2010: Sun Season All Year Round at Our at Grupo Mayan Grand Mayan Timeshares - November/December

Mexico has much to offer every month of the year. Check out these interesting events so you can make the most of your next visit.
By Teresa Hein

Highlights
November 1-2- Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrates life and those who lived it, as ancestors are festively remembered with visits to cemeteries, special foods such as skulls and coffins made from sugar, chocolate or amaranth seeds, colorful decorations, and music. November 1 is set aside for remembrance of all Saints as well as deceased infants and children, often referred to as angelitos (little angels). On Nov, 2, those who died as adults are honored. December 16-24- Posadas (procession) of Christmas is a nativity procession leading towards the town square. The festivities also include street fairs, piñata breaking, passion plays called “pastorelas,” and a feast in honor of the Virgen de la Soledad
Puerto Vallarta	70 ºF / 84 ºF
Mid November The Sixteenth Annual International Gourmet Festival, Puerto Vallarta – Rivera – Nayarit will present the area’s world-class cuisine. November 20-22 Vallarta Tuna and Billfish Classic Tournament.
70 ºF / 84 ºF	Riviera Maya/Cancun
Mid November Riviera Maya International Film Festival showcases cinema from all over the world in Cancun.

Grupo Mayan Resorts: News & Events

The brands following the Mayan Resorts mission of delivering the essence of happiness are constantly expanding and growing to better serve the needs of their guests. Keep up to date with exciting new projects and upcoming events.

The Grand Mayan Resort to Be Crowned Winner of the WQC International Star Award by Business

Grupo Mayan has announced that one of its top properties in Riviera Maya, Mexico, The Grand Mayan resort, has been selected to receive the WQC International Star Award of the 24th Annual World Quality Commitment Convention in Paris, 2010.

The high-profile awards ceremony will be held at the Concorde La Fayette Hotel in Paris on October 24 and 25. The Grand Mayan in Mexico is among 74 countries receiving awards, with additional attendees from various industries including economics, arts and corporate image, quality experts, academic personalities and representatives from the diplomatic corps. This year's event, like prior years, will be covered by prominent media across all platforms.

The Grand Mayan is being recognized in the "Gold Category", a certificate of commitment respecting the highest of international standards. This certificate officially states The Grand Mayan's respect for the environment, for the community in which the resort operates, along with its sustainability, customer service and competitive pricing.

"We are thrilled to receive the WQC International Star Award and feel privileged that The Grand Mayan is comprised amongst the very best corporations from all over the world," says Michel Beuffe, Chief Operations Officer of Grupo Mayan.

The World Quality Commitment Convention is part of the annual program of BID (Business Initiative Directions) Awards, designed to distinguish prestigious organizations in the business world abroad. BID Awards are presented on the basis of the QC100 TQM (Total Quality Management) Model, a highly technical model of communication used to measure customer satisfaction and human resources.

The Grupo Mayan's Great Escapes

Sightseeing at The Grand Mayan Resorts – The Great Mayan Reef

Mysterious but extremely beautiful, wild but peaceful; the great Mayan reef awaits you just offshore of the Riviera Maya. The Grupo Mayan Grand Mayan Resorts travel experts know this is one of the main attractions of this paradisiacal destination for skilled divers or first time snorkelers from around the world.

The glorious and colourful collection of patch reefs, coral gardens, mammoth buttresses, yawning caverns, plunging walls and unique atolls, make this ecosystem vast enough to be seen from outer space.

Being the largest reef system in the western hemisphere, the great Mayan reef runs 600 km (373 miles) stretching from the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula to southern Belize, as stated by the Grupo Mayan researchers. More than 72 known sites exhibit every type of reef, plus 500 species of fish.

From a distance, everything seems to be deep blue; though once you approach it, rainbow colours light up the silent kingdom of the coral pinnacles, the waving sea fans and shimmering clouds of neon fish. As witnessed by the Grupo Mayan Resorts travel experts, iridescent sponges, usually with a diameter of 10-20cm (4 to 8 inches), grow more than 2 meters (7ft) wide. Above the reef hover a magnificent display of bright angel fishes, parrot fishes, butterfly fishes, as well as blue cromis, jack fishes, snappers, plus occasional manta rays and turtles.

There are many sites to reckon just 15 to 20 minutes around the same area, as recommended by the Grupo Mayan Resorts experts. At Port Morelos, you can experience a fascinating underwater adventure at the Reef National Park and along the Juan Escutia sunken vessel. Farther south, explore the remains of the Mama Viña wreck and drift through numerous soft coral reef beds off Playa del Carmen. Other truly spectacular sites for divers are in Akumal, Tulum and at the Cozumel Marine Park, which was named by Jacques Cousteau as “one of the best diving spots in the world”.

Whether you are an expert diver or you are an amateur snorkeler, the Grupo Mayan The Grand Mayan Resorts travel experts invite you to jump in the water of the Great Mayan Reef to discover its hidden treasures.

Mexico's Playlist for Your Newest Stay in Grand Mayan Resorts Timeshares

Museum Quality at The Grupo Mayan Locations - Acapulco

There are many options and ways to enjoy your vacations whenever you visit the Grupo Mayan’s destinations. The Grupo Mayan travel experts made a list of suggestions that they want to share with you to make the most out of your visit to Acapulco.

First on the list is Acapulco’s original San Diego Fort, which was built in 1616 as a solution to warding off pirate attacks. It was rebuilt after the 1776 earthquake, and underwent an extensive renovation in 2000. It’s also here where you can find the Acapulco Historical Museum. Exhibits include Acapulco’s historic past, as well as its pre-Hispanic days and arrival of the conquistadors.

Also recommended by the Grupo Mayan Resorts guides is a visit to the Naval History Museum of Acapulco. It exhibits boats and you can find a library where you can read through the maritime history of Acapulco. This is a fascinating way to learn how the city has progressed through its connection to the sea. Children and boat aficionados will be thrilled to see replicas of famed boats from Acapulco's history. There are workshops where you can recreate and witness the process of building a Spanish galleon.

Another must, according with the Grupo Mayan travel experts, are the many art galleries that you can find when you visit Acapulco, which includes the Dolores Olmedo Art Gallery, the Acapulco Arts Centre, the Rudic Gallery, among many others. To see an impressive collection of Mexican masks, old and new, from all around the country, visit the Mask Museum – known as the House of the Masks.

Another important visit you listed by the Grupo Mayan Resorts travel guides is the Palma Sola Archaeological site, where you can see 18 petroglyphs dating from 200 BC to AD 600. This is one of a dozen sites with such mysterious drawings.

If you need more guidance, you can approach the concierge to include these attractions to your itinerary.

Mexico's Playlist for Your Newest Stay in Mayan Resorts Timeshares

Eco-Centric - The Grand Mayan Resorts Recommendations

In Los Cabos, the Grupo Mayan Resorts travel experts recommend you to hike or bike through the canyons of Sierra de La Laguna, which is located 40 miles northwest from the main Los Cabos strip. This area has been designated by the UNESCO as a biosphere reserve, as you get to enjoy different climates – from desert like landscapes to pine-oak forests. The Grupo Mayan travel professionals are certain that the views from the top of the Sierra will take your breath away. This is a unique area where you can enjoy magnificent contrasts in the scenery, as well as finding a great variety of fauna. This will be a challenging practice for adventurous and experienced hikers.

At the end of your hike, take a swim in any of the freshwater springs formed by this mountain range’s waterfalls cascading over huge granite peaks. The Grupo Mayan advisors note that this site is also perfect for picnics. It is possible to climb more than 6,000 feet to the summit, but fair warning, the 15- mile climb is not for the fair-hearted or neophytes. It is highly recommended to request the services of local guides to hike through these trails.

The Grupo Mayan Resorts travel guides suggest that the best time of the year to climb are late November to early March.

Mexico's Playlist for Your Newest Stay in Mayan Resorts Timeshares

Riviera Maya Landmarks

For a glimpse at some of the finest representations of how the Mayans lived from about 100 AD to 900 AD, history buffs will gain tremendous insight by Riviera Maya's ancient archaeological sites. In Tulum, the Temple of the Frescos is where to see the 13th century murals depicting ceremonies.

Interesting fact: it is believed that at one time all the buildings in Tulum were painted red. One of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage site, Chichén-Itzá, is only a 30-minute drive from Tulum. The Mayan’s political and economic center between 750 and 1200 AD, legend has it that people were frequently thrown into the nearby cenotes (sink holes) as sacrifices, and those who survived were believed to be prophets.

Kukulcán, a 75-foot high pyramid also known as El Castillo (“the castle”) features staircases with 91 steps each on all four sides. Also check out the Temple of the Warriors’ 1,000 columns and carved reliefs, the Observatory and the Main Ball Court (the largest discovered from the ancient Mayan world). Derring-doers can tag along for a trip to Cobá, where it’s possible to scale Nohoch Mul, the highest pyramid in Yucatán. For eye-popping views of the surrounding jungle and beyond, you’ll need to climb 120 steps.

'RHONY' Bethenny Frankel Shakes Things Up at The Grupo Mayan’s Grand Mayan Resort in Mexico

Frankel has been named a New York Times Bestselling Author for her first book, Naturally Thin: Unleash Your Skinnygirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting that stayed on the bestsellers list for 18 consecutive weeks. Creator of the Skinnygirl Margaritas, Frankel showed barmen at the Grand Mayan how to prepare her famous drink which will be available at all Grupo Mayan’s Grand Mayan and Mayan Palace resorts in Riviera Maya, Acapulco, Nuevo Vallarta, La Jolla de Cortes, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos.