holidays in Mexico – Purple Travel Official Blog

Purple Tips: Top 5 things-to-do in Cancun

Jun 21 2015

Welcome to the ”City of two Tales”

Cancun can be one of your favorite places in Mexico, because it has everything you’d want: shopping and limitless water-sports, spa centres and amazing sandy beaches. Here, you can be spoilt for choice: luxurious resorts, mouthwatering goodies, unparalleled natural beauty & the famous Mayan ruins! Although Cancún is a magnet for young people, families are drawn to the pristine beaches and children’s activities including theme parks and amazing dolphin programs. Our purple travel wanderers unveil you the best of Cancun!

Let’s start our journey

Endless imposing beaches

Ultimate fun at Playa Delfines

Sipping on a refreshing Cosmo and splashing in the #Caribbean Sea. There are endless beach areas which can truly take your breath away, each one stands out because of its undeniable beautys. As for your next Caribbean getaway, here are the places we recommend so you can get the very best Cancun experience.

Playa Delfines
One of Cancun’s largest beaches, where you can see plenty of jet skiers and parasailers!

Playa Forum
Located in the famous Punta Cancun area, Playa Forum (or Playa Gaviota Azul) is the city’s most popular beach too. If you like a beach with a fun vibe, this is the place to be. Hang out on the sand or enjoy a more upscale experience at Mandala Beach Club.

Playa Tortugas
It is a popular choice for families and locals. There is an oceanfront restaurant, a picturesque marina and a bungee tower over the water if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous.

Diving & snorkeling is a must

Exploring the divine marine world

The infinite Mesoamerican Barrier Reef begins just off the coast of Cancun. An unforgetable experience await you with an awe-inspiring dive, an underwater exploration can lead you to an epic backdrop of looming caves and vibrant reefs, delve into underground rivers, peek into ancient shipwrecks and even browse underwater art! Whether you’re interested in natural splendors or prefer to seek historic relics, there are plenty of dive tours available throughout the year to guide you to the immeasurable underwater beauty of Cancun.

MUSA Underwater Museum

MASA Underwater Museum

This bizzare museum features more than 500 underwater sculptures off the coast of Cancun. “Bodies”, heads in the sand, fill every corner… The artwork is as part of a major project called “The Silent Evolution.” The installation is the first endeavor of a new underwater museum called MUSA, which combines contemporary art with reef conservation.

Cenote Dos Ojos
Enter the underground rivers and caves of the Yucatan Peninsula through a natural spring found only here. Cenote Dos Ojos, or as they call it ”Two Eyes”, is named after the double rivers that come together. Located about two hours south of Cancun, it is the deepest known cave passage in the region.

Don’t miss a Day Trip

You know that something amazing and unexpected lies ahead… The breathtaking Caribbean is home to charming seaside villages, unmarked swaths of white sand beaches and mysterious ancient history.
On your next #Cancun vacation, make sure to set aside at least one day to step outside the resort and discover some of the region’s nearby attractions. Rent a car, grab a bicycle or board a ferry and embark on one of these amazing day trips.

Isla Mujeres

We discovered heaven on earth!

This Caribbean island is only a 20-minute ferry ride from Cancun, You can rent a golf cart for the day to tour the island and visit the tortugranja, or as they call it ”turtle farm”, to watch cute baby turtles (Green Sea Turtles, Loggerheads). Head back to downtown Isla Mujeres for a Mexican delicious lunch followed by an afternoon swimming at Playa Norte.

Playa del Carmen
The beach city of Playa del Carmen, known by locals as the Playa, is a vibrant place for a day of swimming and fine dining! Spend your morning exploring Mexico’s 5th Avenue, Quinto Avenida, a charming street with some of the region’s best shopping.

Buzzy Nightlife
Life in Cancun can be a never-ending party! The Glistening City’s most well known hotspots are among the best on the planet.

Coco Bongo
If you only choose one nightclub during your vacation, make sure it’s Coco Bongo. Cancun’s best and most famous nightclub is known for an over-the-top acrobatics show and celebrity impersonators

The City
The biggest nightclub in Latin America hosts live concerts and the world’s best DJs, as well as the most crazy glow and foam parties…

What are you waiting for? Keep up the Cancun spirit!

Purple Hearts Mexican Food

Jun 18 2012

A few of my male friends even started their own ‘Burrito Wednesday’, touring the London Mexican haunts each week, with testosterone in abundance and Coronas in hand. Whilst I didn’t even know what an avocado was in my childhood, I now consider myself somewhat of a guacamole connoisseur and chips and dip is a regular ‘can’t be bothered to cook’ staple. Yet aside from the obvious burritos, enchiladas and huevos ranchos, how much do we really know about Mexican food?

‘New Mexican’ can be both gastronomically glorious and a culinary confusion. Is chile with an ‘e’ still chilli? Do you know your pintos from you black beans? Does the word chimichanga connote some kind of hallucinogenic to you? Get your head around the lingo, with our gringo’s guide… to the best Mexican Food.

Chili Peppers (Photo credit: camknows)

Achiote-Annatto: a spice used in the Yucatan region
Albondigas: meatballs.
Atole: a thick, hot gruel made from corn.
Biscochitos: an anise-flavoured cookie.
Burrito: a white flour tortilla, filled with meats, beans, cheese, or a combination of these, and rolled, served smothered with chile sauce and melted cheese.
Capirotada: a raisin and walnut pudding.
Carne Adovada: cubes of pork that have been marinated and cooked in red chile, garlic and oregano.
Chalupas: (little boats) corn tortillas fried into a bowl shape and filled with shredded chicken, and/or beans, and topped with guacamole and salsa.
Chicharron: pork skin, fried crisp.
Chile con queso: chile and melted cheese mixed together into a dip.
Chiles Rellenos: roasted, peeled and stuffed (often with cheese) chiles, usually dipped in a batter and fried.
Chimichanga: a burrito that’s deep fried, and smothered with chile and cheese.
Chorizo: a spicy pork sausage, seasoned with garlic and red chile.
Cilantro: a pungent green herb used in salsas, etc; the seeds are coriander.
Curtido: pickled vegetables, typically cabbage, carrots. similar to cole slaw
Empanada: a turnover, filled usually with a sweetened meat mixture or fruit.
Enchiladas: corn tortillas filled with meat, beans or cheese, and either rolled, or stacked, and covered with chile sauce and cheese.
Fajita: strips of grilled steak or chicken that come with tortillas, sautéed peppers and onions, and other side dishes to make do-it-yourself burritos.
Flan: caramel custard dessert.
Flautas: tightly rolled, fried to a crunch, enchiladas.
Frijoles: beans.
Guacamole: mashed avocado, usually with chopped onion, tomatoes, garlic, lime and chile.
Habanero: Extremely hot pepper
Horchata: a delicious rice beverage
Horno: outdoor, beehive-shaped ovens.
Huevos Divorciados: Two eggs, one covered in green salsa, one in red, with tortillas in between
Huevos Motulenos: eggs with black beans, cheese, often ham, peas, plantains and picante
Huevos Rancheros: corn tortillas, topped with eggs, usually fried, smothered with chile and cheese.
Jalapenos: small, fat chiles, very hot, frequently used in salsa.
Mancha Manteles: a stew with turkey, chorizo, pork, pineapple, apple, chiles cinnamon, lard, tomatoes
Menudo: a soup made with tripe and chiles (known as “breakfast of champions”).
Nachos: tostados topped with beans, melted cheese, sliced jalapenos, sometimes served “Grande” with ground beef, or shredded chicken, guacamole and sour cream.
Natilla: soft custard dessert.
Pico de Gallo: salsa with chopped fresh chiles, tomatoes, onions and cilantro.
Posole: a thick stew made with hominy corn simmered for hours with red chile and pork.
Quesadilla: a turnover made of a flour tortilla, filled with cheese or other ingredients, then toasted, fried or baked.
Refritos: beans that have been mashed and fried, most often in lard.
Salsa: generally an uncooked mixture of chile, tomatoes, onions.
Sopaipilla: Puffed, fried yeast bread, eaten split and filled with honey-butter.
Tlacoyo: toasted masa cakes stuffed with various items, similar to pupusas
Taco: a corn tortilla either fried crisp, or just softened, and filled with meats, cheese, or beans, and fresh chopped lettuce, onions and tomatoes.
Tostados: corn tortilla chips, also, a open face corn tortilla covered with refried beans, salsa, cheese, and chopped lettuce and tomato.

Tag - holidays in Mexico