In Harmony with Nature
If you’re sitting in a boat in the blue-green waters off the Riviera Maya, you almost can’t avoid seeing the monolithic mega-resorts that line the coast between Playa Del Carmen and Cancun. What you won’t see, however, is a newer oceanfront, 999-room all-inclusive resort that can accommodate up to 2,000 people but blends seamlessly into the jungle, natural mangroves, and coastline.
The latest decade has spurred growth in ecotourism, generously defined to include stays in anything from an oceanfront shack with hammocks for sleeping arrangements and no electricity to resorts like the Sandos Caracol Eco-Resort & Spa.

Sandos Caracol Overview
A 30-minute drive south along Mexico 307 from Cancun International Airport will bring you to Sandos Caracol's main gate, which also provides access to The Mayan Palace -- a neighboring resort and a new golf course, currently under construction.
The reception area is an open air structure that adjoins a beautiful cenote, a natural sinkhole that is a source of fresh water and connects to underground springs and rivers. Cenotes were considered sacred to the ancient Mayans, and there are 16 of them on the Sandos property.

The 65-acre resort tries to exist harmoniously with its natural surroundings -- as much as any 1,000-room resort can, anyway. Guest rooms are located in 78 three-story thatched-roof, villa-style buildings. Rooms range from standard to ocean-view and deluxe suites. The buildings are connected by walkways where you can occasionally maintain the illusion that you’re walking through a tropical rainforest.

I was told the resort was 80-90 percent full during my visit, but it never felt crowded, lines weren't too long, and service was still above par. The resort is close to Playa del Carmen, but not right on the main strip: figure on a 15-minute, $10US taxi ride.

The resort is safe for late-night activities, and security folks are visible throughout the property.

Sandos Caracol: Eco-Tourism and Ecological Preservation
The resort’s philosophy is to embrace the natural and cultural heritage of the Yucatan, and guests can take an eco-tour with Karol the veterinarian, who will introduce you to the macaws, peacocks, tortugas(turtles), donkeys, mapaches (raccoons), iguanas, and cats that wander freely and call Sandos Caracol home.
The eco-tour points out the diverse and endangered palm trees, "good" and "evil" Mayan trees, and the significance of the cenotes. Karol stresses that Sandos strives to maintain and preserve a fragile eco-systems that can easily fall to bulldozers and concrete.

At Sandos, new cenotes are being excavated and maintained, solid and wastewater recycling and compost systems initiated, and a new Mayan bee colony introduced. Sandos employees are instructed to minimize food, trash, laundry and electricity waste, and you will find recycling receptacles along the walkways of the resort.

At guest villas, new exterior paint schemes reflect more light, dissipate heat, and save on overall air-conditioning efficiency. Interior and exterior lighting has gone green, and new solar panels and collectors are being installed on the rooftops. For guests, the most noticeable aspect of all this effort is that electricity in your room only works after you insert your room key (except for the much appreciated air conditioning), so no power is wasted while you’re out enjoying the beach or dinner.

Sandos Caracol Activities
The beautiful beach at Sandos is perfect for families; the waves are very small due to a manmade barrier just offshore that prevents erosion. The crystal-clear water is still cool enough to be refreshing in the heat of the day.
There are jet skis for rent, snorkeling and scuba expeditions that go out from the southern end of the beach, and pickup volleyball games run by the staff. Lounge chairs are in good supply, and umbrellas and covered areas offer a break from the hot Mexican sun. The pools and beach tend to empty out during traditional midday siesta time, when the sun is at its strongest.

Sandos Caracol has four pool areas: the main oceanfront pool area draws a good mix of families at one end and young adults at the other end, most likely due to the swim-up bar. A kids waterpark has 17 waterslides, while a quiet adults-only pool is carefully hidden away (you may have to search a little for this one). The Select Club also has a private pool.

The resort has a small town center just off the reception area that includes a gym and spa, all-night snack bar, a brand new open-air theater for daytime movies and nightly live entertainment, a disco, gift shop, and several of the resort’s buffet restaurants.

Sandos Caracol Spa
The Gym and Spa is a centerpiece of the resort, and all guests are afforded free access to the almost 20,000-square-foot facility. Highlights include a modern fitness center; hydromassage pool and Jacuzzis; solarium; saunas; steam bath; showers and lockers.
An additional charge applies for massages, facials, body wraps, and exotic spa treatments. Some of the relaxation and therapeutic services available are Four-Handed Lomi-Lomi massage and Oriental Delight -– a 3-parter which includes exfoliation, a vanilla bath, and the Cinnamon Delight massage.

One of the most unique features of the resort is the Sandos Caracol Select Club – a “hotel within a hotel” that features upgraded rooms, a private pool, restaurant and bar area adjacent to the Select Club hotel rooms, 24-hour room service, preferential reservations at the “a la carte” specialty restaurants, and what I found to be a feather in the cap -- a beachfront private clubhouse.

The VIP clubhouse on the beach is a spacious two-story structure with private lounging areas, great beach views, and free computer and internet access. It also houses showers, lockers, changing rooms, a snack and liquor bar, and comfy Euro-style beach beds with canopies.

Author  Dan Ross

Courtesy of About.com

It's easy to enjoy winning accommodations, scenic nature reserves, wondrous ruins and delectable cuisine without yardlong drinks.

Waiting to board, I saw passengers wearing socks with flip-flops. Someone asked, poker-faced, whether Mexico was a state in the U.S. When applause broke out upon landing, it was all I could do to disembark.

These are my fellow countrymen? I cringed, skulking to my (clearly marked) cab.

Ignoring the yardlong-drink contingent poses a challenge, but I had reasons to head south of the border, the primary one being to taste and smell foods that captivate me.

My launching pad for the next four days was the all-villa Banyan Tree Residences Mayakoba, which opened in March on the Yucatán Peninsula's Riviera Maya coastline. The vibe -- a mix of solitude and swank -- is a departure from Cancún's excess. Although it's 15 minutes from Cancún wannabe Playa del Carmen, it seems remote.

At the resort I appreciated the glossy -- OK, diva-worthy -- environs and its Mexico-meets-Far-East feel. It's part of the larger Mayakoba "village," a guarded, forested residential and hotel community. Mayakoba currently houses the relatively new Fairmont and Rosewood properties, and Viceroy is aiming for a spring 2010 rollout.

I'm not a golfer, so the 18-hole El Camaleón, a Greg Norman-designed championship course, was lost on me. Still, I had no intention of allowing dexterous limitations to keep me indoors. A visit to Riviera Maya allows for countless underwater and eco-adventures.

But first I had to take care of business. Key in hand, I checked out my room. I hopped in my hot tub and pool, set in a private courtyard; went up to the roomy terrace -- outfitted with one of two outdoor showers -- for a bird's-eye view; and lighted candles and incense to perfume my stay. I was given my own bike to pedal around the sprawling grounds and discovered interconnected bike paths between properties, meaning there was plenty of room to roam.

For $2, I hopped aboard a lancha, or covered boat, which meandered along Mayakoba's narrow mangrove-fringed canals. After fueling up on bracing, limey tuna ceviche and plump, tempura-battered fish tacos at Sands, a restaurant overlooking the Caribbean Sea, I headed for the water taxi in Playa del Carmen for a quick trip to Isla Cozumel.

I made my way to Parque Punta Sur, a national preserve on the island's southern tip, then rented a bike and checked out the scenery. Rugged, quiet dunes gave way to mangroves and marshes. After a pant-inducing climb to the top of its Faro de Celarain lighthouse -- now a matchbox-sized navigation museum -- I took in the killer views.

One day, I visited the 11th century ruins at Tulum, about an hour south of Playa del Carmen, but apparently not early enough because the place was packed with bikini-clad tourists by 9 a.m. The scene in the little nearby town of Tulum was more my speed. Laid-back with a surfer-chic vibe, the main drag is populated by a few hip boutiques where I riffled racks of patchwork skirts, white ruffled tops and intricately beaded jewelry before scoring scoops of sweet corn and lime ice cream from nearby La Flor de Michoacán. But instead of grabbing a bench in its cute courtyard, I made my way to La Flor de Tulum, an open-air market chock-full of juicy pineapples and mangoes, tamarinds and tongue-singeing peppers. Really, though, it was the colorful piñatas hanging in back that I found coolest of all.

Determined to beat the crowd the following morning, I booked a tour and left early for Cobá. Less frenetic than Chichén Itzá, these ancient Mayan pyramids are hidden in the jungle. At the entrance I rented a bike and made my way to Nohoch Muul, the 140-foot-tall pyramid with panoramic views from up top. After spending the rest of the day zip-lining and exploring a cenote at the nearby eco-park Tankah, I was ready to collapse.

Sore as could be, I had dinner at the Thai-inspired restaurant Saffron, perched on a dock along Mayakoba's mangrove-flanked canals. On the menu: an amuse bouche of sweet-savory, coconut-filled saffron bread, sprightly grilled beef salad and aromatic Panang curry with beef tenderloin and hearts of palm.

Surprised to find Banyan's spa still open when I returned, I booked a Thai herbal detox treatment -- a 180-minute ritual involving a turmeric-laced scrub, steam and salt pot massage ($380) -- for the following day.

As my sojourn began to wind down, I knew I couldn't avoid downtown Playa del Carmen and its throngs of bargain shoppers.

So I spent the remainder of my time wandering its streets, peering at creepy-cool milagros along El Corazón and scoring cheese-stuffed, battered jalapeño tacos from Señor Tacombi, a funky VW bus-turned-street-side-stand.

But the pièce de résistance was dinner at John Gray's Place for foie gras soup and chipotle-glazed pan-roasted duck with sweet potato mash. Too bad I had to dodge tourists with yardlongs to get there.

Photo courtesy of thetravelpeach.com 

By Jennifer Olvera

Los Angeles Times