MEXICO INFORMATION FOR YOU

Getting to Mexico

Nearest Airport: Cancun International Airport

If you haven't already booked your flight to Cancun I highly recommend you to book it as soon as possible!   

Getting to the Eco Resort 

The retreat location is located in the jungle just behind the town of Chemuyil

Paledora Eco Resort:
Predio el Venado, MZ50, LT34
Chemuyil, Quintana Roo, 77774, Mexico

Google maps link:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Paledora+Eco-Resort/@20.351674,-87.3677626,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8f4e336bf18d154f:0x5a2140070a1a5905!8m2!3d20.351674!4d-87.3677626?hl=en-US

Watch the arrival video to recognize the entrance:

https://youtu.be/4SHarimVnLo

• Rental Car: (What I recommend as the best option): It's a straight shot on the highway. It's hard to get lost. So my advice is to get a rental car at the airport for the length of the retreat (7 days) and drive to the eco resort. I can arrange a special rental car rate for you on request (approx. US$35 a day including 90% insurance coverage). 

I recommend splitting a rental car with others and I am happy to connect you with other participants who will be arriving at a similar time as you. So you can coordinate a rental car with them. If you are interested in this please email me and I will make a note.

• Bus: Take ADO bus from Cancun airport to Playa del Carmen (approx. 45 min ride depending on traffic/ approx. US$10). From there take a taxi (approx. 45 min ride/ approx. $40-50) to the eco resort. Let me know and I will inquire about the taxi rate for you from Playa del Carmen to the resort so you don't get ripped off. https://www.airportcancun.com/public-buses

• Taxi: Take a taxi from Cancun airport to the eco resort (approx. 75-90 min ride from Cancun airport depending on traffic). I can arrange a special taxi fare for you on request (One way $175, Roundtrip $225)

Once again, if you would like to share a taxi with others, I am happy to connect you with other participants who will be arriving at a similar time as you. If you are interested in this please email me and I will make a note.

If you are planning to split a taxi/ car with someone then try to pack light :)

• Beginning of March you can expect 75-81°F days (24-27°C)  during the day & nighttime temperatures are on average about 70-74°F (21-23°C). Please be aware that we will be staying in the jungle so it is usually 1-2 degrees cooler.
• The sea temperature is 79°F on average (25-27°C)
• It is generally a dry month but it can rain once a week, light showers which are usually over quickly. Please take a small umbrella or even better a cheap plastic rain poncho with you!

Paledora Eco Resort:

Timeframe:

Check-in (room) — March 5th, 2.30pm

Check-out (room) — March 11th, 10am (you can hang out in the resort till 12pm)

I booked several cozy houses (“casas”). 

Every house contains four rooms, each with its own bathroom and AC. 

Every house also has a common space, a cozy living room that’s practically outdoors— separated by mosquito nets—where you can read, relax and connect with others.

The eco resort is set up like a village. 

It includes two gathering halls ("yoga shalas"), a beautiful swimming pool, and a cenote (a natural pool carved out of limestone), as well as a communal dining area. 

All meals are served in the outside seating area. On rainy days we’ll eat in one of the shalas.

You’re also welcome to eat in the living room area of your house.

Additional Services:

I invited a special massage therapist (Monica Kan) to come to the retreat for two days. 

She will offer massages on 

Wednesday March 8th + Thursday March 9th.

Please let me know if you’d like a massage, and I will reserve a spot for you! 

There are only 8 slots available, so definitely reserve a spot ahead of time if you’re confident you’ll want one!

You can also book massages directly through the resort at any time with their massage therapist.

What to expect?

A nourishing, delicious vegetarian menu inspired by traditional Mexican cuisine.

In total, we’ll have:

• 6 breakfasts
• 4 lunches
• 5 dinners
• Plus snacks

The food is very nutrient-dense and quite filling, but you are also welcome to bring additional snacks and drinks. You’ll have a fridge in your house to store them.

There’s a small supermarket nearby in the town of Chemuyil which accepts only pesos.

Please note:

1 dinner and 1 lunch are not included as we’ll be out on excursions (add-on activities).

Pack summer clothes for the day and night: 

• Light fabrics that are comfortable for lounging around. 

We are in a "groomed" jungle area so you can wear practically everything! 

• Just make sure it’s comfortable. 
• A light sweater and light scarf or hoodie might be nice for the evenings, as well as for the sound healing in the cave. 

Expect to get a bit dirty during the fire circle, temazcal as we will be sitting on the floor or outdoors at times.

Bring at least 3-4 light workout outfits for our morning pilates + yoga practice. We will also be dancing daily, and loose clothes are best for that—you can expect to sweat.

• Bring swimwear (for women: a swim cover-up is handy).

There’s a pool and a cenote on the premises, and there will be two add-on trips to the beach. 

Due to humidity, your swimwear might not dry overnight, so bring at least 2 sets!

• Bring at least one nice evening outfit with you, as we will go to Tulum for our goodbye dinner!
• Sneakers or hiking sandals are best for the evening (the jungle floor is uneven).
• Bring some mosquito repellent for the evenings outside if you have a favorite one (the resort will have some too).
• Bring a little flashlight if you like (the resort is illuminated at night but you might find additional light helpful.

Important: Bring a reusable water bottle/coffee mug with you (the resort has filtered water plus tea and coffee during the day and evenings). Help nature in this easy way!

• Bring a light cloth bag/beach bag and beach sarong for our add-on activity days.

CACAO CEREMONY:

Cacao ceremonies have actually been around for thousands of years, originating all the way back to Mayan and Aztec traditions. The word “cacao” comes from the Mayan words “Ka’kau” meaning “heart blood,” and “Chokola’j” meaning “to drink together.” This blood connection comes from the belief that the Mayan gods bled onto the cacao pods, and cacao was considered one of the ingredients used to create humanity. The scientific genus name for cacao is theobroma, which translates to “Food of the Gods,” and the Maya believed that cacao was a key ingredient in restoring balance and connection to the divine. 

Cacao ceremonies are specially arranged to foster the grounding and heart-opening properties of cacao. The goal is to communally uplift mood, increase vitality, and open the heart and intuition, along with other personal spiritual intentions.

These types of healing ceremonies work with rebalancing energies in the body to regain health. Vania will prepare our cacao and will lead the cacao circle at this retreat. This ceremony will be held on the retreat property, either around the fire pit or in one of the "shalas".

TEMAZCAL:

Temazcal cleansing ceremonies originated in Mexico and were historically a ritual to cleanse warriors before and after battle.

But there were also feminine elements to the ritual. The physical structure of a temazcal is typically a dome to represent the mother's womb.

The purpose of a sweat lodge is to bring physical benefits such as sweating out toxins. But ceremonies performed by a shaman (Vania at this retreat) are deeply spiritual and hold more meaning: purification not just of the body but the mind and soul—healing you from the inside out.

“Heal yourself inside our prehispanic house of heat and steam. Temazcal baths were and still are an important part of traditional medicine for indigenous cultures. By sweating and realeasing toxins and ill feelings, you too can cure your physicall and emotional ailments by deep cleansing your body, mind and soul. Your temazcalero (Vania) will perform an authentic ceremony that will guide you into rebirth and revival by understanding and connecting with mother nature, also known as Pachamama.”

To fully maximize the temazcal benefits of your experience, it’s important to know what’s going to happen during a traditional temazcal ceremony.

During the ceremony, you will sit inside a darkened and enclosed circular room (The Temazcal Igloo). In the center of the room is a pit of hot volcanic rocks, called abuelas, or grandmother stones. The temazcal ceremony lasts for about two hours. A tea of herbs and plants is poured over the stones to create steam. Vania will lead us through a series of songs, chants, and meditation.

Come in your swim wear and bring a towel. Be prepared to get a bit dirty as we will be sitting on the floor and sweat inside the Temazcal igloo. Come with an open mind for this unique experience, which may also be uncomfortable at times. Keep the temazcal benefits in mind as you work through the discomforts of the experience.

The Temazcal Room is inside the property and can fit up to 18 people.

CAVE SOUND HEALING IN A DRY CAVE:

A sound bath is an experience where you’re immersed in deep sound vibrations. “The idea is that these vibrations are at specific tones and frequencies and have the ability to heal your body.

Sound baths are rooted in the idea that these particular frequencies correspond to specific energy centers in your body. You might be familiar with this concept from yoga and heard about balancing your chakras. Additionally, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is driven by the concept of qi (pronounced “chi”), which translates to the energy or power flowing through your body.

The idea is that anything that goes wrong with your body corresponds to an imbalance in one of these energy centers. The sound bath can reset these centers and get your energy moving in the right way. Then the corresponding parts of your body can heal.

Things you might experience after the sound bath include:

• Feeling calmer/less stressed.
• Muscles that feel looser.
• A greater sense of relaxation.
• Pain relief.
• The ability to sleep better.
• Improved mood.
• Better body awareness/being more in tune with your body.

The sound bath will be held in the neighboring retreat location called "The Campus" in a dry cave on the property. Diego, a sound bath facilitation will take us on this sound journey!

SACRED FIRE CEREMONY:

Towards the end of the retreat I invited another native healing woman to support us with her wisdom: Monica. 

Is a ceremony for connecting with the Sacred fire and talking with it, we will make the medicine wheel and ask all the guardians of the four directions (north, south, east, west) to come with us and protect our space. Then each of us will set an intention with the tobacco and offer it to the fire. Afterwards we burn a paper with the things we don't want any more in our lives. This ceremony involves sacred medicine songs. 

This ceremony will be additionally offered  (donations to Monica are welcome) in the program. I invited Monica in first place as a massage therapist to the retreat, so she can take care of your bodies Wednesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon (possibly also Friday). The Fire Ceremony will be held at the fire pit outdoors at the Resort.

The main reason why I chose the Paledora Eco resort was not only the beautiful set up and wonderful staff but also because you have only very few spots left on the Riviera Maya where you are away from the sound of civilization, sound pollution but still close enough to have access to the main highway. I strongly encourage you to use this wonderful opportunity and stay in the resort as much as you can in between activities. To relax, recharge, reflect, read, sleep, journal, meditate, take a massage....But if you get antsy and need some scenery change....here some recommendations:

Akumal

Akumal means "Place of the Turtle" in the Mayan language, and if you snorkel here, you just might see one swimming alongside you. (Don’t touch it, though. That’s prohibited by law.) You’ll definitely see coral and beautiful fish in the clear, sparkling waters. This tourist-friendly little town is about a 20 min by car north of the Paledora Eco resort. Some helpful information you can find HERE

Cenotes

Cenotes are fascinating natural pools of intense cobalt blue, turquoise blue, or emerald green color and are exclusively found in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. It's basically an underground system of rivers and the largest underground river system in the world is located along the Mexican Caribbean and connects all the cenotes! Quintana Roo is home to more than 2,500 cenotes and 407 flooded caves, but not all of them are open to the public. Many of them are still hidden in the thick of the Mayan jungle. The dirt road which leads from the highway to the resort has many cenotes which can be visited (prices range with each cenote). The staff of the resort will be happy to recommend you the best ones in walking and driving distance.

Playa del Carmen/Tulum

If you are craving during this week  for a city and some MORE sounds of civilization then you could venture out to Playa del Carmen approx. 45 min driving north of the Resort or Tulum approx. 45 min driving south of the Resort. Keep in mind that I will be offering an add-on activity on Friday 10th to Tulum. We will enjoy a trip to the beach area of Tulum and have some afternoon beach time and dinner there.

Hospiten, Playa del Carmen

C. Balamcanché Lote 1, MZA.30, Carr. Federal

77710 Quintana Roo

Mexico

CostaMed, Playa del Carmen

Carr. Federal, MZ 285, LT 7, between 27 y 23, Progreso Building,Col. Ejido Sur, Cozumel, Quintana Roo, 77712, MX

Galenia, Cancun

Av. Tulum, Lote 1, Mza. 1, SM. 12 Esq. Nizuc Fracc. Sta. María Siké, 77505 Cancún, Q.R., Mexico

Purchasing travel insurance that covers next to general trip interruptions/ medical coverage/ luggage delays etc. also COVID-19 situations is mandatory for this retreat.  Please send me your insurance policy as soon as you purchase one.

Some insurances require an "add on" premium which will cover next to the regular travel/ hotel and also the "yoga retreat" expense. Allianz travel insurance  is what I personally use.

Phone: American phones will work in Mexico as long as you have international coverage included in your cell phone plan. Some mobile providers have unlimited plans or monthly add-ons where you can talk, text and use data while traveling in Mexico with no roaming charges. 

Please call your provider and inquire before this trip!

Currency: The currency in Mexico is the peso. The prices in pesos are displayed with a "$" symbol which can be confusing if you don’t know!

But many stores, services, and taxis quote and charge prices in U.S. dollars. Have cash on hand when you arrive. Supermarkets, hotels, service agencies take credit cards.

You will find a bank (CI Banco) in the arrival area at Cancun airport where you can get Mexican pesos.