This year of 2012 is highly anticipated, whether with fear or jubilation, as it marks the end of the noted Mayan calendar. Will the world end on the 21st of December or does it, as many believe, rather mark the transition to a new era, the red era of love and increased intuition? Looking at the state of the world right now it certainly feels as if it could do with a bit of a shake-up! I greeted the arrival of the new year in the very place where the Mayans erected impressive pyramids and went about their lives more than 1000 years ago; the Mayan Riviera on the tip of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. And the trip turned out to be a great reminder and inspiration for living simply in the present and in harmony with our  environment.

The little town of Tulum which means wall or fence in Mayan, was an important trading post during the late Mayan era and boasts an important archeological site built right above the azure waves of the Caribbean. Located one and a half hours drive south of Cancun, Tulum has so far escaped the over development that has beset Cancun and Playa del Carmen further up the coast. And although the area is fast becoming a hot-spot for the global cognoscenti and with the inevitable change that will entail, the conservation laws have dictated that buildings be low-rise and hotels of the boutique type instead of the ginormous complexes found elsewhere. The area has a hippie feel – there are lots of young types toting yoga mats and ethnic bags – but there is also a definite understated sophistication – and more than a few famous faces come here to relax.

We stayed at the wonderful Sueños Tulum. The 12 rooms are housed in buildings inspired by the elements and the ancient Mayan civilisation. Everything here exists in harmony with the environment: solar panels provide electricity only after dark, the bathrooms are stocked with organic products and the loos are of the eco kind. We liked this back to nature approach – who needs air-conditioning when the breeze from the sea, only metres away, provides ample relief from the heat? And as the light was too hazy for lengthy pre-dinner prep sessions, I became very low maintenance – totally in keeping with the relaxed vibe of the place.

Staying at Sueños felt like visiting good friends – Elisabeth, Jorge and Giovanna looked after us with genuine care, and the children made friends with everybody – they even took to renaming the resident dogs; FYI henceforth known as Flufkins, Growler and Tarzanna.

One of the highlights of our holiday was the visit to the Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve,  just down the road from Sueños. It offers great educational excursions – fantastic for kids to learn about wildlife preservation and the workings of the ecosystem. Our guide explained that the beach at Cancun and Playa del Carmen is already eroding and has to be artificially topped up with sand every few months. This is because the big all-inclusives pollute the environment and upset the delicate balance that exists in nature. I have never been a fan of huge, impersonal hotels with fifteen restaurants, kiddy clubs and free plastic drinks anyway but now I have a valid reason to stay clear of them. Promise to self: boycott on environmental grounds!

I came home from this holiday refreshed (after the jet-lag wore off!) and full of new resolve to improve areas of my life and do my bit for the environment. The best kind of vacations are the ones that provide you with positive inspiration and my family and I certainly learnt valuable lessons having seen sustainability at work first hand. We are now ready to make 2012 a fantastic year!

Essential Tulum 

Stay: Sueños Tulum

Breakfast: Mateo’s – great coffee, pancakes, huevos rancheros.

Eat: Tabano – Mexican food, cozy ambience. Good wine list. Hartwood – the “in” place to eat: NY-style steaks on  the open grill. Om – hippie vibe on the beach, great pizzas. Zebra – adhere to the principles of slow food.  Fab burgers and ceviche as well as Mexican favourites like tacos and guacamole. Sueños – the restaurant is well worth staying in for: the lime soup is sublime!

Drink: Be Tulum – the most stylish hotel in Tulum, design paradise. Sand Bar at El Pez on a Friday – sip margaritas with feet in the sand; DJ spins some funky tunes. And when in Mexico – drink margarita!!!

Shop: Josa – new this year, stylish beach cover-ups in fab prints, has a Hamptons feel about it.  Shalom – boutique with a good selection of covetable pieces and jewellery.

Do: Restorative yoga at Amansala – the home of bikini bootcamp. Borrow bikes at Sueños and head to the Mayan pyramids down the road – no crowded tourist bus required! San Ka’an biosphere reserve – we loved the sunset tour which includes a delicious dinner. You will discover the local flora and fauna – the all important mangroves and wildlife including crocodiles, dolphins as well as numerous varieties of birds. The Mayan ruins at Coba are an hour’s drive away – more extensive than those at Tulum and including that adrenaline rush of climbing a pyramid – helicopter rescue not included!

Quick guide to eco-chic

(thank you Wikipedia!)

Ecology: Scientific study of relation that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment.

Ecosystem: Biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as the non-living (abiotic), physical components such as air, soil, water and sunlight.

Renewable energy: Comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished.

Slow food: International movement that aims to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourages farming of plants, seeds and livestock in keeping with the local ecosystem.

Sustainable development: Pattern of growth in which resource use aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment.

Links

SueñosTulum

Sian Ka’an cesiak

Amansala

BeTulum

LaZebraTulum

Sand Bar TulumHotelPez

Om Tulum-Playa