Nayarit's magical island of Mexcaltitán

Thus continues our quest to better document the Pueblos Magicos of Mexico.

If you’re at all familiar with “Vallarta” as a concept in luxury living - try adding to that the concept of pueblo mágico or “magical town”.  Nice?

About 2 and a half hours north of Puerto Vallarta - up the long road that affords occasional but magificent glimpses of the Pacific Ocean - you can arrive at the Island of Mexcaltitán very near to San Blas – the northernmost point of infrstructure development in Nayarit. This is actually a very early infrastucture project as the island is actually man-made – in the fashion of better known man-made islands at Xochimilco – and which made up a good part of the land beneath Tenochtitlán, the precursor to today’s Mexico City.

With the often flooded streets laid out like the spokes of a wheel, Mexcaltitlán is every bit as charming, thought provoking and striking as it appears in the photo above.

If you're sick of cars, like in Venice, Italy, Mexcaltitán, will transport you. (this image from the Birding in Mexico website)

The name dates back from the Mexicas and some say it means “home of the Mexicas or Mexicans”, others mention that it comes from the word Metztli, the moon goddess of the Nahuatlaca people. And one final story is that the Aztecs are rumored – or mythologized – to have actually originated in this island before departing in 1091 to later found the city of Tenochtitlan in 1325.  See OurMexico.com for a more complete history of the island.

This small island relys economically mostly on fishing for shrimp, so you can imagine the number of dishes prepared with as fresh as it gets: shrimp.   It is common that residents leave their doors open, inviting visitors to come in – and locals love to share the stories and myths about this island Pueblo. And there is no shortage of great history.

Tourism is increasing, but the island is not swamped with visitors, and the few that visit are normally from other parts of Mexico rather than international tourists – so you may very well have the place virtually to yourself.

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How many islands do you know that are actually “just in from the coast” ?

Guided tours of the Island of Mexcaltitan go for about US$60/person and they include a boat to and from the island, a tour to the sites where you can see the wildlife and mangroves, meals and beverages and a good tour could last all day.

Now doesn’t this sound like a great way to spend the day?

Want to know more?

Derek’s Travels includes a good history of the island and some more nice photos. And author, Paul Kekai Manansala, reprints in full a (difficult to find) Jeremy Schwartz/Cox News Service article on the academic and immigration-rights argument over the place of Aztlán in history, mythical or otherwise.

The Nayarit state government is paying serious attention to the island’s needs and they are investing several million pesos into improving the roads taking tourists to the island from the coastal highway, rehabilitating the environment and painting many of the islands few, charming and priceless buildings.
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Volunteers get a lot more out of a Participatory Vacation than just another sun-burn.

What exactly is Participatory Travel anyway?

Participatory travel is a term coined by HOY founders Katy and Gerardo. Participatory travel is a form of travel (duh) that goes beyond the traditional sight-seeing, museum stalking way of getting around a new place. Participatory travel can be done anywhere in the world, though the movement really began in Cuernavaca. In order to do the whole “participatory travel” thing, one must be socially-aware, or at least be in the process of trying to be socially-aware; aspiring to be socially-aware, (it takes a lot of effort, we understand). And you’ve got to be willing to learn, to put in some time and effort, and to really get to know a new place, new people and a new way of traveling.

As a future Barnhart dictionary will officially explain, participatory travel is: when a socially-aware traveler carries out community service at local programs in underserved communities while getting to know a culture from the inside out. Of course, it’s also one of the least expensive ways to travel or vacation in Cuernavaca, improve your Spanish language and put in some quality time with the best travel companions anywhere.

In order for you to better understand this concept, what follows is a very typical week-long Participatory Trip with HOY. Of course, we do a whole range of special events, including Alternative Breaks for people of differing skill-levels, talents and interests, including – but not limited to – College Students. These are usually project focused events and they’re planned way ahead of time for larger groups of travelers.

That said, this is what your very best Cuernavaca, Mexico vacation ever might look like:

Sunday:

A welcome and orientation meeting with HOY staff leaves most of the day free so you can adjust to your new surroundings, relax and maybe do a little bit of exploring of Cuernavaca.

Monday:

Spend the morning at BAC, a local food bank, stuffing bags with dried soy and other grains for needy families in the area; chat with BAC staff and volunteers, practicing Spanish and learning about the population they serve; afterwards – lunch at a street-side café; the afternoon is usually spent walking around downtown Cuernavaca, getting a feel for the city.

You spent your vacation doing what ?

Tuesday:

Spend another morning at BAC, strengthening new relationships and becoming an expert bagger; free time in the early afternoon; later on you can visit CAM, one of Cuernavaca’s only youth foster centers, playing soccer, learning the latest dance moves and practicing your Spanish. Meeting the kids is a highlight for almost all of our guests.

Wednesday:

Sleep in an extra hour, and then we’ll visit Tepoztlán – one of Mexico’s stunning Pueblos Magicos – explore the city and visit the pyramid there during the day; in the afternoon, we go to Niñas de Eugenia, a girls’ orphanage, and help the students with their homework, play some games and do some similar kids’ activities.

... cause vacation isn't supposed to be just laying on a beach.

Thursday:

Free morning to relax (or recuperate!) – HOY! can set you up with a language-buddy, you can visit a museum, or just lounge by the pool; in the afternoon, we’re back at CAM to hang out with the youth, more soccer, perhaps give a workshop and picture taking time.

Friday:

Spend the morning at a local organic garden, learning about local practices and organic farming in Cuernavaca, meeting local young people and lending a hand; the rest of the evening is free – to go to a temazcal, an indigenous sauna, or to have a chela at a local café. All of this is followed by a Goodbye recap with HOY.

Truth is, a lot of our guests enjoy a few days of traditional traveling all over Mexico either before or after a visit to Hoy! Participatory Travel Weeks are not labor intensive, grueling or demanding. We’re always happy when guests include us in their overall travel plans and we’re frequently the least expensive of the many travel and tourist activities you can enjoy in Mexico.

Click here for a schedule of the Participatory Travel Weeks through the end of this year, and who knows, you might find yourself returning from Mexico richer than you ever imagined.
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The Church in Tepoztlán, Morelos

We’ve decided to create a new Posting Category called simply “Pueblos Mágicos” because interest in these towns runs so high and we need – alas – to settle the dispute over whether or not to translate the phrase. Henceforth, there’s simply no question – Magic Towns sounds ridiculous and Magical Village just doesn’t capture the sense of the word – the sense of actual magic that you can find in these Pueblos. Perhaps it’s not fair to constantly compare Mexico with other countries like we do here – regularly – but the Pueblos Magicos give us a good excuse to do it.

Off the coast – with the condos and the beaches and the pet-the-dolphins – there is a readily accessible path to the great mystery and open-history project that is Mexico. The Pueblos Magicos project has made it readily available, a sort of officially sanctioned top 34 list of best pueblos to visit in Mexico.

Here’s the two Pueblos I am talking about in this post from the eldefe Guía Súper Duper.

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Now about Tepoztlán – don’t confuse it with Tepozotlán.

| te-pos-TLAN | beautiful Pueblo Magico to the south of Mexico City near to Cuernavaca in the state of Morelos.

|te-pot-so-TLAN | beautiful Pueblo Magico to the Northwest of Mexico City in Estado de Mexico.

If it’s Tepotzotlán you want to read about click here.

Tepoztlán is one of my favorite places to visit. And often enough I will tell people I am going to Cuernavaca when in fact I’m visiting .  Frequently with it’s head in the clouds – literally - Tepoztlán is green, mountainous, with a pyramid high up in the peaks overlooking the town, and mysterious properties that are said to eminate from those same mountain peaks. These are almost scientifically explainable – as there are magnetic disturbances throughout the area. Don’t make me explain too much – more sensitive visitors will pick up on it almost immediately and it can be compared to the phenomena often attributed to areas like Sedona, Arizona.

The name Tepoztlán comes from the Nahuatl word “Tepuztli” (try saying that 3 times in a row) and it means “copper axe above a hill.” Again – copper – electrical conductive properties – etc – you start to get the picture.

But 30 minutes from Cuernavaca and 45 minutes from Mexico City – “Tepoz” is beloved by Mexicans for its market and its ice cream (nieve) – and of course – it is considered  a mystical center. The mountainous hill, Tepozteco which surrounds the town is also its guardian. From the Mexico99.com website which includes plenty of terrific pictures of the ruins:

Around the year 1200 A.D., Nahua groups from the seigniory of Xochimilco crossed the Chichinautzin mountain range, guided by their
patron god Tepozteco, and founded the seigniory of Tepoztlan.  To build the city, the Tepoztec people chose the small valley surrounded by the hills of Tepoztlan, where the image of their god had been safeguarded
on one of the hills.  The construction of the city implied modifying the hillsides.  In some cases the builders cut the rock and in others they in the terrain.  They erected rock walls between the artificially created precipices, forming terraces where they built their dwellings, palaces, and temples.  The walls with smoothed lime and sand surfaces gave the city the appearance of a gigantic pyramidal structure that dominated the valley and surrounding area.

Very near to all this is a camp site for scouts, Campo  Escuela Scout Meztitla and another open to the public and relatively famous camping center nearby is Campamento Camomila with cabins and space for camping outdoors.

Just 15 minutes down a comfortably beat up road you can get to Amatlán de Quetzalcóatl, officially the birthplace of the God Quetzalcóatl, according to prehispanic beliefs, and a big center of holistic and  ecotourism.

This is another one that is easily confused as there are about a dozen Amatláns in Mexico.

There are plenty of holistic centers in both pueblos. You can enjoy special programs and therapy sessions to balance out your energy and enjoy the harmony that life has to offer you on a lot of different levels.  Some include traditional practices that have taken place in Mexico for centuries to purify your mind and body and lots more are imported – yoga, tai chi, etc etc  – that might sound a little cynical.  BUT – there is also something palpable in the air here that makes every visit special.

If you’re an insensitive type – that’s ok too. The residents aren’t wearing foil-hats, the yoga is not mandatory.

Hotel Amatlán de Quetzalcóatl in the striking landscape of Amatlán. Click the image to visit.

One of my favorite all time places to visit is the Amatlán de Quetzalcóatl hote. Check out their funky old-school website here. It’s a small hotel, and a place where you can forget about watching TV (although you get like 3 channels). You’ll start relaxing almost as soon as you walk into the reception area with the huge vaulted ceiling, and a couple of old German Shepherds that may glance up as you arrive.

Most of the rooms have a view of the mountains and several more have a Jacuzzi.   This hotel, too, offers a great number of holistic therapies. And the food is simply delicious – no matter what you ask for, it has the taste of a pueblo dish.  If you take a minute you will be able to see a variety of vegetation and birds flying over and sometimes coming down to the – very cold – swimming pool to get a sip of water. It’s an invigorating place – not for soft beach whales.

If you want a break from everyday life, I highly recommend you come to BOTH of  these magical places, and I can assure you will never regret it, and most likely will come back as soon as you get a chance.
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