Quiverito Surf Shop in Sayulita Doing Something Different

If you’ll be surfing in Mexico any time soon (Sayulita specifically), be sure to check out one of the town’s newest surf shops, Quiverito. Although Sayulita is a tad saturated when it comes to surf shops these days, Josh Labovitz, Quiverito’s owner, is definitely doing something different and refreshing.

Take a quick glance into the shop, and you’ll immediately see something unique is going on. The walls are lined with retro and classic boards from shapers like Gordon and Smith, Stewart, Skip Frye, Herbie Fletcher, Al Merrick, Terry Goldsmith, Ian Zamora, and others. There are also a few modern boards in the mix, like Firwire, but you’re definitely not going to find racks of Quicksilver tees, shelves of Volcom wristbands, or counters covered in Red Bull stickers. The classic vibe led me first to believe the shop was a gallery, but then I saw a sign that read: “ALL boards for rental and sale.” My head tilted, I stared at a vintage Gordon Smith single fin and went, “That can’t be right.” But, alas, the sign did not lie.

The mentality at Quiverito is simple: Boards are meant to be ridden. When most board collectors would wince at the idea of you even touching their coveted Skip Frye, Josh says, “Like it? Take it for a ride.” When I asked Josh how someone with such a great collection of boards could let total strangers take them out, he said, “It’s definitely an exercise in dis-attaching myself from material things, but I figure, I ding them up myself every time I travel. Why not let other people enjoy them as well?”

Quiverito provides a really unique opportunity to save yourself the 80+ bucks in flying boards back and fourth (as well as peace of mind about dinging your babies) and the chance to ride classic shapes without having to shell out mucho dinero to pull them off the wall. The coolest part is that you can check the boards out on Quiverito’s website, pick one out, and reserve it before you ever get on the plane. Check the website out at www.quiverito.com.

Journey Mexico Featured on Planeta.com

We were featured on Ron Mader’s website, Planeta.com, this week in a section called Luxury Travel in Mexico by Ron Mader. Many thanks to Ron. Planeta is an incredible resource for responsible and eco travel, and we’re thrilled about everything Ron is doing for travel to Mexico.

Ron has a really cool photo-scavenger hunt going on his site right now so if you are in Mexico now, coming soon, or happen to have a lot of pictures from a previous trip to Mexico City, be sure to get involved.

Another Study Confirms Safety of Mexico

The safety of traveling to Mexico is a redundant topic for those of us living here, but Americans still don’t seem to be getting the message (especially my mother).

When explaining the situation to friends and family back home (about 30 miles north of Philadelphia), I always draw an analogy along the lines of: “Do you not feel safe living outside Philly because some got murdered in a back-alley in Memphis, Tennessee?” Obviously, the answer should be no as Memphis is more than a 20 hour drive from Philadelphia just as Mexico City is much more than 20 hours away from these boarder towns (Juarez specifically) where murders are occurring.

A new study from Brookings Institute compares Washington D.C. with the country of Mexico in general, strengthening my point. Apparently, Washington D.C. has a murder rate of 31 people per 100,000 inhabitants, where as the country of Mexico has a murder rate of approximately 11.5 people per 100,000 inhabitants. New Orleans’s murder rate is 74/100,000!

It’s a shame that the American media creates such a biased portrait of the safety of traveling to Mexico, when there are so many unbelievable trips to be taken and incredible sites to be seen in this breathtaking country.

You can find the full article via the Miami Herald Online

Viva Tequila Festival in Guadalajara

Image via http://www.periodicoelsur.com/

Today marks the beginning of the Viva Tequila Festival in Guadalajara, which will run from today until March 22nd and is expected to become an annual event. The festival was formed with full support from the Mexican government as well as from the ministries of Culture and Tourism, so it should definitely be quite the party.

The goal of the festival is increase tourism to the historic city of Guadalajara as well as to solidify tequila as the national drink of Mexico and, in turn, boost the sales of tequila worldwide.

The list of activities for the ten-day fest is enormous and includes tequila tasting, art shows, a photography contest, several free concerts and shows, and a celebrity parade.  I haven’t yet been able to find a full list of activities in English, but you can find a full list of events in Spanish at Vivir Guadalajara.

7th Annual Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival

March 17-20th of this year marks the 7th annual International Guitar Festival in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Each year, musicians, artists, and music lovers from around the world flock to Zihuatanejo, one of Mexico’s most unspoiled and tranquil bays, for the festival.

Zihuatanejo provides the perfect backdrop for four days of music, sun, and relaxation. If you get restless, there’s plenty going on in Zihuatanejo besides the festival, including golf, tennis, hiking, fishing, and shopping. If you’re a surfer, there are always waves in this region of Mexico, and Zihautanejo’s nightlife (especially during the Guitar Fest) won’t let you down.

Proceeds from the festival go to La Casa de la Cultura, which is a cultural education center that has been offering free art and cultural classes to adults and children in Zihuatanejo for 15 years. For the full schedule of events and participating artists, visit Zihuafest.

Travel + Leisure Best Adventure-Travel Outfitters 2010

Journey Mexico has been selected as one of the World’s Best Adventure-Travel Outfitters for 2010. We were selected under the category of Regional Specialists due to our specialized focus on Mexico’s cultural and natural heritage. Travel + Leisure went on to feature one of our Whale Watching Trips as a one of the “World’s Top Adventure Trips.”

Journey Mexico: Journal of Environment and Development

Journey Mexico President, Zachary Rabinor, was published in the Journal of Environment and Development with his article, “Sustainable Development and Management of EcoTourism in the Americas.” The article was in preparation for the conference for the International Year of Tourism. You can download the article here.

Journey Mexico: Guest Speaker

Due to our extensive knowledge of Mexico’s land, its people, and its culture as well as to our ability to provide unforgettable adventure, cultural, nature, and luxury trips in Mexico, Journey Mexico has been invited as a guest speaker to following events:

  • The EcoAdventure Expo 2006
  • The UN/WTO International Year of EcoTourism 2001
  • The ATTA Summit in Whistler 2007

Journey Mexico: Rough Guides Recommendation

Lisa Grossman wrote an excellent article, “Mexico: Baja’s Blue Frontier,” for Rough Guides in which she illustrates the incredible beauty, the wide variety of marine life, and the rich culture that Baja California has to offer. Journey Mexico is sited at the conclusion of the article as the go to outfitter for excursions to Baja. To read the article, click here.

Journey Mexico in New York Times Adventure Guide to Mexico

The New York Times highlighted Journey Mexico as the go to company for hiking the Sierra Norte Mountains. The article notes the way in which Journey Mexico takes adventurers beyond the normal hikes around the fringes of Oaxaca and into the Sierra Norte, through several ecosystems, to meet and interact with the indigenous people of the highlands.

Journey Mexico National Geographic Award

Journey Mexico was selected by National Geographic as one of the Best Adventure Travel Companies On Earth. National Geographic awards this title based on the criteria of Quality of Service, Sustainability, Spirit of Adventure, Education, and Client Satisfaction.