DESTINATIONS MEXICO | LATIN AMERICA INTO THE BLUE
At Mayakoba’s dive centre, activities range from snorkelling sessions and try-dives to advanced Padi qualifications. As a qualified diver, I signed up for the Mayakoba Seeker excursion, which included two open-water boat dives. During two dives close to one of the world’s largest coral reefs, I saw barracudas, moray eels and vast congregations of parrotfish, and the fascinating underwater topography means divers have plenty of opportunities to swim through coral-encrusted channels
and underwater arches. OT
ry-dives cost from
£125 per person.
mayakoba.com/experiences
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Chapultepec Park, Mexico City; National Museum of Anthropology; Andaz Mayakoba; scuba diving among the coral reefs PICTURES: Shutterstock/Rachel Moon; Photostock/Leonardo Em; Andaz Mayakoba
my visit to Parque México, famous for its art deco architecture, salsa classes take place near duck-filled ponds. Then there are the dogs. It’s the city’s most popular dog-walking spot – my first sighting is a local wrangling four huskies. Later, I spot 30 canines under the watchful eye of some locals – dog owners who decide Fido needs a break while they opt for a salsa session pay a few pesos to leave their pet at this open-air canine crèche. The park’s food stands – selling
everything from fresh corn to tacos al pastor – offer a reminder of the city’s diverse food scene. Earlier this year, Mexico City chef Elena Reygadas – owner of the Rosetta restaurant that serves upscale takes on traditional dishes and which champions Mexican ingredients – was voted the world’s best female chef at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards. But perhaps it’s unsurprising that one of the planet’s best chefs hails from what might just be the most exciting city to be found anywhere right now.
travelweekly.co.uk
THE COAST The downside about the Riviera Maya’s Andaz Mayakoba? The resort, which opened in 2016, simply feels too lovely to leave. It’s one of four properties (the others being a Fairmont, Rosewood and Banyan Tree) that form the sprawling Mayakoba complex. There are 214 rooms across 20 categories, ranging from lagoon-view bedrooms to plunge pool suites. My humble beachfront plunge pool suite is larger than my Surrey semi. At the Andaz Mayakoba, paths used by buggies and bicycles weave across the complex. To give you an idea of its size, it takes me 10 minutes to cycle from the gym to my beachfront suite. Located 40 minutes from Cancun, the complex is a haven for wildlife. I spot spider monkeys bouncing across the roof of the resort’s Casa Amate (voted one of Mexico’s top restaurants by the Guía México Gastronómico) and, during a boat tour of the waterways, see cormorants and
a baby crocodile – the latter are harmless, and relocated if they grow beyond a certain size. “Riviera Maya feels very
different from Cancun and Tulum,” Pascal Dupuis, the resort’s GM, tells me. “It’s great to see so many new developments, from parks to hotels. I believe it will start to attract a more luxury clientele, although its connections to Mayan culture will always be a great selling point.” That said, the resort is keen to
show there’s more to the region than cenotes and temples (although its close proximity to Tulum, and Puerto
BOOK IT
Double rooms at Andaz Mayakoba start from £305 per night, including breakfast; double rooms at Andaz Mexico City Condesa start from £280 per night.
hyatt.com
Return flights with British Airways from Gatwick to Cancun start from £427.
britishairways.com
Return flights with Viva Air from Cancun to Mexico City start from £70.Andaz Mexico City Condesa hotel is a 20-minute journey from Mexico City’s international airport.
vivaair.com
8 JUNE 2023 43
Morelos’s cenotes, makes it perfect for fans of the big hitters). I join an excursion to the Melipona bee reserve and meet locals fighting to protect one of the world’s smallest bees. Andaz Mayakoba supports the project and uses the bees’ honey in the spa and restaurants. Resort guests who want to stay closer to home can book cacao workshops in the spa – I grind fragrant cacao beans into a powder before using it to make a face mask that is slathered onto my sunburned skin. If it’s good enough for the Mayans…
TW
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