Mexican Riviera Sea Cruise
SSS - sun, sand and surf – what more could you ask for?
Today, the Mexican Riviera is the fourth most popular cruise destination in the world and is rapidly building a reputation as a Caribbean alternative, particularly as cruise lines are assigning newer and bigger ships to the region – not to mention introducing year-round service.
Mexico is one of the most popular tourist countries on earth (over 20 million foreign visitors last year). Much of the tourist industry is centered on the beach resorts.
Mexican extensive coastlines include the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Mexico has nice and warm people, unique food, art and archeology, pyramids, museums, Haciendas, 6,000 miles of shoreline, excellent fishing, superb architecture, lots of golf courses throughout the country, and 21st century cities.
Mexican Riviera
The
Mexican Riviera refers collectively to twenty cities and lagoons lying on the western coast of Mexico. Although there are long distances between these cities, they are often referred to as the
Mexican Riviera because of their popularity among tourists.
The Mexican Riviera is filled with rich culture, bright flavors, scenic vistas, and most definitely, fun in the sun. Major cruise lines offering Mexican Riviera itineraries for all or part of the year include Carnival, Princess Cruises, Crystal, Holland America, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean. Others, like Silversea, incorporate Mexican Riviera stops into long Panama Canal itineraries.
Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan & Cabo San Lucas
Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and
Cabo San Lucas are the traditional ports of call in a Mexican Riviera cruise. Acapulco and Manzanillo are two other frequent stops. The ports of Ixtapa and its neighbor, Zihuatanejo, are increasingly showing up on itineraries as well. Cruise ships often visit three or four of these destinations on their longer cruises.
Acapulco
Acapulco is one of Mexico’s oldest coastal tourist destinations. Hollywood stars and millionaires vacationed here. Mexican wealthy celebrities, such as Luis Miguel, Plácido Domingo and Dolores Olmedo, have their villas in Acapulco. Acapulco is a party-town with wild nightlife: one can have dinner at midnight, dance until dawn then relax in the daytime on the beach crowded with sexy bodies in bikinis. Acapulco’s landmark and enigmatic attraction is the legendary La Quebrada cliff divers. The tradition started in the 1930s when young men casually competed against each other to see who could dive from the highest point into the sea below. Eventually, locals began to ask for tips for those coming to see the men dive. Today the divers are professionals,diving from heights of 40m into an inlet that is only seven meters wide and 4m deep, after praying first at a shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe. The spectacle can be seen from a public area for a small fee or from the Hotel Plaza Las Glorias/El Mirador from its bar or restaurant terrace.
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas is an anchor port for all cruises sailing on Mexico’s Riviera and Sea of Cortez itineraries. The
Cabo San Lucas’ landmark is a distinctive sea arch
El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, a picturesque rock formation at the southern tip of the city where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. This spot is a popular gathering area for sea lions. Here, pods of whales can be observed in the ocean. With the population about 60 thousand people and with its rich colonial past, Cabo San Lucas has become an important vacation destination, known for its sandy beaches, world-class scuba diving locations, and amazing marine life. The Los Cabos Corridor has become a heavily trafficked holiday destination with numerous resorts and timeshares along the coast between San Lucas and San José del Cabo.
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta: Long before it became a world popular tourist destination, Puerto Vallarta was a thriving Mexican village and now it still keeps its village charm. It has over 40km of spectacular beaches along the Banderas Bay. The important agricultural and mining area has given this city a more interesting past than most Mexican tourist destinations.
The Night of the Iguana was filmed here in 1963. Walk the streets to the
Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe and you will feel the atmosphere of colonial past.
Enjoy the authentic Mexican cuisine. Visit many small shops full of local crafts. Puerto Vallarta has typical tropical climate. Winter is a dry season.
Mazatlan
Lively Pacific coast town,
Mazatlan is a shipping port, a transportation hub with ferries to Baja California, and a beach resort destination with miles of sandy shore. Mazatlán is a Nahuatl word meaning “place of the deer.” The city was founded in 1531 by an army of Spaniards and Indian settlers. By the mid-19th century a large group of immigrants had arrived from Germany. These new citizens developed Mazatlán into a thriving commercial seaport, importing equipment for the nearby gold and silver mines. It served as the capital of Sinaloa from 1859 to 1873. The German settlers also influenced the local music, Banda, which is an alteration of Bavarian folk music. Mazatlán is a popular tourist destination, with its beaches lined with resort hotels. In September 2007, Mazatlan was considered one of the 13 Wonders of Mexico made by man.
Mazatlan is not only a booming resort town, but also the largest port on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Surfing, sailing and scuba diving are popular activities, and the town is a haven for sports fishing enthusiasts. Stroll along Mazatlan’s 10-mile seaside promenade, and stop in a local cafe for a snack of shrimp tacos and beer. Dozens of merchants sell jewelry, woven belts and trinkets along the promenade.
Eat delicious Mexican food:
- Chicharrón – Deep fried pork skin. Quite crunchy and if well-prepared slightly oily. Heavenly spread with guacamole. Or sometimes cooked in a mild chili sauce and served with eggs.
- Enchiladas – Chicken or meat stuffed soft tortillas covered with green, red or mole sauce. Some may have melted cheese inside and/or on top.
- Tacos – Soft corn tortillas filled with meat (asada (steak strips), pollo (shredded chicken), carnitas (fried shredded pork), lengua (tongue), cabeza (meat from cow skull), sesos (cow brains), tripa (cow gut), or pastor (chilli pork beef). In the north sometimes flour tortillas are used. Do not expect the crispy taco shell anywhere.
- Tamales – corn dough shell with meat or vegetable fillings. Tamales Dulces contain fruit and/or nuts.
- Tortas – Fancy mexican sandwich. Bread roll that is grilled lightly, meat fillings are same as tacos, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, beans, onion, mayonaise and avocado. One is beginning to find tortas with the American styled cold cuts available, as well, in urban areas.
- Guacamole – crushed avocado sauce with green serrano chile, chopped red tomato and onion, lime juice, salt, and served with somewhat thick (1/8 inch)fried tortilla slices or “totopos”.
Do not forget to try
Tequila, distilled from Agave – a specific type of cactus.
Enjoy your cruise to the Mexican Riviera!
Book your dream vacation with Altair Travel!
For reservation and information please contact Altair Travel at 416-633-9404December 31, 2013/ altair / Cruises & Ships
SSS – sun, sand and surf – what more could you ask for?
Today, the Mexican Riviera is the fourth most popular cruise destination in the world and is rapidly building a reputation as a Caribbean alternative, particularly as cruise lines are assigning newer and bigger ships to the region – not to mention introducing year-round service.
Mexico is one of the most popular tourist countries on earth (over 20 million foreign visitors last year). Much of the tourist industry is centered on the beach resorts.
Mexican extensive coastlines include the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Mexico has nice and warm people, unique food, art and archeology, pyramids, museums, Haciendas, 6,000 miles of shoreline, excellent fishing, superb architecture, lots of golf courses throughout the country, and 21st century cities.
Mexican Riviera
The Mexican Riviera refers collectively to twenty cities and lagoons lying on the western coast of Mexico. Although there are long distances between these cities, they are often referred to as the Mexican Riviera because of their popularity among tourists.
The Mexican Riviera is filled with rich culture, bright flavors, scenic vistas, and most definitely, fun in the sun. Major cruise lines offering Mexican Riviera itineraries for all or part of the year include Carnival, Princess Cruises, Crystal, Holland America, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean. Others, like Silversea, incorporate Mexican Riviera stops into long Panama Canal itineraries.
Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan & Cabo San Lucas
Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas are the traditional ports of call in a Mexican Riviera cruise. Acapulco and Manzanillo are two other frequent stops. The ports of Ixtapa and its neighbor, Zihuatanejo, are increasingly showing up on itineraries as well. Cruise ships often visit three or four of these destinations on their longer cruises.
Acapulco
Acapulco is one of Mexico’s oldest coastal tourist destinations. Hollywood stars and millionaires vacationed here. Mexican wealthy celebrities, such as Luis Miguel, Plácido Domingo and Dolores Olmedo, have their villas in Acapulco. Acapulco is a party-town with wild nightlife: one can have dinner at midnight, dance until dawn then relax in the daytime on the beach crowded with sexy bodies in bikinis. Acapulco’s landmark and enigmatic attraction is the legendary La Quebrada cliff divers. The tradition started in the 1930s when young men casually competed against each other to see who could dive from the highest point into the sea below. Eventually, locals began to ask for tips for those coming to see the men dive. Today the divers are professionals,diving from heights of 40m into an inlet that is only seven meters wide and 4m deep, after praying first at a shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe. The spectacle can be seen from a public area for a small fee or from the Hotel Plaza Las Glorias/El Mirador from its bar or restaurant terrace.
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas is an anchor port for all cruises sailing on Mexico’s Riviera and Sea of Cortez itineraries. The Cabo San Lucas’ landmark is a distinctive sea arch El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, a picturesque rock formation at the southern tip of the city where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. This spot is a popular gathering area for sea lions. Here, pods of whales can be observed in the ocean. With the population about 60 thousand people and with its rich colonial past, Cabo San Lucas has become an important vacation destination, known for its sandy beaches, world-class scuba diving locations, and amazing marine life. The Los Cabos Corridor has become a heavily trafficked holiday destination with numerous resorts and timeshares along the coast between San Lucas and San José del Cabo.
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta: Long before it became a world popular tourist destination, Puerto Vallarta was a thriving Mexican village and now it still keeps its village charm. It has over 40km of spectacular beaches along the Banderas Bay. The important agricultural and mining area has given this city a more interesting past than most Mexican tourist destinations. The Night of the Iguana was filmed here in 1963. Walk the streets to the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe and you will feel the atmosphere of colonial past.
Enjoy the authentic Mexican cuisine. Visit many small shops full of local crafts. Puerto Vallarta has typical tropical climate. Winter is a dry season.
Mazatlan
Lively Pacific coast town, Mazatlan is a shipping port, a transportation hub with ferries to Baja California, and a beach resort destination with miles of sandy shore. Mazatlán is a Nahuatl word meaning “place of the deer.” The city was founded in 1531 by an army of Spaniards and Indian settlers. By the mid-19th century a large group of immigrants had arrived from Germany. These new citizens developed Mazatlán into a thriving commercial seaport, importing equipment for the nearby gold and silver mines. It served as the capital of Sinaloa from 1859 to 1873. The German settlers also influenced the local music, Banda, which is an alteration of Bavarian folk music. Mazatlán is a popular tourist destination, with its beaches lined with resort hotels. In September 2007, Mazatlan was considered one of the 13 Wonders of Mexico made by man.
Mazatlan is not only a booming resort town, but also the largest port on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Surfing, sailing and scuba diving are popular activities, and the town is a haven for sports fishing enthusiasts. Stroll along Mazatlan’s 10-mile seaside promenade, and stop in a local cafe for a snack of shrimp tacos and beer. Dozens of merchants sell jewelry, woven belts and trinkets along the promenade.
Eat delicious Mexican food:
- Chicharrón – Deep fried pork skin. Quite crunchy and if well-prepared slightly oily. Heavenly spread with guacamole. Or sometimes cooked in a mild chili sauce and served with eggs.
- Enchiladas – Chicken or meat stuffed soft tortillas covered with green, red or mole sauce. Some may have melted cheese inside and/or on top.
- Tacos – Soft corn tortillas filled with meat (asada (steak strips), pollo (shredded chicken), carnitas (fried shredded pork), lengua (tongue), cabeza (meat from cow skull), sesos (cow brains), tripa (cow gut), or pastor (chilli pork beef). In the north sometimes flour tortillas are used. Do not expect the crispy taco shell anywhere.
- Tamales – corn dough shell with meat or vegetable fillings. Tamales Dulces contain fruit and/or nuts.
- Tortas – Fancy mexican sandwich. Bread roll that is grilled lightly, meat fillings are same as tacos, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, beans, onion, mayonaise and avocado. One is beginning to find tortas with the American styled cold cuts available, as well, in urban areas.
- Guacamole – crushed avocado sauce with green serrano chile, chopped red tomato and onion, lime juice, salt, and served with somewhat thick (1/8 inch)fried tortilla slices or “totopos”.
Do not forget to try Tequila, distilled from Agave – a specific type of cactus.
Enjoy your cruise to the Mexican Riviera!
Book your dream vacation with Altair Travel!
For reservation and information please contact Altair Travel at 416-633-9404
Tags Caribbean CruiseMexican Riviera Sea Cruise
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