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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.
Get This Book Now!
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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