Date: 28/12/2012 to 30/12/2012 and 03/01/2013 à 05/01/2013

Path: We follow the Carretera 307, que segue a costa pelas praias da Riviera Maya.

Riviera Maya – To Lovers Beach

We do not need to know much to know that the Maya chose where to live well. No wonder that today, his former backyard privileged became inexhaustible source for luxury tourism in Mexico. And gave up a fancy name for the region: Riviera Maya. The relentless beauty of the coast is really lovely, for those who can afford the luxury or not. É um lugar imperdível aos amantes das praias.

Paradise View of the ruins of Tulum

Historically known as the corridor that runs from Playa del Carmen to Tulum, Today the call Riviera Maya comprises a strip of approximately 130 km of coastline between the towns of Puerto Morelos and Punta Allen, do not sul da Yucatan Peninsula. A região é famosa internacionalmente pelos seus resorts de luxo e inúmeras opções de restaurantes elegantes.

Camping aa pair of front beach, EM Tulum

Guys relaxing on the beach, Playa del Carmen em

It's easy to understand why the area eyes shines when it comes to tourism. The beaches of white sand and blue water which in itself would be paradise, are backed up by a very generous nature, both the interior of the continent to the sea. The entire coast of the Riviera Maya is accompanied by Barrier Reef System Mesoamerican, the second largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, which makes her not only beautiful underwater world, as full of animal life. Moreover, a região é repleta de cenotes e próxima a diversas ruínas da civilização maia.

Tulum, Riviera Maya, Mexico

Pela Carretera Federal 307, down the coast from Cancun. The first stop was the charming Playa del Carmen. The beach is full of bars on your surroundings and not difficult to find a lounge chair to enjoy a delicious diazinho beach. As no other Riviera Maya gives, prices are for gringo and somewhat salty in the busiest parts of the city. We are to find a coconut most expensive we found there, where a bar charged 90 weights (about R $ 15) por um único coquinho verde gelado.

Many tourists in the ruins

Amid the alleys of downtown, there are some options for cheap hotels and restaurants. We find an Argentine who had a great food at a price most just, o The grill Manolo. Sleeping saving, send good ol 'chat of carretera ", para convencer os gerentes de um hotel à beira da estrada nos deixar dormir no estacionamento em nossas barracas com a Tanajura.

Charming streets, Playa del Carmen em

A spin by "Quinta Avenida" of Playa del Carmen is also delicious. As our trip is over rootz, we just walk in and a sorvetinho (that was expensive!). But for those who like, there are several designer shops and restaurants that looked very good. The nightlife in the region seemed quite busy and also was chic. After the mad revelers in Cancun, preferimos deixar essas passarem.

A border of Playa del Carmen

We follow with Tanajura further south in a cozy stop in Akumal beach. Here's the deal dip! The sea is full of turtles and do not need to hire any tour package to dive and find the animals with their own gear. We spent an afternoon at the beach sexy, acompanhando as tartarugas e diversos peixes que encontrávamos no mar.

Nothing like walking on the beach without commitment

Further south of the Riviera Maya is the beach like that over this entire path, Tulum. It is not only the most photogenic Mayan ruins of the Yucatan Peninsula all that is done the city. Tulum has a long stretch of beach, delicious for those who like to enjoy the beach a good, à vista do mar azul do Caribe e longe de uma infraestrutura urbana.

Panoramic view of the ruins

Belo backyard of the Maya

Detail of the ruins

Ruins of Tulum

We camped in the area of ​​Fisherman's Beach, no Camping Santa Fe. The structure of hoteizinhos and campsites nearby was quite simple, but do not need much more to enjoy the place. Electrical energy is the basis of generators on the beach, then time or another light was not available or no water had been pumped into the water tank. But okay, the beauty and tranquility of the place compensates, and very!

Tanajura version camping in Christmas

We liked the place so much that one of the comings and goings of Cancun, escaped there for a few more days. The truth is that we could spend days and days enjoying the beaches of the Riviera Maya quietly, but the journey continues! There was still plenty to explore in the Yucatan Peninsula! We went to the North, atrás de Mérida e das famosas ruínas de Chichén Itzá.

Late afternoon in Tulum

For more photos of the beaches of the Riviera Maya, click here!

The post At the Beach lovers appeared first on 4x1.

Date: 22/11/2012 à 25/11/2012

Path: Descend the mountain + Carretera Federal 1

Since Mexico entered havíamos, we now have several opportunities to camp and enjoyed the vast majority. Besides helping to reduce costs, in the course of time, we began to feel more and more comfortable in our tent. We become more agile to mount it and unmount it, often observed that the mattresses in hotels are not as comfortable as our tent and always gave us the opportunity to enjoy the starry nights and sunrise without leaving her. And afinal, is always good to lay my head on the pillow itself, is not even? That's exactly what we did on "The Coyote ", a lost paradise surrounded by mountains full of cactus, calm water and birds, quite often, cruzavam o céu ensolarado para nos dar bom dia.

Tanajura enjoying the scenery

View of the Road around Mulegé

We found "The Coyote " by chance. We were coming from the Sierra de San Francisco, Mulege rumo, town with a little more than 3.000 people, with historical significance to the region due to the Compagnie de Boleo, a Canadian mining company that helped in the development of the region, beyond the mission of Santa Rosalia to Mulege, third of the entire Baja California. The place where we would sleep would be "Beach Cottage", recommended by friends Traveler 1.000 days, due to its beauty and tranquility. To our misfortune (or happiness), The beach access was a complicated and a little dirty beach, with stones and woods scattered due to a recent hurricane that had been there. Assim surgiu El Coyote, lugar em que tivemos uma das mais agradáveis experiências de camping e vamos contar pra vocês agora.

Trem da Compagnie du Boleo fora de operação.

Church made of sheet metal in Mulegé – Desenhada by Gustave Eiffel, yes, the same as the Eiffel Tower!

Check da Beach Cottage

We got there late afternoon, after a few hours in the car. Upon entering the beach, which access was made direct highway, sighted some other vehicles, something between 8 and 10. Each of these, had a structure beside straw, a hub approx. 3mx3m being used for different purposes, one of them being, creative and very soon we will describe. With this blockhouse and taking into account the fact that we had already gotten most of the day in the car, groceries and decided to use our "knowledge" cooking to prepare our own dinner. No cardápio, pasta with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese, while for dessert, eat marshmallow own little stove that heated the take with us, since the woods we found there were wet and we have not succeeded in "making" fire. A simple meal, practice and tasty, que ao som da água do mar e com a vista para um céu limpo e repleto de estrelas se tornou ainda mais especial.

Pasta in the first night!!!

Desktop Marshmallow!!!

The next morning, after a short walk on the beach extension (800m), already knew a third of our neighbors. First, at one end of the beach, a couple of very nice Canadians gentlemen who were seated on chairs, next to his trailer, watching the birds drinking water in a container that you found thrown in the trash. She was so glad to see that the idea of ​​reusing it worked. Some steps back, toward Tanajura, and we were approached by a couple of travelers from Oregon, they were on the road a few weeks ago in a small car, knowing and exploring the Baja California, not Mexico. We exchanged some tips on campsites and places of interest to know, as we always do with the many adventurers who find the road. A little after our enhanced breakfast, com fruits, yougurte, cereals, e Sanduíche, Sandra met and Pe, a Dutch couple, traveling in one of the largest and most robust vehicles that we saw along the expedition. It was big as a truck and prepared for off-road like a rally car. With its color medium beige, com huge tires, sometimes resembled a tank. They will stay 1 year on the road to return to Netherlands,, but it should be a quick return, because the plan is to sell the house, raise more money and continue on the road!

The Dutch tanker!

After these interesting interactions with other travelers who often serve as inspiration for us, we explore one of the mountains that surround the beach. Without a well-defined path, ali na forming Fomos hours, our trail amid the giant cactus, until we reach a higher part of the mountain, where we got sight the sun custava atravessar large earth walls. More of an inside view "The Coyote", this time with the Sun as protagonist. The day passed and all we did was read, enjoy the view and hit a ball off the blockhouse in an area with dirt. While we played that way, we were approached by a man of distinctive appearance. Gary was in super shape for its age, (had discovered that 72 years old), wore hair down to his shoulders and a headband. Told us that once lived in Brazil, (Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia) for a few months years 70 and is super fan of our country. Today's researcher Gary Bird, more specifically ravens and attends "The Coyote" almost 30 years old, because there are no species under observation. At other times, research to lead to or sua pick up, Gary pedaled by 4.000km to get to the beach. He did this for years until the age leave the task a more complicated bit. His joy and excitement to speak of Brazil became even more intense as we give him a keychain with the flag of Brazil. Ver a sua empolgação com nossa expedição nos tocou profundamente e nos deu mais motivação ainda para aproveitar essa oportunidade única que estamos tendo.

Reading time!

Further reading…

After taking a trip to town for dinner, returned to our tent where we could once again enjoy a sky full of stars. The next morning, as we walked on the edge d'agua know our immediate neighbor, that just gave us your kayak. Needed over 1, but how many of the travelers had camped there and already knew half of them, task was not difficult to get more kayaking. More than an hour paddling, stopping to snorkel by 20 minutes, where we saw a few fish, several starfish, e até uma concha fechada com marisco dentro.

Kayaking the Dutch used by us!!!

Kayaking neighbors also used by us!

Early afternoon, we were invited by Gary to meet its museum of marine life. What would it??? When we got there, we were surprised to see the transformation he had made in his palafita. They had shelf edge to edge with several memories of fossils, shells, Hedgehogs… Ultimately, all he has found along the way 30 years of visiting the El Coyote. There he gave 2 shells for each of us, conchas iguais as que ele tinha na “faixa de cabeça” que ele usava naquele dia”.

Tiger and other findings from the sea!

Head of a Shark (shovelnose)

Chat with Gary!

Observação de pássaros.

Mais pássaros ao redor.

Enjoying the view!

Trailer do Gary!

Farewell!!!

After the surprise we had with Gary, took a leap in the market to buy ice, sugar and lemon. Guess why? We were taking with us a bottle of rum from the United States and there we saw the ideal place to enjoy a good caipirinha. Soon, o futebol estava mais divertido e leve.

The sun came time to say goodbye and make room the other stars that covered the night, illuminating our dinner. We decided once again and this time cooking a dish a little more elaborate: Arroz com legumes, Pure de batata and salsichas. Delicious!!!

Jantar farewell!

Expedition 4×1 was here!

Then you wake up the next Manhã, take a quick coffee, we said goodbye to everyone and give um ali last adeus to "The Coyote", mas com a esperança de um dia voltar para aquele paraíso em terras mexicanas.

If you want to see more photos from our visit to El Coyote and vicinity, click here!

The post The Coyote – Tranquility in Good Company appeared first on 4x1.