The day after my birthday, we decided to go on a little adventure. After all, we wanted to get a bit more out of Mexico than just the unlimited cocktails and ice cream (although that was pretty good). We booked an excursion through a little hut on the beach of the resort, and the company was Aventuras Mayas. Although we were tempted by a couple of the Thomson excursions, the overwhelming number of five star reviews online, plus their prices made us go with them. And I'm so happy we did.
We set off at around 8am and were picked up from our resort by mini bus. We had chosen the package 'Snorkel Xtreme', which meant our first stop was the heart of the Mexican jungle.
The package included riding on zip-wires over the jungle, repelling into ravines, swimming in an underground cenote and snorkelling with turtles.
The zip-wires meant that we had a pretty decent trek up some extremely high towers, right into the canopy of the jungle.
Zip-wiring has to be one of the scariest and most exciting things I've ever done. There was a point where I started spinning around on the line, which I was told specifically to avoid. Luckily I managed to spin myself back around.
Unfortunately, the campsite itself where I could actually take photographs wasn't too exciting. The majority of it was swarmed in jungle, while most of the activities took place in places away. This meant that I couldn't take my camera with me on any of these and therefore failed to get photos. Bad blogger!
My favourite part had to be the cenote: an underwater cave filled with crystal clear water. These ancient caves have been purified through the stalagmites to create beautiful pools.
One thing I did get to take a picture of was the turtle snorkelling, which was definitely the most excited about. We journeyed to Akumal beach, also known as Turtle Bay, where we were equipped with snorkel gear. Ollie bought me an underwater camera so we could take a couple of shots in the sea.
After getting these printed, I forgot how much I love the photos which come out of disposable cameras. They give a hazy image which you really can't replicate through any filter and just make them a little more special.
The beach was beautiful and is named as one of the top beaches in Mexico, but I definitely wouldn't recommend a visit if you just want to relax. The place was absolutely packed with tourists and it felt very much like being in a party destination rather than the paradise beach of the resort. Luckily, we weren't there for that, and began to wade into the ocean.
Not going to lie, I was a little worried that we weren't going to see any turtles at all. I mean, what were the chances. But within a few minutes, we were surrounded by them. They were absolutely beautiful to watch and there was even a moment when this turtle came up to breath and swam right next to me! I truly felt like a mermaid.
Sadly, the rest of the area was a little blurry, but the fact that we got to swim so near to these beautiful creatures was really something special. They are so peaceful and gentle.
After our last activity of the day, we headed home for a well deserved rest. I couldn't believe how shattered I was, but the whole experience was amazing. I would definitely recommend Aventuras Mayas if you find yourself in Mexico in search of an excursion.
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