Mexico: Quintana Roo
January 20, 2020
HEAVEN IS, QUINTANA ROO.
There are trips, and there are trips that fundamentally change something in you.
I have been waiting my entire life to visit the motherland - Mexico, and waiting most of my adult life to begin traveling abroad (more on that later). But this brand new year, finally, launched me into the stratosphere of global adventure enthusiasts - in love with our gorgeous planet, her creatures and people.
Left and Right: Cozumel Palace, Mexico
We landed on the Cozumel runway just beyond the tree break in the rain… Cozumel is a small island east of the southern Mexican mainland, directly across from Playa del Carmen in the state of Quintana Roo. It rests in the Caribbean Sea a little more than 500 miles from Cuba.
Our home away from home on this trip was an all inclusive resort called Cozumel Palace, conveniently situated down the street from the home of a family friend. With 24 hour food, drink and poolside lounging, it was the best of both worlds for the duration of the week. Upon arrival, my favorite feature of the Palace was the hammock hanging like a welcome sign in the private patio of my room, facing the waters between us and Playa.
Our seaside resort rested on a coral reef, so we trekked further south to Paradise beach for some sand and swimming. It was January, and I could have stayed indefinitely. As beautiful as it is, Paradise beach was built for tourists. From beach bars to water activities, it proved to be quite busy. But just a bit further south was a quieter stretch of sand with a view of the pristine, transparent blue waters - with less noise.
We could have spent the entire week on the island, but most of our days were spent exploring the mainland, (aka) the other side of 7a.m. and 11p.m. ferry rides with live bands and sea sick passengers (true story).
On the mainland, we divided our time between the states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo. In Quintana Roo, we visited the archeological sites of Tulum and Coba (a truly magical place), and gave ourselves a ‘play day’ at Xcaret Park.
Right and Left: Riding a rented bike to travel between unearthed archeological structures at Coba.
COBA, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO
Coba has, by far, a very special place in my heart. While the ruins are plentiful and accessible (which means you can climb the largest pyramid), it was the adventure of renting a bike (for 60 pesos) to journey between unearthed sites, that truly brought me to life. Luckily, it was an overcast day, warm and humid but not sweltering hot, and we arrived before the tourists arrived to crowd the walkways. The jungle vegetation was blissful and walking among the antiquity of the sites was so soothing. It just felt good.
Left: Swimming inside cenote Tankach - Ha. Right: Ruins in Coba.
CENOTE TANKACH - HA
We ate locally, and drove to cenote Tankach - Ha. There was only a small group of tourists there, and after we rinsed off (to preserve the cleanliness of the water), we began our decent down a winding wooden stairway stretching 32 feet (with two diving platforms no less), into the crystal clear water below.
The majestic cave was home to bats that flew between crevices above and small fish that resembled catfish in the water below. I dove into the water without hesitation, but secretly felt bad for the fish making do with guests (like myself) plummeting into the pristine water.
TULUM RUINS
Mayan ruins on a white sandy beach embracing aqua blue waters is worth a visit. This site is home to multiple ruins along a pristine beach and sea turtle habitat. With pigment still evident on the dwellings, the Tulum ruins, felt so very much alive. Side note: There is little shade between ruins and this site is popular with tourists, so be prepared and arrive with a hat, sunscreen, water and opt to arrive early before the crowds.
Quintana Roo was only part of our journey. The next blog post, ‘Mexico: Yucatan’ will cover our Yucatan mainland adventures, including Chichen-Itza and Valladolid. In the meantime, enjoy my Tulum playlist on Spotify here.
Thank you for taking this journey with me!
From my heart center to yours,
NOEMI
