​Sayulita.  If you haven’t visited Sayulita yet, you hopefully at least have it on your radar. This is the most picturesque of the Riviera Nayarit’s 23 micro-destinations, with local art and decorations on every corner. You can stop in for souvenirs, a surfing class and the iconic Instagram photo on the street with the colorful papel picado or cut-paper flags.!

Isla Isabel National Park.  This natural oasis on Isabel Island is ideal for connecting with nature: You can only get here with a guided tour from San Blas and you have to spend the night, since the tide prevents a round trip in one day. Here you’ll see plenty of fauna including the whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, frigates, seagulls and blue-footed boobies.  PS: This adventure is only for nature-lovers! 

Saltwater Pool.   A day spent splashing around in the water is awesome, but doing it in a saltwater pool is twice as nice. Located across from the Palladium Resort in Punta de Mita, this is a big must. This saltwater pool depends on the tide, so it’s only possible to swim in it when the waves literally fill it up.

Cerro del Mono (Monkey Mountain).  The best place to view the sunset! Great for people who love to hike. There are two routes: one for intermediate hikers and another for more experienced ones. Once you reach the top, you’ll be treated to the most jaw-dropping view of the Riviera Nayarit. If you’d rather hike in the morning, the view is just as lovely. 

Isla del Coral (Coral Island).   Paradise doesn’t get any better than this! Just 10 minutes by boat from lovely Rincón de Guayabitos puts you in the Riviera Nayarit’s gorgeous natural aquarium: Isla del Coral, or Coral Island. This place will knock your socks off with its crystal-clear water just made for snorkeling, swimming or paddle boarding. Highly recommended! 

Chris Rakes is an All Inclusive Luxury Expert and Mexico Destination Specialist available and happy to help you research, plan and go on that dream vacation! 

While there’s little doubt that the dining inside your hotel or resort will be top-notch, you should experience the full range of culinary experiences Mexico offers. This country is home to arguably the greatest culture of street food in the world, and tasting it is as simple as a quick stop between shops or museums. While there isn’t enough room in your stomach to try every single cart or stand, here are a few quintessential antojitos you need to savor.

Tacos - Perhaps nothing is more iconic of Mexican cuisine than tacos. Of course, these aren’t the mass-produced replicas of chain restaurants; here they’re the real deal. While variations exist based on which state of Mexico you’re in, every taco will likely consist of a warm corn tortilla (often hand-made), tender meat, and a smattering of fresh vegetables, fruits and salsas.

Tamales - Originating in Oaxaca, tamales today can be found and enjoyed all throughout Mexico. Composed of a thick steamed corn dough wrapped in either banana leaves or corn husks, the true treat of tamales is the stuffing: you can find anything from chicken mole to cheese to sweet pineapple inside.

Sopes and Gorditas - Sopes and gorditas are essentially two sides of the same coin: the same delicious corn dough with slight variations in preparation. Gorditas are when the corn dough is fried, then stuffed with meats, beans and cheeses and topped off with delectable salsas and creams. Sopes are the exact same thing, except all of the stuffings go on top of the corn patty, thus making them “toppings.” It may seem like a trivial difference, but you’ll be surprised at how difficult it is to choose between the two!

Tostadas - At first glance, Tostadas look like a mix between a taco and a pizza, but there’s more flavor there than meets the eye. The base is a crisp, salty tortilla that is gratuitously topped with anything from pork to cows’ foot to ceviche or fresh fish. Those traveling to Oaxaca should be sure to try a tlayuda, a huge tostada smothered in chocolate mole sauce, then topped with a salad and meat of your choice before finally being sprinkled with world-famous stringy Oaxaca cheese.

Elotes and Esquites - Elotes and Esquites are essentially the same food, prepared differently. Elotes is sweetcorn, served on a stick and smothered in mayonnaise, cream and chili. Esquites is sweetcorn cut from the cob, mixed with cream, lime juice, mayonnaise and chili inside a plastic cup. Either version is by far and away one of the tastiest options for enjoying Mexican street food.

Comotes - If you’re in Mexico City, you’ll want to try camotes fresh from a stand or cart. Camotes are plantains and sweet potatoes steamed, and then served with strawberry jam and condensed milk. If you can’t tell where they are by the crowds they draw, then listen for the distinct whistle of steam escaping the pot.

ChrisRakes@totalexperiencetravel.com visits Mexico 2+ times per year and it remains one of  her favorite destinations.  Contact Chris to learn more and start planning your trip to this wonderful destination!
#tet4u

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) officially announced that Mexico is now the sixth most visited country in the world. The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) originally announced the news in April, but the UNWTO confirmed the country welcomed 39.3 million international visitors (a 12 percent increase), which catapulted Mexico from eighth to sixth overall.  Mexico’s growth as a tourist hotspot is incredible. Since being ranked the 15th most visited destination in 2013, the country has jumped 62 percent to its sixth-place ranking. The increase was the fastest of any large global destination.

“Mexico’s historic ascent on the list of the world’s most visited countries is a testament to the fact that Mexico is indeed a world of its own, and one that people want to discover again and again,” Mexico Secretary of Tourism Enrique de la Madrid said in a statement. “We are proud of everything Mexico, and the more than 10 million Mexicans working in this industry, have to offer visitors. I am confident that this positive momentum will continue as more people discover the incredible experiences Mexico has to offer.

There are many reasons behind the blockbuster growth of Mexico, including the development of new and existing destinations, the diversification of tourism products and improved partnerships with airlines and hotels.  To continue the nation’s growth, the Mexico Tourism Board is working with industry partners in the United States and Canada to host unique events and experiences, such as Formula 1, the NFL and the FIFA World Cup 2026

I visit Mexico at least twice per year.  It is a favorite destination for both myself and my family! Not to mention lots of my honeymoon and destination wedding clients!!

​Contact me for ideas on best ways to visit and to start planning today! ChrisRakes@totalexperiencetravel.com
919.589.2437 / 434.333.0837

The numbers are growing at a dizzying rate. From 2013 through 2017, the nation saw a 62 percent increase in visitor traffic, the fastest growth rate of any large global destination. “We are very proud of having reached, for the first time in our history, the sixth-most-visited country in the world,” said Mexico Tourism Secretary Enrique de la Madrid speaking to an audience of travel agents during a Mark Travel Corporation webinar.

Accordingly, infrastructure is also expanding, including welcoming 15,000 to 20,000 new hotel rooms every year. “Just last semester, 7,000 new rooms were inaugurated [in Mexico],” said de la Madrid.
He also noted that the CEOs of Marriott and Hilton hotels have committed to adding 43 new properties in Mexico in the next two to three years.

Connectivity to the nation is also increasing. In 2017, some 18.6 million international visitors arrived by air. For 2018 alone, the country has already welcomed 4,600 new flights, including new service from Chicago to Mazatlan, Denver to Cozumel, Los Angeles to Acapulco and Seattle to Mexico City.

Mexico’s transformation into global tourism star has not come without its challenges, including an ongoing concern over visitor safety.  Mexico’s tourism industry has vowed to take a harder line on people and organizations spreading mis-information about the country.The Mark Travel Corporation webinar, which also featured tourism updates from area convention and visitors bureaus, was designed to help answer travel agents concerns and questions about these issues.

“[Mexico] is a fantastic destination and [one] that has been important to our company for over 30 years,” said host Ray Snisky, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer of The Mark Travel Corporation, before introducing Secretary de la Madrid. “It is the passion, warmth and graciousness of the people of Mexico that really makes that destination unique.”
“There’s a lot of misinformation [about Mexico] right now.” Snisky said, and that having the right information would transition into clarity and energy for travel agents selling Mexico.
During the webinar, Secretary de la Madrid addressed travel agent concerns about safety.
In the last update of the U.S. State Department,” he said, “there is basically no major touristic destination [in Mexico] that has any travel advisory.”

He noted that as of last August there were two visitor destinations with warnings, which went away with the update of the State Department Advisory system in January. He also clarified that the new system has four qualification levels. “Number 1, I suppose, being paradise,” he said, “[while Number 2] is all the normal countries around the world, where they put Mexico but they also put the UK, France and Spain. Just remember France is the number one tourist destination worldwide and Spain is number two, so we have the same qualification as those two destinations.”

He also told agents to remember that while Mexico frequently appears in the media over sensationalistic stories about violence, those stories are mostly drug-related. “Tourists coming to Mexico are not the target of this violence and they are not impacted, mainly, by this violence.” He pointed out that zero homicides in Cancun last year involved tourists.

He also added a little context, pointing out that Mexico is not too different than what happens in other parts of the world, or what happens in the U.S. The general crime rates generally do not have an impact on visitors to those destinations.

Despite the relatively low impact on visitors, Mexico’s tourism industry is taking these concerns seriously. A number of safety improvements have been implemented in Baja California Sur, where Los Cabos is locatd, for example. In April, said de la Madrid, Los Cabos saw its homicide rate drop by 80 percent.
Mexico is following a similar safety model in Quintana Roo, which is home to some of the nation’s top visitor destinations, including Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Cancun and Riviera Maya.

The measures, which are being spearheaded by state and local authorities as well as the tourism industry include an increased police presence at area beaches and on the roads. Also, additional metal detectors are being installed in Cozumel and Playa del Carmen and there’s also a new mobile site for visitor safety.

De la Madrid also addressed last year’s allegations of tainted alcohol being served in some of the top resort areas. “Not a single claim of tainted alcohol consumption has ever been proven true,” he said. “There was [however] evidence of a combination of excessive drinking and there was evidence of drugs.” He has also said Mexico will no longer “tolerate” any case where information being spread is false. Out of a desire to not to harm anyone’s reputation, Mexico was slow to point a finger at the accusers’ use of excessive drugs and alcohol. “But the reputation [we want to harm least] is ours,” he said.

He also recognized some media and other parties were frustrated with Mexico’s slow response, as the tourism industry tried to piece together what happened and said this was a mistake Mexico will not repeat.
Mexico will implement a management system in order to investigate situations more quickly. “We are trying to provide information soon, even if it is not yet complete,” he said. “That’s something we are working on.”

He said Mexico was keeping a careful eye on a report from the CDC that has called “binge drinking” an epidemic in the United States. This is something that obviously could affect Mexico, which welcomes more than 20 million American visitors every year. More training will also be provided to hotel personnel, teaching front line staff to stop serving alcohol to guests who are clearly inebriated. “They are not obliged to give these guests more alcohol,” he said.

De la Madrid also asked travel agents and other partners who do business in Mexico, to help set the record straight and be more proactive about sharing accurate information. He also recommended that travel agents stay educated about Mexico so they can become experts on selling the country. 

Other speakers during the Mark Travel webinar include Jorge Tellez, Promotion Director, The Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau; Julio Birrueta, Director of the Mazatlán Tourism Board; Elvira Moncayo, Public Relations, Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board; Marc Murphy, Director General, Riviera Nayarit; and Rodrigo Esponda, Managing Director, Los Cabos Tourism Board.

Personally, Mexico is one of my favorite destinations. As an all inclusive expert and honeymoon, destination wedding specialist, I travel there often. Contact me any time to learn more and book your Mexico vacation.  You get personal professional accessible service for the same price as doing it all yourself! ChrisRakes@totalexperiencetravel.com

In a continuing effort to keep sargassum from hitting land, an additional 27-kilometers of the seaweed barriers have been placed along the beaches in Riviera Maya.

Comercializadora Chaktumen of Quintana Roo, the company installing the barriers, completed the task on Thursday. The extra containment barriers won’t be placed in just one location, but added in sections of 500 or 1,000 meters in front of the most affected beaches during sargassum season.

According to the Riviera Maya News, the municipalities of Cancun, Mahahual, Puerto Morelos and Tulum, along with the old town of Playa del Carmen to the south of Punta Venado, are all considered high-priority locations for the barriers to be placed.

“We do not know the volumes nor the exact sites to which the marine vegetation will arrive, but the objective is to guarantee that the beaches are clean and available for tourism and that the balance of the environment is also ensured,” said Alfredo Arellano, Secretary of Ecology and Environment of Quintana Roo.

Arellano also added that even with the additional barriers in place, regular maintenance and cleaning will still need to be done to ensure the beaches are sargassum free. Vehicles equipped with vacuum suction will be brought in to remove piled seaweed already on land.

With these extra barriers added, those already hard at work clearing the seaweed and the two sargassum boats the US sent over to help with cleaning efforts, there’s no reason tourists should let sargassum deter them from these popular Mexican Caribbean destinations.

The entire Cancun region is a great spot with friendly people, impeccable service and beautiful resorts.  Contact All Inclusive Vacation Expert & Mexico Specialist, Chris Rakes to learn more and plan your Riviera Mayan vacation!

Mexico continues to rise the ranks among the world's most-visited destinations, ranking sixth globally after hosting more than 39 million international tourists in 2017.
Nonetheless, the Mexico Tourism Board is out to set the record straight regarding recent reports linked to the U.S. State Department's updated travel advisory system, which ranked Mexico as a "level 2" country where travelers should "exercise increased caution" when it debuted earlier this year.
However, level 2 was also assigned to destinations like Germany, France and the U.K. and the board points out that the advisory exempts major international tourist destinations across the country, including those in states with higher levels in the advisory.
"While Mexico faces challenges with crime and violence like many countries around the world today, the overwhelming majority of those incidents are related to Mexican individuals," the Mexico Tourism Board said in a statement. "In the very rare recent cases where foreigners have been impacted, the majority of the cases found that those individuals were involved in suspicious or criminal activity not associated with tourism."
So far in 2018, the U.S. State Department hasn't issued a single alert recommending against travel to Mexico. "Our main concern comes from the fact that the crime, violence and other statistics used are those for a country overall, not related to the number of incidents that impact foreign visitors," the board stated in January.
In its ongoing effort to eliminate any remaining doubt about visitor safety, Mexican officials are taking a proactive approach to reducing risks and ensuring travelers return home satisfied.
Enhanced security measures already taken in Quintana Roo include 24-hour surveillance at the maritime terminals of Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, additional metal detectors and an added police presence with specially-trained canine units.
Other upgrades include investments in technology to assist in the communication of security personnel with hotels and tour operators and close coordination between the entire tourism industry with the municipal police and other authorities in order to report any suspicious activity and take appropriate actions.
"Mexico is a safe, friendly and welcoming destination and one that is growing faster than the global industry average for more than five years in a row," the board states.
As Mexico continues to draw and win over more and more visitors, safety and security will remain a top priority. The destination is also working to boost travel infrastructure through new hotel and resort openings as well as added airline routes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MEXICO AND THE BEST PLACES TO STAY, CONTACT CHRISRAKES@TOTALEXPERIENCETRAVEL.COM