Catalonia Royal Tulum—Get the Royal Treatment
Feel like being treated like royalty?
It’s July in Mexico…think tan bodies, cocktails, beaches, brilliant Caribbean water and beautiful people everywhere. It was H-O-T, hot and we needed to chill with a drink on the beach—so we did exactly that. Catalonia Royal Tulum is an adults-only, all-inclusive resort that caters to your every whim. Want to go to the spa for treatments designed especially for you? GO. Want to dance the night away in a disco? GO. Don’t feel like Mexican food? No problem—There are 5 different themed restaurants ready to serve you, not to mention the 24-hour room service. Oh yeah, and the drinks are part of the package. Tequila, please!
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We got our drinks, lounged on the beach, and relaxed. Then it’s up to the room. Can you say jr. suite? Tiled floors, a roomy shower, and a soft bed. What else do you need? The champagne and chocolate covered strawberries didn’t hurt either. We loved the super-comfy digs and a sweeping view of the jungle from the balcony. Did I say “jungle?” Yes, the resort is surrounded by tropical wilderness. No, you will not be eaten by anything, but once you leave your room you are instantly transported into the flora and fauna of Mexico. There is a brick pathway that leads from the main lobby through the property to each of the buildings, so you won’t have to worry about leaving a trail of martini olives behind you to find your way back to the room.
Silvia Ortega, the general manager of the property, is a delight. If you have any questions her staff is at your beck and call, ready to help you. It’s service fit for a king!
To avoid a sunburn or a hangover, you’ll need to leave the lounge chair and spice things up a little. We needed some adventure in our lives, so we picked up and went on a couple of day excursions. First up was the ancient city of Tulum. Now, I have seen archeological sites before, but on an ocean cliff over looking the Caribbean Sea? Gorgeous! Tulum is stunning, and if you enjoy the educational experience as well, you will definitely get a great tour. After admiring the waters off of Tulum, we were to dive in, so we headed to Akumal to go snorkeling with the sea turtles and tropical fish. It is a free activity—the only cost is your snorkel rental.
Cut to the next day and we were on a Jungle Tour with a crazy Dutch guide, flying down zip lines and rappelling. At 9am on a hot and humid morning we were picked up by Alltournative for our Jungle Maya Expedition. I think Expedition isn’t the correct description; more like CRAZY (but totally safe) ADVENTURE. We mountain biked, hiked into a cenote for a Mayan prayer—this in it’s self should tell you that this was an adventure not expedition—then more mountain biking to the zip lines over the jungle, followed by rappelling into another cenote (a cenote is a sunken pool containing groundwater, Mexico has some of the most beautiful).
Let me stop here for a moment and tell you it’s not as scary as you think. A 9-year-old boy was with us in all of this and didn’t ask for mommy once—actually his mommy was more afraid than he was! After rappelling we went 4-wheeling through the jungle, (note to self, wear protective padding when 4-wheeling through the jungle), then, Ahhhh the best part, we snorkeled for hours in beautiful, refreshing cenotes. Cool water and fish….did I mention the cool water? This exciting, well-planned tour even feeds you a homemade lunch. It is an all-day trip so plan to be back to your hotel after 4. You will (as we did), be happy to be lounging once again by the pool with a fancy cocktail.
Catalonia Royal Tulum
Tel: 52-984-875-18-00
Alltournative
Jungle Mayan Expedition
Tel: 1-800-507-1092
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