The making of an adventure traveler

Last July, the New Seven Wonders of the World were unveiled. They are wondrous, no doubt about it. But these seven sites made the list because they received the most votes from the general public. In other words, from tourists. For those of us who are somewhat crowd-averse, there may be other wonders to be had without danger of being struck by a tour bus.

Recently, Eric and I took the kids to Playa del Carmen, an easy flight from Denver and a place we visit pretty regularly. This time we decided to escape the crowded beaches and packed bars of Fifth Avenue and head south to Tulum to see the ruins.

We arrived in Tulum. We saw the ruins. We took the tour, learned a number of interesting things, took a few photos and headed out, along with everyone else. Not wanting to jump back in a van so quickly, our little group decided to walk down the beach a bit to escape the crowds. In less than a mile, we came across an adorable place, La Vita e Bella—a cluster of bungalows on a rockless white sand beach, clear turquoise waters—pretty as a postcard, really.

Out of curiosity, we went into the tiny lobby and asked its sole occupant, a young man sitting in a chair, about room rates. He quoted us $100 USD/night and jumped up, grabbed a set of keys and headed out the door toward the beach. We followed him, too language-challenged to tell him we were simply asking for future reference.

He led us to a lovely bungalow, a mere 30 feet from the ocean, with a red-tiled floor, a lofted wood-beamed ceiling with a rattan ceiling fan, crisp white linens, a colorful ceramic sink and, get this, a large covered porch with comfortable chairs, a wicker lounge and a big hammock! Eric and I looked at each other and a moment of spontaneous assent passed between us. We’ll take it! we announced in unison.

From this new home base, and after a few questions put to locals in the small town of Tulum, we had a great itinerary.

1. Coba – Perhaps not as spectacular as Chichen Itza, but one of the Mayan ruins in Mexico that still allow visitors to walk throughout the structures and surrounding jungle. We climbed to the top of Nohoch Mul, the highest pyramid in the Yucatan, and took pictures of the kids lying on the altar where human sacrifices were made. A big thrill for two 9-year-olds!,

2. Grand Cenote – The Yucatan is home to a vast interconnected underground water system that connects to the Caribbean Sea. Cenotes are sinkholes, sacred wells to the ancient Maya, that give us a glimpse into this system of tunnels and caves. At Grand Cenote, we snorkeled through underwater caverns, filled with fresh cold water as well as warmer salt water, and saw amazing stalagtites and small schools of fish.

3. Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve – A 1.3 million-acre protected area filled with wildlife, plants and archeological sites. We took a motorized skiff through lagoons and mangrove channels, believed to be ancient Mayan trade routes. We jumped into the water and floated through the channels past orchids and rare birds. Afterward we ate a delicious lunch with our fellow tourists from Europe, twelve of us in all.

This may not sound like extreme adventure travel. Indeed it wasn’t. But 9-year-old American children live very predictable, structured and over-scheduled lives. When we finally boarded the van back to Playa del Carmen, still wearing the same clothes we had on a few days earlier, they had learned a valuable lesson. The wonders of the world are everywhere. And it’s okay to toss the itinerary, veer off the well-worn path, and remain open to the possibility that you might stumble upon a wonder or two of your own.