Welcome, Riviera Maya Insiders!

Welcome to the first edition of 🍍 Riviera Maya Insider… the newsletter I wish I had when I was planning to move my family to Playa del Carmen 20 years ago! 🌴

Looking back to that time… before social media platforms like Facebook, the information we could find on the internet was scarce and sometimes unreliable. Our best sources were our fellow forum members on playa-info and LocoGringo where we would all meet digitally and share our love of the Riviera Maya. 💻

Without smartphones and Google Maps, we found our way around with atlases and maps printed up from Mapquest! 🗺️ Remember Mapquest? In a world before WhatsApp, we had to actually meet up in person at Captain Dave’s, The Beer Bucket or Java Joe’s ☕ to find out what was going on in town.

But somehow, despite the lack of information and resources available to us back in 2004, we managed to figure it out, one day at a time, one hurdle at a time. We became a part of a fantastic community made up of all kinds of people from all over the world and from all walks of life. 🌍

Along the way, I started blogging about our daily life. Some of you may remember Life’s a Beach written by an expat mom known only as Michele in Playa. 🏖️ It was a great way for me to show all of our friends and loved ones NOB (north of the border) what our new life was like in Mexico. 📸

As the blog got some legs, Life’s a Beach became the playbook for moving your family to Mexico with thousands of readers tuning in every week to digitally follow along on our adventures. 💻

Well, Life’s a Beach is in the archives and Michele in Playa is now living in Puerto Aventuras and ready to put 20 years of time and service on the Riviera Maya to good use for you via the 🍍 Riviera Maya Insider newsletter. ✨

So… what can you expect every week as an INSIDER?

Un Poco de Todo = A Little Bit of Everything

Every week, I’ll send you a curated list of articles that somehow caught my eye… articles I might forward to my friends. If it sparks my interest, you might enjoy it too! 😍 

I will also be on the lookout for all the great stuff I wish I had known when I was booking our first trip to Playa del Carmen and later planning to relocate to the Riviera Maya full-time. If it would have been useful for me, chances are good it will help you as well! 🏖️

Are you planning your first Riviera Maya adventure? You are going to find information and recommendations for accommodations, reputable travel services, and all kinds of fun things to do and see on the Riviera Maya and beyond. 🌴

Are you a resident or a regular visitor? You will be able to enjoy interesting news stories and all the best information about events happening in the area so you can keep up-to-date and informed wherever you are.

Some of the content will be mine. Some of it will be sourced from my favorite websites and other digital platforms. Articles, videos, recipes, podcasts… Un Poco de Todo! 

¿Que Pasa? = What’s Happening?

As a 🍍 Riviera Maya Insider, never miss another cool local event! Each week, I will link you to all the fantastic festivals, markets, fundraisers, restaurant openings, wine tastings, live music offerings, and all the best things that are going on in the area. 🎨🎸

I am based in Puerto Aventuras but I’ll be bringing you information about events from all over the Riviera Maya, from Tulum to Puerto Morelos and beyond. If there is something special that I think is worth traveling for, you can be sure I’ll include those events too! 🌟

What kinds of interesting events are coming up soon?

October 25 - Wine & Waves Festival at The Grand Hyatt, Playa del Carmen

October 26 - November 3 - Festival de las Animas in Merida

October 27 - Halloween Pet Parade & Costume Contest - Seaside Rotary’s END POLIO NOW Fundraiser in Puerto Aventuras

October 30 - November 3 - 18th Annual Festival de Vida y Muerte at Xcaret

October 31 - November 2 - Festival Gastronomico del Mole in Tulum

November 2 - 3rd Annual Calaveritas Run 5K Race at the Princess Hotel in Playa del Carmen

Do you have information about an upcoming event that you would like to see shared on 🍍 Riviera Maya Insider? Let us know! 📅

Whether you have been living here for 20 years like me or just beginning your expat/immigrant journey, the Expat Living section will have something interesting and hopefully helpful. 🌍

Here you may find information about immigration, insurance, finding a place to live, hiring (and firing) household staff, getting your driver’s license, buying and registering a vehicle, and all of the things you need to navigate when you live here on the Riviera Maya. 🌴

Working exclusively with some of the most reputable, licensed REALTORs in the region, each week we will feature some of the best properties available for sale. 🏡

The process of buying real estate in Mexico is different than in the United States, Canada, or Europe. That doesn’t mean it has to be risky or complicated. If this is your first property purchase in Mexico, this is where you will find articles about the process of buying real estate on the Riviera Maya securely and (relatively) stress-free. 🔑

Do you ever feel out of touch with what’s going on along the Riviera Maya? 🤷‍♂️ Well, it’s not all that surprising. 99% of the news is offered only in Spanish, making it less accessible to the average English-speaking expat.

To be fair, most of it isn’t very interesting to the average expat or visitor, and some of it is downright political propaganda. To make it easier, I’m going to curate a handful of news articles, local and national, that I think might be interesting for English-speaking visitors or residents. ✨

If you are looking for decapitated heads and narcomantas, you won’t find them here. 💀 What you will receive are some informative articles that have passed my desk throughout the week that I enjoyed reading… articles I would share with my friends.

One of my passions is supporting local charities and not-for-profit organizations. 💖 Each month I will highlight a local community group in a section of the newsletter called Do Good Riviera Maya. 🌟 Each charity will hold that position for 4 weeks, giving the organization lots of great exposure and advertising for FREE. 🙌

Even better, you… my awesome 🍍 Riviera Maya Insiders… will have the opportunity to support that charity. All you have to do is refer this newsletter to friends who you think would enjoy or benefit from it. For every one of your friends who subscribe to our mailing list, we will donate 1 USD to that charity. 💌 

I wasn’t planning to highlight a charity this week… in a brand-new newsletter with 0 subscribers but then I saw an opportunity!

It was announced just this week that the 🎨 Akumal Arts Festival is being revived this year. After a small hiatus, the festival is back and looking for support. The artists will be in residence from November 10 - 16, creating stunning new murals on the iconic Akumal Bridge.

The organizers have set a goal of 8000 USD to buy paints, brushes, and other materials that the artists will need to bring their creations to life.

Get 10 of your friends to subscribe and I’ll send 10 USD. Refer 100 new subscribers and the the 🎨 Akumal Arts Festival will receive 100 USD. You see where we are going here… It’s easy and FREE and gives you, the INSIDERS a way to Do Good Riviera Maya. 💪

Even after 20 years, I don’t have all the answers and I don’t pretend to. But… I do know where to find them and that’s why I’ve created the 🍍 Riviera Maya Insider…to deliver the best of the Riviera Maya straight into your inbox.

Hopefully, being a 🍍 Riviera Maya Insider will make your Mexico adventures less frustrating and more FUN!

What are you waiting for? Subscribe to the 🍍 Riviera Maya Insider newsletter and get the best of the Riviera Maya in your inbox for FREE! Click below to join us!