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Alluring “Day of the Dead” Rates Invite Families to the Mexican Caribbean
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Day of the Dead Festival
You don’t need to go to France to enjoy the Riviera!
The beauty and excitement of the Mexican Riviera, the ancient art and music of Maya culture, along with golden beaches and wide variety of hotels and resorts, fine food, and superb snorkeling and diving with whale sharks and dolphins await. It’s understandable that this Caribbean coastal area has been named one of the Best Destinations of the Year by Travel Weekly, as well as one of the hottest beach destinations by Orbitz in 2008, and “The Next Riviera” by Travel + Leisure.
Stretching from just south of Cancun to Tulum, the Riviera Maya encompasses luxurious all inclusive resorts to thatched roof candlelit lodgings. All this is located a short 4 hour flight away from the US.
Although this lovely area beckons all year round, it is fun to visit during the elaborate festivals of the Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead at the end of October and early November. This festival which originated thousands of years ago in Olmec and Aztec festivals and makes U.S. Halloween festivities look tame in comparison.
The spectacular Xcaret an eco-archaeological park offers family fun all year, but especially celebrating Día de los Muertos extravaganzas. Visitors can float down underground rivers, visit a manatee lagoon, and enjoy performances such as the history of Mexico pageant complete with ancient ball games, musical instruments, and dancing, and charros on horseback. Munch on local foods while watching the four Birdmen soar high above in a sun god worship ritual.
One highlight, believe it or not, is a visit to a cemetery at night of 365 illuminated tombs which line the hillside on seven levels. On each tomb, loved ones place favorite foods and items to encourage the annual return visit of the departed, including books, beds, a glass of milk, bottles of beer, and even a beloved pair of shoes.
In the lively nearby town of Playa del Carmen, enjoy pumpkin soup and Maya tamales at Yaxche Restaurant, while watching the traditional Fire Dance performed to beating drums by exuberant dancers, bodies and faces painted and wearing enormous feathered headdresses.
Additional adventures might include an easy hike through the Biosphere of Sian Ka’an, or “Gift from the Sky,” which at 1.3 million acres, is the largest protected area on the Mexican Caribbean. It is the home to 23 known archaeological sites and at least 103 mammal and 336 bird species.
The enormous nearby Maya site of Coba, which is only five percent excavated, can be visited by rented bikes or bicycle cab along its tree shaded paths.
For day trips to tiny Maya villages, contact Alltournative, www.alltournative.com. an organization that employs local Mayans and empowers them to develop their own industries while nurturing their heritage and introducing their culture to visitors. You will sample delicious foods prepared by local Maya women, including tamarind and hibiscus seasoned, pit roasted pork that a shaman blesses with a ritual replete with chanting and smoke.
There are almost infinite choices of lodging along the Maya Riviera coast. Hotel Mandarin Oriental, set in 18 acres of gardens, its 128 beautiful designed rooms and suites are built on pillars so as to have minimum impact of the flora and fauna. Another gorgeous boutique hotel Tres Rios is interestingly built amidst a mangrove swamp where three rivers converge.
Beachfront Condo Hotels Playa del Carmen are offering 25% off regular rates during the month of November in celebration of the Day of the Dead. Regular rates start at $100 per one bedroom studio with an additional 10% off for a stay of 7 nights or more. Kitchens, pools, rooftop Jacuzzis, ocean views, and lush tropical foliage, as well as baby sitter and maid services, are part of their packages.
For a bit of an off the beaten track experience, rent a condo at Place of the Turtles, las Villas Akumal, located on a beach where turtle conservation projects are being run by environmentalists.
Grab your sun lotion, bathing suit, and friends or family and hurry on down to the Mexican Riviera. The festivities have already begun!
©Diane LeBow
©Photography by John Montgomery
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