Tulum is a beautiful gem located on the Mayan Riviera, 125km south of Cancun. It has gained worldwide recognition for its resplendent beaches, serene aqua waters and natural beauty all around. Whether its visiting eco-art installations in the middle of the green scaped jungle or crystal-clear turquoise swimming lagoons, otherwise known as cenotes, Tulum has an experience for all tastes and interests.
AZULIK-UH MAY
If you have ever heard of an opportunity to visit another planet or possibly dimension then perhaps the name Azulik-Uh May has surfaced in a conversation. You might have seen etheric photos through an Instagram feed and wondered what exactly you were looking at. The museum installation is situated in the lush Mayan jungles where the use of local materials, art and nature become fused with an ancestral wisdom. This is an experience where all the senses are invited, from sights, to sounds, textures, and smells. There are visiting artists with temporary installations along with the resident ones. As you move from different spaces, with both ascending and descending pathways, curved walls and textured treelined floors, you experience a different paradigm of space and time. It is as if the movie Avatar created this especially for a scene and perhaps you might feel you are one of the characters inside. It helps to expand the mind with concepts of architecture, nature and spaces as they become animated with life.
HARTWOOD RESTAURANT
After that, perhaps you can enjoy a Hartwood Dining experience where all foods are locally grown and the Master Chef, Eric Werner, creates his kitchen art by candle-light. This restaurant works only with solar panels for their musical soundscape and any other electrical requirements. They have a zero-carbon footprint, creating 100 percent organic compost that is used in renewing the mangroves and indoor farming. The chef uses local ingredients with the suggested simplicity and yet complex alchemy that happens while savoring each bite. The cooking is done by an open fire, with a wood burning oven and grill. Sustainable fishing methods are used along with conscious local farmers to ensure a farm to table experience with low impact on the environment. The Yucatan flavors are melded to create a delectable dining experience, very unique to Tulum.
CASA CENOTE
If you have not had the pleasure of splashing in a local cenote then submerging yourself in these crystal-clear waters will be an awakening experience. The cold fresh water is both cooling and calming for those balmy days with fused with heat. Cenotes are natural holes in the surface of the earth which are formed after extensive corrosion of limestone rock by subterranean water. The Mayan word, ts´on´ot which translates to underground water, has given the name to these natural wonders that are located throughout the Yucatan Peninsula.
Casa Cenote is brilliant in its blue-green hue and is set apart from other cenotes due to its open formation. You can snorkel through this azure route seeing stalactite and stalagmite formations as the sun’s rays illuminate this utterly radiant earth scape. The clarity of the water propels you to swim further along in a natural flow that takes you to the end of the cenote, where you can meet the famous king resident Pancho, the Caiman. He lives in Casa Cenote and suns himself many times throughout the day and if you are lucky enough you can see him resting under the water. I myself get awestruck while witnessing nature at its finest. Casa Cenote is high on the list for exploration of these magical swimming lagoons.