Rachel visits the Riviera Maya
When Dre and I arrived at our barely lit, practically silent seaside accommodations in Tulum, Mexico – I was in heaven.
Mosquito netting hung from our palapa roof, the toilet tissue couldn't be flushed, and waves crashed against the rocks just beyond our open window. It was looking to be the perfect, lo-fi week we'd been dreaming about for months.
But as the sun came up, Dre discovered an unfortunate accumulation of sea grass on a completely inaccessible beach.
Dre found it solo, because I was completely incapable of getting out of bed. I was experiencing a paralyzing bout of jet lag and it was all I could do to sit upright at 10 am and stare blankly into the horizon without drooling.
Sargassum grass is a kind of kelp that generally washes ashore in minor amounts (sometimes more, sometimes less) but this year, it is prolific. (Thanks, climate change.)
And it just so happens that it was extra prolific in Tulum – which is where we were planning on spending a whole idyll week doing little more than reading and dipping our toes into the usually beautiful Caribbean Sea.
We'd picked Tulum because it is a beautiful, modestly developed sliver of the Maya Riviera and we were game to go without air conditioning or a pool in exchange for a serene sea, but once the beach was off-limits our plan lost its legs.
So we moved north.
While I was still sleeping Dre had set to work exploring our options and wasn't willing to take any chances. Our front desk person in Tulum said some of the bigger hotels had the resources to clear beaches and keep their waterfront accessible and advised her to look on booking.com.
Hours later, I was still dazed and we were checked into the brand-new Grand Hyatt in Playa del Carmen, just two blocks from the miles-long Quinta Avenida. It was sort of the anti-Tulum. (And somehow, also the anti-Cancun, because developments are capped at four (or five?) stories.)
The Grand Hyatt in Playa is nothing short of luxe. The beach-front pools, the grand entrance, the open air walkways, the hip music pumping through hidden speakers – no detail was left unaccounted for and it shows.
And the seaweed was definitely less pronounced in Playa than it was in Tulum.
However, I was having a hard time letting go of my attachment to our original, rustic ambitions.
Luckily, I have Justin. It was his family who pointed us to this part of Mexico in the first place and it was him who helped me find my way in Playa. He sent me a link to local vegetarian fare and assured me that I'd find a way to balance our new urban setting and the more earth-bound experience I was anticipating.
Dre and I spent two glorious days reading and dipping in and out of the ocean and the pools. And making friends with Irving, the resident bartender.
The truth is, both Dre and I are a little bit scared of the water. Neither of us think of ourselves as particularly strong swimmers and we both harbor a blend of rational and irrational fears of sharks and undercurrents.
It is actually a little bit hilarious that we are so intent on spending our holidays on the beach when we both get alarmed (and out of the water) so frequently.
But scared or not, we can't help but love the water and when Janet recommended Akumal and the Yal Ku Lagoon just south of Playa del Carmen, we knew we had to go.
Yal Ku is an ocean inlet and turquoise swimming hole, perfect for snorkeling.
Wanting to extend our visit to Akumal, we ate at an open-air restaurant on the side of the road and then went to the Akumal beach.
We thought Yal Ku was amazing, but the beach at Akumal was incredible. The water was mellow and the sand was soft, and while we didn't see any of the famed turtles, we were giddy with joy by the time we left.
Rather than negotiate the transfers of the collectivo buses or endure the expense of a taxi, we had rented a car for 24 hours, so we woke up early(ish) the following day to get in another outing. This time it was to Cenote Azul.
Cenote Azul is a cenote just off the 307, next to a string of cenotes, whose modest signs bely their otherworldly magic.
Cenote Azul was buzzing with joyful families (locals and tourists alike) who came to swim the crystalline water and hang with the fish, for cheap.
The short walk through the jungle gave us ample opportunities to encounter iguanas and the cenote itself is populated by shimmering, small-ish (thank goodness) fish. Dre and I kept standing on rock outcroppings and delighting in our good luck.
By the time we had to leave Cenote Azul to return our rental car, I was completely satisfied with the balance our Mexico adventure had struck.
The bustling Avenida Quinta, just two blocks up from our resort had actually been really fun to stroll and there were plenty of vegetarian-friendly restaurants tucked around its edges, and none of them were short on ambiance.
And for all of the building's austere and modern grandeur, the staff at the Hyatt was incredibly warm and down-to-earth and we spent a surprising amount of time making friends with the folks who work there. Maybe it is Mexico or maybe it is the influence of the Caribbean, but every person we met, greeted us with an open heart and a willingness to connect.
So yes, the next time someone invites you to Playa Del Carmen you should say yes. Even if the seaweed is in season.
(Thanks for nudging me to write this Erinn!!!)
Mosquito netting hung from our palapa roof, the toilet tissue couldn't be flushed, and waves crashed against the rocks just beyond our open window. It was looking to be the perfect, lo-fi week we'd been dreaming about for months.
But as the sun came up, Dre discovered an unfortunate accumulation of sea grass on a completely inaccessible beach.
Dre found it solo, because I was completely incapable of getting out of bed. I was experiencing a paralyzing bout of jet lag and it was all I could do to sit upright at 10 am and stare blankly into the horizon without drooling.
Sargassum grass is a kind of kelp that generally washes ashore in minor amounts (sometimes more, sometimes less) but this year, it is prolific. (Thanks, climate change.)
And it just so happens that it was extra prolific in Tulum – which is where we were planning on spending a whole idyll week doing little more than reading and dipping our toes into the usually beautiful Caribbean Sea.
We'd picked Tulum because it is a beautiful, modestly developed sliver of the Maya Riviera and we were game to go without air conditioning or a pool in exchange for a serene sea, but once the beach was off-limits our plan lost its legs.
So we moved north.
While I was still sleeping Dre had set to work exploring our options and wasn't willing to take any chances. Our front desk person in Tulum said some of the bigger hotels had the resources to clear beaches and keep their waterfront accessible and advised her to look on booking.com.
Hours later, I was still dazed and we were checked into the brand-new Grand Hyatt in Playa del Carmen, just two blocks from the miles-long Quinta Avenida. It was sort of the anti-Tulum. (And somehow, also the anti-Cancun, because developments are capped at four (or five?) stories.)
The Grand Hyatt in Playa is nothing short of luxe. The beach-front pools, the grand entrance, the open air walkways, the hip music pumping through hidden speakers – no detail was left unaccounted for and it shows.
And the seaweed was definitely less pronounced in Playa than it was in Tulum.
However, I was having a hard time letting go of my attachment to our original, rustic ambitions.
Luckily, I have Justin. It was his family who pointed us to this part of Mexico in the first place and it was him who helped me find my way in Playa. He sent me a link to local vegetarian fare and assured me that I'd find a way to balance our new urban setting and the more earth-bound experience I was anticipating.
Dre and I spent two glorious days reading and dipping in and out of the ocean and the pools. And making friends with Irving, the resident bartender.
The truth is, both Dre and I are a little bit scared of the water. Neither of us think of ourselves as particularly strong swimmers and we both harbor a blend of rational and irrational fears of sharks and undercurrents.
It is actually a little bit hilarious that we are so intent on spending our holidays on the beach when we both get alarmed (and out of the water) so frequently.
But scared or not, we can't help but love the water and when Janet recommended Akumal and the Yal Ku Lagoon just south of Playa del Carmen, we knew we had to go.
Yal Ku is an ocean inlet and turquoise swimming hole, perfect for snorkeling.
Wanting to extend our visit to Akumal, we ate at an open-air restaurant on the side of the road and then went to the Akumal beach.
We thought Yal Ku was amazing, but the beach at Akumal was incredible. The water was mellow and the sand was soft, and while we didn't see any of the famed turtles, we were giddy with joy by the time we left.
Rather than negotiate the transfers of the collectivo buses or endure the expense of a taxi, we had rented a car for 24 hours, so we woke up early(ish) the following day to get in another outing. This time it was to Cenote Azul.
Cenote Azul is a cenote just off the 307, next to a string of cenotes, whose modest signs bely their otherworldly magic.
Cenote Azul was buzzing with joyful families (locals and tourists alike) who came to swim the crystalline water and hang with the fish, for cheap.
The short walk through the jungle gave us ample opportunities to encounter iguanas and the cenote itself is populated by shimmering, small-ish (thank goodness) fish. Dre and I kept standing on rock outcroppings and delighting in our good luck.
By the time we had to leave Cenote Azul to return our rental car, I was completely satisfied with the balance our Mexico adventure had struck.
The bustling Avenida Quinta, just two blocks up from our resort had actually been really fun to stroll and there were plenty of vegetarian-friendly restaurants tucked around its edges, and none of them were short on ambiance.
And for all of the building's austere and modern grandeur, the staff at the Hyatt was incredibly warm and down-to-earth and we spent a surprising amount of time making friends with the folks who work there. Maybe it is Mexico or maybe it is the influence of the Caribbean, but every person we met, greeted us with an open heart and a willingness to connect.
So yes, the next time someone invites you to Playa Del Carmen you should say yes. Even if the seaweed is in season.
(Thanks for nudging me to write this Erinn!!!)
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