Journey Mexico Blog

Adventure travel trips and tours in Mexico are one of our specialties at Journey Mexico. For those of you planning adventure vacations this summer, we’ve put together a list of our favorite adventure tours.

From pristine beaches and remote jungles to spectacular mountains, lakes and rivers – these travel adventures get to the heart of this grand destination: Mexico.

1)      Baja Multisport: Sea Kayaking and Hiking Trip

On this adventure trip you’ll visit both the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez coastlines of Baja California, Mexico. Perfect for active travelers, it combines remote hiking and paddling in intact wilderness settings, plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities and visits to local villages.

This trip includes a full day Sea-Kayaking expedition in the Sea of Cortez. Experience the turquoise waters of the protected beaches of the Island of Espiritu Santo.  We will also visit the resident sea lion colony where you can opt to swim and snorkel with these marine mammals.

During our day hike, you will indulge in the seascapes of the rugged Pacific Coast of Southern Baja California. In this hike into the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere reserve you will also experience the beauty of cascading waterfalls in the stunning cactus forests.  A visit to the fishing village of Todos Santos and a day of surfing provides a taste of the old Baja.

2)      Chiapas Adventure Trip – Ziplines, Waterfalls, and Ruins

On this fabulous adventure trip to Chiapas, Mexico, you will zip line through the tree-tops of the jungles and mountains of the region. Take in the magnificent beauty of one of the area’s waterfalls, measuring over 100 feet in height, and swim in the refreshing water from the falls. This journey also includes a visit to the archaeological site of Palenque, an ancient Mayan city known as one of the greatest achievements of ancient man, and to San Cristobal de las Casas, a charming colonial city where you can converse with the indigenous people of San Juan Chamula and Zinacatan, and learn about their colorful ceramics and textiles.

3)      Swim With Whale Sharks and Visit Ancient Ruins Trip

This adventure trip to the Riviera Maya in Mexico, is perfect for wildlife lovers. One of the highlights of this adventure includes swimming and snorkeling with docile whale sharks (ranging from 10 to 65 feet in length) on a secluded island. After a few days of nature immersion, explore the ancient Mayan ruins at the world renowned Chichen Itza. Your private guide will explain the significance of this archeological site and the achievements of the Maya civilization. You will also have the chance to cool off in a beautiful sinkhole before enjoying a picturesque lunch nearby. Accommodations at the Isla Holbox (a tranquil island 3 hours from Cancun) are in a quaint eco-friendly hotel.

4)      Copper Canyon Hiking Trip – Lower Rio Urique Wilderness

The Copper Canyon hiking trip is an expedition style adventure where hikers follow the Urique River as it winds through the Mexican canyon. This tour offers stunning views, trails through narrow slot canyons and a crossing of the magnificent suspension bridge at Vado de la Cueva. You will also visit the native communities and the historic settlements of El Fuerte, Cerocahui, Creel, Chihuahua, and Batopilas.

A train journey on the world famous Chihuahua al Pacifico Mexican railroad offers a panoramic view of the amazing transition between the Sea of Cortez and the canyons of the Sierra Tarahumara.

5)      Mainland Mexico Surf Trip

This surfing adventure trip is 10 days of non-stop surfing combined with luxury accommodations to relax and recharge in the evening. On this trip you will stay in 2 magnificent villas right on the water. You will also go on exciting road trips on private SUVs and take a private fight to some of the region’s best kept secret surfing spots.

An expert guide will be with you providing insider access and a professional photographer will shoot video and photos of the adventure.

6)      Oaxaca Cycling Excursion

This exciting tour lets you experience a bike tour like you never have before. During this cycling excursion you will not only see great bike routes but you will also discover Oaxaca’s amazing culture, food, and natural beauty.

You will visit Teotitlan del Valle, where the world-famous, traditional, woven, wool blankets and rugs come from, as well as other remote villages with XVI century churches, old plazas and vibrant markets and galleries.  On this tour, you will also see Monte Alban – an archeological site from around 500BC.

7)      The Volcano Mountain Climbing Expedition

This adventure tour is 10 days of amazing mountain climbing. Explore two Mexican volcanoes: The Malinche volcano, named after the Indian lover and interpreter for Cortez , and the Iztaccihuatl, the 3^rd largest in Mexico famous for its shape of a sleeping woman.

In addition to exploring the mountaintops, caves, and glaciers of central Mexico, you will also visit the charming towns of Puebla and Cholula outside of Mexico City.

This trip also includes a visit to Teotihucan, a world-famous archeological site, and the Basilica de Guadalupe. This Basilica is the 3rd most important religious center worldwide.

8)      Yucatan  Adventure

This adventure trip on the Riviera Maya takes you through the jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula and brings you to incredible archeological sites designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Visit the Mayan ruins of Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Celestun, Ex-balam and Sian Ka’an.

This ecotourism tour includes a visit to a local Maya family where age old traditions are still maintained. It also takes you to Tixkokob where locals still practice the age old tradition of Hammock weaving.

The Riviera Maya, with its turquoise waters and soft powder sand beaches awaits you.

We hope you embark soon on your adventure travel tour and discover the wonders that Mexico has to offer.

Mexico expects a busier holiday season than last year. According to the Secretary of Tourism, Mexico expects more than 10.4 million visitors just in the last 2 weeks of 2011. Last year, Mexico was the 10th most visited country in the world! Why? There is such a diversity of incredible places to visit in Mexico. One in particular we are very fond of is the underwater cave system in the Yucatan peninsula: the Sistema Sac Actun.

Divers flock to the Caribbean to explore the coral reefs and warm ocean waters, but this area in Mexico offers an entirely different type of diving experience. Positioned on the coast of the Yucatan peninsula near Tulum, an extensive network of underwater caves lies in wait for the more adventurous visitor. Sistema Sac Actun, or the White Cave System, meanders for 113.8 miles making this structure Mexico’s longest cave. If you’re looking for an exotic Mexico vacation and are interested in cave diving, this is the place to be!

Cenote Diving

The less-experienced diver can get a taste of Sistema Sac Actun by exploring one of the many local cenotes, or sinkholes, that have been made available to the public. Just a short drive from nearby Cancun or Cozumel, tourists can bring their own equipment or rent anything they need at a local dive shop. The Grand Cenote, located on Coba Road to the west of Tulum, is the most popular due to its easy access. Other well-known entryways include:

• Pet Cemetery – This shallow dive is filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and blind fish.
• The Pit – Take the 24-foot plunge straight down to enter this deep cenote. The maximum depth in The Pit reaches 370 feet, the deepest part of the entire system.
• Dreamgate – The roots that reach into this cave from the surface give it a dreamlike appearance. A shallow dive, Dreamgate is one of the most decorated sections of Sistema Sac Actun.

Cave Diving

Expert divers use the cenotes to access the entire cave system and travel through 500,000 feet of surveyed areas and pathways. Note that new areas are being discovered by the official exploration team all the time, but no one else should venture outside of charted territory. Maps are available for most of the established paths that wind through this network of caves and cenotes, and navigational markers are positioned along the way.

Once inside this system of underwater caves, the sights vary from ghostly limestone to dramatic formations that look even more beautiful than similar structures found in dry caves. Depths are fairly constant and rarely extend below 40 feet. The water is crystal clear, and temperatures hover around 77 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. Some cenotes include seaweed and other vegetation that gives the environment an otherworldly appearance. In these areas, tropical fish are often seen.

Safety Considerations

Sistema Sac Actun isn’t for everyone. No one should attempt to explore the shallowest cenote without proper instruction. A beginner SCUBA class only takes a few hours and could be enough to allow you to venture into one of the easier cenotes with the help of a guide. To explore the cave system, expect to spend at least two days in class to go with a guide or a week to obtain cave-diver certification assuming you already have your open-water certification. To minimize the time needed for training during your vacation in Mexico, contact a local dive shop at home for advance preparation.

With a little planning, this beautiful and mysterious network of underwater caves can be an exciting part of your active vacation in Mexico. Although the water is not as deep or wide as the open ocean, it’s just as dangerous. Caution should always be taken to ensure your safety.

Let us help you plan an exotic Mexico vacation today!
Tel: +52 (322) 225 9821
Toll Free (from the U.S.): 1-800-513-1587
Fill out our online form>>

Don’t be taken in by hyped-up claims that the world is ending in 2012 or that this is what the Mayans predicted thousands of years ago. The media and movie industry have purposely misinterpreted this historical information to attract attention, boost ratings, and scare school children. Once you understand more about this misconception, you’ll be ready to visit charming Mexico to celebrate the beginning of a whole new cycle and take the Mayan Calendar challenge!

The Real Deal on the Mayan Calendar
The Mayans, an ancient civilization that existed in southern Mexico and much of Central America from 250 to 900 A.D., used two different calendars. The first, the Calendar Round, covered a 52-year period, or 18,980 days. At that time, this period represented a single generation or the average lifespan of a typical person of that age. This was the measurement tool that this culture used on an everyday basis.

If the Mayans needed to refer to a date that was more than 52 years in the past or future, they moved to the “Long Count,” the long-term calendar. This measurement tool is based on a numerically predictable algorithm that used a beginning date of 3114 B.C. according to our modern calendar. From there, they calculated forward for 5,126 years for an ending date that just happens to be in 2012 A.D. This gave the Mayans a historical measure that reached over 3,000 years into their past and more than 1,000 years into their future.

If you think about it for a few minutes, common sense will tell you that it’s only a coincidence that the calendar is running out in 2012 A.D. The Mayans didn’t predict the end of the world; they just got tired of crunching the numbers. After all, the world existed long before the calendar started, so why shouldn’t we expect it to last long after the calendar ends? This doomsday theory has no more credibility than any of the countless end-of-the-world claims that have been proven false in the past.

Don’t Let the Doomsday Gang Ruin Your Plans
What could be better than leaving the naysayers and pessimists behind to celebrate the beginning of a whole new cycle in the very place that started all this controversy? The Mayan Long Count Calendar is scheduled to end on December 21 of next year, and Mexico is warm and sunny at that time of the year! To make this trip even more attractive, you can bet that the locals are planning quite a few festivals and fiestas to celebrate their continued existence as well as the upcoming holidays!

How can you resist the chance to snap a souvenir photo to prove you survived the “End of the World” in a beautiful Mexican paradise? Whether you’re partying on the beach or living it up in Mexico City, you’ll be able to tell everyone how you won the Mayan Calendar challenge!

Still doubtful? Well, you’re not alone. On Thursday, Mexico’s archaeology institute  acknowledged that a second reference to the date exists on a carved fragment found at a southern Mexico ruin site.  Here’s a link to the full article!

A delegation of tourism officials from Mexico recently returned from a tour of several US cities including LA, Seattle, Atlanta, Houston, New York, and Washington DC, where the delegates met with hundreds of travel agents from across the United States. The delegation, headed by Secretary of Tourism Gloria Guevara, are pleased to report that for most of the agents, the safety of Mexico was old news.

Instead, Travel Weekly reports, travel agents were interested in “[Mexico's] upcoming events, promotions and winter season offerings.” COO of the Mexico Tourism Board, Rodolfo Lopez Negrete, remarked, “We are starting to turn the corner. The crime topic is old news now, and agents were eager to hear our tourism updates.”

Travel agents have a lot to be excited for in terms of upcoming events in Mexico. Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta are set to host the 2011 Pan American Games from Oct. 14th to the 30th, where more than 6,000 athletes from 42 countries (including 275 from the U.S) will face off in international competition.

Overlapping the Pan Am. Games is the Adventure Travel World Summit, which will be held in Chiapas, Mexico Oct. 17th to the 20th. 2011 marks the eighth annual Adventure Travel World Summit – an important event in the travel industry held in a different country each year. Mexico is proud to have been chosen as this year’s host and is eager, as a country, to show off the endless amount of world-class adventure experiences to be found throughout the nation.

As 2011 draws to an end, Mexico will launch a year long celebration of the Mayan culture with a focus on Dec. 21st of 2012, when the Mayan calendar is believed to end. Special events are scheduled in the southern states of Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo and Yucatan, and travel companies like Journey Mexico are offering trips like The Archeological Mayan Journey – a ten day excursion which takes travelers to the most renowned cultural and archeological sites of the Yucatan Peninsula in the company of one of the region’s most well-respected guides.

When it comes to travel, especially internationally, safety always comes first. Mexico enthusiasts are happy to see that US travelers and travel agents are beginning to once again understand that Mexico has traveler-safety covered.

Now that we’re less than two months away from this year’s Adventure Travel World Summit in Chiapas, Journey Mexico is excited to offer attendees our Pre-Summit Copper Canyon FAM Trip.

The Copper Canyon FAM will run from October 12th-16th and is free of charge for ATWS attendees! Trip members will explore the Sierra Madre Mountains on one of the greatest train adventures in the world, the famous Chihuahua al Pacifico! In addition to the train trip, adventure enthusiasts will have the opportunity to go zip lining, rappelling, rock climbing, and to marvel at the world’s longest cable car high above the canyon floor.

Trip members will be introduced to local communities of the Sierra Madre and have the chance to visit craft cooperatives and markets. Site-inspections of several iconic hotels and dinner at the finest restaurants in the region will also be a part of the experience.

For more information about the Copper Canyon FAM Trip, visit our Pre-Summit Adventure page here >>

#MexicoToday: Peter Greenberg, credited as “America’s most recognized, honored and respected front-line travel news journalist,” hosts a special series on PBS called The Royal Tour in which he travels a country guided by its head of state. On September 22nd (September 23rd in Mexico), PBS will air The Royal Tour: Mexico – Greenberg’s grandest royal tour to date.

With Mexico’s President, Felipe Calderón, as his guide, Greenberg explored Mexico from top to bottom, undertaking such adventures as whale watching in Baja California, rappelling 110 stories down the Cave of Swallows in San Luis Potosi, zip-lining through the jungles of Puerto Vallarta, and exploring several of the Yucatan’s cenotes and underground rivers. In addition to the adventure, Greenberg was able to sit down with the President and discuss some pressing issues such as the United State’s perception of safety in Mexico.

While in Oaxaca this past June for the Mexico Today kick-off event, I had the chance to discuss the filming of The Royal Tour: Mexico with Jaime Diaz, the government official who was integral in making the event happen. Jaime explained to me that the previous Royal Tours (in places like Jordan, New Zealand, Peru, and Jamaica) were filmed in about seven days but because Mexico is such a vast country, Greenberg and PBS wanted to reserve the President for two weeks – something the Mexican government strongly opposed. According to Jaime, President Calderón overrode his advisors and agreed to the filming, seeing The Royal Tour as a huge opportunity to open the eyes of American viewers to the beauty of his country and to the wealth of meaningful travel experiences offeren in Mexico.

Judging from the trailer, it seems President Caldrón made the right call as The Royal Tour: Mexico looks fantastic. Set your TiVos now because, trust us, Mexico is going to blow you away!

The Lonely Planet recently published an article called Riding the Rails: Classic Train Journeys of the World and guess which trip was at the top of the list – Mexico’s very own Copper Canyon Railroad Adventure!

The trip aboard Mexico’s first-class Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico train can be found on bucket lists worldwide – and for good reason. The train journey whisks you over 36 bridges and through 87 tunnels as it travels 655km in length, offering unforgettable views of the Copper Canyon. During the trip, travelers stop to visit the local people of small, remote towns in the Sierra Tarahumara mountains to experience their unique culture.

The luxury of the train is matched in Posada Barrancas, where passengers unwind at the gorgeous hotel Mirrador, the only hotel that offers sweeping views of the canyon from each and every room!

Reaching the town of Creel, adventurous travelers leave the luxury of the train behind to descend the rugged switchbacks into the depths of the Batopilas Canyon. Passing through La Bufa Canyons, adventurers take in the local wildlife, beautiful rivers & streams, and have the chance to explore historic mining outposts. Another highlight of the trip is a visit to the “Lost Cathedral of Satevo,” whose grandeur and magnitude attest to the importance of its town and the riches that it produced at the turn of the 20th century.

Though perhaps lesser known, the Copper Canyon Railroad Adventure undoubtedly desserves its ranking amongst the legendary train trips of the world. It’s nice to know that Lonely Planet agrees.

Jacques Cousteau once called Mexico’s Sea of Cortés “The aquarium of the world,” and for good reason as 39% of the Earth’s marine mammals either live in or visit the Sea of Cortes during their lifetime. Nearly all of the World’s Gray Whales are born just off the coast of Baja, Mexico and each winter, thousands of Gray Whales migrate back down to Mexican waters to breed – offering travelers unforgettable up-close-and-personal encounters.

Traditionally, exploring the Sea of Cortés and its wildlife has meant camping in the rugged terrain of Baja California, which is great for adventure lovers but can be discouraging for Grandmom and the kids. Now, however, Journey Mexico is excited to offer a fabulous alternative: an eight-day, seven-night cruise aboard a 120-foot, 22-guest yacht.

On The Sea Quest Explorer, you’ll tour the Sea of Cortés, a World Heritage biosphere reserve that harbors more than 900 islands (many uncharted), flora, fauna, and animals found nowhere else in the world. In addition to whale watching and site-seeing, travelers will enjoy a burro ride through the arroyos, swimming with baby sea lions, and a visit to Isla Coyote, a tiny island populated by only two families! Included in the experience are two-person sea kayaks, paddle boards, snorkeling and water-skiing equipment, a sailboat, and motorized shore boat for close-up wildlife viewing.

As a kick off promotion, we are pleased to offer travel credits of $200 dollars per person (and $400 dollars for teenagers) for select travel dates booked by September 30th, 2011. For more information, please inquire at info@journeymexico.com!

Click Image to View the Full Ad

The third web-ad in our Our Mexico series focuses on Adventure Travel in Mexico (click here to view the full ad). The main image features Journey Mexico staff members repelling down a waterfall during our annual staff-adventure day.

As noted in the ad, Mexico is home to endless opportunities for world-class adventure experiences of all age/skill levels. Did you know that in 2010, Red Bull held an extreme diving contest at one of our favorite cenotes in Yucatan? Check out Journey Mexico founder and president doing a little cenote jumping of his own.

Though Mexico has been flying under the radar for the past couple of years when it comes to adventure travel, the secret is out. In fact, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), the largest international network of adventure travel companies and organizations, has announced that in 2011, their annual World Summit will be held in Chiapas, Mexico!

If you love adventure travel, click the image above then tweet the ad/or hit the Facebook Like button. Por favor y gracias!