As I was surfing the Internet, looking for information about diving in Playa del Carmen, I found new centers where to enjoy this beautiful water activity. Here are the new diving centers.

Go Cenotes (Español, English, Français and Deutsch) is a new PADI certified center that operates from Playa del Carmen. They offer diving and snorkeling in the reefs of Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Tulum, as well as night immersions. The diving and snorkeling routes can be guided or not, and, the truth is that the prices seem quite affordable. They also offer good programs for certified and experienced divers. Moreover, they can record your immersions so that you take with us a beautiful memory of our stay in Playa del Carmen.

Phantom Divers offers almost the whole range of PADI courses, from beginners to advanced divers. From this center in Playa del Carmen we can dive in the pristine waters of its coasts and the reefs of Cozumel Island. Their routes to the cenotes, with all the necessary equipment and guides have quite affordable prices and also a wide range of schedules. They also offer long visits and diving of seven to ten days.

On their part, Sealife Divers, which Website the photo of the head of this post is taken from, offer several water activities in Playa del Carmen, such as: cheap diving programs if contracted for days with the possibility of choosing which days to enjoy them. The diving spots are the usual ones and they are also officially certified.

Scuba Caribe has branches in several places in the Caribbean, among which Playa del Carmen, where they offer certified courses and an interesting family program. The picture of the fish is taken from their Website. Diversity Diving, offers a wide range of prices as well as specialized and certified courses together with excursions to the most popular reefs and cenotes. All these websites we have talked about include photographs and videos, which undoubtedly, are an invitation to immerse in the reefs and cenotes of the Riviera Maya.

To close this series of articles, here are links to companies that do the same activity, but in other places. As you can see, Cozumel Island, the diving paradise in the Riviera Maya, is just opposite the coast of Playa del Carmen.

Cozumel Island: Aqua Safari, Blue Angel, Deep Exposure Dive Center, Del Mar Aquatics, Blue Bubble Divers, Sand Dollar Sports, Studio Blue Cozumel, Dive College, Deep Blue, Dive Palancar, Dive Paradise, Dive With Martin, Dressel Divers, Scuba Clun Cozumel, Scuba Du.

Puerto Aventuras: Aquanauts, Pro Dive México, Scuba Caribe.

Akumal: Akumal Dive Shop, Bahia Dive Center.

Puerto Morelos: Wet Set.

Tulum: Maya Diving.

Cancun: AquaWorld, Manta Divers, Scuba Cancun, Scuba Caribe.

Isla Mujeres: Aqua Adventures, Coral Scuba Dive Center.

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Francisco Cenamor

Although we have talked about them before but there is no harm in reminding you here of the existence of two big natural theme and archaeological parks where you can dive in the Mayans cenotes. These are the Xel-Há Water Theme Park and the Eco-Archaeological Park of Xcaret.

Altournative is one the companies based in Playa del Carmen that organizes all kinds of adventure routes; several of these routes include diving in the cenotes On their Website they claim to be a socially responsible company which respects the people and the Mayan culture and whose trips have the least impact on the environment, two things that are always good to be taken into account. The information on the site is in English only and the picture of this post is taken from the site.

The journey to the cenote and any other route is by quad, a four-wheeled motorbike. It is organized by AVT Explorer, which offers tours in the jungle in these vehicles including snorkeling in different cenotes. They also have an office in Playa del Carmen and their Website is in English.

Opposite the watchtower of Playa del Carmen are other centers like Jaime’s Marina, from which you can make routes including snorkeling: you can take your own equipment or rent one there. They are specialized in diving in the coral reefs and their Website is also in English.

If apart from visiting the cenotes, you want to do specific diving courses, one of the practical possibilities is to do it with Labna-Ha (Español, English and Deutsch). Labna-Ha in Mayan means “old house in the water”. They offer many courses and also organize routes to practise diving and snorkeling. Besides, they manage Magic Mayan World Eco-park where the cenote Caracol, one of the famous cenotes of the area, is. Since they are also very strict with the protection of the environment, the groups are very small so you have to book in advance. The second photo is taken from their Website.

Scuba Libre has been working in Playa del Carmen for ten years and has two centers. They organize diving courses certified by international institutions. They have many diving spots opposite the coasts of Playa del Carmen. They also organize snorkeling in six different cenotes not very far from Playa del Carmen and visits to several places of the western coast of Cozumel Island.

Yucatek Divers (Español, English, Français, Deutsch), are specialized in services for physically disabled people. But, of course, they also offer a lot of activities: starter courses, diving on the coasts of Playa de Carmen or in several cenotes. One of their specialties is diving with sharks on Hotbox Island, and their tours start from Playa del Carmen. Their other two specialties are snorkeling at the same places and a specific program for children. They organize guided tours around Playa del Carmen and the surrounding jungles and to several archaeological spots, and curiously, also offer Spanish courses.

And, to finish this review, here are three other centers in Playa del Carmen specialized in diving in its several specialties: Aquanauts, Dive Mike (English, Dansk) and Akumal Dive Adventures.

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Francisco Cenamor

(Click here to read (in Spanish) the first part of this post and also click here to read this in English).

We have to bear in mind several aspects when trying to discover the history of the Mayas. Here we are going to talk about the periods in which scholars have divided this History. The first one is the Pre-classical period and, although it seems that there is no agreement as for the duration of this period, it seems the common dates are between the year 1000 before our era and the year 320 of the present era. Before this period, there are also evidences of human activity, mainly on the Yucatan Peninsula, were as we know, the Riviera Maya is.

The Maya empire covered the northwest of El Salvador and Honduras, Guatemala and Belize and the present states of Mexico: Yucatan, Campeche, Quintana Roo (where Playa del Carmen is located) and Chiapas.

According to recent studies, the Maya civilization originated from a migration of the inhabitants of the Pacific coast in the year 1220 before our era, who headed to the Yucatan Peninsula. They were the Olmecs, but their settlement and mixing with the inhabitants of the areas they were reaching gave rise to the people known as Protomayans or the ancestors of the Mayans. The Olmecs had a great influence on the first settlers and there was no fully autonomous and established Mayan culture at least until the first Century of our era.

During this period of the Maya History, the area that had the most influence was situated in El Petén, at the north of present-day Guatemala. There, they settled cities such as Nakbé, El Mirador, Cival and San Bartolo. It is worth mentioning that most of the original names of the Mayan cities are unknown and most are known with their present names.

The social organization of these first Mayan cities was stable and organized. Obviously, the western concept of city has nothing to do with the one of the Mayas of that period and the cities were perfectly integrated in the jungles were they were built, since the Mayas, at least during that period, professed a sacred respect to nature, on which their gods were based.

A more and more complex social and political organization started to develop in answer to the growth of the population and urbanization. A strong internal hierarchy appeared with priests and the nobles gaining more authority. This period is also known as the Agricultural Period, due to the important development of this human activity, mainly based on corn, beans, cacao and pumpkins. Other activities such as hunting, fishing or harvesting were then secondary.

As far as architecture is concerned, they started building the first temples and the origins of the future pyramids: some mounds used to bury the dead. Religion was very simple and was based on the belief in life after death and a great cult and veneration to the dead.

Little by little, at the end of this period, in the Late Pre-classical period, other important Mayan cities started to develop such as Santa Marta and Tonala in the Mexican state of Chiapas; Edzna and Xicalango in Campeche; Acanceh and Dzibilchaltun in Yucatan; El Trapiche and Casablanca in El Salvador and Kaminaljuyu in the south of Guatemala.

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Francisco Cenamor

Diving in its different forms is one of the main activities in Playa del Carmen that we have talked about during all these months that our blog has been created. So here are some reliable companies with whom you can dive in Playa del Carmen and its surroundings.

Maybe the most accessible activity to the majority of people is snorkeling (we have already talked about it), and Mayan Adventure is a specialized company, located in Playa del Carmen. They offer seven-hour diving tours in caverns and cenotes, which start from the time they pick you up at the airport in a van till they drop you back. Apart from transport, these tours include snorkeling, specialized guides, lunch. Noteworthy is the determination of this company to practise an ecotourism really respectful with the environment in which they work. They also offer another extreme tour that includes the visitor to the Mayan ruins of Tulum. Their Website does not have the price list.

Hidden Worlds Cenotes Park is a park specialized in water activities related to the cenotes. It is located half an hour from Playa del Carmen and offer several types of guided visits with snorkeling and scuba diving. The Website is in English only, but they have a good photo gallery that makes you green with envy (the photo of the head of this post is taken from their Website).

There are also many companies specialized in diving activities which are certified by international diving institutions. And, although they mainly give services to expert divers, they also offer diving courses, initiation tours and snorkeling. Among these companies are Scuba Playa (Español, English, Français), which offers a wide range of places where to dive or snorkel: from the most famous and beautiful cenotes like the Gran Cenote or the one of Nohoch Nachich, to several spots of the marvelous coral barrier that runs along the coast of the Riviera Maya. The site includes some videos which are a good reference of the places where you can practise immersions.

Dressel Divers International is a company also certified by international diving organizations based in Spain and in America which has two branches in Playa del Carmen. They offer certified courses and activities for experienced divers, but they also offer tours for amateurs and novice divers as well as several snorkeling routes in open sea, reefs (in the photo) and cenotes. The company was created by one of the greatest diving experts worldwide, Javier Ibrán Pardo, a Spaniard who is the current president. Their specific diving program for children is quite interesting.

Phocea Riviera Maya (Español, English, and Français) is more than a diving center because they also help you to prepare your own routes within the Yucatan Peninsula in order to travel independently but with information. As for diving, they have a French-Mexican team, highly specialized and offer immersions for experts as well as courses for amateurs and novice divers. Their head office is located in Playa del Carmen. The most interesting specialty of this company is diving with whale sharks on Holbox Island.

This post falls too short for all the information on the many other companies devoted to diving and snorkeling in Playa del Carmen or its surroundings, so we will continue writing on this topic.

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Francisco Cenamor.

Isla Holbox is a marvellous place to visit, although it is not very close to Playa del Carmen (a four-hour drive by highway, at least by bus). The trip will surely take less time if we go by van or rent a car.

Anyway, if we choose to go by bus, we will have to go to Cancun and, from there, at the Terminal Central (Central Terminal), take a bus of the company Mayab to Puerto Chiquila where we can take the ferry. The bus fare is 8.50 euros for the roundtrip which takes about three hours. The journey in ferry from Chiquila to Isla Holbox costs about 5 euros for the roundtrip which takes 20 minutes.

If you can afford it, the best way to go is undoubtedly, by aero taxi. According to the information on the website of Aerosaab, the company that offers this type of service, the price per person is 334 euros plus airport taxes, in a charter flight. This same company offers a day trip to Isla Holbox in light aircraft and includes lunch and several visits for 196 euros per person.

But it is worth, according to travelers’ opinions on forums, to stay there some days in order to enjoy most of its marvels. There are not many hotels there, so it is convenient to book in advance.

Isla Holbox in Mayan language means “black hole”, referring to the subterranean lagoon located south. The Mayans used this island to settle fishing camps. To know more about the history of this island here is an interesting link. As a natural heaven, it is priceless. One of the most interesting spots is Isla Pájaros, a smallish nearby island, located at 30 minutes by boat, where in a space of no more than 200 square miles, we can watch thousands of birds, some of them endangered. Of course, it is compulsory to respect the zones limited for trekking and to watch them from the observation posts provided for this.

Isla Pasión, hardly 20 minutes away, is the typical uninhabited island where all of us would like to get lost, although we meet another visitor there. It is an island where one imagines to find a pirates treasure. Talking about pirates’ refuge, you don’t want to miss the lagoon of Yalahao or Yalahau, a surprising fresh water lagoon located between the island and the continental part of Isla Holbox. Needless to say that you can contract a guided tour to visit these three places in an “all inclusive package”.

You can travel freely around Isla Holbox, the most popular vehicles being bicycles and golf carts. Don’t forget that it is only 26 miles long by 1/^1/4 miles wide. The adventure travelers may find completely deserted fine white sandy beaches. Another way of visiting the island is by motorboat and, if you are lucky, you can enjoy one of the unparalleled pleasures of swimming with whale sharks.

You can reach the continental part of Isla Holbox easily by van or rented car from Cancun. There, you can also visit interesting places like the archaeological remains of El Naranjal: 50 structures in hardly 1/^1/4 miles of a marvellous ecological interesting route. Some of the ruins are being restored. There are many more attractive spots in this part of the island, so here is a link to discover further.

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Francisco Cenamor

Like the majority of civilizations that have existed on out planet, the Mayans were polytheist. Their Gods derived directly from their relation with nature and the stars, which the Mayan used to observe in detail.

Although the type of beliefs was more or less constant during the Mayan history, we have observed that some researchers of the Mayan religion establish a period previous to the influence of the Toltec and a subsequent one.

But, generally speaking, it can be said that the most important god would be Hunab Kú (which means in Mayan language “only god”), a powerful god that governed the planet and was helped by several secondary deities. This is apparently a contradiction a unique god accompanied by a cohort of gods. Hunab Kú built the world three times. The first time it was inhabited by genies; the second time by an evil and dark race called dzolob; and the third and last one by the Mayan. There are proofs that they believed in other creator gods such as Tepeu and Gocumaz, surely related to the first one.

But the most well known name of this god is, undoubtedly and surely due to the archaeological discoveries, that of Kukulkán, which in Maya “plumed snake”. This caused to relate him to the Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs. They started using this name under the strong influence of the Toltec. Apart from the name, it is believed that the faith in this god is previous to the Mayans and can be found in other cultures of Central America. The Mayans believed that his heart and his mind were in the center of the universe and that he was the creator of the universe and the human beings.

The names of other gods of this era were derived from the stars: the sun, Kin; the moon, Uh; Venus, Noh Ek; the star of the north Xaman Ek…; and other of less importance. Natural phenomenons also gave their names to new gods: Chaac, the god of the rain; Ik, the god of the wind; or Yum Kak, the god of fire. Human activities also had their own gods such as Yum Kax the god of agriculture; Ek Chuah, the god of war; Itzamná the god of wisdom; Ix Tab the goddess of suicide, which curiously refers to the sacrifices, since it was thought that those who committed suicide when directly to heaven; and Ah Puch the god of death. Maybe apart from Kukulkán there were other two important gods. Itzam Ná, the son of Hunab Kú, was the god of the sky, the night and the day and was represented by an elderly kind-hearted and toothless man. It was said that he invented the books and writing and is considered to be the first priest. Ix Chel or Ixchel was the wife of the previous one and was closely related to the moon and was venerated by women and on isla Mujeres there are remains of a temple where women went on pilgrimage to celebrate the passage from teenage to youth.

But, despite she was given positive attributes, she was represented by an angry old woman surrounded by symbols of destruction and death; what is more, she is considered as the goddess responsible of floods.

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Francisco Cenamor

There is a vast choice of flights to the Riviera Maya, as well as the prices. Needless to say that it also depends on the season, which is why this is the time for good offers and discounts on the ticket prices. And, although there are many packages which include hotels, we will take a look at the airfares. A round trip, of course.

For example, if we leave on the Friday 5th October to come back on the 12th in tourist class, we can choose between three flights of Iberia to Cancun, where the airport to the Riviera Maya is. Depending on the travel agency, there might be a difference of 30 euros more or less, including taxes and this is about 740 euros, almost the same as travelling with Air Europa, but this company only has one flight on this date.

It is a good idea to check if it a direct flight or not, although it doesn’t seem to be a direct flight for that day. And it is also important to check the duration of the flight since there big differences of up to 5 hours within the same company and between 15 to 20 hours. It is also common to change the company during the stopover. Iberia for example, almost always entrusts Aeroméxico the second part of the trip.

If we left on the 8th October to come back on the 15th, we can find a wide range of flights and prices. Curiously, the cheapest company is the Dutch KLM, which offers flights (two on this day) with a stopover in Amsterdam, of course. But there are also other companies: American Airlines, Aeroméxico, Cubana, Air Europa, Delta, Iberia, Continental Airlines, British Airways or Mexicana. Air Europa and Aeroméxico offer direct flights.

If, on the contrary, we want to leave on Tuesday 9th October and come back on the 16th October, we will be saving 50 euros on the airfare travelling with Aeroméxico in tourist class with a stopover.

When surfing the internet in search of air tickets there are tens of sites where we find flights: Rumbo, Easy Viajar, Destinia, eDreams, Muchoviaje, Viajar… it is always good to have references of the airlines we are flying. A good way is to visit the Internet forums where travellers share their experiences. One of the negative experiences most commented on of these forums is the change of the schedule of the planes, which normally happens after we have paid for the ticket and is always for worse: suddenly there is a technical problem that will make our flight last three hours more. But, the most successful are the packages that include the flight and the hotel. Paying for packages is almost the same as paying for the flight alone.

And, although there is a huge difference and we have spent a lot of time and money, reaching the Riviera Maya and discovering its marvels is quite compensation.

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Francisco Cenamor

The Fives USA blog about Playa del Carmen & the Riviera Maya, Mexico

The first news of the discovery of the ruins of the Mayan city of Coba dates back to 1842. From then on, researchers have been recovering its marvels little by little. Presently, it is one of the many archaeological centres that can be visited on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Coba is located at only 62 miles of Playa del Carmen, which makes it easy to be reached from there. The means of transportation are the usual ones: van or bus from the station of Fifth Avenue, or by a rented car. Hotels and agencies also organise all in one package tours. Once in Playa del Carmen, it is very easy to get there. The entrance fare is 45 pesos (about 3 dollars).

It is situated east of Tulum which gives us a good excuse to stay there for at least two and visit both places and spend the night in the modern Tulum. Coba in Mayan language means “the place of ruffled waters”.

It is possibly one of the Mayan cities to have reached its maximum magnificence quite early. There are vestiges that in the years 200 and 600 A.D., this city-state had an influence over all the northern part of the Peninsula of Yucatan, due to its location which made it the crossroad of countless commercial routes. Its power even reached some commercial ports such as Xel-Há. The result of this wide network, today we can enjoy the pictorial remains of Coba which clearly show the influence of the Teotihuacán’s, who came from the central part of Mexico.

But this supremacy of Coba will start decreasing with the rise of the area of Chichén Itzá. After a first period of confrontation, the supremacy of the latter Mayan city started from the year 900 or 1000 A.D. following territorial and commercial disputes between the two cities. When the Spanish people arrived in the area, the city of Coba was uninhabited. The consecutive necessities of the city throughout its history have left a set of areas very different chronologically as well as functionally, up to a perimeter of 43 square miles packed with archaeological remains. All the zones discovered cannot be visited, due partly to deterioration and partly to the fact that the discoveries are quite recent and there is still more to be investigated.

The visit starts by Grupo Coba, is composed by residences and palaces. The most important is the building devoted to cult, which in the zone is called Iglesia, (church) and is 82 feet tall. Another group that can be visited it the Nohoch Mul, which is older than the previous one. The height of its buildings is quite surprising especially the tallest of all those found in the several Mayan cities, is also called Nohoch Mul (which in Maya means “large hill”); the lowest plinth and the temple is about 138 feet height. Other two groups can also be visited: the Grupo de las Pinturas (Temple of the Paintings), in reference to the remains of mural paintings that are still preserved in some structures; and the Macanxoc, with remarkable steles in remembrance of the achievement some of the queens who governed Coba.

One of the added interests of the visit to Coba is that all the buildings are in the middle of luxuriant jungles where we can delight in the marvellous flora and fauna.

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Francisco Cenamor

The Fives USA blog about Playa del Carmen & the Riviera Maya, Mexico

At some 12 miles of Playa del Carmen we can find one of the first tourist centers of the Riviera Maya. Despite this, it did not experience a wild urban development and still keeps all the charm of a beautiful and calm hamlet: 240 hectares and 3 miles of marvellous beaches await the visitor. Being so near offers many possibilities of transportation: van, buses, rented car, taxi…, and even bicycle.

The type of most common building in the area: tourist resorts that offer all you need to enjoy a relaxing holiday in a heavenly spots. But, there are also a lot of activities to be done.

As I said before, the nearness allows you to do something for which Puerto Aventuras is renown on the Riviera Maya: its gastronomy. In spite of being a very small place, it enjoys some prestigious restaurants that offer a variety of food. Going for lunch and taking a stroll later on is something we can do on any of the days we spend in Playa del Carmen. But, we can also do other types of activities. Puerto Aventuras is the home of one of the main ports of the Riviera Maya, the Marina of San Carlos. Taking a stroll on the marina while admiring the any boats is quite a sight but, we can also find several water activities.

One of the main activities is sport fishing, due to the abundant and great variety of fish that can be found on the coast. You can also rent several types of boats with or without helmsman. We can also easily access the snorkel and diving centers. A type of more specialised diving very common in Puerto Aventuras is scuba diving, for which you need oxygen. Many scuba divers from all over the world come go there to dive at high sea and admire or investigate the marine fauna and flora.

Another activity related to nature is birding, not only in the surrounding jungles, but also on a small island located in the middle of the bay that shapes Puerto Aventuras.

Like in many other places in the Riviera Maya, there is a dolphinarium where we can swim among these friendly animals. And, if we want to have a swim, there are tens of signs along the highway that indicate where we can find the several cenotes that surround the city. In the majority of them, we will have to pay a small admission charge. A remarkable site is the cenote de Chacmool has numerous tunnels, caverns and caves; stalactite here is the world’s largest submarine with 12 meters in length.

Undoubtedly, one of the most original sites of Puerto Aventuras is its Museo de barcos hundidos (Shipwreck Museum) that displays that displays wreckage and artefacts collected from shipwrecks along the eastern coastline.

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Francisco Cenamor

The Fives USA blog about Playa del Carmen & the Riviera Maya, Mexico

At approximately 38 miles from Playa del Carmen we can find the antique and modern city of Tulum.

If we rent a vehicle to be on our own it is useful to know that road 307 crosses the modern city. Getting there in taxi from Playa del Carmen costs approximately 294 Mexican pesos (19 dollars). The bus station of Quinta Avenida has a bus line departing every half an hour to Tulum and costs 29 pesos, only (2 dollars); the journey by bus takes one hour and a half. Vans and all inclusive guided tours are also offered in Playa del Carmen and can be hired on arrival.

The antique city can be visited any day of the week all year round from 8am to 5pm. The entrance fee is 45 pesos (3 dollars). It has a parking lot and sanitary fittings.

The modern city of Tulum has all the necessary services and if we wish to stay for more than one day, we have many lodging offers as well as houses for rent. One of the peculiarities of this tourism region, where the environment conservation is important, is that they use power from solar energy and wind farms.

Regarding the antique city of Tulum we know that its name is new and in Mayan language it means “fence or wall”. While inhabited, it was called Zama, “dawn”. Getting to the ruins is impressive since they are in the highest part of a cliff dominating the Caribbean Sea (from where dawn can be seen) and the archaeological remains are placed in almost 4 miles through the coast

Even tough some discoveries, as the one of a document dating events in year 565 (Classic Period of the Mayan History), tells about a zone inhabited long ago, most recent research affirms that this city reached its splendor only in the Late Period (1200-1521), when it was surely densely inhabited. We can also visit some buildings with architectural features of the Classic Period.

The central part of this antique city is protected by a wall where there are remains of administrative and religious public buildings. Outside the wall were the apartments of these antique Mayas.

During its best period, Tulum was an important Mayan port devoted to trading products from the inner lands and the coast in the whole Riviera. Some archaeological remains recently found show how this port would be trading with more distant regions, as the ones situated in the present day Guatemala or the Mexican high plateau.

It also had much religious importance since the gods had a great relationship with stars and Zama-Tulum was a privileged place where they could be observed.

Tulum was an independent State city until the arrival of the Spaniards when it was abandoned by its inhabitants who were running away from the new invaders.

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Francisco Cenamor

The Fives USA blog about Playa del Carmen & the Riviera Maya, Mexico

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