What to do when the Sargassum Hits - Update
Many people are planning their vacations to the Maya Riviera. I see over and over people asking how is the sargassum situation? Some even try to find out what the conditions will be WHEN they arrive. First off, no one can predict that. It depends on the wind direction, wind strength and other environmental variables that none of us know in advance. We can look at data from past years, but each year is so different. This year the sargassum is arriving earlier than it has before. There are days that our bay is chock full of sargassum and workers are frantically working to clear it. The next day the winds change, the currents take some of it back out to sea and all is clear and beautiful again.
What I would advise to those visiting during “sargassum season” is don’t worry about the beach conditions. If you are solely coming to the Maya Riviera for that, you are missing so much! To me, who lives here full time and have been visiting since 1998, the beaches, as beautiful as they are, are the icing on the cake. What truly makes this area special is so much more than Caribbean Beaches. The people. The culture. The food. The unique environment. The cenotes. The history. The jungle. The recreational parks. The shopping … the list goes on. I think if you come to the Maya Riviera and you find that your beach is covered with sargassum, it is probably a sign that you need to get out of your comfort zone, leave your all inclusive resort and venture out to find the true paradise.
OK, so you have been to Tulum or Chichen Itza and think you know about the Maya Ruins, but those are merely the most touristy of ruins and basically, if that is the extent of your ancient history, you have barely touched the tip of the iceberg. A day trip to Coba, Ek Balam, Uxmal, Muyil or dozens of other ruins are well worth the trip. I have found the more ruins you visit, the more ruins you want to visit. It’s like reading a great book and being so glad that it is only one in a series. Some of the characters overlap and, given the 3 periods of Mayan Civilization, the stories are incredible. May I suggest you search for our stories about the Female Leaders and Warriors on our Sac-be website.
The history here is not limited to the pre-Columbian ruins, wander to some of the Colonial Cities and see the magnificent churches, architecture, haciendas and gorgeous courtyards. Valladolid is close enough that you can make a day trip to visit one of the Yucatan’s most endearing and accessible cities. Or expand your vistas and see the yellow town of Izamal, or venture further down the road to see the crème de la crème of Colonial cities Merida.
OK, so you came to swim, snorkel or dive, I hear you, but the Yucatan peninsula is FULL of underground rivers and gorgeous cenotes full of fresh water - a magical world all to themselves. If you have not experienced the beauty of stalactites and stalagmites, you don’t know what you are missing. And on a really hot day, nothing is more refreshing than a dip in a cenote.
Want to see the jungle, a lagoon, a natural lazy river AND beaches? Be sure to book a trip to Sian Ka’an. One of my happiest places on earth. You will not see a single house along the water. You will float down an ancient canal. Make it an all-day trip and watch the birds come flocking to their island resting spots. You may see a crocodile, manatee or a number of other special hidden gems protected by this natural biosphere, one of the largest in the world.
Not quite ready to venture into the jungle, still looking for touristy destinations, you need to look no further than the area between Cancun and Tulum. Most of them start with an X – Xcaret, Xel-Ha, Xenses, Xplore… the list goes on and on. Oh and for those with small kids, Nickelodeon just opened its brand new resort just south of Cancun.
And for those who none of these options satisfy, and you just HAVE to have the white sandy beaches, crystal blue water and snorkeling?! Head to North Beach on Isla Mujeres, get a beach pass to one of several beaches on Cozumel or take a couple days to visit Holbox. All three islands have beaches that escape sargassum simply because of the direction in which they face. Remember the sargassum comes with the southerly winds.
For years I limited my shopping to the airport, grabbing my gifts and souvenirs as I was waiting for my flight home. Living here, I have had a chance to shop off the tourist streets and have discovered some amazing artists’ works. And don’t miss out on tasting some Mexican wines, tequilas and mezcals.
I know you feel you paid for your food at the all-inclusive, but I can’t say enough about the diversity of food here. The Maya Riviera is becoming a foodie’s paradise. First off, I am a huge fan of Yucatecan cuisine. And you need to try every dish known to this region. You won’t be disappointed. No, we do not live on tacos, tamales, cochinita alone! We feast on some of the best Italian dishes. Incredible seafood. Amazing Asian. Even good ole American Cuisine, not to mention some of the most interesting fusion food. Dine on the beach, the city, in a cave, you name it someone has thought of it here.
So hopefully this will help those of you who are concerned about your upcoming vacation and worrying that sargassum may ruin it. In closing, let me just say that the sargassum we are battling is a direct result of what man has done to damage our environment. If you are truly concerned about the affects it may have on your vacation, please take it as another warning sign of what we are doing to this precious planet. The explosion of the sargassum weed off the coast of Brazil, not the Sargasso Sea, is caused by pollution coming from the Mississippi and Amazon Rivers, so we all play a part in hurting this planet. Please, starting today, try to do what you can to save it. Expand your mind as well as your next adventure to the Yucatan Peninsula.