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 Grand Residences?

Coba

Head into the jungle from Tulum to explore a completely different archaeological site. Coba is vast and many of its temples, palaces and ball courts still lie under forest creepers, giving a real sense of adventure as you wander along the paths. The ancient city’s most famous building is Nohoch Mul, the tallest pyramid in the northern Yucatan.

Playa del Carmen

Spend an afternoon and evening in Playa del Carmen this season and enjoy shopping for Mexican handicrafts, local art, designer fashion, jewelry and more. Sip a Caribbean cocktail or coffee on La Quinta while you decide where to dine. This bustling thoroughfare is lined with restaurants serving everything from tacos and ceviche to Mexican fine dining, Italian, Japanese and Thai cuisine, steaks and more.

Rio Lagartos

For an unforgettable nature trip, head north to the Gulf coast and Rio Lagartos. This biosphere reserve is home to thousands of flamingos and to see them feeding in the coastal lagoons or taking flight is one of the wonders of the Yucatan. A boat trip through the mangrove forest affords many other bird sightings such as herons, spoonbills and hawks and you may even see one of the lagartos or crocodiles that give the reserve its name.

Campeche

Just one and a half hours from Merida is another colonial treasure, the port of Campeche, a UNESCO World Heritage Site full of churches, mansions and forts. During the 17th century, walls and ramparts were built to protect the settlement after repeated attacks by pirates who preyed on galleons laden with tropical hardwoods and palo de tinte or logwood, which yielded a rich brown dye prized by European weavers. Several of these forts are now museums and the largest, San Miguel also displays Campeche’s extraordinary Maya treasures, including jade death masks from the Maya metropolis of Calakmul and clay figurines from the island of Jaina.

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