Movies, Music, Festivals And A Tropical Mayan Paradise

Riviera Maya Heats Up With Diverse Events Giving Travelers More Reasons to Visit the Destination

With a number of exciting events occurring throughout the year, the Riviera Maya is giving tourists even more reasons to visit this stunning tropical destination. Here are some of the major events that will be sizzling up the Riviera Maya all year round:

PGA Canadian Tour Golf Tournament, taking place from May 12 – 18, 2008, will be held at the Iberostar Hotel Paraiso Lindo. Last year, Spencer Levin, the 22-year-old freshman phenomenon from Elk Grove, Calif., became a Canadian Tour winner. This year many national and international stars are expected to compete for the $125,000.00 USD purse. The Exotic Travel Club Pro-Am, which will be conducted on Wednesday, May 14, will be one of the highlights of the week-long activities. Visit the Iberostar website for more information: http://rivieramayaopen.com/schedule.html or www.iberostar.com/irmo

The Sacred Mayan Journey, taking place May 30 – June 1, 2008, celebrates the ancient Mayan rituals including chanting, dances and sacred cleansing and purification ceremonies that used to be performed by the Mayans in honor of the goddess Ix Chel, the goddess of fertility and one of the most important deities of the ancient Mayan culture. Long before the arrival of Spaniards to the coasts of Mexico, young women across the Mayan empire journeyed on a sacred pilgrimage to pay homage to Ix Chel. After the extensive research in order to reenact this journey as accurately as possible, the sacred journey is now repeated every year. Under a full moon, Ix Chel receives offerings once again, as she emits a message of life and hope to all present. The journey from Xcaret to Cozumel island sets off with 25 canoes that are accurate copies of ancient Mayan canoes. The total round-trip length of the journey is about 30 miles, thus a good physical condition is required in order to participate. For more information, visit www.travesiasagradamaya.com.mx or contact irodriguez@gxcaret.com.mx

The Tequila Expo held in August, 2008, is a tequila and food exhibition held in Playa del Carmen on the famous Fifth Avenue. The event showcases Mexican culture, is set against the backdrop of one of the world’s top beach vacation destinations, and enlivened by mariachis, music, crafts and competitions, such as an attempt to make the world’s largest margarita. The national restaurant association will stage a Gastronomic Expo on the final day. The Tequila Expo represents traditional brands such as Herradura, Patron and other top quality distilleries, but the majority of displays are for small high quality distilleries whose tequila is only available in Mexico. Good quality tequila equals great whiskeys and liquors of the world and represents complex flavors. The expo is a great opportunity to learn about Mexican tequila as well as to participate in a free tasting. For more information on the Tequila Expo visit www.rivieramaya.com or http://www.playamayanews.com/entertainment/.

The Riviera Maya Underground Film Festival, held during October 15 - 19, 2008, is a competition and a show of edgy and compelling independent short films and documentaries from filmmakers around the world. The festival is comprised of four categories all showing national and international short films: Experimental, Animation, Fiction, and Documentary. There are also cinematographic workshops and conferences throughout the five days. This is a non-profit event, and all activities are completely free. The goal of the festival is to bring together the filmmakers, experts and the public, and to promote the beauty of the destination, the Riviera Maya. For more information on this event, visit www.rmuff.com or contact info@rmuff.com or direcciongeneral@rmuff.com.

The Xcaret Life and Death Traditions Festival will be taking place from October 30 -November 2, 2008. The Xcaret Life and Death Traditions Festival has been created to celebrate and preserve “Day of the Dead” and “All Saint’s Day” traditions from across Mexico including traditional music, food, rituals, and folkloric and classical dance with various shows and exhibits. For more information on the Xcaret Life & Death Traditions Festival visit www.xcaret.com.mx or contact irodriguez@gxcaret.com.mx

The Cancun-Riviera Maya Film Festival, held from November 3 – 9, 2008, will feature original productions by both new and renowned filmmakers, presenting innovative works from all around the globe. Event attendees will enjoy a selection of the best international cinema while film industry professionals can enjoy the amazing beach setting on the shoreline of the Riviera Maya. For more information on the Cancun-Riviera Maya Film Festival visit www.cancunfilmfest.com.mx.

From November 27 – 29, 2008, the Riviera Maya will kick off its sixth annual jazz festival at Mamitas Beach. The Riviera Maya Jazz Festival is emerging as one of the premiere jazz music events in the Americas, having hosted such jazz greats as George Benson, Kool and the Gang and Marcus Miller. This year’s program will be announced on April 25th. For more information on the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival, please visit www.rivieramayajazzfestival.com (the website will be updated with the current information by the end of April; for now, it lists last year’s festival information).

Easily accessible from many cities throughout the U.S., the eighty-one mile stretch known as the Riviera Maya is situated in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Beginning eleven miles south of Cancun International Airport in Puerto Morelos, the Riviera Maya extends to Tulum, one of the most important archeological sites in the Mayan World. The region features the tranquility of uncrowded beaches, a vast network of underground rivers, over 100 cenotes, the action of eco-adventure sports including kayaking, mountain biking, scuba diving, snorkeling, trekking, bird watching and deep sea fishing, proximity to many of Mexico’s most significant Mayan archeological sites, the varied activities of the eco-archeological parks, plus golf courses, spas, shopping, gourmet dining and a range of accommodations to suit every lifestyle and budget. The Riviera Maya has been named a Top Destination in Mexico for four consecutive years by Travel Weekly (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007), one of the hottest beach destinations by Orbitz in 2008 and was also featured in the January 2006 issue of Travel + Leisure as “The Next Riviera.”

For more information on the Riviera Maya, e-mail info@rivieramaya.com or visit www.rivieramaya.com.