Tag Archives: Expats

Living in Puerto Vallarta – Beauty, Charm and Romance Part of an Everyday Life!

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Puerto Vallarta is a Top destination for tourists who love relaxing, golf, scuba diving, adventures and even surfing!  But that is not all!  It is also one of the top expat and retirement destinations for Americans and Canadians.  There are more and more expats living in in Puerto Vallarta every year!

So what does Puerto Vallarta have to offer that is making people want to leave their own country to call Puerto Vallarta home?

Puerto Vallarta is a beach town with miles of charm and beauty.  The streets of this Colonial and historical backdrop are paved with Cobblestone giving a simple and traditional feel.  !  I should also mention that service and hospitality in Puerto Vallarta are quite amazing since the local people are so welcoming and inviting.

Beautiful Beaches

Besides all of the colonial, in-town, charm that Puerto Vallarta holds we must not forget that the beaches are one of the main attractions for this coastline town!  Among the most popular area beaches are Los Muertos Beach, Oro Beach and Playa Sayulita.

Surfs up! If you love hitting the waves Mismaloya Beach, about 45 minutes away from Puerto Vallarta center is a prime spot for surfing.

Things to see and do

 
Puerto Vallarta is for anyone!  Enjoy a nice day of golf on some of the most prestige golf courses, dive deep into the sea to explore underwater life, take a leisurely kayaking ride, go sailing, snorkel and go horseback riding!   If you are thinking of tying the good old knot, Puerto Vallarta is also a number one romantic wedding destination!

Puerto Vallarta in the Movies!

Did you know that Puerto Vallarta was the onsite destination for some well-known popular movies and shows, such as “The love boat” and “Night at the Iguana” starring Jim Burton?  Jim Burton and Elizabeth Taylor even bought a home in Puerto Vallarta which ignited the same idea for many other expatriates from all over!

A special little secret!

Have you ever head of Marietas Island before?  Maybe not!  But I am here to tell you that this special and unique Island is a must see, and do, in the area!  Take a sailboat tour and head out to one of the most gorgeous and interesting retreats in the area, even in the world, with beautiful crystal water and a virgin beach that is surrounded by a cave like opening.  It is just incredible!  A place to clear you head and escape from every sign of reality!

Love is in the air!

In general, Mexico is full of love and romance.  You should never be surprised to see hand holding, nuzzling or public displays of affection!  One of the well-known areas of Puerto Vallarta is the romantic zone!  A simple quaint little part of town that just lets you be free and without worry!  It’s all about charm in this little village.  Quiet beaches, little cafés and restaurants and an authentic Mexican feel! Perfect area for a romantic walk with your other half!

Puerto Vallarta is SAFE!

[I always like to remind people that Mexico is indeed a safe country to visit.  But ding ding ding, the statistics are in folks!  Mexico has actually some of the lowest numbers in statistics when looking at the numbers compared to the United States, Canada, Australia, some parts of Europe, south Africa, Honduras, Chile, Peru, and the United Kingdom!

So relax, in Puerto Vallarta México!  If you are poking at the possibility of living or retiring in Puerto Vallarta contact a reliable and trusted Mexico real estate agent who can help you through the process of buying your dream home!

The Island of Women – Experience the Treasure of Isla Mujeres!

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In light of this glorious travel Tuesday I would like to highlight a day trip destination worth putting on your to do list this coming season!  If you have never been to the quaint charming Island just out of Cancun, called Isla Mujeres, then you are going to want to give this a shot! You will not be disappointed!

Travelers from all over will be arriving to the Riviera Maya right around Christmas time.  Some will stay a week and others will stay months! In any case, if you are a frequent traveler to Playa del Carmen or other areas of the Rivera Maya then you may want to take advantage of day trip or weekend getaway ideas…after all, there is so much beauty to see all over Mexico!

The Island of Women!

Isla Mujeres (The Island of Woman) is known for its amazing turquoise and crystal waters perfect, for anyone that loves to swim, snorkel, dive or even just stare!  The town is quite small but is very sweet and has an attractive, beachy, laid back Mexican feel.  You can walk around to shop or visit some delicious restaurants or bars.  If you like to be more of a site seer then renting a golf cart for a couple of hours is fairly inexpensive and a great way to explore the Island quickly!

The beaches on Isla Mujeres are some of my favorite in the whole Yucatan Peninsula; mainly because the water is just incredible.  There is no doubt that all of the Riviera Maya has beautiful turquoise water but each area still holds its own “special something”!

How to get to Isla Mujeres!

Find the most convenient transportation to Cancun either by bus, taxi or collective, and then hop on the Ferry which will get you to the Island in about 15 minutes.  If you want something a little bit more organized and fun, book a catamaran party boat during the day. The Catamaran ride will send you off with a lot of fun and music, and includes snorkeling, time in the town for shopping and site seeing, then relaxation and lunch on one the Islands exclusive beach clubs.

Night time dinner cruises and Party Boats

If you had enough sun you can certainly enjoy Isla Mujeres even under the stars. There are various dinner and party cruises for night owls. Enjoy a nice ride with fun and dancing before you arrive to the private beach club, where you can enjoy a fantastic buffet along with a steak or lobster dinner. You can book a tour with a local tour agent which will include transportation to Cancun. If you are already staying or living in Cancun you can provide your own transportation.  Make sure to book ahead as there is a high demand in prime season.

I always recommend exploring other areas outside your ultimate destination.  It gives you the chance to appreciate different kinds of beauty that you would never otherwise know.  This beautiful country of Mexico is way more than just beach and sand. It is filled with history, charm and nature!

We would love to hear from you!  Share with us your favorite destination or excursion in the Riviera Maya and we will feature your story.  Like our facebook page and feel free to send us a message at https://www.facebook.com/topmexicorealestate.

Celebrating the Winners of the “Dream a Little Dream of Mexico” Riviera Maya Calendar Contest 2013

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During this past summer, we, at Top Mexico Real Estate, launched the Dream a Little Dream of Mexico photo contest, designed to gather some of your favorite and most creative Riviera Maya photos and create a People’s Choice Riviera Maya Calendar.  The campaign turned out to be a huge success, as we received lots of contributions and participation from those who live, breath and dream about the Riviera Maya!

We want to send a warm and generous THANK YOU to everyone who participated and voted in the contest!  We had 12 final Category Winners including three Grand Prize Winners.  All of these photos, with the exception of one special category, were taken right here in the Riviera Maya!
This Thursday, November 21st, we will be celebrating the campaign and handing out prizes and calendars to the winners.  The event will be at Caguameria in Playa del Carmen on 1st Avenue and 20th Street from 5-8 pm!  Feel free to stop by and meet some of the Top Mexico Real Estate team and watch us honor the winners.

Let’s give Congratulations to our winners!

Janice Taylor Lucky #13 category winner

Kim Doerr- Walk on the Beach category winner

Rebecca Tunstall – Beach Sunrise category and 2nd Place Grand Prize Winner

Alberto Mendoza – I love Mexico category and 3rd Place Grand Prize Winner

Ivet Aleks – Ancient Mayan category winner

Karla Jimenez – Mexican Food category winner

Angela Hadden – Underwater category winner

Neila Higuera – Mayan Jungle category winner

Ivan Smith – Living Playa category winner

Kat Mendoza – Mayan Wildlife category and 1st Place Grand Prize Winner

Shane Wilcox – Mexico Relax category winner

Congrats to Simone Zentgraf – 25 Top Beaches category winner

The Riviera Mayais a place that we love to call home.  Many Americans and Canadians come here to the Riviera Maya and fall in love with the scenery, the weather, and the enchanting and easy going lifestyle.  We are always interested to know what you love about visiting or living in the Riviera Maya!  If you would like to share a story or your favorite photos we would be happy to feature your experience in upcoming publications.

If you missed out on this contest, don’t worry! Soon we will be announcing a new fun campaign!  Like us on Facebook for up to date information on real estate, lifestyle and fun in the Riviera Maya!

Action Packed November Events in Playa del Carmen – Golf, Food, Music and Fun!

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November is a busy month in Playa del Carmen!  As low season is nearing the end, and more people start to arrive in to the area, we have packed lots of events in our calendars starting this month!  November is a time for Golf Lovers, Food Lovers, and Music Lovers!  If you love all three you are in for an extra special treat!

What can you expect to see around Playa?


The OHL PGA Golf Tournament! Kicking off a slew of November events in Playa del Carmen is the annual OHL Classic PGA Golf Tournament at Maya Koba!  Come see the pros, and spend the day with your friends and family on one of the most prestigious golf courses in Mexico.  The PGA Golf Tournament will start off on Thursday November 14th and run through Sunday November 17th.

If you like to golf and want to get in on some golfing action, join in for the “Golf para todos” event on Saturday November 16th!  This fun event was a huge hit during the entire summer at Maya Koba!  This Saturday, as part of the PGA Tournament schedule, will be the final chance you have to partake in the fun for this season!

There will be lots of tourists flying in to be a part of the event so you may be noticing Playa a bit busier this coming weekend.  If you already live in Playa del Carmen this can be a great weekend activity to add to your agenda!

Annual Taste of Playa!  Get your mouths watering for Playa del Carmen’s annual Taste of Playa event coming Sunday November 24th at Parque Fundadores.  This is an annual event held in Playa and is one of the most popular, and geared up for, events of the year.    An incredible selection of Playa chefs, caterers and restaurants will be there to provide you samples of their best dishes.
You can pay for your samples by purchasing “Playa Pesos” which is a similar concept to buying tickets for a carnival ride.  Once you purchase your Playa pesos you can use them towards food samplings which range 2-3 pesos per sample.

If you like you can purchase VIP tickets which get you early entrance, special VIP seating and 20 Playa Pesos towards your samples!  The event will run from 3-9 pm!  This is a do not miss event if you are Playa.  Where else do you get to try the best of Playa del Carmen’s amazing selection of restaurants all one on place.

Taste of Playa Pre-Gaming!  Do not forget to pre-game for this exciting event by participating in some of the “Taste of Playa Kick off” events!  On November 16th Wah Wah Beach bar will be a hosting a Taste of Playa Pre party event!  Come and join in for National Open bar and Appetizer buffet for 450 pesos at the door (online tickets available for 400 pesos).  The party will include raffles and great live music as well.

Casa del Agua will also be hosting their yearly Taste of Playa food and wine paring dinner on Wednesday November 20th.  The dinner costs 750 pesos and can also be purchased online through the Taste of Playa Website.

Riviera Maya Jazz Festival!  All the fun and all the food all lead down to one well anticipated yearly event – The Riviera Maya Jazz Festival!  Here we will see amazing artists such as Earth Wind and Fire take the stage at Mamita’s Beach in Playa del Carmen.  This event starts off on November 28th and runs through November 30th.
This is often times the weekend that starts brining our friendly snowbirds down from the United States and Canada to spend the winter.  The Riviera Maya Jazz Festival has been an incredible success in past years and is expected to carry on the same great reputation and popularity for years to come.

If you are wondering time of year is great for travel in Playa del Carmen, November is your prime time.  On top of the fact that there are fun events going on throughout the entire month, you can also still take advantage of low season rates on airfare and hotel stays.

We, at Top Mexico Real Estate, hope to see you around town this November in Playa del Carmen!

Pass the mashed potatoes! A Real Thanksgiving in Playa del Carmen!

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November has come yet again and you know what that means! The Holidays!  One minute its July and you are enjoying long summer days and then all of a sudden you are organizing your holiday to do list!

If you are living in Playa del Carmen during the holiday season, you might find yourself wondering, “What will I do for the holidays?”

Let’s start with Part 1!  The Thanksgiving Feast!
For some of you, it may be the first year you are in Playa del Carmen for Thanksgiving and for others you may have already started new Playa del Carmen Thanksgiving traditions; whether it is to go to your favorite restaurant or cook your own delicious Thanksgiving dinner.

But if you aren’t sure what to do this coming Thanksgiving, we at Top Mexico Real Estate have a few suggestions for you!

 

Let someone else do the cooking while I catch some sun and sip my margarita!
If you are looking for someone to do the cooking for you, there are some great restaurant options in Playa; some even right on the beach!  What better way to spend Thanksgiving than to eat your Turkey with your feet in the sand!  Wah Wah beach bar is throwing their Annual Thanksgiving All you can eat Bash and the price for this all you can eat extravaganza is shocking!  For just 150 pesos you can stuff yourself like a turkey for 3 hours straight! Not a bad deal huh?

Wah Wah will be serving traditional Thanksgiving favorites, starting with the turkey all the way down to that homemade pumpkin pie!

If you are looking for something with a little less sand and a little more formal atmosphere, restaurants like Auja Maya are serving up your Thanksgiving favorites “sit down dinner style”.  Reservations are encouraged to insure your table.

Be on the lookout for other restaurants and beach clubs soon to announce their Thanksgiving offerings.

A home cooked meal under your own roof!

For those of you who love Thanksgiving under your own roof you can certainly make a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner in your Playa del Carmen home.  Playa is well equipped for these kinds of occasions.  Walmart, Sam’s Club, Mega and other major grocers will be selling turkeys (fresh and frozen).  Even if you don’t have the whole entire family here to entertain there is no doubt you will have friends that wouldn’t mind the invite. Create new traditions, try new recipes and start the holiday season off with your own taste.

A little help with the pie please!
If you want to have your Thanksgiving at home but could use some help to do the baking, there are some great solutions!  Places like Café Martin surely wouldn’t mind whipping up a few Pumpkin Pies to sweeten your occasion!

Just remember in Playa del Carmen you are never really far from home!  If you live in Playa or are considering living here, you can always take comfort in knowing you still have the same conveniences and services as back in the United States and Canada.

A Sweet Treat – Why expats are raving about Café Martin!

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Meet Lesley and Jody; the owners a charming café, new to Playa del Carmen, called Café Martin!  This very friendly Canadian couple moved to Playa del Carmen in 2005 with their 2 children!  They settled quite nice in Playa del Carmen and quickly felt that they were right at home.  They love living in Playa del Carmen and especially being so close to the beach.  So it was not a difficult decision to stay and live their lives in Playa!

Since then they have found their passion in cooking and baking and have wanted to share their creations with the whole community.

 

Sometimes if you want something done you have to do it yourself!
Playa del Carmen offers many options for delicious treats but Café Martin offers a special shine for the expat community.  When Lesley and Jody arrived, to live in Playa del Carmen, they found it difficult to find the things that they missed and loved to eat.  Lesley had a determination to still enjoy her favorite foods.  She said to herself “If I can’t find it, then I will learn how to make it”.  And that she did!

Lesley, and her husband Jody, starting experimenting cooking their favorite foods from back home in Canada until they got it all down to perfection.  Some of their favorites were pirogues, lasagna, meatballs, spaghetti sauce, shepherd’s pie, pizza, muffins, bagels, cookies, flavored cream cheese, and even ice cream!

 

Making Café Martin a reality!
They were soon to realize that they weren’t the only ones who were missing those delicious meals from back home!  Other expats from all over town started to contact Lesley to ask her to cook for them.  The excitement drew from the fact that they were making dishes that could not be found in other restaurants or cafes in Playa.  Some items like lasagna can be commonly found but other items like Pirogues or classic bagel breakfast sandwiches are unlikely to be found!  And with that, they started their delivery service!  The couple started to cook food in large batches and freeze them.  Then when and order came in they would have it on hand in ready for delivery!

Their delivery service became so popular that the demand for opening up a store was obvious!  They never had any intention to come to Playa del Carmen to open a business but after finding out their passion in food they knew they had to share it with the whole town.

 

Lesley’s theory – “Happiness is Homemade!”
We got a chance to try some of their delicious treats and I must say they have a gift!  We sampled cookies, muffins, bagels, pizza, lasagna, cheesecake and of course a Canadian loved dish, Pirogues!  YUM!  We took some items home to feed the family and it was a hit.  Fast, convenient, homemade fresh food made with love!

Café Martin opened its doors at the beginning of September and is very popular among the expat and local community! They are open every day at 7am serving excellent coffee, baked goods, sandwiches, and have a full freezer stocked with your favorite home cooked meals to take home!

In this video Lesley and Jody share their experience about living in Mexico, and give us a firsthand look inside Playa del Carmen’s newest food lovers craze, Café Martin!

Watch and enjoy!  For more information about what café Marin can bring to your table click here to go to their website or find them on Facebook!

 

 

-By Bea Lozano
Mexico Real Estate Testimonials

The Hidden Magic of Guanajuato, Mexico

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Recently, we’ve started exploring some of Mexico’s “Hidden Gems” – places that absolutely fabulous to visit, but in the international picture, are entirely off the radar.

The central Mexican city of Guanajuato is one such place.

The Magical City

With beautiful, classic old homes, and alleyways so narrow that two people leaning out two opposite windows could kiss, this city is not only very beautiful, but also very romantic.  The hill landscape and and the seemingly orderless roads add an element of the unknown and discovery.  There are also the classic old churches and gardens with bright flowers:

The city is also fmous for its mines and mummies:

A Beautiful State

Besides the beautiful city, there are many amazing places to see throughout the state, which has the same name.  These include the town where the Mexican War of Independence started (Dolores Hidalgo,) old monasteries and a huge statue of Jesus on hill (called “Cierro de Cubilete”) just north of the city of Guanajuato:

A Touch of the International

While I’ve said that Guanajuato is largely off the international radar, there are a couple of striking exeptions.  One is the town of San Miguel de Allende, which is a beautiful colonial town that is home to between 8000 and 12,000 expats, mostly Americans.  This is one of the largest community of Americans in Mexico, and they have been largely responsible for restoring and keeping up the authentic colonial beauty of the town.

Another exception is that in 2012, the pope visted the City of Guanajuato and gave a Mass at the bottom of the hill where the huge state of Jesus; since he was old, he couldn’t travel to the top:

Some Americans will be familiar with San Miguel de Allende or the pope’s visit to El Cierro de Cubilete, but even most of these will be unaware that these are located within the State of Guanajuato, or of the riches to be seen and experienced here!

I would certainly recommend Guanajuato as a top option for a place to visit on your travels around Mexico – or even to live in for those interested in a small colonial town like San Miguel.

-by Bea Lozano
Mexico Preconstruction Condo Kit

Video: Americans and Canadians Volunteer at Playa del Carmen Animal Rescue

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Americans and Canadians living in Playa del Carmen enjoy life on the beach.  They enjoy relaxing in the sun, sipping martinis at nice bars, etc.

 

But many expats also spend some time giving back to their community, helping out, making it a better place for expats and Mexicans alike.

 

One such activity is animal shelters.  The Playa Animal Rescue program rescues mostly dogs off the street, takes care of them and finds them homes.  Americans and Canadians come, walk the dogs, play with them, bathing cute puppies and generally have great time; you’ll see in this video that this is not only responsible living, but a great way to enjoy life:

 

(if you can’t see the video, click here)

Life in Playa del Carmen is about relaxation on the beach, and enjoying an affordable life in a beautiful, warm place.  Yet, there’s a lot that expats can do to add to that.

 

-by Bea Lozano

 

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