Day Trips from Xcalak – Cenote Zaci
Review This is a quick one, the restaurant overlooking the Cenote Zaci in the middle of Valladolid is a great place for lunch. They have a full Yucatecan menu with specialties like Queso Relleno and cochinita pibil. The serving sizes were very large. We could easily have split the Queso Relleno or the large empanadas. The cenote itself is 150 feet across and 260 feet deep. Although we didn't jump in, even just sitting in the restaurant above it, the air was very cool on a very hot summer
Day Trips from Xcalak – Ek Balam Ruins
Overview So a bit of a misnomer as this is not really a day-trip from Xcalak, but it is an option on the drive down from Cancun. If you arrive early enough you can get to Valladolid in about an hour and half to 2 hours. For those who have made the trip to Xcalak multiple times and want to try something different from Tulum, or Playa del Carmen, Valladolid is a very cool colonial town to check out. Founded in the 1500's it is one of the oldest cities
Giving Back – Costa Maya Beach Dog Rescue
Overview What do you do when you see a problem that is heartbreaking but overwhelmingly huge. There are innumerable dogs here along the coast that for a host of reasons have been abused, abandoned, fallen ill, and are otherwise homeless. Looking at the problem in the aggregate, you would be justified in feeling paralyzed, that this problem is too big for any one person. But if you are Heather Johnson, you don’t feel hopeless, you roll up your sleeves and start rescuing them one by one. Our Visit Heather and
Bonefish Tagging Research in Xcalak and Belize
February 24, 2018, Doctoral candidate Addiel Perez presented some of his findings from the work he has been doing tagging bonefish and permit in Belize and southern Mexico. He has also presented this to the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust Symposium in Nov. 2017. He has tagged over 9,500 bonefish over the last two years, from north of Xcalak in Mexico to San Pedro and Caye Caulker in Belize. Information gained from recapture of the tagged fish has led to the identification of the first two pre-spawning sites
2017 at Acocote Eco Inn
Here are some of the improvements we did in year 3. Hope you can some see them. Here is a list in no particular order. 1. DIY Solar Battery Room Fan 2. Two new beach loungers 3. Two new exterior doors 4. New furniture in Palometa Suite 5. New hand carved key chains 6. New floor in laundry room 7. New direction signs for the Inn (Thanks Bryce and Mike!) 8. New outdoor lights (Karen you can see now!) 9. In line pressure pumps to give more water pressure in the showers. 10. New Room “Numbers” 11. New
Day Trips from Xcalak – Vidrio Soplado Mexicano
Overview I have been having a difficult time keeping in Roberita glasses. Over time, they get broken, and the only place I know of to get rather unremarkable margarita glasses is at a hotel supply store in Cancun. After having gone to Casa de los Venados and seeing the hand crafted glass that they had there, I started looking around for something a little more authentic and unique. A little googling and I found Vidrio Soplado Mexicano. This is another location that works better as a stop on the way to
Day Trips from Xcalak – Casa de los Venados
Overview A very cool private Mexican Folk Art Collection in the colonial city of Valladolid. There are over 3,000 pieces in an 18,000 sq. ft. private home. This huge private home took 10 years to renovate and is located right off the main zocalo, or central square. They will do tours starting at 10 am They take about an hour. If you are in striking distance of Valladolid, this is a must see. Cost is $100 peso ($6USD) donation per person. Our Visit We arrived just before 10 am when
My Summer Vacation 2017 Part V – San Miguel de Allende
Overview Next stop was Matehuala, the last night before crossing the border to the US. But on the way I wanted to stop and check out San Miguel de Allende. It is a artist community that is popular among the gringos. San Miguel de Allende Rolling into San Miguel, you get a real old world colonial feel to the cobble stone streets and store fronts right on the sidewalk. Looking through trip advisor, we decided to have breakfast at the Oso Azul Cafe. Oso Azul was a great little coffee
My Summer Vacation 2017 Part IV – Mexico City
Overview After touring the ruins at Palenque, we drove the 11 hours or so to Mexico City. We didn’t get there until pretty late, and we were hungry so we checked in to the 4 Points by Sheraton in the Roma district, and walked down the street to a taco stand that happened to be open. They also happened to have TVs showing the McGregor vs. Mayweather fight. So our first night in Mexico City we ate tacos and watched the fight. Not bad. The next morning we met
My Summer Vacation 2017 Part III – Palenque
Overview Part III of the trip, we stay in Palenque, one of the more famous Mayan ruins in Mexico. Of the over 1,400 buildings in the area, only a small fraction of them are restored. Most are still buried under the jungle. With Hurricane Harvey slowing our arrival to Palenque the day before, we ended up going to Yaxchilan and Bonampak the day before. So we only had a couple of hours first thing in the morning to see the Palenque ruins. You can see the post here on