The start of the season is always highly anticipated because it means that adventurers have the opportunity to swim and snorkel with these giant creatures in their natural habitat.  Although whale sharks are the largest fish in the world and grow to be over 40 feet in length and 15 tons in weight, they pose absolutely no threat to humans. They are slow moving, docil animals that feed mostly on plankton, completely harmless to those that join them for a swim.

The waters surrounding Isla Mujeres, Isla Holbox, and Isla Contoy are known to have some of the densest populations during this period. In 2011, Mexico recorded the largest aggregation of whales sharks ever, with more than 400 gathering in one place to feed!

If you’re thinking about swimming with whale sharks this year, here are some tips:

When: While May through September is the official season, the largest congregations are in July and August. The fifth annual Whale Shark Festival is scheduled to take place on Isla Mujeres, July 11-14, and will share local cuisine, music and raise awareness to environmental education and preservation of whale sharks.

Where: Whale Sharks are moving around quite a lot – however in the past years they have been gathering more towards open clear waters – 1 to 2 hours from Isla Mujeres. While there are still congregations around Isla Mujeres and Isla Holbox, the experience is by far superior in open clear waters of the Caribbean.

We recommend staying at Casa Sandra on Isla Holbox. This beautiful boutique hotel is located on a small island north of Cancún, where the Caribbean Sea converges with the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of a ecological reserve which provides nutrient-rich water that attract gatherings of whale sharks.

Who: Anyone from a beginning swimmer to a professional snorkeler can join the adventure of wading with whale sharks.

How: Journey Yucatan (a brand of Journey Mexico) can provide you with a tour to swim with these amazing fish. We can arrange anything from a group tour to a private yacht encounter. For a full itinerary, check out our Swim With Whale Sharks and Visit Ancient Ruins Trip.

Casa Sandra

Casa Sandra

Los Angeles to Cancun and Huatulco:
Aeromexico is now offering new nonstop flights from Los Angeles to Cancun and Huatulco, Mexico. The Cancun service will operate June to September on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Huatulco Service will operate June to mid-August on Fridays.

Los Angeles to La Paz:
Aeromexico will begin offering a nonstop route between Los Angeles, California to La Paz, Baja California Sur starting June 20. The service will operate on Thursdays and Sundays.

Nashville, TN to Cancun:
AeroMéxico inaugurated low-frequency seasonal services between Cancun to Nashville, TN last February.Weekly flights will be offered until 11 August.

Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas to Cancun
Spirit Airlines, expanded its network on April 25, with a new service connecting Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (DFW) with Cancun (CUN) three times weekly.

Dalls/Fort Worth, Texas to Hermosillo and Zacatecas:
On June 12,  American Eagle will begin service from Dallas-Fort Worth to two destinations in Mexico;  Hermosillo and Zacatecas.

Austin, Texas and Los Cabos:
Southwest Airlines will launch daily service between San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur and Austin, Texas, on June 2. Southwest’s AirTran  will operate the flights.

Domestic Flights from Toluca, Mexico:
VivaAerobus commenced operations on two domestic routes from Toluca (TLC), the capital of the state of Mexico, on 8 April. Thrice-weekly flights to Tampico (TAM) and twice-weekly to Villahermosa (VSA) are the airline’s first destinations from the airport.

AeroMéxico returned to Toluca (TLC) on 25 February with three domestic routes operated by AeroMéxico Connect. The airline now operates services to Cancún, Guadalajara and Monterrey with daily, twice-daily and thrice-daily frequencies respectively.

Mexico City to Merida:
Volaris continues the expansion of its domestic network with the launch of services from Mexico City to Mérida in the Yucatán Peninsula. Volaris’ CEO, said: “In 2013, we want to strengthen our presence in the south-east of the country, helping our passengers to reduce travel times in tune with their wishes.”

Mexico City to Chiapas:
Volaris now offers services to Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas and a major transportation hub for tourists visiting Chiapas. Twice-weekly flights operate from Mexico City.

Chihuahua to Cancun:
The Chihuahua Tourism Board has shared the news that there is a direct flight between Chihuahua (CUU) and Ciudad Juarez through Cancun, Mexico. This direct flight opens up emerging markets, specifically Russian tourists.

The information above includes re-posts from Airline Network News and Analysis and AeroMexico

Journey Mexico, the leader in Mexico Travel offering unique luxury, adventure, natural and cultural tours, is pleased to announce that its Magical Mexican Migrations—Pacific Whales and Highland Butterflies tour has been selected as one of National Geographic Traveler’s “50 Tours of a Lifetime” and will be featured in their May 2013 magazine issue.

The “50 Tours of a Lifetime” are National Geographic Traveler’s selection of the most authentic, most innovative, most immersive, best-guided, and most sustainable tours. This is the third year in row that one of Journey Mexico’s trips have made the list, with the first being Copper Canyon Semana Santa Trek and second, Chiapas: A Journey Through Mexico Less Visited. This year’s theme was tours that ‘capture the spirit of exploration.’ National Geographic Traveler’s executive editor Norie Quintos said “[the tours] push the boundaries of mainstream tourism, whether taking travelers to the far corners of the globe, or helping them dive deep into the culture of familiar destinations.”

With that said, it is no surprise that our  Magical Mexican Migrations—Pacific Whales and Highland Butterflies tour stood out to the editorial team. This tour immerses you in the circle of life, as  creatures ranging in size from 3-4 inch featherweights to school bus-sized 30-40 ton giants make their way to Mexico by air and sea. The trip visits both the World Heritage highland forests of Michoacán and the marine enclaves of Baja California, delighting and mystifying human observers.

Journey Mexico is pleased to offer this tour of a lifetime, so that explorers can experience both of these extraordinary congregations of wildlife.  We invite you to join Monarch butterflies and eastern Gray whales in their annual sojourn and learning about conservation issues that threaten the future of these precious ecosystems.  Explore historic Morelia, kayak the Sea of Cortez, and snorkel with wild sea lions.  Along the way, expert naturalist guides will reveal many charms of Mexico, proven here to draw repeat visitors from great distances.

The 5 day adventure was no ordinary surf trip. It included accommodations at the elite beachfront VIlla Bocana, a local guide, personal chef, independent transportation, personal photographer and videographer, and private yacht.

Check out the video from their Huatulco surf trip:

To view the April newsletter in its entirety, click here.

To check out our Tulum guide click here; or just enjoy photos from our most recent trips:

Photo Credits: (1-4) Graham Mattock, (5-7) Jessica Seba, (8-10) Zachary Rabinor

Condé Nast Traveler,  the world’s premier travel magazine, released their much anticipated Annual Guide to the World’s Top Villas Specialists in their March 2013 issue.  Journey Mexico is proud to announce that Founder and President, Zachary Rabinor, has been awarded the title of Top Villa Specialist for Mexico.

This thoughtfully hand-picked list is chosen by Wendy Perrin, the Director of Consumer News and Digital Community, who comments on the selection process:

For sheer peace of mind, nothing beats the voice of authority. That’s why for the past eight years, we’ve been rigorously vetting villa rental agents around the world—renting from them, accompanying them on villa inspections, interviewing them extensively, and hearing feedback from readers. Getting on our list of top villa specialists means filling out a 47-question application and sending sample house books, checklists used to evaluate properties, and at least one client reference… …Forty-one agents made this year’s cut, representing properties in all our favorite destinations—from Tuscany to Turkey’s Turquoise Coast.

Zach has earned the Villa Specialist for three consecutive years now which is not an easy task. As Perrin explains in CNT,  “Staying on this list is even tougher: It requires proving user-friendliness, conscientiousness, and honesty time and again”.  Zach is the only Villa Specialist in Mexico who has also been chosen as one of the World’s Top Travel Specialist (also by Condé Nast Traveler). You can view Zach’s profile here.

VILLA BEL’HA, Mayan Riviera, Four bedrooms; from $14,000 per week.

What Conde Nast Traveler has to say about Zach :

Mexico resident Rabinor has assembled a carefully chosen portfolio of luxury properties all over the country, with a concentration in Puerto Vallarta and Punta de Mita. Whether at a country hacienda or a contemporary beachfront casa, you’ll find authentic Mexican style, full staff (at most properties), and information packets that offer guidance on everything from tequila tastings to turtle-nesting sites. Rabinor can also masterfully plan any local itinerary or day-trip.

Already traveled with Journey Mexico before thanks to Zach’s assistance? If so, he requests you to kindly leave a comment on his profile found on this link. Thank you!

For 36 years straight, the event was held in Acapulco, Guerrero before making its first move to Puerto Vallarta in 2012. Deciding which city to host the event after 36 years was not an easy task; destinations had to submit proposals as to why they should be host and prove they have the infrastructure required. It is clear why Cancun was chosen for 2014; it has over 32,000 hotel rooms (70,000+ if you include the Riviera Maya), several AAA  4 and 5 Diamond properties, the largest Latin American international airport with the most connectivity and high quality services and framework.

Cancun has already started preparations for Tianguis Turistico. The Mexico Tourism Board is making an initial investment of 40 million pesos, while federal and state government in Quintana Roo will invest 80 million pesos. In an interview with MexicoNews.Travel, Robert Borge Angula, Governor of Quintana Roo, said, “We are already preparing and doing very well with the first arrangements, regarding the productions of such a important event, while also evaluating all the areas of the event. We are very well prepared and we would like to have at least two venues for the fair.”  Later it was announced that the main host for the event will be the Moon Palace Resort on the southern part of Cancun’s Peninsula.The Cancun Center and Xcaret are also being considered as a venue for opening and closing ceremonies.

The event dates are still not set, but it is speculated to be held in May instead of March or April.
Juan Carlos González Hernández, Minister of Tourism for Quintana Roo, is requesting this change because he says “[March through April] is a period in which hotel occupancy rates are an average of 92%, which would complicate the touistic festivities.” Cancun is also setting expectations for attendees; while 2013 Tianguis Turistico in Puebla was record breaking, Cancun is expecting to surpass it with at least 45 different countries present. Angula commented on the goal, ”[Quintana Roo] is a very well positioned state not only in Mexico, but also in the whole Caribbean as well as Latin America…”

If you’re anticipating to attend this travel fair, you can get more information on their website http://tianguisturisticomexico.com.mx/, or by staying tuned on our blog. If you plan on visiting Cancun/Riviera Maya for any reason, give Journey Yucatan a call. We can help you choose the best accommodations for your stay and give you valuable inside information about the best things to do in this lovely part of Mexico.

Thus far in 2013, we are excited to offer the following exclusive promotions in Baja California Sur and Mexico’s Pacific Coast:

One & Only Palmilla - Cabo San Lucas
Welcome Margaritas for two.
Valid for travel through December 2013. Offer can be combined with Sunny Escapes or Retreat promotion.

Hacienda San Angel – Puerto Vallarta
Complimentary bottle of Hacienda selected wine in room.
Upgrade guests to next room category.
Valid for travel through December 2013.

Other standard promotions include:

Maroma Resort & Spa Riviera Maya: Full daily breakfast, welcome margarita  & more.

Hotel Esencia Riviera Maya: Third or fourth night free, full daily breakfast for two & more.

Esperanza Los Cabos Daily breakfast at Cocina del Mar, complimentary nights  & more.

Capella Ixtapa: Full daily breakfast, complimentary nights or resort credits & more.

If you wish to take advantage of these exclusive promotions, do not hesitate to contact Journey Mexico today.  To receive the latest information and offers such as these in your inbox, subscribe to our mailing list below!

To view the March newsletter in its entirety,  click here.