Hidden Secrets of the Riviera Maya
Story and Photographs by Dan Millington

I've been covering Mexico for seven years, and I never seem to tire of it. I've been to Cancœn many times and often wondered what mysteries lie south in places like Tulum, Coba, Pac Chen, Akumal, Xel-Ha and Muyil. I thought it was time to dig a little deeper and find out what this area of the Maya world really had to offer. After some research on the Web, I decided that Tulum would be the first stop and I chose Ana Y Jose Restaurant Bar & Caba-as for the first couple nights' lodging. I don't know why, it just felt right. I was in for a pleasant surprise. From Tulum, I worked my way north.

I booked a flight on Aero Mexico, which has direct flights out of Los Angeles, and flew into Cancœn. Upon arrival, the first thing on my agenda was to get out of the Cancœn airport without paying a fortune in taxi fares. An important thing to know about obtaining transportation from the Cancœn airport is that no price is set in stone, particularly with cabbies. My objective was to nail down a collectivo (Chevy Suburban) that was going to Playa del Carmen with other tourists and negotiate a reasonable price. I found one just outside the terminal and managed to arrange a fare of 15 U.S. dollars.

Playa del Carmen is situated just inland on the Mexican Caribbean, about 40 minutes south of the Cancœn airport along highway 307. From there I rented a car and continued my journey south to Tulum.

Once in Playa del Carmen, I found Budget Rent-a-Car and managed to negotiate an open-air jeep for 30 U.S. dollars per day, being that early May is considered out-of-season. I paid about half of what it would have cost at the airport. This out of the way, my Maya journey was about to begin.
The newly paved road from Cancœn through Playa del Carmen to Tulum, Mexico 307, is in great shape. It is a straight 30-minute drive from Playa del Carmen to Tulum. About five miles before arriving at the town of Tulum, I was looking for a sign along the highway that said, Coba. Instead of turning right to "Coba," I turned left and followed the road until its end and turned right. I was now heading for what's known as Tulum's hotel zone, an exquisite area of small hotels on the Mexican Caribbean.

I didn't know what to expect when I arrived to Ana y Jose Hotel, but I do remember feeling a wonderful sense of tranquility. "This was nothing like Cancœn," I thought. Hugo Solis, the hotel's manager, was there to greet me. "Welcome to Tulum, Mr. Millington. We have your room ready." Room eight, upstairs (of which there are only 15), over-looking the pool, gently breezing palms and the talcum-powdered beach. The room was decorated in bright Mexican colors with two double beds and an open-air palapa roof. I immediately felt the warm Caribbean winds flowing through me. The first order of business was to open my suitcase and take out one thing, my bathing suit. I have never undressed so fast (except for love-making) to get to where I wanted to go-the turquoise, crystal-clear, 75-degree Caribbean ocean. The plan: to lie in it for hours.

That night, Hugo invited me for dinner in the hotel's restaurant, a large, palapa structure with a sand floor and cool ocean breezes that relaxed the heat of the day. I ordered the fresh, whole-fried snapper with sautŽed julienne vegetables and a curiously seasoned bed of rice. The fish fell off the bone and melted in my mouth. I imagined some weathered, old Mexican fisherman bringing in the catch just hours before, still wiggling with life.

During dinner, I asked Hugo, "I would like to visit Pac Chen and Coba. Can I do this on my own?" "Coba you can, sorry, Pac Chen you can't," Hugo said. It turned out that the Mayan village of Pac Chen had recently opened its doors to a limited amount of tourists after hundreds of years of isolation. Only one company was allowed to take visitors in, Alltournative Tours. The elders of the village had voted for this company because of the respect they had for their culture and their environment. "Can you arrange a tour for me?" I asked Hugo. "Sure, when would you like to go?" "Would day after tomorrow be okay?" I replied. "Done," he said. I was to be ready at 9:00 am.
First on my agenda the next day was the archaeological site of Tulum and the fresh-water lagoons of the park, Xel-Ha. Tulum, (Maya for The Wall), located about four miles north of Tulum's hotel zone, dates back to the Post-Classic period (A.D. 1200-1524). The Mayans there some 900 years ago must have been visionaries. They realized the value of oceanfront property.

I had heard this was the most visited site in the Maya world, so I arrived early to avoid the crowds. At first glance, I was somewhat dismayed at how many kitschy shops surrounded the area where you hop a tram for the short ride to the site. Once there, guides are available to escort you through the ruins along with an explanation of its history. I chose to go this one on my own. Notice this is the first time I have said ruins. Why? Because that is exactly what the site is. Ruined. The most imposing building, El Castillo (The Castle) overlooking the Caribbean, was the highlight for me. However it was roped off to prevent a closer inspection. Temple of the Frescos with interior murals that display typical Maya motifs was interesting. But that was about it for me. I guess I'm somewhat jaded after having been to such sites as Edzna and Palenque. "Perhaps Coba would be different," I thought.

After about a half-hour walk through Tulum photographing every Iguana I could find, I began to see more and more people arrive; hundreds, in fact. It was time to make my exit. I was thinking on my way out that the site of Tulum is definitely worth a first-time visit; however, a short visit and a very early visit, then on to Xel-Ha.

Xel-Ha (Maya for place where the water is born) is located several miles north of the archaeological site of Tulum. There is no way I could have missed the entrance. The sign Xel-Ha, along highway 307, is clearly indicated and massive. For all intent and purposes, this is an aquatic theme park, but a nice one. This is where spring-fed inland rivers, cenotes, caves, jungle flora and fauna intertwine in a symbiotic relationship with the Caribbean ocean. The owners, Grupo Xcaret, have gone out of their way so as not to spoil this natural wonder.

At the park's entrance, I decided to splurge and pay the full price, $45 U.S. What I got was this: a locker, a towel, snorkel gear, a wristband indicating I could eat at any of the four restaurants at any time, an inner- tube, and environmently friendly sun-block. The latter took quite a bit of scrubbing to remove. Once inside, I located a path that would lead me to the locker room. On my right were exotically colored parrots and on my left, the beginning of the translucent lagoons. Suddenly, to my surprise, five dolphins leaped out of the water and performed an acrobatic display. Normally, I'm opposed to the captivity of these animals, but here, it seemed different. Here they have the room they need to swim and it appears they're content. Another high mark for the owners of Xel-Ha.

I determined that the best way to explore the park was to let my inner tube take me wherever the currents flowed. At first glance, I was amazed at the variety of the tropically colored marine life. "A rainbow can't hold a candle to this," I thought. Secondly, the clarity and color of the water, emerald green, and underwater views that seemed endless. I floated by mangroves, caves, inlets and dense jungle. I lost myself and all time seemed forgotten. For what could have been hours or days, I'm not sure, my sense of time returned and I began to make my way back. Time for a quick shower and a late buffet lunch.

The drive back to my hotel produced feelings of bliss and contentment. "God, I'm lucky," I thought. What I didn't realize was just how lucky I was going to get.

That evening, I asked Hugo if there was another restaurant nearby that I could experience. "Zamas," he said. "Just down the road. You can walk there."

The moon, like an overhead diamond jewel, was full, illuminating the sky and all my surroundings. During my walk to Zamas, I had the distinct feeling I was being followed. Not by a person, but by spirits, Maya spirits. It was as if they were saying, "Welcome, welcome to our world." What I was about to realize was just how spiritual this area of the world really was.

(Continued in the Fall issue).