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07/21/2010
Jazz concert scheduled for Tulum 
The organizers of the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival, held annually
in November, are offering a taste of the event with a free concert featuring
a selection of Latin salsa and jazz artists Sept. 4 in Tulum.
Read More
07/13/2010
Alaska plans Puerto Vallarta flights
Alaska Airlines scheduled new winter service
between San Diego and Puerto Vallarta beginning Nov. 12, subject to approval
by the Mexican government.
Read More
07/01/2010
Passport Costs Rising
Charges for U.S. passports will increase on July 13. The cost of
a new passport for an adult will jump from $100 to $135. Those under 16 will
pay $105, up from $85.
Read More
07/01/2010
Taste of Playa 2010!! Annual culinary event in Playa del
Carmen
If you are planning to be on the Mayan
Riviera in the Fall of 2010, don't miss Taste of Playa 2010!! Taste of Playa
is an annual culinary event in Playa del Carmen that celebrates the
creativity and cultural influences of chefs throughout the Riviera Maya. The
event promotes the unique culinary perspectives of local chefs, highlights
new event venues and coordinates the efforts of local businesses and
municipal governments.
This year's event is scheduled for November 21, 2010 in the Parque
Fundadores from 3 pm to 9 pm. Admission to Taste of Playa is free to the
public with "Taste of Playa Pesos" available for sale which are used to
purchase the signature dishes offered. Samples will have a value of 1 or 2
Taste of Playa Pesos (10 to 20 pesos in value). All-inclusive VIP Passes and
Taste of Playa Pesos may be purchased at the event, ordered in advance or
purchased online beginning July 1, 2010.
Each year, Taste of Playa will donate proceeds from the event to a
local non-profit food or clean water program. The beneficiary for Taste of
Playa 2010 is the Rotary Club, Playa del Carmen district. This organization
brings together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian
service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build
goodwill and peace in the cities and areas where we live. This year's
donation will go to a new food education program implemented by the
Rotarians of Playa del Carmen, in an effort to educate local children and
families about the importance of nutrition, nutritional balance and the use
of local produce and resources to maintain a healthy diet.
For more information, visit http://www.TasteofPlaya.com.
04/21/2010
New tourist police force on the beat in northern Baja
By: Laura Del Rosso -
www.Travel Weekly
A new Metropolitan Tourist Police force was launched in the 70-mile
corridor of northern Baja California, from Tijuana to Ensenada. The main
responsibility of the force is to patrol the region and work with and aid
tourists.
It was officially launched on March 31 in a ceremony in Rosarito
Beach, a beachfront town about 30 miles south of the U.S. border.
"Today, the Metropolitan Police will begin working between the
three cities (Tijuana, Rosarito Beach and Ensenada) to better assist our
visitors and bring them additional peace of mind," Hugo Torres, the mayor of
Rosarito Beach and a leader in the effort to form the special force, said in
a press statement.
Rosarito Beach, which serves as a second home (and often a first
home) to many Americans, particularly southern Californians, has had its own
30-member Tourist Police Force since 2008.
MTP officers will be in vehicles marked Policía Turística
Metropolitana. Each vehicle will also carry the insignia of the city force
that the officer represents. The officers received special training from San
Diego police, under an agreement between Baja California mayors and San
Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders.
04/14/2010
Those in the know keep making reservations -- with no
reservations
By: Laura Del Rosso of Travel Weekly
The apprehension of some Americans to travel to Mexico has not had much of
an impact on properties that attract a lot of repeat business. They include
some of the exclusive resorts frequented by wealthier travelers.
"Most of the people who know Mexico know that so much of Mexico is safe,"
said Burt Hixson, co-owner of the new Puerto Vallarta Beach Club and
longtime owner of Villa Verano, one of the resort city's most exclusive
accommodations.
Hixson said his business, which includes a 93% repeat factor, is relatively
strong, mostly because his guests are people who return to Mexico year after
year and feel safe and comfortable in resort cities such as Puerto Vallarta.
Hixson and his business partners are so bullish on the future of Mexico
tourism that they recently expanded, building the Puerto Vallarta Beach Club
adjacent to Villa Verano, a luxury beachfront home that he has rented for
weddings, families and corporate retreats for 25 years.
The property opened recently with three buildings containing one- to
four-bedroom suites, giving the Puerto Vallarta Beach Club a total of 22
bedrooms, including those at adjacent sister property Villa Verano.
The new villa suites, each with their own private pool and full gourmet
kitchens, and Villa Verano share a private beach, the only private beach in
the Los Muertos area of the Bay of Banderas, near downtown Puerto Vallarta.
The Puerto Vallarta Beach Club operates a waterfront bar on the beach, where
there are services of beach attendants. Rates start at $300 a night for a
one-bedroom suite.
Why the investment in Mexico and luxury accommodations?
"When you think about it, Puerto Vallarta is the closet tropical destination
to the western U.S. It's half the time and half the cost of going to Hawaii
or the Caribbean," Hixson said. "As long as Mexico is next door, it's going
to be a big bang for a buck. It's safe and the place for the most wonderful
vacation."
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