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Vacation Rentals in Paradise
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Granada Garden,
Boutique Residences, Playa
Paraiso, Riviera Maya, Mexico
 Paradise
beach (Playa Paraiso), between Cancun and Playa del Carmen on the renowned
Riviera Maya. Private Gated community development.
5 minutes walking distance from mega resorts, Mayan Palace and
Iberostar Hotels. Positioned 35 minutes south of Cancun and 15 minutes
north of Playa del Carmen on the trendy Riviera Maya now stand the “Granada
Garden’s Boutique Residences”. This unique building concept is a
blend of Mediterranean flair with Mayan mystery.
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For a
bunch of old stone buildings, Tulum is a particularly impressive site, perched
as it is high on top of limestone cliffs that spill down to the turquoise
waters of the Caribbean below. The first time we entered the modest walled
city, it took our breath away.
El Castillo, a large temple, is the site's
biggest structure. Regrettably, it was off limits to climb this last time we
were there. But the nearby Temple of the Descending God is accessible. If
there are not too many people around it's a wonderful feeling to sit in the
sun on the temple's platform with the waves crashing below and imagine what it
must have been like years ago. If you time your visit for early morning or
late afternoon you'll be blessed with fewer crowds.
Tulum is not
a particularly important city to archeologists. A Late Post- Classic city, the
style of architecture is nowhere near the complexity of the Classic period. By
that time in history the building arts and stone cutting skills of the Maya
had degraded and much use was made of heavy stucco to cover any rough spots.
But what Tulum lacks in architectural style it more than makes up for in
location. It is now the most visited archeological site in all of Mexico, with
busloads of tourists coming from Canc£n and cruise ships docked at Cozumel or
Playa.
Even its first tourist, John Lloyd Stephens, American author and
adventurer who toured the Yucat n in the early 1840s, was impressed: 'Besides
the deep and exciting interest of the ruins themselves, we had around us what
we wanted at all the other places, the magnificence of nature.... We had found
this one of the most interesting places we had seen in our whole exploration
of ruins.'
Hotel
Casa Tucan, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Cabins, rooms and apartments, since $ 24.00 USD
Recommended by Lonely Planet
The walls on three sides
enclosing the city may have been defensive, as they average 18 feet thick
and are between nine and 15 feet high. Entrance is via one of the original
five tunnels through the wall. Guides are available outside at the new
visitor's center that's complete with snack bars and gift shops.
