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Travel Green in Mexico’s Protected Areas
 There are few places in the world where ecosystems remain virtually untouched and Mexico is a treasure trove of such ecosystems. Venturing into the largest tropical forest reserve, visiting Mexico’s largest Mayan site at Calakmul or whale watching in the blue waters of the Gulf of California are just a few of the many experiences offered by the 166 protected areas around the country—and their numbers keep growing each year.
One of the five most biologically diverse countries in the world, Mexico hosts 10 percent of global biological diversity. So it is no wonder that each year 5.5 million people are lured to Mexico’s protected reefs, islands, deserts and mountains. Conservation of these protected areas dates back to 1876 when the first national park was established in the forests of Desierto de los Leones in Mexico City. Today, there are six types of protected areas in Mexico: National Parks, Biosphere Reserves, Natural Monuments, Safeguard Areas of Natural Resources, Safeguard Areas of Flora and Fauna and Nature Sanctuaries. These areas make it possible to encounter species such as bears, green-winged macaws, manta rays, whale sharks and flora such as cactus.
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| Huatulco, Mexico’s Eden
 Arriving in the airport topped with palm leaf, in the middle of lush green vegetation that goes on for miles, up and down the sierra that ends at the coastline of the Pacific Ocean with its rocky cliffs and beaches---you have just landed in Huatulco.
This coastal town made up of nine bays (San Agustin, Chachacual, Maguey, El Organo, Santa Cruz, Chahue, Tangolunda, Conejos and Cacaluta) in the southwestern state of Oaxaca is known for being untouched by major commercial travel. It’s a very well kept secret and the locals, as well as the visitors who have discovered it, would like to keep it that way.
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Enjoy the Silver Capital of Mexico During Its Patron Saint Festivity
 When visiting the Magical Town of Taxco in the state of Guerrero, the most impressive image is the majestic Santa Prisca Church. Commissioned in the 1500s by Don Jose de la Borda, a Frenchman of Spanish descent, the church built in the Churrigueresque (Spanish baroque) style, stands tall as the centerpiece of the city’s zocalo (central square).
Perhaps one of the best times to visit this church is on January 18th when the city celebrates its Patron Saint, the first century martyr who bore numerous tortures because she refused to deny Christianity. Most images of Saint Prisca picture her surrounded by lions, which according to legend,, lay down next to her instead of devouring her. She was ultimately decapitated.
Festivities begin at midnight when people gather outside the church to sing Las Mañanitas to the saint to celebrate her birth. Festivities continue throughout the day with dancing, music, parades, and many traditional food stands. The evening sky lights up with fireworks as the day’s festivities come to a close.
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Christmas Lasts Longer in Mexico
 If you like to spend Christmas abroad, you should know that in Mexico, rather than finishing on January 1st, celebrations continue until February! So spoil yourself with a trip south of the border and enjoy the warmth of Mexican hospitality.
January 6th is the most awaited day by children because traditionally, it is not only the religious festivity of Epiphany but also the day the Three Wise Men bring the most and best toys and gifts.
During the evenings before the great celebration on January 6th, families go to the Alameda in Mexico City, a beautiful park that dates back to the Colonial era. There, every year, hundreds of stands display food, toys and best of all, there are sets where the children can have their picture taken with the Three Kings of the Orient.
Adults throughout Mexico also celebrate this day with the Rosca de Reyes or Three Kings Bread. People in every home, school, office and organization gather to share the stretched, ring-shaped bread. But, beware of getting the piece of bread that has the hidden baby Jesus doll, because if you are this lucky, you must to return to Mexico on February 2nd to host a Candlemas Tamales party!
For more information, please visit www.visitmexico.com. |
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Bi-national Mozart Festival in Tijuana
 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is considered the most prolific and influential composer of the classical era. If you are one of his fans, you have the opportunity to attend affordable concerts of his music in the most comprehensive and inter-disciplinary celebration of this composer in North America: the Bi-national Mozart Festival in Tijuana.
Various venues and streets in Tijuana in the Mexican state of Baja California,along with San Diego in the American state of California, will become festival sites from January through March and June. Educational, cultural, governmental and tourism agencies from Mexico, the United States and Austria work together to bring performances from internationally renowned artists as well as amateur musicians.
Mirroring the Salzburg Festival in Vienna, the Mozart Festival in Tijuana, founded in 1992, presents free concerts, street fairs, a Mozart children’s festival, premiers, museum exhibitions, public art exhibits and more. So be original and plan a very classical Tijuana visit for this winter or summer.
Information on travel to Mexico is available at www.visitmexico.com. For more information on this festival and the city of Tijuana, visit www.seetijuana.com and www.discoverbajacalifornia.com or send an information request to mozartbi@mac.com.
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Illuminated Nights at the “Center of the Universe”
 Night visits to one of the most important archaeological zones of Mexico will be a reality beginning January 29, 2009 when a sound and light spectacular, produced by state-of-the-art technology will illuminate Teotihuacan, the Aztec’s “City of the Gods”.
Teotihuacan, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of Mexico City, is located in the municipality of San Juan Teotihuacán in the State of Mexico. The city covers a total surface area of 83 square kilometers (32 square miles) and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico. Visitors to the spectacle will see how 125 thousands LEDS (light-emitting diodes) controlled by special software will illuminate the edges of the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, and the Calzada de los Muertos (Avenue of the Dead), creating fire, wind and sand effects. The project, called “The Brightness of Teotihuacan”, will also present a 3-D animation in high definition showing the history of this place.
It is worth mentioning that the Reichstag in Berlin and Buckingham Palace have a similar illumination. However, in Teotihuacan this illumination will be used for the first time in an archaeological site and will have a larger scope..
So reserve time for a visit to Teotihuacan that will exceed your expectations. |
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Working to Protect the Yucatan Peninsula’s Ecosystems
 The beaches, mangroves, jungles and reefs of the Yucatan Peninsula will continue to amaze tourists and future generations thanks to new government initiatives designed to protect the rich ecosystems that have made the region one of the top destinations for tourists in Mexico.
The country is working to create the Mexican Official Criteria for Sustainable Tourism (NOM), which will use, in part, the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria created by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) as a point of reference. The goal of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria is to establish the specifications and requirements that all hotels and real state developments should have in their design, construction and operation in order to guarantee their sustainability. Business men, academics, civil organizations and local authorities will work together next year to define the criteria that will apply to developments in the states of Quintana Roo, Yucatan and Campeche.
The Mexican Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources, along with the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the international Rainforest Alliance, is currently working with 30 hotels in the region that are being validated for their economic, environmental and social aspects. The results will be available in March 2009, to serve as indicators for next year’s development of the NOM.
For more information please visit:
www.semarnat.gob.mx
www.rainforest-alliance.org
www.visitmexico.com
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A Fair in the Shoe Capital of the World
 The holiday season is over but there are more celebrations to enjoy in Mexico in the beginning of the New Year. January is the time to remember the founding of the city of Leon, which is located in the Mexican State of Guanajuato. This day also commemorates Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of the city. On January 20, 1576, Viceroy Don Martin Enriquez de Almanza founded Villa de Leon as a strategic way to deal with the Chichimeca communities that were invading.
Almost three centuries later, Leon officially became a city. Because of the war of independence in 1830, many workers abandoned the mines in Guanajuato and choose to work in the handcraft and shoe industry. Today, Leon is well-known as the shoe capital of the world because of the great number of shoes and leather factories located there.
A three week fair to showcase Guanajuato and its traditions to the rest of the world is held from January 9 to February 3, 2009. Beautiful colonial buildings beside modern architecture and wide boulevards provide the scenic background for you to celebrate one more edition of the largest fair in Mexico. The Leon Fair 2009 is a great option for families since it has choices for all types of audiences. Different venues will host music performances, handicraft exhibitions, and very traditional activities such as livestock exhibits and the most important shoe marketplace in Mexico. Every year, the fair receives thousands of visitors from different Mexican cities as well as from abroad.
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| Interested in writing about Mexico? Learn more about our upcoming Fam trips and see how you can experience Mexico first-hand. |
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| Stay tuned for our 2009 calendar of FAMS |
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