Two New Museums About the Maya Are Now Open in Yucatan, Mexico

The first new major museum open is the Gran Museo Del Mundo Maya (Grand Museum of Merida Maya World), located in Merida, originally opened in September 2012, closed for a while and is now open again. The expansive museum has a collection of more than 500 pieces, including textiles, religious objects, and items reflecting the current lives of the Mayas. They have engravings, books, and historical documents, artistic and religious works from the colonial historic era in addition to artifacts from the pre-Hispanic era including stelas, stone sculptures, ceramics and offerings. The exhibit rooms move from the present into the past through four distinct sections: The Mayab, Nature and Culture; Mayas of Today; Mayas of Yesterday; and Ancestral Mayas. The unique museum has many interactive exhibits and even has a laser light and sound show in the evenings. It also has a large screen projection room for various presentations.

The new Merida museum is open from 8:00am to 5pm, except on Tuesdays. The entrance fee is about $150 pesos. The museum houses a nice restaurant. Complete with a bar, the restaurant offers of regional and international cuisine, including desserts. Please note that Merida's first Museum of Anthropology located in El Palacio Cantón is still open. The grand colonial building alone is worth the visit.

Cancun's recently opened (November 2012) Museo Maya de Cancun includes 350 archeological artifacts including some that have never been displayed and some discovered in recent excavations. Some artifacts were previously exhibited at the Museo Regional de Yucatan or "Canton Palace" in Merida and the former Archeological Museum in Cancun. The massive 55,000 square feet structure contains three 4,400-square-foot exhibition halls, two for permanent exhibits and one temporary exhibitions. A visit to the museum also includes access to the archaeological site of San Miguelito.

Located in Cancun's beach hotel zone, the museum is open from 8:00am to 5pm, except on Mondays. The entrance fee is about 60 pesos.

Access to the museums by taxi is easy, or their are educational travel companies like, Explorations Inc., who offer cultural tours in Yucatan. Such tours allows an opportunity to visit both these major new museums. Explorations' tours in the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula highlight the past and living history of the Maya with visits to Mérida, Valladolid, Campeche, Izamal, Ek Balam, Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Sayil, Akumal, Mayan villages, markets, colonial haciendas, cenotes, three coasts and more. Both the cultural and natural history are explored along with regional cuisines of Yucatan.

In the Northern Yucatan of Mexico, travelers can also experience many of the small wonders to be found there - at small archaeology sites, traditional Mayan towns and villages, beautiful nature areas, local restaurants and markets, and with interactions with local residents.

More travel information about the Yucatan Peninsula can be found by contacting Explorations at 239-992-9660, or found online at http://www.adventuresofdiscovery.com.

Article Source: Charlie_Strader

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Travel Guide To Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Isla Mujeres is one of the most visited travel destination for tourists visiting the Cancun area in Mexico. The island is a great escape for those looking to get away from the busy beaches that Cancun gives them. You do not have to go that far after you get off the ferry to realize that the experience that you will get here is very different. The island is small and the interior is not populated by people, but you will find salt water marshes where once upon a time the Mayans got their salt from.

Getting Around

Though there is a small airport at Isla Mujeres you will not be able to land there as it is for military and private planes only. Though you could hire a taxi service in reality renting a scooter or even a golf cart will prove to be enough. If you decide to go with a taxi service you can choose to pay one per hour which should run you at about 15 dollars an hour or you can pay per trip which should not cost more than 5 dollars from one end of the island to the other. Renting bicycles is also a possibility when you travel here.

Pirate History

If you like pirate history then you should make it a point to visit Laguna Makax in Isla Mujeres. This is the place where pirates would anchor and wait for ships to ambush. Today, there is another use for the Lagoon and that is to protect ships and vessels during hurricane season. If you head to the salinas, the lagoon is not too far from there. You can also follow the signs if you did rent a scooter, bike or golf cart. The island also gave buccaneers the seclusion they wanted.

Paradise For Divers

When it comes to diving, not too many places will give you as good a chance as Isla Mujeres. You have many places to choose from including El Jigueo, Barracuda, La Bandera, Arrecife Manchones and Ultrafreeze. Sea life is abundant especially close to the corals. Another activity which has taken off in the last few years is snorkeling with whale sharks; it started by Isla Holbox which is to the north west, but now you can do so right from Isla Mujeres. Make sure that you have a certification card and remember that there is a fee of 20 dollars per dive.

How To Get There

As stated earlier there is no airport available to tourists in the Island so you will need to take a ferry. From the Zona Hotelera in Cancun you can look for two spots to take you there: The first one is Playa Tortugas and the second one is Playa Linda. If you are staying at the resorts then you can ask the concierge service to check the schedule for you. There are also another couple of spots in Punta Sam and Puerto Juarez which you can reach from the city of Cancun.

For more information on Mexico Beach destinations visit http://mexicobeaches.net

Article Source: Fernando_F_Mayorga