We stopped to smell the roses… and just wanted to share what we saw.
We didn’t intentionally plan to post this on International Woman’s Day… it just kind of serendipitously worked out that way. Love when that happens!
Sensual Red
Free as a Bird
Have you ever just stopped to watch the coastal birds ride the wind currents along the shore? They coast and hover, letting the wind blow past their little beaks and flow through the feathery wings. One beautiful, natural expression of… freedom.
Sunrise in Tulum
Just some daybreak glimpses from Tulum, Mexico… enjoy!
Daybreak in Playa del Carmen
We just can’t seem to get enough of waking in time to catch the first rays of sunlight mark yet another beautiful day here in the Riviera Maya.
So please enjoy a couple more sunrise captures…
Pelicans in Playa del Carmen
Pelicans are simply one of those creatures here on earth that seem prehistoric, as if they belong to an ancient epoch. And, somehow, for some unknown reason, they escaped the natural extinction cycle of their native era and snuck into the modern world. The large water birds just seem… out of place – in a fascinating sort of way. And it’s no wonder, considering that fossil evidence of pelicans dates back at least 30 million years. We repeat: prehistoric.
One good place to spot a pelicans up close in Playa del Carmen is at the small pier found just at the end of 14th street at the beach. Go early in the morning, at daybreak or shortly after, and you just might spot a handful!
The Mayan Ruins at Coba
The Mayan ruins of Cobá boast the tallest Mayan pyramid found on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula – Nohoch Mul. Long, raised paved causeways, each known to the Maya as a “sacbe,” connect this pyramid with other ruins at the site. To help navigate these long roadways, tourists can rent bicycles for just $35.00 Mexican pesos. Taxi tricycles complete with a driver who serves as your guide can also be hired: $100 Mexican Pesos for an hour or $170 Mexican Pesos for two hours.
Located just about an hour and a half from Playa del Carmen, the ruins are a great opportunity to explore remnants from the ancient Mayan culture that once occupied the region. Cobá, situated between two natural lagoons, is believed to have been settled between 100 BC and 100 AD.
Photographer: Laura McNamara
Location: Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Mexican Caribbean Awash in Gold
The Mexican Caribbean is renowned for its jewel-toned hues of sapphire, turquoise, and emerald… but what about gold? If you are willing to wake just as Riviera Maya’s tropical birds begin their morning song, you’ll glimpse a brief moment of the day where the electric blues and bold greens of the Costa Maya become awash with gold.
Photographer: Laura McNamara
Location: Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Use TimeandDate.com to calculate the exact hour and minute of sunrise during your visit.
The Ceiba Tree: Sacred Tree of the Maya
The Ceiba tree… for us, its one intriguing example of nature’s organic, alluring architecture. In the ancient Mayan world, the Ceiba represented a central symbol of life and spirituality:
The Maya civilization believed, Yaaxché, a concept of the central world tree is often depicted as a Ceiba trunk, which connects the planes of the Underworld (Xibalba), the terrestrial realm and the skies. The unmistakable thick conical thorns in clusters on the trunk were reproduced by the southern lowland Maya of the Classical Period on cylindrical ceramic burial urns or incense holders. (Wikipedia).
We love how the roots of this tree is reclaiming a manmade wall.
Exploring Xcaret
The Riviera Maya is full of beautiful treasures to discover. Xcaret offers visitors the opportunity to explore the colorful customs and traditions of the Mayan culture along with natural plant and animal species indigenous to the Yucatan Peninsula:
Xcaret is majestic archaeological park located in Riviera Maya, Cancun in the Mexican Caribbean Sea shore. Enjoy a show at night, with more than 300 actors on stage, resulting in a musical journey through the history of Mexico since pre-Hispanic times to the present day, with all the colorful costumes, folklore and dancing. The recreation of a pre-Hispanic ball game, a charro celebration, a Mexican cemetery, a coral reef aquarium, a butterfly pavilion moreover underground rivers, beaches and natural pools, a place where you can swim with dolphins and have fun with countless attractions and activities that will make you live magical experiences. Come to Xcaret, one of the best Cancun attractions, and enjoy while discovering the natural and cultural wealth of Mexico.
Please enjoy a selection of magical images we captured during one of our short visits to the park…
Playaloves.me Underwater Exotica HD Highlight
We’re proud to announce a new artist joining the Playaloves.me Photography team… underwater videographer Bruno Laveissiere. His video artistry offers the perfect compliment to your underwater Trash the Dress photography session.
View a sample of his underwater film work here:
playalovesmeTTD from playalovesme on Vimeo.