Talk about a unique family getaway — yes, while this is primarily for adults and couples there are family weekends with a litany of kids’ activities — pony rides nearby, a bonfire with s’mores, croquet on the lawn, biking and hikes, fishing in the pond… you can even sleep in a helicopter!
Locals and tourists scoff at the notion that they might not be safe here or along the Riviera Maya (www.rivieramaya.com), which stretches south of Cancun to Tulum. “Mexico is a big country and the violence is so far away from here,” explains cab driver Fernando Morales, who has lived in this area all his life. “Once people get here, they relax.”
Along the Riviera Maya south of Cancun, you have your choice of more than 300 hotels (some 38,0000 rooms from tiny 15-room beach front hotels like the Playa Azul in Tulum to Massive all inclusive to upscale condos like the Condo Hotels right in the heart of Playa del Carmen.
The Grand Canyon, set aside as a national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908, became a national park in 1919. Today, it remains one of the most visited parks, drawing more than 4.3 million visitors a year. Families from around the world come here to experience what is widely considered one of the great wonders of the world. Like I said, wow!
One of the best preserved coastal Maya sites — it was at its height between the 13th and 15th Centuries — Tulum is built along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea –the high cliffs protecting the city from hurricanes even in ancient times. Tulum was one of the last cities inhabited and built by the Mayans.
Four days on Mexico’s Riviera Maya (Yes, it’s safe!)
Family vacations, of course, are a lot about memories. But there’s something to be said for returning to places where things might not have gone as planned and let’s face it, they often don’t on family vacations. Returning gives you an opportunity to measure how much you and your kids have grown and to create new memories.
I don’t think there is anything you might want to try that you can’t find in San Francisco. Last night, we sample a restaurant on the Embarcadero, about a block from the restored Ferry Building home to the bustling farmers market selling and explaining their local goods
I’m at San Francisco’s Exploratorium (www.exploratorium.edu ) which, when it opened in 1969, served as the prototype for museums becoming places for an interactive experience. That continues today as the museum staff work on what the museum will be when it moves to its new digs on Piers 15 and 17 on the Embarcadero in 2013
Ready to play dress up? If you stay in a kids’ suite at the Hotel Diva (www.hoteldiva.com) on Union Square, your little princess can do just that with sparkly shoes, a pink boa, jewelry and a drawer full of “gowns.” If you have a prince, he can play Wii among other things. Whimsical wall art suggests “Keep calm and eat a cupcake” Or “Keep Calm and Rock On.”
TakingTheKids