Here’s our monthly round up of Cancun, Riviera Maya and Yucatan news for May 2017.
Plaza Marina Town Center, Puerto Cancun’s new shopping mall opens this May
May 11, 2017, sees the inauguration of Cancun’s latest shopping mall, Plaza Marina Town Center in Puerto Cancun.
The new mall will have over 100 stores and boutiques, cafés, restaurants and a gourmet food court. An entertainment area with 16 movie theaters, including VIP and IMAX screens will also be a popular attraction. Not all the mall businesses will open on May 11, but should be fully operational in the summer.
The new mall is located on the waterfront of Puerto Cancun Marina.
Customs changes coming soon to Mexican airports
Pressing the button as you go through Customs in Cancun Airport and anxiously waiting to see if the green light flashes or the red light indicating that you need to step aside for an inspection may soon be a thing of the past. The Mexican government has announced the implementation of a pilot project in which international passengers’ luggage will be inspected by Customs agents using x-ray scanners in the luggage claim area, thus eliminating the traffic light system and customs declaration form.
Passengers who have items to declare will pay the customs duties after their luggage is scanned.
The pilot program was launched in Terminal 2 in Mexico City and will be implemented in Terminal 1 and in Cancun International Airport later this year. Los Cabos, Guadalajara and Monterrey will follow in 2018.
2.5 million visitors have enjoyed the thrill of zip-lining adventures at Xplor Park
Xplor, the popular adventure park in the Riviera Maya, recently welcomed visitor number 2,500,000, making it the world’s most visited zip lining center.
In addition to the thrills of the zip lining circuit, visitors to Xplor also swim and raft along underground rivers in spectacular caves and board amphibian vehicles for a fun drive through the jungle.
Xplor Fuego gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy a jungle adventure in the evening, including zip lining under a star-filled sky and venturing into caves illuminated with flaming torches and a backdrop resembling a volcanic landscape.
New park for Cancun in the pipelines
A growing city like Cancun needs parks and green spaces for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike and while we await the first phase of Parque Cancun, in the area behind the schools and universities on Bonampak Avenue bordering Nichupte Lagoon, news comes of another park planned for the heart of Cancun.
The green area in question is located in Supermanzana 5 between Tulum and Nader Avenues, behind the Fonatur building, in the zone of the old Ki Huic craft market. The project would include installation of streetlights, walkways, benches and garden upkeep and is part of an initiative to restore Cancun city center.
City Hall is waiting for funding for this project and, subject to approval, work is slated to begin some time in May.
(Source: Novedades)
New discovery at Chichen Itza
Archaeologists working for the Mexican Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have discovered that the Ossuary, another of the ancient temples at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Chichen Itza, is aligned according to the precise calculations of long lost astronomers. Like the Pyramid of Kukulcan, famous for the serpent of light and shadow that forms along the staircase on the days of the spring and fall Equinox, the Ossuary is also the site of a light and shadow occurrence twice a year, although less spectacular.
Located half way between the Pyramid of Kukulcan and The Observatory, the Ossuary is a 12-meter-high temple pyramid built over a cave. On May 23 and July 19, when the sun reaches its zenith and objects cast no shadows, the mouth of the cave is illuminated, possibly showing the path to Xibalba, the Mayan Underworld and the home of the gods.
The Mexican Caribbean in Trip Advisor’s Top Destinations
Playa del Carmen has made the Travellers’ Choice list of the World’s Top 25 Destinations 2017 based on ratings from members of the Trip Advisor travel community. Playa Norte on Isla Mujeres is also included in the World’s Top 25 Beaches and Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Tulum and Cancun all appear in the Top 10 Destinations in Mexico.
Return of the Callejon de Arte street fair in Playa del Carmen
Local artists, sculptors and craftsmen will once again be able to exhibit their wares in the weekly Callejon del Arte street fair in Calle 6 between Avenidas 10 and 15 in Playa del Carmen. It will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from 6 p.m. and there will also be music and food stalls.
Check this blog during the year for more Cancun, Riviera Maya and Yucatan news.
