BAJA, MEXICO
If you are looking for an adventure holiday why not try Baja, Mexico.
It is a beautiful place with fantastic scenery. It is a great place for hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, diving and whale watching.
You can get a train into the Copper Canyon which is supposed to be one of the world’s great train rides, then hike through this scenic canyon.
Baja has beautiful clear blue waters and kayaking is such a pleasure as you see dolphins, sea lions, grey and blue whales. There is also an abundance of bird life in the area.
If you would like to enjoy some whale watching go to the Bay of Magdalena where the grey Whales make their annual migration to nurse in the shallow lagoons. The tours here are eco friendly and take place in small groups to minimise the impact of tourism on the Whales.
It is a great place for diving and snorkeling with plenty to see and the company of playful dolphins and sea lions.
As a change form the great outdoors you can visit Chihuahua and enjoy all the delights of a big city, perhaps do some sightseeing and shopping to get those all important souvenirs of your holiday.
Baja is truly a beautiful spot for an adventure holiday with plenty to see and do for the whole family. It is a great place to get some spectacular photographs too so don’t forget your camera.
MEXICO - FOR A MAYAN ADVENTURE
In Mexico, a fantastic adventure awaits you, exploring the ancient temples of the Mayan Civilisation. For the adventurous, archaeologists, photographers and historians this is an exciting holiday visiting these World Heritage Sites. Explore one of the most powerful and mysterious empires of the ancient world.
Mexico, a vibrant and colourful country is home to the finest legacy left by the ancient Mayan Civilisation. The Mayans built magnificent temples and pyramids. These ruined limestone buildings, built originally in their huge cities, are amongst the world’s most impressive sites. Apart from religious functions these buildings were also used for sacrificial rituals. The Maya greatly respected death and rituals were an important part of their religion. Here are some of the larger, accessible sites:
Chichen Itza (”At the mouth of the well”) in the northern centre of the Yucatan Peninsula is one of the largest of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Dominating the centre of Chichan is the Temple of Kukulan. The Temple of the Warriors complex is a large stepped pyramid with rows of carved columns depicting warriors. Seven courts have been identified for playing a ball game by the Mayan where men attempted to hit a ball through a stone ring using only hips and shoulders to strike the ball. One story is that the loser was sacrificed on the spot! Other buildings include an observatory, El Caracol, the High Priests Temple and nearby are caves with idols still in position
Calakmul is one of the largest cities ever uncovered, being discovered from the air in 1930. The city probably supported a population of 50,000 and has a series of water management features, including the largest reservoir in the Mayan world at 22 square kilometers.
Palenque is a smaller site in Chipas State and contains some of the finest Maya architecture, carvings and sculptures. Important structures include, The Palace, which is a complex of connected buildings and courtyards, The Temple of Inscriptions and a set of four temples on top of stepped pyramids The Temples of The Sun, Cross and Foliated Cross.
Coba is 90 Km east of Chichen and is built around two lagoons. It contains several large pyramid temples, the tallest, known as Nohoch Mul being 42metres high. A unique feature is the elevated, stone causeways (sacbeob) which radiate from the centre of Coba. Some of these reach the Caribbean, with the longest being 100 Km in length.
Uxmal before any restoration was in better condition than many other cities due to the quality of its construction. Its architecture is only matched by that of Palenque. Its buildings include, The Governor’s Palace, the Adivino or Pryamid of the Magician and The Nunnery Quadrangle which was a government palace. There is also a large Ballcourt.
These are just a selection of the many temples and pyramids you can visit. This is truly a unique holiday experience seeing at first hand the marvels of this ancient Mayan civilization.
MEXICO - A NATURALIST AND PHOTOGRAPHERS DREAM
Posted by Roy
Mexico, four times larger than Spain, with its Caribbean and Atlantic beaches, spectacular mountains, active volcanoes, jungle and desert, is a country with everything. It has a rich Spanish legacy and links to the ancient Aztec and Mayan civilizations. Mexico City is actually built on top of the Aztec capital of Tenochititian.
This colourful country with its special culture, history and food, has an exceptional diversity of animal and birdlife. Their habitats in the humid jungle, hot desert and the waters off its western coast are a naturalist’s dream.
The Baja Peninsula, off the west coast of Mexico, sometimes referred to as “The Island of California,” and the Sea of Cortez combine to provide one of the world’s finest areas to see whale’s in their natural environment. The San Ignacio Lagoon is the home to the “friendly” Grey Whale. Every year, around 20,000 of these monsters make the 8000 Km journey from the icy waters of the Bering Sea to mate and calve in the warm sheltered waters.
Further south, off Magdalena Bay are found Bryde, Humpback and Fin Whales with huge pods of Common Dolphins. The coastal mangrove swamps hold Reddish Egrets with Terns and Skuas feeding over the Bay
Banderas Bay is the home of a wide range of waders and seabirds such as Heerman’s Gull, Royal Tern and the Blue Footed Booby. The coastal thorn forests are the home of the Orange-Breasted Bunting and the rare Flammulated Flycatcher. San Blas, on the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, is one of the best bird-watching places in Mexico The nearby mangrove and coastal wetlands are home to exotic tropical species and wintering land and sea birds including the Hook-Billed Kite, Tiger Heron and the Mangrove Warbler.
The deep and warm waters of the Sea of Cortez with a maze of submarine canyons and mountains are rich in food for whales. The Blue Whale, which can grow to 90 feet in length, shares these waters with Fin, Minke and Sperm and the elusive Orca and Pygmy Killer Whale. Bottlenose and Common Dolphins also frolic in these waters. The remote islands are home to seals and birds such as the Gila Woodpecker, Xantu’s Hummingbird and the rare Red-Billed Tropicbird. As a break from all this exotica, you can try snorkelling amongst the turtles and the other 650 species that live in the Sea of Curtez.
Moving onto the mainland at Mazatian, you can explore the coastal thorn forests in search of Purple-Back Jays, Russet-Crowned Motmot and Elegant Quails.
This is a unique ecotourism holiday with mind-boggling photographic opportunities, actually touching Grey Whales and swimming with turtles in this historic and vibrant country which is Mexico.
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