Which is the best seafood for you?

When you visit Cancun and the Riviera Maya you have to feel it, breathe it, sleep it and most importantly, eat the Riviera Maya. And by that, we mean that you have to try some of the seafood recipes cooked here.

You’ve probably heard from some friends that they didn’t like this or that and you don’t want to order something you’re not going to enjoy. That’s why we bring you a brief explanation of the most popular seafood so you can enjoy your perfect meal.

Fish

If you’re going to eat seafood and don’t want to take any risks, this is the go-to option. It has the most neutral flavor among all seafood, so the important thing to look for are the complements.

The texture is soft and, depending on how it is cooked, it could feel as if it dissolves on your mouth. It can be prepared in very different ways including breaded, in soup, with garlic sauce, roasted or in ceviche, which is a combination of different vegetables and A LOT of lime juice.

However you prefer it, fish is the simplest flavor among seafood, it’s similar to chicken but softer. If you don’t like it, you probably won’t like seafood.

Shrimp

It has a rougher texture and a stronger flavor than fish, yet it’s a favorite among tourists and locals for its flavor and multiple ways of preparation.

Our favorite way to eat this seafood is on the traditional shrimp cocktail which is made combining lime juice, ketchup, onion, avocado and, of course, shrimp. Other great ways to eat it is breaded, buttered, with garlic sauce, breaded with coconut (my personal favorite) and so many others.

Oysters

This one is definitely a hit or miss. Many people love them, many others consider it the most disgusting thing in the world, the only real way to know if you’ll like them is to try them for yourself.

The oysters’ flavor is extremely salty and concentrated and they have a gooey texture; it’s definitely weird but not bad, especially if it’s well flavored.

Crab

This one is a bit more difficult to find, depending on how you want to eat it. To enjoy the full experience you have to try it straight from the shell.

Crab tastes a lot more “meaty.” It holds a lot of flavor and can be cooked in a variety of ways which add more flavor to the mix. With a good white wine, crab is a must try.

Lobster

The fanciest and most expensive seafood on our list. Lobster is usually saved for special occasions and important events, but it doesn’t have to burn a hole in your pocket. If you know where to look, you can enjoy it within a budget reach.

One of our favorite ways to eat this delicious food is on pizza, I know it may sound weird, but it’s very popular on Holbox. The taste is close to shrimp, but when it’s properly cooked, it lives up to its price.

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The most "Instagramable" places on the Riviera Maya

Let’s be honest, we love taking pictures and showing them off on the internet, especially if we’re in a place like Cancun and the Riviera Maya where gorgeous pictures are almost taken by themselves.

Nowadays, it is important to have your adventures immortalized on Instagram and, to do so, you have to know the perfect spot to take a picture (a process that can take several hours depending on how perfectionist you are). That’s why we bring you our list of the most “instagramable” places on the Riviera Maya.

Bacalar Lagoon

An often forgotten beauty of the Riviera Maya is the magical Bacalar, which hosts one of the most beautiful lagoons in the world. Once you get there, you'll instantly find the perfect spot for taking pictures.

MUSA

The Underwater Museum of Art speaks for itself. It's a unique and amazing experience in the world, and if you have the chance to take pictures, they will be memorable.

Alux Restaurant

There are two things we know Instagram loves: food and unique places. Fortunately, Alux Restaurant has both. Imagine yourself enjoying a gourmet dinner inside a cave. Well, that's what you'll get here.

Kaan Luum Lagoon

Located a few minutes away from Tulum, this gorgeous place is perfect to spend an afternoon chilling and taking pictures.

Cenote Ik Kil

One of the most popular places on the list. The scene here seems made to be the perfect photo spot for any Instagram enthusiast that wants memorable moments.

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Best wedding hotels on Isla Mujeres

Mia Reef

This is a great option for a private and luxurious wedding with the natural touch that will make it unforgettable.

The commodities include a four-course meal for the guests, event planning, service personnel, music, photography, flowers and much, much more.

Privilege Aluxes

A big hotel for your big day, this is a premium resort that offers full organization and adapts to any request that you may have.

The highlight of this option is probably the cooking service, which is prepared to fulfill any particular need or theme for your wedding.

Isla Mujeres Palace

This one is perfect if you want more than just one special day, offering up to 62 rooms for guests and has discounts for honeymoon stays.

On top of it, there’s a Spa with different services to keep you relaxed during your stay.

Hotel Posada del Mar

If you want a less luxurious option, then this is for you, equipped with everything you need for a perfect wedding on the beach with few guests.

The services include banquet, decoration and accommodations based on your budget to make a perfect, minimalist wedding.

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Festival of Life and Death Traditions, 2018.

The Festival of Life and Death Traditions began in 2005 as a way to recover and honor the traditions of different Mexican communities through contemporary art expressions. The Festival aims to display the Day of the Dead Tradition, which has been considered part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO since 2008. This year, Xcaret will present the 13th Edition: "Festival of Life and Death Traditions: Almas de Plata (Souls of Silver)" with the state of Zacatecas as the special guest.

Year after year the festival offers a wide variety of cultural activities and artistic expressions, and this year is no exception. The 13th Edition with Zacatecas as its special guest will have:

•     Dance performances: Folkloric ballet, pre-Columbian and contemporary dance, traditional rituals and festive dances.
  

•     Theater: Circus, Clown, Puppets, narrated and regional theater from Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Zacatecas and artists from Quebec, Canada.

•     Music: authentic corridos of the Mexican revolution, Yucatecan and Zacatecan traditional songs, jaraberos (ancestors of the Mariachi), special guests from Colombia & percussion ensemble. And if that were not enough, there will be 3 Gala concerts at the Gran Tlachco Theater.

•     Expositions, exhibitions, and workshops: altars, food sale with the most representative dishes of Zacatecas and Quintana Roo. There will also be interactive workshops, photography and painting exhibitions.

•     Cuisine: This year with Zacatecas as a special guest, the culinary demonstration will offer gorditas, brujitas from Sombrerete, condoches, tacos envenenados, traditional asado de boda, etc.

In this year's edition, Eugenia León and Ely Guerra will perform. On October 31, Eugenia  León, one of the greatest exponents of Mexican music, will perform solo at the Tlachco Theater.  On November 1, both Eugenia León & Ely Guerra will perform together! Finally, on November 3, Ely Guerra will perform solo in an intimate piano & voice concert.

This year's edition (as all have been) will be memorable: the state of Zacatecas will display the state's customs, its mining culture influence (hence the name of Souls of Silver), and its Revolutionary Period (the Battle of Zacatecas was decisive in the Mexican Revolution). Music, theater, dance, and other artistic expressions will be the medium for this memorable nights.

... And as if 4 days of celebration weren't enough, the Festival will continue with 2 extra days (November 3 & 4) in two official secondary venues: Teatro de la Ciudad de Playa del Carmen and Teatro de Cancún. But that's not all! For the first time, Hotel Xcaret Mexico will also be a secondary venue for artists will perform from October 30 to November 4.

If you want to assist to Xcaret during these days, you can book a private tour that includes: fully-air conditioned, private van, English speaking drivers AND Festival of Life & Death Traditions entrance here.

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4 Events you Can't Miss in October!

Triatlón Cozumel, 2018

This year Cozumel will host the AsTri Cozumel Triathlon 2018, a competition where swimming, cycling and running meet. The race will take place on Saturday, October 6 and there will be 5 categories open for registration: junior (ages 14 - 15), sprint (ages 16 - 17), olympic (ages 18 – 24), relay, and novice women (a women's only category). 

The race distances for the junior & novice women are 400 m for the swimming part of the race, 10 km for the cycling segment, and 2.5 km for the running stage. The distances for the sprint category are 750 m for the swimming segment, 20 km for the cycling stage & 5 km for the running part of the race. As for the olympic category, the distances are 1.5 km for the swimming stage, 40 km for cycling and 10 km for the running segment. 

The running & cycling segments of the race will take place on the cycle path located between the Mexico Whale Shark and Tortugas Beach, while the swimming part will be at Parque Chankanaab. For more information visit the official website.

Gran Canaria Big Band at the Cancun International Music Festival

With over 20 years of experience, and a complete success at the Canarias Jazz Festival 4 years in a row, the Gran Canaria Big Band will be the guest honor of the Cancun International Music Festival. 

The Cancun International Music Festival began in 2013 with 2 weeks full of music and culture. This year, from October 18 to October 27, we will celebrate the Festival’s 6th edition with the participation of 319 musicians from 13 nationalities, 43 activities & 22,000 spectators.

As a part of this festival, Teatro de Cancún in the Hotel Zone will present the Gran Canaria Big Band on Friday, October 19 at 20:30 hrs. If you can’t make it to Teatro de Cancún but want to enjoy the music -especially boleros-, don’t worry! On the 21st at 19:00 hrs, the Band will perform on Playa del Carmen for free! For more information visit Teatro de Cancun Website.

2018 Cancun Open 

After the great success of its first edition, the Cancun Open golf tournament is back! From October 30 to November 3, Cancun Golf Events will present the 2018 Cancun Open. This year, the tournament will be played in 3 different golf courses: Iberostar Playa Paraíso, Riviera Cancun and Moon Spa & Golf Club Cancun. Some of the prizes for Closest to the Pin include 8 cars, 8 trips to St. Andrews, Scotland; and stays at the Moon Palace Cancun.

Cancun Golf Events offers great all-inclusive packages at Moon Palace Cancun to enjoy the tournament. The packages include:

- 5 nights all-inclusive: all the food and drinks (at any of the 2 cafés, 4 bars & 10 restaurants available) on the hotel 24/7 and on the golf courses during the tournament rounds.

- 3 golf tournament rounds at 3 different courses.

- Round Trip Transportation to and from the Cancun International Airport.

- Round Trip Transportation to and from the Hotel to the Golf Course for each round.

- Shared Golf Cart for all 3 rounds.

- Welcome kit, special events during the tournament, amazing prices, and more!

There are 8 categories open for registration, and for each category, there’s the possibility to win any of the prizes. The categories are:

AA for professionals with no handicap index, or golfers with a handicap index of 0-5.7
A for golfers with a handicap index of 5.8 - 11.4
B for golfers with a handicap index of 11.5 - 16.4
C for golfers with a handicap index of 16.5 - 22.4
D for golfers with a handicap index of 22.5 - 28.9
E for golfers with a handicap index of 29.0 - 36.0
SENIORS 60+ YRS for senior golfers with a handicap index of 0 - 36
LADIES for female golfers with a handicap index of 0 - 36
For more information, visit the official website, or the official Facebook page.

Day of the Dead

One of the most iconic celebrations throughout Mexico is Día de Muertos, a celebration that honors life as it celebrates the life of the beloved ones that were once with us. From October 31 through November 2, the country is filled with colors, textures, and scents from the incense, food and flowers left on the altars. Every year, Xcaret Park presents the Festival of Life and Death Traditions. If you've been to the festival and want to experience Día de Muertos in a different way, you're on the right track! Here are some other places for you to visit and live an authentic Day of the Dead.

In Cancun, the celebration of Día de Muertos extends from the homes of (some) cancunenses to the local cemetery. This results in a variety of cultural activities & demonstrations throughout the city. Last year’s celebration in Cancun was called “Day of the Dead Festival: Dinner of Souls”, over 450 artists performed in different programs at different venues, all within walking distance: Plaza de la Reforma del Palacio Municipal, Teatro 8 de Octubre (near the local fire station), Parque de Las Palapas, Parque Bohemio (near La Habichuela in downtown), Parque del Pintor, Luum Pakul, and the Centro Cultural de las Artes. The festival included altars, and the traditional Day of the Dead food and cultural performances.

Although there is no official program for this year's celebration yet, Plaza de la Reforma del Palacio Municipal & Luum Pakul always offer cultural activities and altar demonstrations this time of the year.

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