96% of Mexico is Safe for Tourists

With harsh headlines about Mexico still dominating the world's press, it might be expected that vacationers would keep away. However, reports are out that demonstrate that tourists, especially in America, are too savvy to be hoodwinked by scare stories. Now the government is fighting back with answers for the country's critics and data for those weary of being spoon-fed bad news.


Cabo San Lucas
23 million international visitors came to Mexico last year, on business or for pleasure; with their numbers boosted by a further 6 million docking for day-trips from the cruise ships. The majority were citizens of the USA. In 2010, 10% more Americans entered Mexico than in 2009. President Calderon informed a Las Vegas conference of travel executives that 'almost zero' of these even encountered drug violence.

The reason is clear. They were nowhere near the trouble. Mexico is a huge country, divided into 2,500 counties. Of these, only 80 counties are experiencing the problems that dominate coverage in the newspapers. That's only 4% of the total landmass. The remaining 96% of the country ranges from 'relatively safe' through to 'completely safe' from drug cartel violence.


Chichén Itzá
Tourism Secretary Gloria Guevara was asked, in a recent interview, where is it safe to travel to? She replied, "I would say they can go to all the tourist destinations because all the tourist destinations are fine. It depends on whatever you like, but there are a lot of places you should visit and have a great time. Stay away from a couple of cities within the border." ('Popular destinations safe, says Mexico tourism minister'.)

This is a message that is supported by the USA's federal travel warning. This was last updated on April 22nd, 2011, and reads,

Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day for study, tourism or business and at least one million U.S. citizens who live in Mexico.

The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes...

...you are urged to defer non-essential travel to the states of Tamaulipas and Michoacán, and to parts of the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi and Jalisco.
Mexico

In short, Mexico's northern border with the USA.


Guadalajara City
This was not the message conveyed by the Texas Department of Public Safety, which issued its own, more extensive warning earlier this year. Spring breakers were told to stay out of Mexico full stop. The penalty for traveling south, the declaration darkly cautioned, would almost certainly be dire. DPS Director Steven C. McCraw was reported widely stating, "Our safety message is simple: avoid traveling to Mexico during Spring Break and stay alive."

He was almost universally ignored. Not only did his predicted bloodbath utterly fail to occur, but the numbers of Spring Breakers reached record proportions in 2010.


Spring Breakers in Cancun
In addition, there has been a steady stream of celebrities crossing the border, for work, pleasure and, in some cases, matrimony, throughout the year. By their very nature, these are the pampered and protected products of film and TV studios or record labels, who would soon be forbidding any destination which might threaten their star.

Yet just today, American journalists were writing, 'Now that Mexico's tourist industry is pulling out of a long, well-publicized slump... we can't help noticing that the uptick parallels an accelerating stream of celebrities visiting the country.' ('Stars head to Mexico for work and pleasure.')


American actors Soleil Moon Frye, Eric Dane, Rebecca Gayheart and their children, on a Memorial Day vacation, in the Four Seasons Resort, Punta de Mita, Mexico
Terry Denton, president of the Travel Leaders/Main Street Place Travel in Fort Worth, explained that, "In the past, people in Texas have rolled things like this off their back because they were savvy with Mexico travel." Though he did report a substantial increase in concerned people visiting his office with their questions, after the DPS warning was issued. "In many cases, we could alleviate any fears and concerns they had by sharing our knowledge of statistics and geography."

However, American travel agencies remained unimpressed with the scaremongering, which could well have hit them right in the pocket. Adventure Travel Trade Association president, Shannon Stowell, was blunt in her response to the issue. "If you look at federal travel warnings, they are very editorial free, just reportage on the facts. But the one that came out of Texas had what I would call an inflammatory message. It was an unfair blanket statement. It's a damage to our membership." ('Tourism groups ask Texas DPS to refine its warnings about Mexico'.)

No-one in government, nor the American tourist agencies, are denying that there are severe troubles in certain parts of the country. Javier Sicilia's peace caravan, which has weaved its route throughout Mexico and is currently at the US border, is just one testimony to that.


Javier Sicilia at the head of the Peace Caravan
President Calderon is the first to admit it. "Yes we have problems... We are dealing with that, we are facing it." He stated, at the Las Vegas conference, but he also commented, "Mexico is a safe place to visit." Because once the hotspot 4% of the country is avoided, then it is.

Tourism Secretary Gloria Guevara also recognized past marketing errors. "We left a gap of lack of information. That gap was filled up with bad news and that happened for a couple years. We realized that was a mistake and we’re fixing it. Yes, we have some challenges but, I haven’t met a country that doesn’t have challenges."

In the meantime, 2011 has been declared the Year of Tourism by Mexico's government; and that tourism is going from strength to strength.

Spotlight on a Tour: Pirate Assault!

There you are, enjoying a sunset out to sea, while all around you are people drinking from the open bar or dancing to live music. It is serene, it is beautiful, it's a raucous party.

Then the pirates attack.

Explosions light up the night sky. Random people are taken prisoner and it is up to their fellow passengers to secure their freedom. Fortunately, your MC will be on hand to help you devise a cunning plan. Dare you risk it?

Survivors will be taken to Isla Mujeres, that tropical island favoured by the pirates of old, for a delicious buffet meal at the Beach Club 'El Pescador'. Here the party continues on the sands. The return trip to Cancun is just as lively, with games, contests and a pirate show.




The cruise lasts for four hours, leaving from Playa Langosta Marina, in the Cancun Hotel Zone, km 6.5. It runs every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, at 7pm. For those in Riviera Maya or Playa del Carmen, then transport can be arranged from your hotel for an extra fee.

Ferry Check in: 6:00pm, Departs 6:30pm, Returns 11:00pm

Pirate Assault!
Enjoy an authentic pirate adventure on the Caribbean Sea.

Easter in Mexico

A combination of three Catholic festivals makes this an exciting two weeks in Mexico. Semana Santa (Holy Week) runs from Palm Sunday until Easter Sunday; while Pascua (Passover) is from Resurrection Sunday through to the following weekend.

Therefore, Easter is another way of saying 'holiday season!' in Mexico. During this holy fortnight, the roads are packed, as Mexicans themselves travel around to their favourite destinations; and the whole country appears utterly relaxed.

Of course, that doesn't stop tourists from other countries joining the throng. Amongst the visitors to our country this week was 'Desperate Housewives' star, Eva Longoria. She was snapped, hand in hand with boyfriend, Eduardo Cruz, exploring the coastal city of Mazatlán.


Later, the couple met with Sinaloa state governor, Mario Lopez Valdez, and had lunch. As evening dawned, they flew to Cabo San Lucas to enjoy the rest of their vacation on the beach.


Cabo San Lucas is one of the Mexican resorts that is increasingly popular with the Hollywood jet set. Any time of the year, it's highly likely that a celebrity will be spotted there.

Underpinning all of the festivities, in Mexico, this fortnight is a Christian story; it's horrific, sombre and joyous all at the same time. Jesus Christ, having been arrested in the garden of Gethsename, is taken into the custody of the Romans. He is tortured, before being forced to carry a heavy wooden cross through the streets. Upon Calvary Hill, he is executed by crucifixion.

A crowd of witnesses watched him die; the fact of which is proved when a soldier stabs him with a spear, and Christ neither reacts nor bleeds. Then, three days later, Christ appears, scarred where the nails pierced him, but otherwise alive and extremely well. To Christians, this is the miracle of the resurrection. This is what Mexicans, in general, are marking and celebrating this fortnight.


Good Friday, Cuautepec, Mexico City
Throughout Mexico, there will be reconstructions of these Biblical scenes. Many of these take the form of parades, where Christ carries His cross and Romans escort Him through the streets. In many communities, the full Passion Plays are enacted. Actors depict the events all of the way from the Last Supper, before Christ's arrest, through to the Resurrection. In some, there is even a staged crucifixion, with Christ going up on the cross; obviously ropes, rather than nails, are involved here. They are highly colorful and often profound spectacles, which shouldn't be missed, whatever your religion.

Real de Catorce: A Magical 'Ghost Town' Part Three

While some people see a ghost town, steeped in history, spirituality and freely growing peyote, others see a movie set. The empty streets of Real de Catorce have been used as the backdrop for so many documentaries and films, that many outside Mexico subconsciously picture the town as Mexico.


'The Mexican', starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, is one of the more famous movies shot in Real de Catorce. Here are two scenes from it, both showing the town.





Brad Pitt was later interviewed after the shoot and he said that Real de Catorce was 'a trip'. There are places in the town, where photographs of the filming are displayed. Local people were able to get very close to the stars, so some of the photos are very candid.

The movie also had a huge effect on the town in terms of amenities. Just one 'phone line and the electricity switching off at 8pm might have been considered fine for the residents, but a Hollywood film crew wasn't about to put up with that. By the time they left, the town had much more wiring and communications infrastructure.



Some of the local residents don't stop at allowing their town to be used as the backdrop to movies. They feature in them too. The chef of Ruinas del Real Hotel was in 'Pirates of the Caribbean'.


Ruinas del Real Hotel is just one of the handful of hotels and B&Bs set up to cater to the boom in tourism here. It is also the place favored by the incoming film crews. Guests here can stay in 'The Julia Roberts Suite', where the bathroom was especially built to the actress's specifications. (I guess that she wasn't prepared to 'slum' it, though the bathrooms throughout the hotel are quite satisfactory!)

Another big name movie shot in Real de Catorce was 'Bandidas', starring Penélope Cruz and Salma Hayek.



It's not just modern film crews that have descended upon the town. Back in 1948, John Huston arrived, with an ensemble cast, which included Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, and Tim Holt, in order to shoot 'Treasure of the Sierra Madre'. (You'll know it by the classic line, "We don't need no stinking badges!", which has been parodied in so many places since, despite being a misquotation.)


This was the first American movie to be shot on location entirely outside the USA. Some scenes were filmed in Durango and Tampico. It was also amongst the first 100 films to be selected for perservation, in the United States National Film Registry, as being 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant'.

Real de Catorce: A Magical 'Ghost Town' Part Two

Real de Catorce sits 2,750 meters (9,022ft) above sea level, high up in the Sierra Catorce mountains. This is one of the highest plateaus in Mexico. In 1779, there was no access road, no buildings, no sanitation and no water, but there was silver. With silver came the mines; and with the mines came the people. Almost overnight, it seemed, a large town sprang up from this barren, desert landscape. It was hedonistic and practically lawless. Life savings could be lost, and fortunes made, on a single cockfight. Yet still the people poured in.

It wasn't only the Mexican people here. As news of Real's silver wealth spread, people came from all over the globe to try their luck in this anarchistic town. Many were Spanish, but there was a British mining company too; and it was a Guatemalan, Silvestre Lopez Portillo, who first set about forging a proper town from the chaos. He brought the amenities, law, local government and planning that served a population, which had now boomed to 15,000 people.


In its heyday, Real had 190 mines, extracting some of the highest price silver in the world. It had its own mint, a bullring and shops selling luxury items from Europe. It had a theater, which the celebrities of the day would visit. In 1895, the town even welcomed the president, Porfirio Díaz, when he came to the inaugaration of new machinery in one of the mines.

Yet the greatest achievement had to be the tunnel which allowed access into Real itself. 2,300 meters (7,546ft) long, this subterranean road is still used to reach the town. Walking or driving through it can be an utterly surreal experience. Thousands of people have passed along it, filled with their hopes and dreams, or the desolution of their losses.


In 1900, the international price of silver plummeted. It wasn't worth keeping the mines open, so one by one they shut. The trickle of people leaving became a flood, until only a few were left. Buildings lay empty. The mine-shafts were boarded up. The great and grand mansions sank into ruin. Thus the town is now and, for many tourists, is its charm. They wander through streets that, just a century ago, were teeming with crowds; and peer into windows, where people lived and worked and raised their families.

Only a thousand people still live permanently in Real de Catorce. A couple of the mines remain open, but the digs are small scale. Many of the residents find work in serving the tourists: those who come for the indian shamans, the peyote, the history or the ghost town spectacle. A couple of the mines have been opened as tourist attractions too. But there is also another class of regular visitors - the Catholic pilgrims.


Templo de la Purisima Concepcion (Church of the Immaculate Conception) was lavishly built in the 1790s, but was added to throughout the 19th century. Master builders and silversmiths were brought in from Mexico City, to create some of the beautiful details throughout the interior. It's a truly glorious church to visit. However, the pilgrims aren't here for the spectacle. They are here for the miracles.

The church is home to an image of St Francis de Assisi. The statuette has the affectionate nick-names of 'Panchito' or 'El Charrito'. Reports of miracles occurring, after leaving votive offers in front of St Francis, started early in the town's history. As Real died, this belief never did. Today, the area around the image is shrewn with candles and metal plaques, engraved with details of successful blessings.


On his feast day, October 4th, the town is busy again, as the streets fill with thousands of Catholics come to pay homage to this image. The festivities begin around September 20th and last into late October, though the 4th has the largest events.

Many people, who trace their ancestry to those who used to live in the town during the silver days, return with their families. They come to ask for favors, or give thanks for miracles enacted in their own lives. There are so many pilgrims that they couldn't possibly fit into the church, thus St Francis is taken out and paraded through the streets.

It is a time for piety, but this being Mexico, food, drink, song and dance also make up a large part of the tradition. Yet all of this is done in simplicity. It's a time for self-reflection and the emotions, not lavish hedonism. Just part of the inherent spirituality of the place, as was discussed in yesterday's blog.


By the end of October, the Catholic pilgrims all go away and Real de Catorce takes on its ghost town aspect again.

Real de Catorce: A Magical 'Ghost Town' Part One

In its heyday, Real de Catorce, in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, was a bustling mining town with a population of 15,000. These days, it's a parched village, surrounded by ruins. It's often labelled a 'ghost town', despite the remaining 1,000 residents; and despite the steady stream of Catholic pilgrims and Pagan mystics. The industry may be mostly over, but the spirituality goes on; and, of course, this is the land of peyote.


Since ancient times, the Huichol Indians have returned annually to the Catorce Valley. They come from miles around, often walking for weeks, from their lands in far-flung states. Even today, they will come from Nayarit, Durango, Jalisco and Zacatecas, in order to pay their respects in this holy place.

Here is Cerro del Quemado, perched up in the mountaineous Sierra Catorce, a sacred center for these people. It is the birthplace of the God, Tatewari, also known as Grandfather Fire. Three concentric rings of stone, within which offerings have been left since time immemorial. To the side of the ceremonial shrine, there is a relatively recent addition. It's a limestone shack, within with a candle burns. The sacred flame. Traditionalists, amongst the Huichol Indians, will come here three times a year. Once to ask; once to say; and once to give thanks.


The Huichol Indians will then venture down into the Catorce Valley (or Wirikuta in the Huichol tongue) to gather their holy plant. It will be used in rituals back home. It is a catcus called peyote, those properties cause hallucinogenic visions. For the hippies and drug tourists, steeped in chemically produced LSD, this is the real thing. Thus they too come in their droves, to soak up the spiritual ambiance and to harvest their own wild peyote.

It's a situation which is threatening the survival of the catcus itself. So much of it has been removed that Wirikuta peyote is in danger of disappearing from the landscape.

The government recently launched a campaign to protect it. It's now illegal for anyone but the Huichol Indians to pick it. The whole valley has been made part of an ecologically protected zone. The wardens are all Huichol Indians, who patrol the valley. They not only stop people picking peyote, but also educate them on why this should be necessary.


This isn't the first time that the native people have endeavoured to protect this holy place. The Spanish-Mexican name for the valley and the mountain is Catorce, aka Fourteen. The town that was built, when silver was discovered in the Sierra Catorce, is Real de Catorce, or The Royal Fourteen. This refers to fourteen Spanish soldiers ambushed by Chichimec warriors.

The Chichimeca were semi-nomadic people, who lived in this area, at the time of the Spanish conquest. Conquistador Hernán Cortés considered them not nearly as civilized as the Atzec people. In 1526, Cortés wrote to Spain, saying that the Chichimeca would be good as slaves and that they could be put to work in the fledging silver mines.

The tribe fought a long and bloody war against enslavement, from 1550-1590, with the Catorce name around here being a legacy of one of those meetings. The Spanish didn't get a foothold in these mountains until 1721. Even then, the Chichimeca were never conquered.

The Cave of Swallows

Imagine a pit so deep that it could hold the New York Chrysler Building without a tip of it showing. Such a abyss exists in Mexico. It is the largest cave shaft in the world. It is the Cave of Swallows.



Some measurements:

* Elliptical cave-mouth: 160 by 205 feet (49 by 62 m) wide
* Cave shaft main body: 995 feet (303m) by 440 feet (135m) wide
* Cave's depth (shortest side): 1,094-foot (333 m)
* Cave's depth (highest side): 1,220-foot (370 m)

In Mexico, it is called Sótano de las Golondrinas (Basement of Swallows), because of the birds which make their home there. Unless there are extreme sports people demonstrating their skills, then the birds are the most popular creatures to watch. The pit is so large that it is difficult to gain a sense of its proportions, without seeing the birds fly into it. They freefall, tucking back their wings, so they can plummet into the depths. Then, as they draw near to their nests, their wings are extended. They glide into their perches and rest.

Literally thousands of birds live in this shaft. The vast majority are members of the swift family, hence the name 'Cave of Swallows', though there are also other species. These include the rare cave parrot (cotorras de la cueva) and green parakeets.


Each morning, there is a wondrous spectacle, as the cave's feathered inhabitants flock en masse out of the entrance. The cave's mouth darkens and the sound of their wings is thundrous. It can take up to half an hour to get them all clear; then the sight is repeated, in the evening, when they all come home. Meanwhile, the parakeets spiral out. They emerge as lonely green dots, drifting around the interior far below, coming closer, until they finally reach the top and fly to the skies.



So many birds have lived in this cave, for so long, that the bottom of the pit is spongy to the touch. It is their waste that has built up to carpet the ground. They make their nests amidst the flora that eeks out an existance in the darkened crags. Also at the bottom of the pit are other creatures. Millipedes, scorpions, snakes and all manner of insects. The abyss is a vibrant hub of life, if viewed with the right kind of eyes.



The Cave of Swallows is near to the town of Aquismón, in the state of San Luis Potosi. The local Huastec people viewed it as an entrance to the Underworld. The first foreign explorers were Americans. Three cavers, from Texas, named T.R.Evans, Charles Borland and Randy Sterns, entered the pit on 27th December 1966. They didn't make it all of the way to the floor; returning in 1969 to do that.

Their reports saw interest growing, in the giant hole, throughout the rest of the world. The resulting tourism has changed Aquismón from a small, jungle village, into a thriving hub of amenities. It takes just 20 minutes to walk from the town to the cave. For many, the great attraction are the extreme sports to be had there.


Rock-climbers, cavers, rappellers and BASE Jumpers have all flocked to this site, including one balloonist, who managed to successfully fly a normal sized hot air balloon to the floor of the pit. It can take 10 seconds to BASE Jump down; twenty minutes to abseil; or 1 to 2 hours to climb. Temperatures in the pit can also make life difficult, damaging equipment with its extremes or exhausting the wary. Even highly experienced thrill-seekers and explorers have warned about the Cave of Swallows. (For an example, see this thread, on Cavechat.org.)

However, the sheer number of people visiting, to dive into the cave, has resulted in some restrictions being placed. All sports are banned during the time when the birds are flocking in or out. Also no damage may be done to their nests. The descent into the cave may be made at only one designated spot. Nothing may be thrown into the cave nor left in there afterwards. Helicopters may not be flown near to it. People may not shout into the pit (the echo was great!), as this disturbs the creatures living in there. All of these restrictions came after ornithologists realised how much the bird population was starting to decrease, due to the effect of adventure tourism.

Mexico Scores Well in Tourism Report

Mexico is the fourth most desirable holiday destination in the Americas. It ranks 43rd, out of a panel of 139 countries, on the world stage. Moreover, the country's tourist credentials actually rose eight places since 2009. Furthermore, Mexico placed 13th, in terms of human, cultural and natural resources. All of this is known from an international tourism report. Its conclusions are highly influential in the future planning of tourism in any country.


The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2011 was released this week. Penned by the World Economic Forum (WEF), it assesses and ranks countries based on a host of data. It is aimed at business investors rather than tourists; providing expert analyses on the wisdom of investing capital in a country's tourism industry. Though, of course, what is good for the money-makers naturally has to be fantastic for those on vacation. If it wasn't, then tourists would stop coming and the investors would lose their profits.

Only the USA, Canada and Barbados have beaten Mexico, as attractive tourist destinations, in the Americas. It is a placement that has thrilled Tourism Secretary, Gloria Guevara Manzo, "The report demonstrates that Mexico is moving in a positive direction. Our country has incomparable character, culture and charm that we want to share with the world and it is rewarding to see that it is recognized and appreciated."


The panel looks at 14 categories, when evaluating the tourism industry of any country. They dig down, into the nitty-gritty, with several sub-categories within those headings. The final assessment is based on it all.

Mexico did well in several categories, with the highlights listed here (all rankings out of 139, in a league of countries):

* FIRST! Mexico ranked number one, as the country with the largest presense of major car rental companies. Ok, not massively exciting, but it did boost the country's standing in the 'Tourism Infrastructure' category. It's also very reassuring those those wishing to hire a car here.

* FIFTH! Mexico was in the top five, as the 'number of World Heritage cultural sites' were assessed. The country boasts 33 such sites, including one of the New Wonders of the World, Chichén Itzá.


* NINTH! The megadiverse nature of Mexico's flora and fauna earned it a top ten ranking in the sub-category of 'Total Known Species', in the category of 'Natural Resources'. But biologists and nature-lovers have known this for years.

* TENTH! Some of the most stunning landscapes in the world are in Mexico, including Copper Canyon, Chevé Cave and El Triunfo. This has resulted in another top ten ranking, in the category of 'Number of World Heritage Natural Sites'.


The country's transport system was praised. The number of domestic airline seats was ranked 11th, with international airline seats trailing only shortly behind at 22nd out of the 139 countries inspected. The number of operating airlines was ranked at 26th. Also in the top thirty were fuel and hotel prices.

In the top forty were attributes like the health and education of the Mexican people, plus their welcoming nature towards foreign visitors. Cultural resources also scored highly. It was ranked 18th, in the 'Creative Industries Exports' (souvenirs to you and me) category; and 24th in the 'Number of International Fairs and Exhibitions'.


Due to the target audience of the report, many of the categories were concerned primarily with business interests. Mexico proved its willingness for external scrutiny, by ranking 12th in the category of 'providing monthly/quarterly T&T data' and 15th in the competitiveness of the same data. It scored 22, 23 and 35 respectively, in the categories of 'prevalence of foreign ownership', 'openness of bilateral Air Service Agreements' and 'time required to start a business'. All very lovely enticements for the prospective investors.

In fairness, there was some criticism too. Safety and security both let Mexico down, but these are the very issues that the Mexican government are quick to address. Secretary Guevara stated, "We have made real and sustained progress in making Mexico safe and secure, and will continue to devote our resources to ensuring that it remains a top destination."

It isn't all talk. With bad newspaper headlines continuing to sully Mexico's reputation over its borders, this season has seen some of the highest levels of tourist security in Mexico's history. Spring Breakers, in Cancun, were met by 'tourism advisors' (ie semi-plain clothed members of Mexico's military), who guided them past the Timeshare touts, into the ranks of authorised, safe taxi firms. It is hard to miss the highly visible patrolling of crowded beaches. Cancun has always been safe, but now it looks safe too!


The full report may be downloaded from here (pdf). The Mexico specific pages can be downloaded here (pdf) - find Mexico in the list, under 'Country Profiles'.

Selvatica: Cancun's Number One Attraction

There are 58 Cancún attractions listed on TripAdvisor. As tourists visit and vote upon, these places fall or rise in the league. A bad review causes a venue to topple, losing ratings; a good review sees it soar above the competition. Yet one attraction has managed to hang onto its top spot since 2009. Last year, it was voted the best adventure park in Mexico. Selvatica Canopy Expedition and Adventure Tour is officially the ride of your life.


Selvatica is about an hour's drive from Cancún's Hotel Zone, but it is well worth the visit. This is an attraction for adrenaline junkies, which will have you flying through the tree-tops; racing along wild tracks in dune buggies; then plunging into the cool freshness of a cenote.

The adventure takes place out in the Yucatán Jungle. There are twelve zip-lines here, comprising of some of the highest and fastest in the country. The biggest of them all, only for the most daring visitors, is 65 feet (20 meters) above the ground. That one is obviously not for those suffering from vertigo. For the less adventurous, there are zip-lines much closer to the jungle floor.

The adults will then pair up to ride dune buggies, across rough jungle tracks, towards a crystal clear cenote, thirty minutes down the road. This is not a ride for children. They will be conveyed, more sedately, in a truck. For those at the wheel of the buggies, this will be driving like you've always wanted to do it: fast, reckless and fraught with wild abandon. Why should rally drivers have all the fun?


It may sound like this is an adventure park where you take your life into your hands. However, the facilities are quite safe. At each stage, trained personnel ensure that everyone is safely harnessed and experiencing nothing but unadulterated fun. They can cater for youngsters as young as three years old. The activities are then graded upwards to match every visitor's nerve and stamina.

Selvatica Canopy Expedition and Adventure Tour
Over 20 mental and physical challenges, with zip lines, suspended bridges, dancing cables, buggies and a cenote.

Pirates of the Caribbean - Fermin Mundaca

Fermin Anonio Mundaca y Marecheaga was born, on October 11th, 1825, in Santa Maria, Spain. He was well educated, but as soon as his studies were completed, he crossed the oceans to make his fortune in the slave trade. He raided Mexico, in search of Mayan people to abduct and sell. He also undertook voyages to Africa, where he bought people to ship to the Americas. Both Mayan and African slaves were destined for the sugarcane plantations and mines of Cuba and the Antillas. There were rumours that he was also a traditional pirate too, but no actual anecdotes to back this up. He certainly called himself a pirate and none of the other pirates around at the time challenged him on the nom-de-plume.

By 1858, the British Navy had started to crack down upon the slave trade. Mundaca decided that it was time to retire, signalling the act with a symbolic torching of his own ship. Mundaca was wealthy enough to settle down and so bought half of Isla Mujeres. This was his tropical island retreat and he had money to spend, so he spent it. His hacienda was based near to Playa Lancheros and took over 40% of the island. It exists today and was called 'La Vista Alegre' (Joyous or happy view).

Mundaca had plenty of people to whom he could show off. In 1847, the Caste War of Yucatán had begun and, by 1858, around 250 people fleeing from it had populated the Isla Mujeres village of Pueblo de Dolores. These included fellow pirates, who no doubt looked with envy upon his hacienda. Between them, these pirates owned the other 60% of the island, upon which also lived local fishing communities. Amongst them was an emerald eyed, Mayan woman, Martiniana 'Prisca' Gómez Pantoja. She was eighteen years old, willowy, with pale skin bronzed by the sun and her beauty was already attracting interest amongst the young men of her community.

Mundaca fell in love. He called her La Trigueña (The Brunette) and had a great archway built, as the northern entrance to his estate, in her honor. El Paso de La Trigueña! The Gateway of the Brunette! He built a two-storey, palatial home overlooking a shallow valley. He created stone terraces with carved stone benches, each bearing a hand-carved plaque. He made a massive sundial for her called 'La Rosa de los Vientos' ('The Rose of the Wind'). You could tell the time by seeing upon which flowers the shadow of the dial fell, during any hour of the day. He dug a well and constructed eight walled gardens around it in an octagon shape. He extended his gardens and added a menagerie of livestock and exotic birds. He had ploughed and sown a huge vegetable garden. A second archway, as the south-eastern entrance to his estate, had the words etched into it, 'Entrada de La Trigueña' (Entrance of the Brunette). He plundered the local Mayan ruins and brought back ornately decorated stones to be used in his own hacienda. He created a warren of small pathways, lined with sea grapes and icaco, lit with torches and leading down to the bay. Coconut palms and chitale were planted for their milk. All for her.

Unfortunately for the pirate, Senorita Gómez Pantoja was having none of it. She was 37 years younger than Mundaca and already had a sweetheart of her own. She was also Mayan and he was Spanish. Three centuries of Spanish conquest was culminating even now in the War of the Castes over on the mainland. She, along with the rest of the Mayan population of Isla Mujeres, hated his guts. There was also the fact that Mundaca hadn't quite finished with his slave trading. Between 1858 and 1870, he continued to rent boats to the Government of the Yucatán, which were used to capture rebel Mayans and sell them to the Cuban plantations. Mundaca took his cut of the proceeds and he became referred to as the Spanish Consul on Isla Mujeres by the same government. He also captured Mayan people from the mainland coastline and used them as slaves to build his sprawling estate. They were made to dismantle the ancient temples on the island and use the stone for his own constructions. All in Pantoja's honor. Mundaca seemed to find no incongruity between his trade of her people and the fact that she didn't want a thing to do with him.

Prisca married her own love, Senor Martinez, and Mundaca went a little crazy watching her from afar. He became a recluse inside his hacienda, walking endlessly and stuffing his pockets full of random stones. These stones were piled up around the well, almost as a cairn to his lost love. He planted hundreds of flowers in his gardens. Except for two male servants, Mundaca saw no-one and traded with no-one. He allowed his vegetables and fruit to ripen in the ground, then fall and rot. His animals were given free rein. They frequently escaped and trampled over the crops and groves of the rest of the island. He never attempted to control them, even when they ruined the food of his neighbours.

Mundaca also went to the cemetery, in the north part of Isla Town, on the island and created a tomb for himself. The granite tombstone is peculiar. It was carved by Mundaca in 1877, the date which he added to the stone. It is intriguing to ponder upon the date. Did he intend to do away with himself in order to render the date correct? Or did he consider this the moment when his life was over, despite himself still moving and breathing in it? The tombstone shows a skull and crossbones as its icon. There is also a message for his disinterested love:

Lo que tu eres, yo fui
lo que lo soy, luego seras
-As you are, I was - as I am, you will be

In the end, he couldn't stand watching Prisca getting on with life, raising a family and making her home any longer. He left the island, in 1880, and travelled 200 miles away to Mérida. There he died within weeks. Some say that he contracted plague; others say that he just withered away alone in a brothel. His body was not returned to Isla Mujeres, to the tomb which he had already prepared. It lies empty.




* Hacienda Mundaca, Isla Mujeres: The ruins of Vista Alegre are on the south side of the island. The entrance fee is $20 pesos.

* El Cementario, Avenida López Mateos, Isla Town, Isla Mujeres: Mundaca's empty tomb with the tombstone carved by himself.

* Mérida: Mundaca died there.

Pirates of the Caribbean - Jean LaFitte

Jean LaFitte (pron. La-Feet) claimed to have been born in France and some biographers believe him. Others point out that French nationality helped greatly in avoiding the enforcement of American law at the time. And the Americans had a lot of reasons for wanting to enforce their law upon this notorious pirate.

If Jean LaFitte wasn't born in France, then it is likely that he started life in the French territory of Saint-Domingue (Haiti), in 1782, and moved to Louisana, USA, as an infant. He grew up exploring the wetlands and bayous south of New Orleans, until he'd memorized every inlet in the Gulf of Mexico. By 1805, LaFitte was running a warehouse in New Orleans, though which he trafficked the goods smuggled into the country by his brother, Pierre. Life was good until 1807, when the Embargo Act banned any American ship from docking at a foreign port. Lousiana had become part of the United States of America only three years before, but this meant that the brothers could not ply their trade as openly as before.

The brothers LaFitte decided to set up a private port on the island of Barataria. It was sparsely populated area and so small boats could slip beneath the watchful eyes of the custom officers. Business boomed again, as many privateers began to use this port, unloading their large cargos there, then ferrying the goods via barges into New Orleans. The brothers were soon bored though and so brought themselves a schooner, in October 1812. They were ready to become fully fledged pirates in the Gulf of Mexico.



The USA authorities tried, on several occasions, to arrest the brothers. However, this was difficult as the US navy was in its infancy, so was often overwhelmed and outrun at sea; while the people of New Orleans refused to testify against them, as they brought in goods and luxuries far more cheaply than the official sources could. Finally, in 1814, a high ranking citizen did give evidence at a trial against Pierre LaFitte. He was jailed for piracy, leaving Jean LaFitte to run amok alone on the high seas.

This was the time of the American War of Independence and the British were quick to see the strategic value of being able to use the port at Barataria. From there, they could launch naval attacks upon the American colonies. LaFitte was approached with both a carrot and a stick. If he agreed to let the British navy use his pirate port, then he would be given British landholdings, great wealth and the use of the British navy as personal protection. If he refused, then the same British navy would destroy the port. LaFitte asked for 15 days to consider it, then copied the letters and sent them to the American authorities in New Orleans. Within two days, Pierre LaFitte was allowed to escape from jail.

The Americans were taking no chances though. Gunships set out from New Orleans and found the Baratarian port. A battle took place, which the pirates lost. Many were arrested and taken back to New Orleans, but the LaFitte brothers both escaped. However, General Andrew Jackson had arrived in the city and he was horrified at how poorly defended it was. In particular, despite having a swollen fleet filled with captured pirate ships, they had no-one skilled enough to sail them. Forever opportunists, the LaFitte brothers struck a deal whereby any pirates fighting the British, on behalf of the Americans, would immediately be released with full pardon. Jackson accepted and the LaFittes, along with many pirates, received commendations for their 'courage and fidelity' in the Battle of New Orleans. They all received full pardons on February 6th 1815.

This, of course, did not stop the piracy. He took hundreds of ships and their cargo throughout the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, Jean LaFitte openly admitted to piracy in his later years, though he took care to keep his ports outside the USA. His most notable settlement was on Galvaston Island, in Texas, which was under Spanish, then Mexican control at the time. This was effectively a new and improved Barataria, until he was run off it in 1821. Then Jean LaFitte moved operations to Isla Mujeres, in the Yucatán, where he set about building his third and final base. However, it wasn't as large as his previous ports on Barataria and Galvaston, but is significant as he died there in 1826.

The manner of his death has passed into legend, with many different accounts. No-one knows for certain how it happened or where his body lies. Some say that he was killed by a Spanish warship out at sea, but his official biographer, Jack C Ramsey, wrote that Captain Jean LeFitte died of fever on Isla Mujeres. On the island, local oral history concurs and, furthermore, states that before he died, he buried treasure on their beaches. Tourists have been looking for it ever since.

* Posada del Capitan LaFitte, Playa del Carmen: A beachside resort overlooking an inlet which LaFitte used during his piracy.

* Hotel Petit LaFitte, Playa del Carmen: Another hotel in the same inlet used by LaFitte.

* Dzilam de Bravo, Progreso, Yucatán: Plaque commemorating him placed there by CEDAM. There is a tombstone in the cemetery there with the legend, 'Jean LaFitte ReExhumed'.

* Look out to sea. There have been numerous reports, from oil workers on platforms and fishermen in boats, that occasionally a ghostly fleet of pirate ships can been seen around the Gulf of Mexico. This has been credited as being Captain Jean LaFitte and his crew.

* Lord Byron's poem, 'The Corsair': Some scholars say that it's not about Greek pirates at all, but it is about Jean LaFitte.

O'er the glad waters of the dark blue sea,
Our thoughts as boundless, and our souls as free,
Far as the breeze can bear, the billows foam,
Survey our empire, and behold our home!
These are our realms, no limits to their sway—
Our flag the sceptre all who meet obey.
Ours the wild life in tumult still to range
From toil to rest, and joy in every change.
'The Corsair' by Lord Byron, 1814

Pirates of the Caribbean - Giovanni de Verrazano

Giovanni de Verrazano (pron vay-rah-tsah'-he), aka Juan Florin, Juan Florentino or The Frenchman, was born in Florence, Italy, in 1485, but worked under a commission from the French crown. During his early career, he traversed the coastline of North America and Canada, sending letters back to Francis I, king of France, containing detailed descriptions of all he saw. These letters show that he discovered the Hudson River before Henry Hudson, but he only sailed as far as modern-day Manhattan, so didn't realise it was a river. Instead Verrazano believed that he'd found a 'large lake'. He made it as far north as Newfoundland before returning to Europe in 1524.

He was soon back, but this time it was in his other guise, as a pirate. He had first experimented with such activities in 1522, when he had taken a ship belonging to Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador and now governor of the country, just off the coast of Mexico. He took pearls and sugar, as well as Mexican gold worth 80,000 ducats. At the time, Europe was alight with the news of the Spanish getting rich from their conquests in South America. Many countries despatched 'privateers', or crews with an official remit to intercept the Spanish and Portuguese ships, thus diverting the wealth into other countries. France's monarch, Francis I, was the one who provided Verrazano with a ship and crew to do just this. The age of the pirates was well and truly born.

Peter Martyr, an eyewitness, wrote letters concerning Verrazano's exploits at sea. He talked of ships lying in wait for the Spanish vessels, then dramatic chases and cannon fire. In 1521, Verrazano himself was boasting of owning four vessels for such grisly work. In 1523, the pirate was intercepted by the Spanish, whilst in possession of seven captured ships. He was forced to relinquish them. Yet another source said that he had fifteen ships at the time. What is certain is that Verrazano's notoriety as a pirate was growing steadily with each passing year.

Verrazano's crew had a reputation in the Caribbean as the worst kind of pirate. They were cut-throats, who would kill automatically without mercy or reason. They just wanted the loot and would sink any ship, as soon as its cargo had been carried away, with the loss of life of all on board. He was also responsible for abduction. He stole a child from a tribe in North Carolina, USA to take back to France as a curiousity. He attempted to take a young woman from the same tribe too, but she managed to escape. By the time he was hanged for piracy, in Puerto del Pico, Spain, in November, 1527, he had self-confessed to having plundered and sunk 150 ships, galleons and galleys. The estimated value of all the cargo that he had taken was nearly two million dollars.

Other sources state that he was never captured by the Spanish nor taken back to Spain for execution. The alternative story says that, in 1528, he achored off the coast of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles and saw members of the native population on the shore. While his crew, including his brother, Girolamo, stayed aboard the ships, Verrazano waded ashore. He was immediately set upon, killed and eaten, as the people were cannibals. Those on the ships were out of gunfire range and couldn't reach him in time to save him. Later commentators have noted that, while the population of Guadeloupe were cannibals, they only ate those whom they had defeated in battle. It can be deduced that it wasn't a friendly landing, which had led to Verrazano being eaten. It had been a fight, which the Europeans had lost.

What should historians make of these contradictory stories? It might be worth noting that Giovanni de Verrazano came from a notable family in Italy. His letters, alongside his brother's maps, were important for navigation in the New World for a century; while historians still find them invaluable as primary sources of information about that period. Spanish records are emphatic on the fact that they did hang him, with a charge of piracy against Spanish and Portuguese ships in the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. It is tantalising to consider that his family did not want such a story associated with their name, hence they embraced an alternative death for him. Being eaten by cannibals in South America is a much juicier narrative and it is this one which has endured.

However, the reality is even more murky than that. It seems that a Florentine man was captured and eaten by cannibals, but his name was not given in the account. What was told was that the ship and the rest of the crew were English, it was only the pilot who was Italian. Given the English records of the time, it is likely that this man was Albert de Prato. However, a chronicler of the period, John Baptista Ramusius, noted the nationality and the fact that Verrazano had disappeared from the historical record around this time. He put two and two together and inserted Verrazano's name as the consumed Florentine.

* Subacuatico-CEDAM Museum, Puerto Aventuras: Some of the exhibits recovered from the seabed come from ships which may have been sunk by Giovanni de Verrazano and his men.



* Yucatán Strait: It was this stretch of water, separating Mexico from Cuba, where Giovanni de Verrazano and his fleet of pirates waited ready to attack Spanish galleons. Just visit any beach on the Yucatán Peninsula or its islands, or sail out into the sea, and you will be on the trail of Giovanni de Verrazano.