Mexico Features and Info

PLAYA DEL SECRETO LOCATION

Playa del Secreto (Secret Beach) truly is secret, and we think that is what makes it very special. It is a very small private gated  residential area that is quite and peaceful and surrounded by a jungle. Because we have no Hotels or Restaurants in the Residential portion of our beach to attract tourist, you will enjoy your self in a tranquil paradise! If you are tired of hurrying in the morning to get a choice spot on the beach before there all taken, or wearied of the beach hustlers, this place is for you. It is a great beach for swimming - no rocks, weeds or big drop offs.

   The beach of Playa del Secreto is Kid Friendly - nice clean sand to play in - the water has no big drop offs or weeds. 

    Sea Turtles lay eggs in late May and hatch in Mid Aug. If you are staying on the beach you can help in our community efforts to saves the turtles.

   When you get exhausted from all that serenity you can get in the car and drive 15 minutes to all the fine dining, night clubbing, shopping and people watching that the Cancun or Playa del Carmen has to offer. Playa del Secreto is a 6 minute drive to Puerto Morelos.

 It location makes it the perfect starting point to visit all of the area’s popular attractions including the archeological sites of Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza, the ecological parks including Xcaret, Xel-Ha and Tres Rios and the Sian Ka'an biosphere all within a few hours of your Villa.

TAXI ARE AVAILABLE IN PLAYA DEL SECRETO ALL DAY

HAVE MASSAGE AT THE VILLA 

   The professionals at White Health Spa will come directly to the villa to give you a massage or beauty treatment. Chose from: Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, a Simply Back Message, Shiatsu, Reflexology, Hawaiian Lomi-Lomi Massage or a Combination of any of the above. If your body's out of "balance" they have a Hot Stone Message or Message with Aromatherapy to center you. Or they also offer beauty treatments such as Salt Exfoliation, Manicure or Pedicure and Facials.  

Norberto Hernandez
011-52-045-984-113-0531
whiteheathspa@hotmail.com (CONTACT HIM DIRECTLYM FOR RESERVATION) OR LET US KNOW AND WE DO IT FOR YOU

PUERTO MORELOS

Puerto Morelos, a small fishing village located along Mayan Riviera between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, is only 5 minutes drive distance from Playa del Secreto. It is the perfect contrast between the glamorous, luxurious Cancun and the funky, bohemian atmosphere of Playa del Carmen. As a serene and quaint destination with a low-key population and a laid back attitude, vacationers here feel the essence of Mexico.
• Downtown you will find a variety of restaurants featuring fresh fish and native dishes, a small medical center, pharmacy, church, grocery stores, fruit stand, book shop, Mexican handicraft shops, money exchange, travel and car agencies plus bicycle rentals. In addition, outside of the downtown area you will find a Crocodile farm plus a magnificent botanical garden with their own Mayan ruins.
• You can experience the unsurpassed beauty of the second largest coral reef in the world, snorkeling (daily trips from Puerto Morelos), fishing trips, jungle tours,scuba diving, or shopping in the typical artisan stores or...have a dinner in one of the many excellent restaurants, pizzerias, pubs or cafes.
• Many of the stores maintain the traditional Mexican hours: open from 10 am to 1, closed for lunch and siesta and re-opened from 5 until 9 pm. Puerto Morelos is home to many artists and artisans who sell their work in the stores. On the weekends there is an open-air market called a tianguis where you can buy arts and crafts directly from the makers.

HOLA ASIA (asiatic cousin best fish & sushi)

JOHN GRAY KITCHEN ( american New )

PELICANO'S (Mexican Cousin)

 Alma Libre Bookstore as the "Borders" of Mexico... the only books in English south of Mexico City. Great selection... great people.

www.almalibrebooks.com

PUERTO AVENTURAS 

 Swim with the Dolphins In Puerto Aventuras (about 15 minutes pass Playa del Carmen) is the most covenant location when staying in one of the villas. There are 5 different programs offered, here is the most popular.

PLAYA DEL SECRETO IS SURROUNDED BY THE BEST GOLF IN CANCUN SEE BELOW THE LIST 

The following Designer golf courses are all with-in 2 to 25 minutes from the Villas in the Mayan Riviera.

• Mayakoba Golf Club - Designer: Greg Norman - 18 holes, par 72, 6977 yards. - PGA  February 17 - 21, 2010
• Iberostar - Playa Paraiso Golf Club - Designer: P. B. Dye design - 18 holes, par 72, 6641 yards. Canadian Professional Golf Tour: May 11 - 17, 2009.
• El Manglar Golf Course at the Mayan Resorts - Designer: Jack Nicklaus - 18 holes, par 54, 2923 yards. 2 minutes from the villas.
• The Golf Club at Playacar - Designer: Robert Von Hagge - 18 holes, par 72, 7144 yards. This is one of our renters favorites..
• The Golf Club at Moon Palace - Designer: Jack Nicklaus - 27 holes, par 72, 7201 yards  

PLAYA DEL CARMEN

 If  you should tire of the beauty, peace, and quiet of the villas, you may add a little spice to your day in Playa del Carmen - a short 15 minute drive away.

 It's is a little bit of Bourbon Street, a little bit of Key West and a little bit of South Beach mixed together in a Mexican Paradise. It is one of the fastest growing cities in Latin America, there are more people living in Playa del Carmen from outside of Mexico than ever, so speaking English or paying with US dollars is not a problem.

    Playa del Carmen is known as the little Europe of Mexico it has a wide variety of restaurants, foods from around the world - Thai, Beach bars with Sushi, Argentinean Steaks, German Beer Gardens, French Bistros, Italian Pasta and Pizza, Caribbean Seafood and Yucatan Fare and if you feel it necessary there are a few of those franchise burger places that sell "Whoppers" and "Big Mac's."

   You can also catch the ferry over to Cozumel for a day of hanging out - Ferry Schedule. Every time we go to Playa del Carmen something is new.. it's a ever-changing restaurant and shopping experience. Playa del Carmen is called "Playa" by all the locals even though the word Playa means Beach. Playa del Carmen has a pedestrian walkway that runs parallel to the beach called 5th Avenue. If you are not sure where to go in Playa del Carmen this is it. Plan to park your car and walk, you can spend a whole day just checking out 5th avenue's restaurants and shops, but my favorite thing is to grab a margarita and people watch.

     There are strolling mariachi bands looking for someone to perform for all along 5th Ave

BEST RESTAURANTS IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN (pictures in order with restaurants name)

DON EMILIONE'S

PALAPA HEMINGWAY (cuban food)

THE GLASS BAR RESTAURANT (Italian food)

LA PARRILLA (mexican)

LA CUEVA DEL CHANGO (mexican)

Mayan Ruins

Tulum is about an hour drive south from the Puerto Morelos / Playa del Secreto.

 It is small but very spiritual, located on top the 50 foot-high cliffs with the blue waters of the Caribbean as a backdrop.

Chichen Itza was the most important ancient city of the Mayan Culture, a center for religion, trade and politics. It is the largest and most impressive of the Mayan Ruins that lay within a day's trip distance from the Mayan Riviera area.

When you go you should pay for Private Guide - you really get the most of out the trip and learn a lot about the Mayan Culture that you will miss on your own. There is also a night light show that you don't want to miss. It's open 8am to 9pm. It's located 149 miles from Cancun towards Merida, and takes approximately 2.5 hours to get there.

Adventures  in Xel-ha or Xcaret….

Xel-Ha - The Snorkeling Heaven (ishel-ha) is a great pick for 1st time snorkeling, or people whom do not want to open water snorkeling on windy days when the ocean is rough.       The park is a large natural inlet that has a small opening to the ocean making it a natural aquarium for all kinds of fish and sea life. There is a fresh spring water river that flows threw a mangrove, down to the inlet - you can inter tube down. You can see cenotes and they have a small Mayan cave, or just find one of the hidden areas with hammocks.

Cenotes are natural oasis pools in the jungle, fed freshwater by the submerged caves, or underground riviers, which honeycomb the underground. Many of these cenotes can be visited on organized snorkel-swim tours while others with signs along the road simply require a small fee to enter

 Here you can see roughly 200 individual birds living in harmony with one another, all within an open-air sanctuary that has paths and trails leading to the birds' preferred nesting areas. Xaman Ha Aviary is located in the heart of the Riviera Maya in Playacar, Playa del Carmen

Eco Tours - Tour in Sian Kaan 
with EcoColors. Visit and get to know the most important Biosphere Reserve in Mexico "Sian Ka'an".

 From their visitors' center in the Sian Kaan go kayaking in through the mangrove estuaries, hiking in the jungle, discover plants and animals of the region, bicycling in the coastal dunes, visiting unique archeological sites of the Maya, snorkel in the cenote freshwater pools in crystal waters explore amazing caves and much more adventure. Email them at info@ecotravelmexico.com
Location: 3 kilometers north of the Boca Paila bridge, south of Tulum beach in the Sian Ka'an reserve

Transportation

FROM CANCUN AIRPORT

Rent a Car:
If you are getting a car for a week or more, book it at least a week out and get it at the airport. All the big companies are represented at the airport. We usually book our cars on Travelocity or Expedia (use the Canadian versions (.ca) if you are from Canada) and go with the cheapest option.

·  Cheap car rental deals at http://www.hotwire.com
Rental car as low as $16.00 usd a day!!! Cars at $96 usd a week!!! During Xmast week!!! My suggestion is renting a car online in this website , you can pick up comfortable your car right ourside the airport, and save moneys for taxis.

Book A Private Trasport:
There are a bunch of companies that do this. We like Vic at CancunValet.com. Cost is $50 US one way or $95 return for a vanload (up to 10 persons).

Taxi:
Book a taxi at one of the booths on the way out of the airport. Cost is about $50 US per taxi, up to 4 persons. It will cost about $25 when you go back to the airport from Playa del secreto.

Public Transport:
Book it at the booth on the way out of the airport. Cost is about $15-17 US per person to PLAYA DEL SECRETO. Two companies, Grey Line or Greenline. Booths are just outside the airport at the bottom of the ramp.