The Travel Gallery

Here’s our monthly gallery showcasing some of the region’s many natural and historical attractions. How many have you visited? Which ones would you like to explore on future visits to Cancun and the Riviera Maya?

Xpu-Ha

Fancy a day of Riviera Maya beach hopping during your Grand Residences vacation? The long crescent-shaped beach at Xpu-Ha is a good option. Sprawling resorts give way to boutique hotels, houses and even rustic beach bars and campsites set among the palm groves.

Sisal

Yucatan’s latest Pueblo Mágico is the historic port of Sisal on the Gulf coast. In Maya, the word “sis-ha” means deep water and during the late 19th century and the early years of the 20th century, the port was the center of henequen or sisal shipping operations to international markets. Used to make rope, mats and sacking, the tough fiber extracted from the leaves of the henequen plant became known as sisal.

Nowadays, Sisal is a peaceful fishing village with a long white, shell-strewn beach bordering the mangrove forest and lagoons of the El Palmar nature reserve to the west. It is about an hour from Merida via Hunucma.

Hacienda Yaxcopoil

If you are planning a trip to the ancient Maya city of Uxmal, be sure to stop off on the way and visit Hacienda Yaxcopoil for a glimpse of the history of henequen, the native agave that became known as oro verde or “green gold” in the late 19th century.

Punta Laguna

A few minutes drive north of Coba archaeological site lies Punta Laguna, a lake surrounded by dense jungle that is a refuge for wildlife, ranging from the elusive jaguar and ocelot to howler monkeys, peccary and deer. The land is protected by a community reserve and villagers offer guided trips along nature trails to a cave that is home to the families of spider monkeys that forage in the forest canopy for zapote fruit.

Your Concierge can help you arrange tours to these locations and many more throughout the Yucatan Peninsula.