Food, Culture, Recreation, History and Ecotourism

Casa Cenote

Within easy driving distance of Villa Zama and Tankah Bay, you can find an amazing variety of historical, cultural, natural and recreational attractions on Mexico's Mayan Riviera. Just down the road you will want to get acquainted with Casa Cenote, a local beach bar/restaurant, which offers great food and an opportunity to meet fellow travelers from all over the world. Many come to snorkel in Manatee Cenote, a fresh water lagoon, across the road.

Tulum: The small Mexican village of Tulum provides the opportunity to get acquainted with the Mayan locals, who you will learn to respect for their warmth, intelligence and character. Tulum is a meeting place for expatriates, backpackers and adventuresome travelers from all over the world. Enjoy the great local restaurants and markets.

Akumal: You must visit the small, more upscale beach community of Akumal, just a few minutes drive north. With its beautiful beach, this enclave offers great restaurants, craft shopping, water sports, an ecological center, and tourist information.

Playa Del Carmen: This fast and fun loving Mexican town, about a 30 minute drive north of Villa Zama, is a popular tourist area, especially for Europeans. The beach area is full of a variety of excellent restaurants and all manner of gift shops and Mexican crafts. From here, you can catch the ferry to Cozumel and enjoy all kinds of water sports or just people watch for an afternoon.

Recreation and Ecotourism: The recreational opportunities in the area are endless with historical ruins, wildlife reserves, numerous inland cenotes and subterranean caves, hiking, golfing, windsurfing, ecological parks, dive shops, wildlife tours, horseback riding and more.

Mayan Ruins: The Yucatan Peninsula is a archeological treasure – home of the ancient Mayan civilization.

Coba: Just an hour drive from Tulum, the wonder of Mayan history can be found here.	Tulum: Just outside the village of Tulum, this ancient ruin stands on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean	Chichen Itza: This famous site is just a few short hours from Cancun and the coast.

Dive Shops: Locations are just down the road from Villa Zama on Tankah Bay and in Akumal.

Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, south of Tulum is over a million acres of unspoiled rainforest, lagoons and virgin beaches. Guided tours are available. Near the reserve is the fishing resort of Boca Paila which offers world class bone fishing with boats and equipment for hire.

X'Caret Eco Park, an easy drive north of Villa Zama, is a fascinating park featuring an underground river, aquarium, butterfly pavilion, archaeological sites, lagoons and beaches, museum and trained dolphins.

Xel-Ha Natural Park. Just north of Villa Zama, there is a beautiful lagoon and surrounding park which is a unique wildlife and marine ecosystem.

Boca Paila. South of Tulum, a famous fishing destination with equipment for hire.

Nearby Restaurants:

Guests will want to check out Tankah Bay's local beach bar/restaurant for socializing and dining. Casa Cenote is just down the beach has an excellent menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner, (try the shrimp quesadillas). Sundays the American owners put on a well known Texas barbeque.

There are about 7 restaurants in Akumal, about 10 in the more upscale Puerto Aventuras and many more in Playa del Carmen. Tulum has several excellent restaurants and a number of lower budget, Mexican places.

Akumal Restaurants:

Sirena Hemingway is located on the second floor of the main entrance building. Recently completed, the Hemingway offers a variety of dishes, including pastas, steaks, seafood and numerous other choices.

Turtle Bay Bakery is on Akumal Bay and open for breakfast and lunch. The restaurant makes excellent fresh baked goods and offers an Americanized breakfast and lunch menu. The restaurant also offers catering.

Lol Ha Restaurant is the center piece of Akumal restaurants and located on Akumal Bay. This is a class restaurant but open for casual dining. There is a pizza restaurant attached to the main dining room and a palapa bar/grill on the beach with great tacos, soups, snacks, french fries and very cold cerveza, among other lunch specialties.

La Buena Vida Restaurant: Located on the road around Half Moon Bay, it is a popular restaurant with a wide menu and fun loving bar crowd. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

La Lunita: A popular restaurant on the road around Half Moon Bay located on the first floor of La Tortuga Condo building. This is a small and cozy place with a nice menu of beef, fish, chicken along with house specialties.

Que Onda Restaurant: This is an Italian restaurant with a nice pasta menu and a shady, outdoors setting away from the beach.

Our Favorite Budget Restaurants Are in Tulum:

Cafe Frances: Located in the city of Tulum. Fresh pastries, delicious coffee and cappuccino. Also specializing in quiches, eclairs, and pastries. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Charlies: On the main street, this is our favorite. Get there a little early and you can sit inside and watch the flamenco dance lessons.

Il Basilico: On the main street, a truly Italian pizza and pasta restaurant run by a seasoned world traveler/chef. A popular hangout of local expatriates.