Tulum of Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico

8:31 PM

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Tulum is the site of a Pre-Columbian Maya walled city serving as a major port for Cobá.
Tulum’s greatest attraction is its location itself as it stands on a bluff facing the rising sun looking out on views of the Caribbean that are nothing less than spectacular scenery. Ruins are situated on 12-meter (39 ft) tall cliffs, along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico.
The Yucatan Peninsula on Mexico’s southeastern coast is famous for its fabulous beaches, Mayan archeological sites, and the Great Mayan Reef. Many visitors come for the sun and nightlife and spend their time in one of the luxurious hotels along the Cancun strip. There’s more to the Yucatan than Cancun and it’s easy to rent a car or hop on a local bus and see it all.

The Yucatan has 500 species of birds. It’s a great place for snorkeling and diving because the second largest coral reef system in the world runs by it.
Tulum is said as one of the last cities inhabited and built by the Mayans, it was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Now known as one of the best-preserved coastal Maya sites, Tulum is today a popular site for tourists.

Tulum has architecture design typical of Maya sites on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. This architecture is then recognized by a step running around the base of the building which sits on a low substructure similar to Chichen Itza. Doorways of this type are usually narrow with columns used as support if the building is big enough.

As the walls flare out there are usually two sets of molding near the top. The most of the room contains one or two small windows with an altar at the back wall, roofed by either a beam-and-rubble ceiling or being vaulted. This type of architecture resembles what can be found in the nearby Chichen Itza, just on a much smaller scale.

The name Tulum is the name given the site following a visit by the explorers Stephens and Catherwood in 1841, just before the beginning of the Caste War in 1847, long after the city was abandon and fell to ruins.

They ordered trees cleared and Catherwood made illustrations of temples, later to be published in their famous book “Incidents of Travel in Yucatan”. Juan José Gálvez is actually credited with Tulum’s rediscovery in 1840.

Cancun

12:49 AM

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 Cancun is Mexico’s most important tourist destination and one of the world’s most well known resorts, located in the state of Quintana Roo in theYucatan Peninsula. In Cancún there are about 140 hotels with 24,000 rooms and 380 restaurants and over four million visitors arrive each year. Cancun Mexico enjoys 240 days of sunshine a year, more than almost any other Caribbean location. The beaches in Cancun Mexico are almost 100 percent limestone; the porous quality of the limestone makes for cool sand even under the intense tropical sun.

Cancun Mexico itself is a great resort city with a vibrating night life. But Cancun Mexico also has many exciting shopping areas and everything else one would need to enjoy a relaxing holidays or vacations.

The surroundings of Cancun Mexico are mainly untouched nature, including jungles, many impressing archeological sites with Maya Pyramids, and all kinds of interesting animals and plants.

And of course there is the Mexican Caribbean Sea. The water at the beaches of the Caribbeans Sea is among the best and clearest anywhere. So its great for scuba diving and snorkeling. Especially a bit south of Cancun, there is the Great Maya Reef system, along the Riviera Maya.

Guadalajara

12:23 AM

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 Gudalajara was founded in 1542. Known as the "City of the Roses"(roses bloom 365 days a year), it is in fact the second most important city in is the cradle of Mexican folklore and the traditional culture that is most representative of the nation: mariachi music, charrería and tequila.It is considered a colonial city, though much of its architecture dates from the independence period. The city enjoys a temperate climate that averages 27 degrees centigrade or 80 degrees Fahrenheit the year round. It has a culture of rural tradition, now complemented by modern industrial development and commercial expansion

Location of Guadalajara:

Guadalajara is located in the state of Jalisco in the center of Mexico. It is 350 miles west of Mexico City. If you would like to combine your visit to Guadalajara with some time on the beach, Puerto Vallarta is a good choice (a three and a half hours drive away).

Guadalajara's History:

The word Guadalajara comes from the Arab word "Wadi-al-Hajara", which means "Valley of stones". The city is named after the Spanish city of the same name, which was the hometown of conquistador Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán, who founded the Mexican city in 1531. The city was moved three times before finally settling at its present location in 1542 after the previous locations were found to be inhospitable. Guadalajara was named the capital of the state in 1560.

Puerto Vallarta

7:54 PM

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A city of west-central Mexico on the Pacific Ocean west of Guadalajara. It is a popular coastal resort. The 2010 census reported Puerto Vallarta's population as 255,725 making it the sixth-largest city in the state of Jalisco. The City of Puerto Vallarta is the government seat of the Municipality of Puerto Vallarta which comprises the city as well as population centers outside of the city extending from Boca de Tomatlán to the Nayarit border (the Ameca River).

Many longtime lovers of the tropics know Puerto Vallarta as much more than a beautiful beach: It’s simply one of the loveliest spots in Mexico. Puerto Vallarta lies at the inner recess of the Bay of Banderas and the lanes of old town run right up to the vine-hung foothills of the Sierra Cuale.

How to get to Puerto Vallarta
Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR) is located just north of the city. The airport is served by local airlines and by numerous US airlines as well.

Weather
Puerto Vallarta is blessed with tropical climate. The temperature and humidity are almost constant all year round and there are two seasons: wet and dry. The average daily maximum temperature is 86 F, while the average minimum temperature is 70 F. Humidity averages 75% almost every day.
The rainy season lasts from mid-June to mid-October and most of the rain falls between July and September. Hurricanes seldom strike Puerto Vallarta although there have been such occurrences.

Cabo San Lucas

8:25 PM

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Cabo San Lucas is an anchor port for all cruises sailing on Mexico's Riviera and Sea of Cortez itineraries, and as such it's experiencing quite a tourist boom. This party town, population 70,000 and growing (mostly with Americans), serves up The Rocks and rock 'n' roll.

Luxury Retreats prides itself on the fact that Cabo San Lucas rentals are becoming more and more popular amongst its clientele as a leading vacation destination. Being a part of the municipality of Los Cabos, the city of Cabo San Lucas is rich in customs, traditions and values a laid-back way of life, much like that of the Caribbean. The friendly people, vibrant culture and beautiful white sandy beaches are only a few of the aspects that keep guests requesting Cabo San Lucas rentals. Besides the hundreds of different water sports, and the incredible 7,000 foot mountains to climb, this well known destination has also been acknowledged for the many first-rate activities such as world-class fishing and championship golf.

This top vacation destination has some of the best sportfishing in the world, and it is the quest for marlin that put Cabo San Lucas on the map. After World War II and the advent of private planes, Bing Crosby and John Wayne arrived to fish. In the 1970s, a highway was built to connect California to Baja, and the travel industry began in earnest.

Earlier visitors included 16th- and early 17th-century pirates like Sir Francis Drake and Thomas Cavendish, who hid from Spanish galleons in the many coves and bays along the southern coast of the Baja Peninsula. Spanish missionaries came to try to convert the natives to Christianity, but they and Spanish soldiers also brought diseases that wiped out the native population.

One of the downsides for most travelers whose ships sail here: All must anchor and tender passengers in to the port itself. That means -- especially for those folks sailing on 2,000-plus behemoths -- you'll need to factor in extra time getting to and from your ship. Even odder in this quite multi-faceted place is the fact that some ships only stop for half-day visits, which means that actual on-land time can be extremely limited.