smell of copal incense, the flickering candles and a Mayan night sky lit by moonlight, this is an unforgettable experience.
After the ritual, visitors stroll through the jungle to a cenote and spend the rest of the evening with local families. A traditional meal of achiote-marinated chicken, beans and handmade tortillas is served in a thatched Mayan home.
The Dos Palmas trip is available through Thomas Moore Travel, the Royal Resorts in-house travel agency, for more details contact tourdesk@royalresorts.com or call 1-800-791-4496 (US & Canada) or (+52 998) 885-0266.
