"Life's a Beach"

"On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...." This beloved traditional holiday song is the inspiration for our seasonal blog series, "12 Days/12 Ways", a promotional effort of goodwill we started last year to draw attention to 12 not-for-profit groups or charitable organizations in Playa del Carmen and ...

What follows is an important message from the Centro Ecologico in Akumal. It has been posted in its entirety. For more information, important updates and to find out how you can help marine conservation efforts in Akumal and all along the Riviera Maya, visit the CEA website or follow CEA on Facebook. CENTRO ECOLÓGICO AKUMAL (CEA) MARINE ...

The 9th annual Sea Turtle Festival is scheduled for October 13 - 16 2011 in Tulum.  The Festival de la Tortuga Marina is a free event whose mission is to raise awareness in residents and tourists alike about sea turtle protection. This event will provide information about these magnificent creatures that are in danger of extinction, There ...

The Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) is the largest barrier reef in the Atlantic and stretches over 1000 km from the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula down to the Bay Islands of Honduras. This reef is the largest coral reef in the Western Hemisphere and the second largest barrier reef in the world. The Mesoamerican reef serves two important functions. It ...

Six years ago, the first time we visited the Merida Zoo, the kids were not much more than babies. We were in the city doing some exploring and celebrating Cole's 2nd birthday so a trip to the zoo seemed like the perfect way to spend the afternoon. It turned out to be the perfect time for both little one's to spike a fever and come down ...

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. ...

Unbelievably, somehow, I have managed to spend six years in Playa del Carmen with small children and NEVER managed to visit Crococun. So, when the 1st grade class at El Papalote School solicited chaperones for a field trip to the small eco-zoo and reptile farm, I jumped at the chance. Frankly, I think I was more excited than Cole. So, last week, ...

The name aside, when you go for a meal at La Cueva del Chango, one of Playa del Carmen most recognized and best loved restaurants, you don't really expect to be sharing a meal with regional primates. But, that's just what happened this week when Rob, Mitch and I stopped in for lunch. In fact, years ago, there were two spider monkey that ...

Birdie and I rose early this morning, roused by the cacophony of the sounds coming from the jungle around us. After a failed attempt to connect to the internet, we joined the boys for a delicious breakfast of fresh fruit and omelets. Cole and friend  Breakfast at Puerta CalakmulDespite my desire to find lodging as close to the ruin site as ...