Yucatan Peninsula

Upon arriving in Cancun you can take an hour and half car ride or private shuttle into Tulum for $100USD. Once you're in Tulum you’ve made it to a place you could easily spend years exploring. Sprawling with over 6000 natural Cenotes, incredible jungles, perfect white sand Caribbean beaches, ancient Mayan ruins and other islands to explore. All of these activities are complemented by some incredibly innovative, bohemian architecture, artisanal cocktails and fine dining that will blow your pallet wide open. In between all your adventures enjoy the incredible contemporary art scene dripping with murals from local and international talent that is a commands the expression of a Mayan consciousness infused with jungle energy.

Humble beach day.

After your flight and car ride, take an easy trip to the public beach. Here you can get the temperature of a humble beach day, take a dip in the magical carribean ocean while looking at a plam tree coated coastline, work out at the beach gym and watch the sunset while you settle into the magic that is the Yucatan Peninsula. Grab a fresh coconut from a local vender along the way to stay hydrated and allow the salt from gaia’s waves to rebalance your neural system. Soaking in salt walters offers vital healing properties to the human body including decrease of stress, aid in better natural sleep, the healing of skin wounds more quickly, stimulation of circulation, relief in stiff joints, aches and overworked muscles.

This part of Mexico is flooded with incredible cuisine. I ate at Vivo for a vegetarian dinner and had an incredible plate of roasted veggies. This low key, candle lit spot with a wood fired grill is a charming stop to enjoy air, water and fire. Little kittens coast around this outdoor restaurant. It began to rain while we were here under a perfectly woven grass rooftop which added a bit of magic to this experience of earth, fire, and now water. The music was low and vibey and matched the enchantment that is this restaurant.

Pampered beach day

The next day my friend and I were looking to be pampered after spending a day inside for a hurricane watch with hurricane Delta which luckily passed us. We went down to the hotel beach strip and stayed at Villa Aqualimia. This was a carribean paradise. A white sandy beach walk way leads you to a salt water blue tiled pool surrounded by palm trees and a waterfall. You are kindly greeted and taken to your private luxury cabana that overlooks a crystal blue beach and sparkling waters. At the cabana you can order smoothies, cocktails, and seafood. You can lounge in the photo friendly scenery in woven macrame hammocks or enjoy a little swing by the beach. If you want to tap into body work and wellness, beachfront massages are offered with aromatherapy and ancient mayan mud mask treatments. I laid on the table for an hour and half with a full body massage including eucalyptus aromatherapy and Mayan mud mask facial. After this I went and laid in the white sand and let the ocean waves wash over me.

This spot was so secluded I went skinny dipping feeling the sun drench my skin in these healing waters, soaking in the salt and sand. I watched the blue sky turn to violet, and illuminate the stars. After paying my $80 usd tab for smoothies, massage, octopus vegetable lunch and a mayan facial… I walked about a mile and half down the beach coast. This walk is lit by the dancing sun, seeping slowly into the horizon where the sky becomes illuminated into a transitional phase of the evening. Here you can set intentions for transformations, as the world becomes spiritually thin at dawn and dusk. The world shifts to all colors of a violet hued rainbow to remind us of being present, tapping into synchronicities, honoring our accomplishments, endings and setting up new beginnings. Creating a portal for your spiritual rituals at sunrise and sunset allows you to connect with the diversity and divinity within our connected conscious. It can be a time to honor the skin you are in, to tap into the present moment and become a witness to all that is unfolding before you.

As my walk continued, I arrived on a restaurant rooftop overlooking the Yucatan jungle towards the beginning of the hotel beach strip. At the restaurant, I enjoyed a thin and crispy margherita pizza , a bottle of sparkling water and returned to town in a taxi shortly after for an amazing night of sleep.

TAXI TIP: Before you get into any taxi, ask the driver if he can take you to the specific location. Then ask how much it will cost, ask for a lower price. Come to an agreement and on you go! Learn how to do this step in spanish.

Mayan ruins

Chicen Itza is an active acrheological site with new discoveries still being made and revealing the ancient past of the Mayan people, who ruled Mexico and central America prior to the arrival of European colonists. The name Chichen Itza is Mayan language meaning “at the mouth of the well of the Itza.” The Itza were an ethnic group of Mayans who rose to power here. The well refers to the number of sacred underground rivers, cenotes and pools that have immense significance as sacred portals connecting the underworld to the heavens and often were a place of human sacrifice as well as holding numerous precious artifacts made of turquoise, jade and human remains.

To get to Chichen Itza, rent a car. If you want to sign up for an epic day you can see the Cenote sun auctun (center stone) and the pyramids in one day. You pass this Cenote on the way to the pyramid. To achieve both, you need an early start, I would hit the Cenote first and then the pyramid bc the pyramid closes an hour later.

The Suytun cenote sits on a private ranch outside Valladolid and boasts some of the clearest water of any watering hole in Mexico and is one of the most famous cenotes. Its iconic center stone that runs through the middle of this clear pool inside of a cave is drenched in a beam of sunlight from a single hole in the cave from the land above.

The Ancient Mayans worshipped cenotes because they were a water source in dry times; the name cenote means ‘sacred well’. They settled villages around cenotes and believed that they were a portal to speak with the gods. When you visit a cenote today it’s easy to see why they held the Mayans in awe. Swimming in the pristine waters feels like stepping back in time thanks to the giant tropical trees and vines and the cosmic lit sunbeams dancing around and above you.

Chichen Itza leads you to a parking lot where you can pay for a personal tour guide or just buy a ticket and make your own way. Famed for being one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, this cultural site is pretty incredible in person. It’s large impressive footprint consists of a center pyramid surrounded several other large temples all lined up with the planets and the stars.

Energetically this is an interesting place to visit. You are standing on the monuments of invaded civilizations, of cultures history that were built and then taken over. You are standing on top of culture that sacrificed children in times of drought because they believed their tears of fear would bring the rain. The mayan imagery carved in stone reveals patterns of skulls, servant gods, jaguars and a hierarchal society.

There is an incredible mystery behind the sound element here at Chichen Itza. Clapping and chanting in these spaces Echos creating sounds that mimic jungle birds and space ships. Guests are only allowed to walk on the footprint of this ancient site, there is no access inside. Probably due to the ancient technology and space craft that remain coveted secrets to world wide governments to this day... haha just kidding. Kind of .

Gran Cenote

Just a seven minute drive from the center of Tulum is the gran Cenote. Catch this beauty at the right time and snorkel and bathe in glowing blue waters connected by a cave. Hanging vines and plants drape the Cenote wall around you while the sunlight creates shimmering patterns above and below you. Grab a locker for only 50 pesos or 2usd to keep your snorkel, camera and clothes. The site upstairs has little hammocks and palm trees to relax in. The fresh cold Cenote water is the perfect activity in between your warm water carribean salty beach days.

DOS OJOS CENOTE

Famed for being one of the most extravagant diving site in the Yucatan Peninsula, it is also the largest underwater cave system. Its two eye like sink holes connected by a 400 m passageway creates a cave diving experience for the bold explorer. The dwelling rests at the bottom of a mayan village in the jungle. Teeming with bats flying in and out of this cave its fresh cold waters offer a spooky under world experience.

Holbox Isla

There is an island full of wonder just off the road most traveled, for those seeking the magic of living in another world, illuminated by bioluminescent waves and fluttering with swarms of pink flamingos, this is a tale for you! Holbox island is a small island off the coast of the yucatan peninsula and its a bit of a trek getting there. Enjoy smoothly cruising through the carribean on the local ferry for about 45 minutes to arrive. Once you get to holbox island there are no cars or paved roads. Locals drive 4 wheelers and golf carts on sandy roads lit with quaint street lights. Colorful mexican flags zig zag overhead a street lit view. Locals play soccer in the middle of the city at night, while the stars become slowly more and more illuminated with every falling hour. The allure of traveling to remote places, and experiencing the magic of someone else's existence. The perspective this experience offered to my own life was one of humility and spiritual healing. I walked a seashell covered shore, sipping a mint mojito while waves of seaweed and water swept at my feet for this quaint little town. I considered the implications of sharing travel information like this. How much longer until these destinations lose their charm due to over tourism and the earth elements begin to wither, bleach and fade. Its important to remain responsible when entering into other worlds. To leave no trace, to remain open, engaged, humble and respectful to the culture, influences, ancestry and wild life around you.

In the middle of this island, there is a restaurant adorned with a building sized hand made macrame artwork and lit outside with tiki torches. The interior is a thoughtful, elegant design of carefully chosen and placed natural materials, lit by candle light in carved crystal bowls. Bascio is hands down the best, most authentic meal I had here. Mole and marinated potato tacos on a handmade blue corn tortilla, topped with a crispy sesame seed. I paired it with a special mezcal drink that came with a dehydrated pineapple and flower garnish, in a slate carved cup, with special salt, sugar and spices on the side in a perfect pattern. The service was absolutely impeccable, as this island was just traumatized by hurricane delta. You would never know it by how kind people are here. It was not touristy, it felt like had actually stepped into someone else’s world. There was a different pulse to the island. Around midnight, if there is no moon... take a walk down the bioluminescent beach. Sparkling with blue light underneath an entire dome of stars. The little light pollution here provides a perfect atmosphere for stargazing and making wishes. Take a dip in these bioluminescent waves and watch the sparkling blue lights explode around you, as the stars and water combine into one sparkling image… this experience is for you, mother earth revealing her beauty in the name of venus. It is free, it is open, it is a path less traveled and an experience that illuminates the creative mind and spirit. I can only imagine what our ancient teachers must have thought of this sacred illuminated space.

In the morning, take a 2 hour kayak to the isle of the birds as you make your way further into the Yucatan, leaving the people behind, Mother Nature opens up to you and continues to reveal her magic. This spot is home to the giant spotted whale shark if you’re lucky enough to be graced by their enormous, majestic presence. The isle of the birds is home to 40,000 migrating pink flamingos. It is a rare treasure to see these birds in their natural habitat, turned pink from eating so many red crabs.

Isle paridisio is a quaint beach paradise. If you want to lay in a hammock in the middle of nowhere… surrounded by the salty waters of the carribean, this vibe is for you.

Wellness tip : mosquito repellant is a must here. Usually bugs don’t bother me too much but omg this is the jungle baby and when you are watching that gorgeous sunset you will get eaten alive. Come prepared. The magic is here but this trip takes a bit of planning for proper execution.

Peppermint spray : I always carry this with me, an organic peppermint essential oil mixed with natural spring water. It’s great for freshening your breath, and is also good for itchy bug bite relief. Additionally, it can instantly cool the back of your neck or chest when it gets hot and sweaty, which it does in the carribean.

When you’ve soaked in enough stars, bioluminescent waves, flamingos, and perfect mole tacos, take a gator taxi through town and enjoy your ferry ride back. From here drive the 2 hours back to Tulum and you might make it in time to catch dinner at a nice beach club to watch the sunset and catch a vibe. Vagalume is a perfect place for this. Relax in this sexy beachfront environment around chic international friends and enjoy craft mezcal cocktails and the setting sun.

Fine Art in Tulum city

After this I visited the Art Museum IK Fur. Funded by the grandson of Peggy Guggenheim this extraordinary visionary space offers an eco friendly design that highlights the spirituality of the jungle in its commitment to residency projects that interact fluidly with the land. Visitors of the space are invited to walk barefoot amongst the highly detailed patterned vine and stone floor that is in the form of a subtle wave. Light pours through the vine draped sky lights as you are transported into a world of great attention to detail. It feels like a futuristic tree house, where the land and our humanity come together as one.

Connected to the healing spa and retreat center AZULTIK is a destination for those looking to be surrounded by innovation and forward thinking. This electricity free, candlelit space allows you to connect, heal , dine and invites you to unplug so you can tap into the divine visionary space that is indeed AZULTIK.

Sacred Plant Medicines in TULUM

DMT

If your spirit is open to the language of this healing culture, the signs are everywhere for those who have been seeking to be impacted by the sacred jungle treasures . The medicine of the frog is an incredible gift from the Amazon offering brave seekers realignment towards their true nature. You can easily notice the influence of these unchanting creatures thought the Tulum murals that speaking a language of DMT patterns, supernatural beings inhaling and exhaling cosmic visions. The imagery of the Maya remains strong in the contemporary mural scene. Locals are tattooed with sacred geometry of the frog and will tell you that this ancient medicine changed their life forever.

For those looking to deep dive into their subconscious mind, I came across one center who offered the medicine of the sacred frog, accompanied by a large amount of testimony and recommendations. With any plant medicine of this nature, especially when practicing in a different country, places of high recomedntaion are of utmost importance. The buffo frog ceremony lasts 15- 20 minutes but those who enter into this dimension will often tell you, the ceremony is 100 years. It is a mystery how the ancient ancestors discover that this particular Amazonian frogs secretion could open the doorways of perception, but they will tell you that the plants and animals spoke this knowledge to their ancestors and it has since been passed on through the generations. Under the skilled direction and guidance of a master shaman the participant is taken on a spiritual healing journey and is allowed to purge, confront, hold close, and love their deepest fears, traumas, scars, and pain so they might transform that trauma towards a space of divine, cosmic love and return to their original origin state of being one with the universe. The Buffo frog has been said to relieve participants of depression, spiritual illness, realigns the lymphoid system, cleanse the body of harmful toxins and impurities, improved vision, improved hearing. It is natures antimicrobial, antibiotic, antiviral, anti fungal, anti inflammatory substance found on the planet. It resets the immune system like no other sub since through deep detox. It leaves the participant in a state of resistant, strong, focused and peaceful existence.

A remarkable earth work inviting the viewer to open their hearts by Daniel Popper

In addition to these healing services I also found locations for the sacred Cacao Ceremony, a heart opening ceremony that invites the viewer to drink a chocolate brew that has effects of slight euphoria, open heartedness and clarity of mind.

For those looking to get their feet wet in the cosmic healing properties of Tulum, it is easy to find wellness spas offering rejuvenating sacred flower infused baths, essential oil treatments and massage, crystal chakra therapy, yoga and meditation studios.

There is a variety of spiritual practices and wellness opportunities for a person on any level of their journey to explore. It is with great gratitude that I traveled to this bewitching jungle infused place. I look forward to my frequent return and hope this blog inspires you to step into new places, to be brave, explore with fervent passion and open your eyes to the healing powers of our sacred planet.

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Travel & wellness though the lens of art history