Snorkelling in cenotes

One of the most incredible water experiences I’ve had so far has been snorkelling in some of the cenotes in Tulum. A cenote is ‘a deep natural pit or sinkhole, characteristic of Mexico, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that expose groundwater underneath’ according to Wikipedia. This part of Mexico has more than half of the world’s longest underwater caves – all of the cenotes connect up through the underground river system.

The Grand Cenote was by far the most spectacular, with turquoise blue water flowing through an amazing cave surrounded by lush green garden. There’s not much point in me saying any more about it, as the pictures say it better  …

PS 24 Sep – We’ve just added in some shots from the Maya Cenote just outside of Chichen Itza – amazing!

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I didn’t come here to swim at an unraked beach

I have to admit I had some trepidation coming to stay at Parayso Hotel and Spa, in Tulum, Mexico. Sure it looked really nice on the website, has an unbeatable location (right on the beach) and was amazing value (half price!), but there was still the chance that my beach paradise could be tainted. Yes you all know what I’m taking about – the scourge that is the unraked beach.

I’d heard about them before – in passing in a hostel kitchen, in low whispers at a nearby bar, but I never thought I would come across one myself. John* (not his real name), a very helpful reviewer on TripAdvisor had warned me. When he stayed here all manner of things went wrong – the most significant being, that the beach was left unraked.

I don’t know what the Mexicans were thinking. John didn’t come all this way to have to step over seaweed on the way to the beach. Actually he was expecting some Mexicans to carry him so he didn’t have to get his feet all sandy. But he realised it doesn’t work like that anymore and he accepted it.

What he didn’t accept however was an unraked beach. And why should he? He paid good money* to stay here, good money to be on a beach with beautiful white sand, great weather, comfortable chairs and no debris. Sadly for John, this was not to be.

The spectre of John loomed large over me this morning as I ventured to the beach at 8am. The sun was shining, the birds were out, the sea calm. But I didn’t know what to expect when I stepped out onto the soft white sand. Was my passage to the ocean going to be smooth, or were the soles of my delicate feet going to be assaulted by beach debris?

It was a turning point, a sliding doors moment that could have changed the course of this trip – and changed my impression of Mexico forever.

Luckily for Mexico, as I approached the beach, I saw one of the staff members dutifully raking up the seaweed, and placing it into a wheelbarrow. Bless his little underpaid socks.

My beach visit was perfect as a result, and I shall no doubt return in the future. John however will carry the scars with him evermore.

Footnote
(* well actually we’re only paying $35 a night to stay here, so chances are he didn’t pay that much)

Exhibit A – the unraked beach. Note how the sand is tainted by the presence of beach debris. This is not the way nature intended a beach to be.

Exhibit B – the raked beach. This is the kind of beach that makes you want to walk on it. It also comes out better in photos.

Our delightful Caribbean view in Tulum, Mexico

Spot the beach bum ….

A view of the beautiful Caribbean Sea from our hotel balcony in Tulum and a special guest appearance from the local nudist – I’m pretty sure there are particular beaches dedicated to the art of nudism but obviously this guy thinks we’re all happy viewing (my bet is he’s Scandinavian – those cats love getting their gear off) – see if you can spot him!