Journey Mexico Partner at the Top of Green Resorts

Posted by & filed under Nature, News.

Luxury travel enthusiasts looking to travel to the Riviera Maya can keep it green while on vacation with Karisma’s hotels and resorts.

The adult friendly El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels, by Karisma, have a “Passion for the Environment” program that is dedicated to keeping their luxury properties eco-friendly. In addition to a serious recycling program and an impressive solar power system, Karisma has a 70,000 square foot greenhouse facility that provides produce to its hotels and resorts throughout the Riviera Maya.

The greenhouses in the facility grow over 30 different types of produce including: cilantro, thyme, onions, tomatoes, honeydew melons, lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers, chilies, basil, mint, and squash. By being able to produce in house, the Karina properties are able to enhance customers’ culinary experience with fresh, organic meals as well as to reduce negative emissions from the trucks that would normally have to bring in the produce.

The resorts also feature a fish market where guests can select fish from local fishermen’s daily catch to be prepared for lunch, dinner, or snacks by the pool.

Food and Beverage Events in Mexico – Summer 2010

Posted by & filed under Holidays, Fairs & Festivals, News.

If you are a luxury travel enthusiast who loves all things food and drink, be sure to check out these events this summer in Mexico.

Alimentaria Mexico 2010

This is Mexico’s most important international food, beverage, and equipment exhibition, which will be held June 1st through the 3rd at Centro Banamex in Mexico City. This Summer’s event will be the eighth Alimentaria Mexico, and more than 12,000 participants are expected from around the world.

In addition to the 475 exhibits, this year’s Alimentaria will include a Mexican gastronomy conference, nutrition seminars, wine & spirits tasting, and more. For more about this event, visit the Alimentaria’s website.

MEXIPAN 2010

This is the number one expo for the Bakery, Confectionery, Chocolate, and Ice Cream industries of Mexico. This event brings customers and suppliers together to showcase new products and discuss trends within the industry. More can be found at MEXIPAN’s webiste (in Spanish only).

Red Bull X Fighters in Mexico City

Posted by & filed under Adventure, News.

Fans of adventure travel were treated by Red Bull this year as the first stop of this year’s Red Bull X Fighters tour was at Plaza de Toros in Mexico City. The competition was held on April 16th but had to end early due to heavy rain.

More than 40,000 people showed up for the event and after watching the highlight video below, it’s easy to see why. Though the event ended early into the second round of competition, the fans made it clear that Mexico City will welcome these sorts of events in the future.

The remainder of this year’s X Fighter tour will take place in Egypt, Moscow, Madrid, London and Rome. Full details of the tour can be found at Red Bull.


More Motocross Videos >>

Zoot Suit Playing in Mexico City

Posted by & filed under Culture, Holidays, Fairs & Festivals, Luxury, News.

Luxury travel enthusiasts traveling to Mexico City should enjoy this year’s production of Zoot Suit, which premiered this week and will run through July 4th. This production of Luis Valdez’s classic musical marks the first time Zoot Suit has ever been put on, in full scale, in Spanish.

Zoot Suit originally premiered in Los Angeles in 1978 and, due to its smashing success, went on to play on Broadway in 1981. This year, the The National Theater Company and the Theater at The National University of Mexico are putting the musical on in the university’s cultural center, the Teatro Juan Ruiz de Alarcon.

This important piece of Chicano theater should be very well received as Luis Valdez moved to Mexico months ago to cast and direct the play himself.

The Truth About Cinco de Mayo

Posted by & filed under Culture, News, Puebla.

Cinco de Mayo used to be one of my favorite holidays when I lived in the US (one I still miss dearly), but I have to admit that I never really knew what I was celebrating until I moved to Mexico.

If you take a minute Wednesday night, in between the Tequila shots and the Dos Equis, to poll your sombrero headed, maraca shaking bar mates as to the reason of the fiesta, you will most likely get one of two responses: “I have no idea, let’s get another Tequila,” or, “I think it’s like the 4th of July for Mexico.” While you can never go wrong with another Tequila, answer number two is definitely incorrect.

The truth is that Cinco de Mayo, the holiday, does refer to a significant event in Mexican history; however, that event isn’t really significant enough to be celebrated in Mexico (outside of Puebla where the event actually took place). On the 5th of May, 1862, a battle weary, outnumbered Mexican army defeated a better-trained invading French army in the town of Puebla. Sadly, however, this upset victory was short lived. In a matter days, the French re-grouped, defeated the Mexican army, and established rule of the area. Hence the reason the holiday isn’t celebrated here in Mexico.

But that doesn’t mean that Americans shouldn’t party in the name of Puebla. We love an underdog victory, which is, in reality, what you’ll be celebrating on the 5th. So come Wednesday, in the name of the underdog, strap on that fake mustache and that poncho, charge head first into the battle of defeating that Tequila bottle, and don’t stop until you’ve achieved victory. And in the true spirit of Cinco de Mayo, proudly suffer inevitable defeat – in the form of an imperial hangover Thursday morning.

Friends of ours at recently published a related post called “13 Surprising facts about Cinco de Mayo,” which you may also enjoy.

New Promotion Four Seasons Punta Mita

Posted by & filed under Newsletters and Promotions, Puerto Vallarta & Punta Mita.

We just got an update with some great summertime promotions from the Four Seasons in Punta Mita, Mexico:

Bed and Breakfast

  • Daily buffet breakfast included for two people at Ketsi restaurant (If third adult is sharing the room, 80 dls extra will be charged but no breakfast would be included)

Golf and Spa

  • Daily buffet breakfast for two people
  • Unlimited golf or an 80 minute massage per person per day
  • Unlimited non-motorized water sports
  • Tequila amenity

(One activity per person per day)

(Minimum length of stay of 3 nights)

Family Package

  • 1 st room reserved at Rack rate
  • 2nd room at 50% off exclusively for children  under 18 years old  in the same room type
  • Complimentary one-time nanny service per stay  for up to (4) hours
  • Complimentary meals for children under 12  from children’s menu only
  • 10% Discount on Vallarta Adventure Tours
  • Complimentary Kids for All Seasons Program for Children 5 and over,
  • Complimentary age appropriate kid’s welcome amenity

(Minimum length of stay of 3 nights)

Fifth Night Free

  • Get a complimentary fifth night with every four consecutive paid nights

Please Note:

-All packages are subject to availability – including room categories and black out dates.
– Packages are not combinable – it is either one package or another
– Packages will be confirmed at net rate
– Rates are subject to 19% tax and 10 %service charge
–  Cancellation policy will apply as per contract
– Maximum occupancy per room is up to two adults and 2 children OR 3 adults (with and extra charge of 80 dls per night)

Other Summertime Promotions can be found in our Spring Newsletter

To take advantage of these promotions, please click here

Baja’s Wine and Food Festival Season is Here

Posted by & filed under Holidays, Fairs & Festivals, Luxury, News.

Great wine and savory food are two staples of proper luxury travel. Baja California has both (in abundance) and from April to October, the region showcases the best it has to offer in over 60 events. Last year, more than 50,000 people attended the festival, and this year’s events are already booking quickly.

Fiestas de la Vendimia (Pro Vino) and the CANIRAC restaurant association are presenting most of this year’s activities, most taking place around the wine country of Valle de Guadalupe and the neighboring seaport of Ensenada. “This diverse collection of festivities holds something for everyone, including wine seminars, award presentations, golf tournaments, vineyard concerts, bullfights, tango dancing, food and wine pairings, country picnics, fiestas, a winery inauguration, wine and lobster festival, paella competition, and more,” as reported by Mexidata, who has a great write up of this year’s festival on their site.

The official list of events can be found at Fiestas de la Vendimia. Note, the site is only in Spanish. Be sure to check out their photo gallery, though, for an idea of how much fun was had at the 2009 festival.

Mexico’s New Minister of Tourism Ready to Go

Posted by & filed under Culture, News.

Just weeks after being appointed Mexico’s new Minister of Tourism, Gloria Guevara spoke at Tianguis about how Mexico has not been taking advantage of what the country has to offer in the way of historical and cultural tourism.

We all know that Mexico is geographically diverse and incredibly beautiful, but Guevara reiterated a great fact when she pointed out that Mexico has more Unesco World Heritage Sites than any other country in Latin America. In an effort to increase tourism to these sites, Guevara and the Ministry of Tourism have created and will host its first Cultural Tourism Conference to be held in Morelia later this year.

The conference will be geared towards tour operators and should be a great opportunity to collaborate on ways to increase tourism. Now if we can just get the American media to play fair…

Cabo San Lucas International Film Festival

Posted by & filed under Holidays, Fairs & Festivals, Luxury, News.

Traveling to Cabo San Lucas for their International Film Festival is a must for anyone who loves luxury travel. The event, which will be held from November 5th to the 10th, is sure to be nothing short of glamorous as many of Hollywood’s celebrities with homes in the area are expected to be in attendance.

Cabo is considered the first “fly-in, sail-in vacation destination for the stars,” and for good reason as Cabo’s natural beauty is only an hour away from Hollywood’s brightest. The many resorts, restaurants, and nightclubs, set against the breathtaking Sea of Cortez, make the city of Cabo San Lucas the perfect venue for an international film festival.

More information about the festival can be found at their website.

Ancient Ruins Continue to be discovered in Mexico

Posted by & filed under Culture, News.

Tzintzuntzan of which the newly discovered Purepechan site is believed to be a suburb

If you enjoy archaeology travel, Mexico is a must visit as archeologists are constantly uncovering cities, towns, and places of importance from the Mesoamerican world.

The archeology department of Colorado State University has recently discovered and mapped an ancient city of the Purepecha people near Lake Patzcuaro. The Purepecha people, who held off the Aztecs and long resisted the Spanish, are thought of as unique in terms of Mesoamerican peoples, as their language is believed to most closely resemble that of the Quechua in far-off Peru. Archaeologists hope the discovery of this new site will add to the almost non-existent knowledge of Purpechan culture.

The site at Patzcuaro is said to include houses, plazas, temples, and a pyramid. Patzcuaro is located just outside of Morelia and makes an excellent location for a day trip during a tour of Colonial Mexico. More about this recent discover can be found at The Los Angeles Times.

Paul McCartney in Mexico

Posted by & filed under Culture, News.

Pual McCartney in MexicoPaul McCartney’s upcoming concert in Mexico City set a record with its ticket sales. Tickets for the show on Thursday May 27th in Foro Sol Stadium, which seats 60,000 people, sold out in just a few minutes, putting McCartney at the top of the quickest-to-sell-out concerts list for the enormous stadium. Previously, the record was held by Radiohead and Madonna.

The May 27th show will be McCartney’s first concert in Mexico since 2002. Hopefully, the overwhelming demand for tickets to the Mexico City concert will make it easy for Sir Paul to commit to playing at the ruins of Chichen Itza in 2011. According to several sources, McCartney has already agreed to play the Chichen Itza show in Yucatan and that all that needs to be finalized is the date.

Previous artists to play at Chichen Itza include Placido Domingo, Sarah Brightman, and Elton John. The governor of Yucatan and National Institute of Anthropology and History are committed to bringing big name performers to Chichen Itza to promote tourism to the Yucatan. Below is a video from Elton John’s recent performance at the incredible ruins.

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2010 World Celebrities Motocross Race in Mexico

Posted by & filed under Adventure.

If you’re interested in some adventure in Mexico, you’ll be sure to love this event. On July 31st and August 1st, some of the world’s best and most famous motocross racers will travel to the Colonial Heartland of Mexico for the 2010 World Celebrities Motocross Race. The even will take place just outside of Guadalajara at the Nicolas España motordome.

Some 40,000 spectators are expected to travel to Guadalajara to watch motocross celebrities like Ricky Johnson (U.S.), Jeff Ward (U.S.), Sebastien Tortelli (France), Lobito Fonseca (Costa Rica), Stefan Everts (Belgium), Nicolas España (Mexico), Jean Sebastian Roy (Canada), and the Latin American champions Adrian Roberts, Pedro Gonzalez and Erick Vallejo.

The two-day event will include a freestyle show, some rock concerts, hot air balloons, a bikini contest, and more. As a result of their performance during the event, several Mexican riders will be chosen to compete in the Motocross World Championship in San Bernardino, California on Nov. 6th and 7th.

Wine and Cheese Festival in Tequisquiapan, Mexico

Posted by & filed under Holidays, Fairs & Festivals, Luxury, News.

Any fan of luxury travel will love the National Wine and Cheese Festival of Tequisquiapan, which will take place from May 28th to June 6th in Mexico’s Colonial Heartland. I love the way they describe the festival as “Paying homage to the art of living well.”

The festival features tastings, lectures, competitions, and workshops. Approximately 25 restaurants from Tequisquiapan, San Juan del Rio, and Queretaro are involved in the fair, and the most important wineries of the region are featured during the festival as well as wines from France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Australia, and Argentina.

A number of delicious cheeses are made here in Mexico, and you can find a nice little description of the most common by clicking here.

Bike Share Program Happening in Mexico City

Posted by & filed under Adventure, Culture, News.

If you want to stay Green while traveling to Mexico City, take advantage of the city’s new bike share program, Ecobici. Although the abundance of cobblestone streets doesn’t exactly facilitate bicycle riding, the three-month-old program seems to be flourishing.

Earlier this spring, Mexico City installed 85 Ecobici stations with a total of 1,100 bicycles that are available for rent in half-hour increments. A membership card for the program, which you swipe at the stations to release a bike, cost $24 dollars per month.

So far, Ecobici has 4,000 members who have taken 50,000 bike rides with zero accidents and zero acts of theft. City officials hope to see the number of memberships reach 24,000 by the end of the year. Below is a video from Ecobici’s website.

Beatnik Fans Will Love Mexico City

Posted by & filed under Culture, News.

If you love Beatnik literature, booking a Mexico City trip will transport you back in time to hear the sounds, smell the smells,

Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and others in Mexico City. Nov. 1956

and see the sights that inspired Beat heroes such as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, and others.

Though names have changed and places have slightly evolved, many of the bars, apartments, and landmarks that inspired some of the most legendary Beat works still exist and are not marked with tourist-friendly signs or plaques – just as the anti-establishment authors would have wanted.

  • Monterrey 122, on the corner of Chihuahua Street, is the anonymous building in which William Burroughs shot and killed his wife in an attempt to William-Tell a glass off of the top of her head. Burroughs later credited the incident as the catalyst of his writing career.
  • Below the apartment where Burroughs killed his wife was the now legendary Bounty Bar, where ex-pats and Beatniks would drink until the sun came up. The bar still stands, but is now a cantina called Krika’s.
  • You can also visit another then hang out for the Beats, Plaza Luis Cabrera, on Orizaba at Zacatecas Street. The plaza, filled with trees and a fountain, as well as the cafes that surround it were often the setting for Beats’ drug and alcohol induced conversations, which would later lead to some of literature’s most famous works.
  • Chapultepec Park, which is Mexico City’s equivalent of New York’s Central Park, is where Jack Kerouac suggested the name for Burroughs’s novel Naked Lunch.
  • Near Tacuba Metro station is the Panteon Americano cemetery. At the very back of the cemetery, lie the remains of Burroughs’s wife, marked with a little inscription that reads: “Joan Vollmer Burroughs, Loudonville, New York, 1923, Mexico D.F. Sept. 1951.”

Read more about the Beatnik authors in Mexico City at The San Francisco Chronicle

Journey Mexico Partner Properties on Conde Nast 2010 List

Posted by & filed under Luxury, News.

Two of our partner properties, The Banyan Tree Mayakoba and the Saint Regis Mexico City, both made Conde Nast Traveler’s “Hot List Hotels” for 2010.

The Banyan Tree is an incredible experience in exotic luxury with its Asian style villas, Thai trained masseuses, and Thai kitchen staff. Each villa offers its own private pool, and the staff members actually remove their shoes before entering your villa to wait on you. This award is an addition to the 300+ they’ve received since 2006.

The Saint Regis Mexico City, aside from being a stunning 189-room tower of class, was this year’s host for the Virtuoso Symposium, in which Journey Mexico was thrilled to be involved. The event was a huge success as is shown in the list of tweets to come out of Mexico City.

New MACAY Museum Exhibit Opens in April

Posted by & filed under Culture, News.

MACAY, The Museum of Contemporary Art of Yucatán, is definitely the place to go if you’d like to travel the Yucatan Peninsula and see contemporary art. Approximately 80,000 people have visited the MACAY museum, annually, over the past ten years.

by Leonardo Nierman

From now (April) until June of 2010, MACAY will be displaying their latest exhibit featuring works of the renowned Leonardo Nierman in salons 6 and 7 and in the Expoforo of the museum. Nierman’s exhibit, El Sonido del Color (The Sound of Color), consists of 96 pieces of sculpture, painting and tapestry.

Other featured artists are: Beatriz Simón, Ana Gómez, Leonel Coronado, Carlos Carbajo, Aurora Caro, Ángeles Maldonado, and Tania Cámara.

MACAY is open Sun, Mon, Wed, and Thu from 10 am to 6 pm as well as Sat and Sun from 10 am to 8 pm.

Protest Graffiti Mexico: Oaxaca Now For Sale

Posted by & filed under Culture, News.

This seems like a pretty interesting book reflecting the social angst that came out of Oaxaca, Mexico in 2007. At the time, Mexican police officers opened fire on a group of protestors who were advocating for the right to an education. A strong social backlash was channeled through the art form of graffiti, and Protest Graffiti Mexico: Oaxaca is comprised of images of the graffiti photographed by, the now deceased, Elaine Sendyk.

You can purchase Protest Graffiti at Amazon for $21.24, and there are some really insightful comments about the book at BleedTheSoul.