Travel author, Joshua Hinsdale, has put his years of travel experience into a guide book for the Riviera Maya. So whether you are a visitor or a resident of the area you can find out some interesting information that you might not have known about.....check it out!

 By Joshua Hinsdale

My parents first traveled to the Riviera Maya in 1980, when it was known only as the not-so-catchy “area south of Cancún.” They went to Xcaret when it cost 25 cents and the road was yet to be paved. They went to Xel-Ha and Garrafon, in Isla Mujeres, and marveled at the tropical fish and the deserted beaches. They ate lobster on the beach in Cancún and snorkeled the virgin reefs of Cozumel. When they came home, they showed me their pictures and talked of their adventures, and I knew I’d go there one day.

My first experience with the Caribbean was in Belize, when I was 16. I went diving at Turneffe Island and was blown away by the color of the water, the number of fish, and the relaxing island lifestyle. A year later, I went on a dive trip to Cozumel with a group of friends from school. I loved the food, the freedom, and the excitement. We took the ferry to the then-tiny town of Playa del Carmen and could hardly find a place that was open to eat lunch.

For each of the next 10 years, I went to Mexico every chance I could, eventually leading group trips, selling travel packages, and making friends around the country. In college, I spent a year at the University of Costa Rica, studying Spanish and traveling around. After graduating from the University of Texas, I went to work for a Mexico-based tourism developer and worked on the early stages on the creation of Playacar.

I moved to Cozumel, worked in a hotel, and traveled the region extensively. I later moved to Cancún, worked for the "Cancún News" (the English daily newspaper, now closed), and made frequent trips to Playa del Carmen. In 1993, I visited the construction site of the Robinson Club (now the Royal Maeva) in Xpu-Ha for a photo shoot, but I could never have imagined the development that would follow up and down the coast.Over the years, I stayed active in the Riviera Maya community, splitting my frequent trips between Cancún, Cozumel, and Playa del Carmen. As many others have, I’ve watched the area boom and grow, amazed with each trip at the new hotels, restaurants, and other attractions.

The region continues to attract me, almost magically, to its sandy beaches, backstreet cantinas, secret fishing holes, and buzzing nightspots. It is in my soul and has become a large part of who I am. I love being there, I love talking about it—and I love sharing it with other travelers.The Great Destinations book covers the region’s history, cuisine, people, culture, shopping, hotels, resorts, bars, nightlife, tours, recreation, activities and more. There are dozens of entertaining sidebars covering topics ranging from what it’s like to live in Playa del Carmen, to the secrets of the Aluxes, to the best shopping bargains. It’s the first guidebook to be published following last years devastating hurricanes.

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Joshua Hinsdale is a professional writer. In addition to the book, he writes magazine articles and promotional - advertising writing, such as hotel brochures, scripts for promo videos, and ad copy. He writes hotel/restaurant reviews and has written descriptions for hundreds of properties for Hotels.com / Expedia.com. He also does some marketing consulting for the travel industry. Joshua grew up along the Gulf Coast of Texas and currently splits his time between Marina del Rey, California and Kemah, Texas, a coastal community between Houston and Galveston. He travels to Mexico and Latin America as often as possible to keep his information freah and current.

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