"Life's a Beach"

Every once in awhile I run across a really neat program that I just know is being over looked or is simply undiscovered by the expat community in Playa del Carmen. We all know about the animal rescue groups to help our homeless four legged friends and the medical missions that help the under-served members of our community. I found an organization ...

The teachers and students at Ak Lu'um Waldorf School in Playa del Carmen have been working hard on their bio-dynamic garden beds and are starting to see the fruits of their labors. The heirloom tomatoes are ripening on the vines and the peppers and squash plants are covered with blossoms that will soon transform into bright colorful ...

As many "Life's a Beach" readers well know, Rob and I have spent a fair amount of time in Belize. We have explored a vast majority of the mainland and have great pals on Ambergris Caye who we keep in touch with and visit faithfully once or twice a year. On one of my first visits to the island, I reached out and made plans to meet ...

On Monday, I was invited to attend a conference with local environmental groups presenting their various projects to the local media and representatives from the Office of Environmental Affairs for the Municipal Government of Solidaridad. Held in the grand auditorium of the Municipal Plaza, six eco initiatives were presented for the consideration ...

Recently, my pal Mitch and I enrolled in an interesting conference to be held over a weekend at the nearby Hacienda Tres Rios Resort. Having had the good fortune to be a guest at the resort for previous events, I had a feeling that this would be an interesting weekend. Certainly we would be in luxurious accommodations and enjoying fabulous food. ...

Recently, several of the Primary classes from the El Papalote School were invited to visit the new and improved Parque la Ceiba. It has been almost a year since I have taken the time to visit the park and I was impressed with the changes. A beautiful new entrance has been created to welcome the families and individuals who come to enjoy the ...

It was a beautiful day today and we wanted to make the most of it. We stopped in for a quick breakfast at BioMaya and then set off to visit the Mayan Museum, Na Bolom.  I had heard this was a must see but really had no idea what to expect. Located a good distance from our hotel, we chose to cab it, arriving before noon just as the city was ...

Six years ago, when we arrived in Playa del Carmen for the first time, I was struck by the beauty of a particular tree that seemed to grow prolifically in this tropical region. The Flamboyant Tree or Royal Poinciana is ablaze with fiery red flowers when it blooms, surrounded by delicate fern-like foliage. In the spring, when the leaves and flowers ...

One Saturday every month, Ak Lu'um International School hosts a workshop called Sustainable Saturdays in which the public is invited to come and get some hands on experience learning about sustainable building and living techniques that can be implemented here on the Riviera Maya. They have dabbled in waddle and daub construction, composting ...

Join us on Saturday February 13th 10am - 3pm for the next workshop in the series, "Sustainable Saturdays ' at Ak Lu'um International School. This month, learn the techniques to effective Organic Gardening. The workshops will include: How to make good compost,  How to start plants from seed and transplant seedlings, How to create ...