City Break: Mazatlan, Mexico
Onsite at premiere golf and beach golf Estrella Del Mar, a 4 star hotel and spa is nestled between prime oceanfront real estate and vacation condo properties. Tucson Lifestyle Magazine and its Executive Editor Scott Barker kindly sent this young journalist to Mazatlan, Mexico – and for her first trip south of the border on assignment to review the Wyndham Las Villas Hotel and sights specific to the area. Initially, her tour guide took a wrong turn, slighting marring the beauty of the newbie’s journey, but eye-opening as to the plight of a tourist city off resort.
Downtown Mazatlan and Off Property Bus Tour
Observing the rich history of Old Mazatlan and stopping seaside to watch cliff divers ranks as one of my favorite recent journeys. For several years, I worked as a CTA (Certified Travel Associate) within both the leisure and corporate travel sectors. One good rule of thumb was to never venture outside the resort property in any country with an unstable government, unless escorted by a tour company or trusted affiliate. Still another rule of thumb had many CTAs instructing clients never to leave the resort at all unless heading back to the airport. Well-traveled and adventure-seeking clients often took the initiative to travel outside of the resort anyway, dressing down and in a style they were unaccustomed to in the US so as to avoid notice.
Whatever the chosen rule by the traveler, I had my own set if rules as well. It was to follow my intuition, and place my trust in a higher traveling power without relinquishing all control over my on ground transportation. In this case, I gave no thought to an escorted small bus tour with fellow journalists, until our guide took a wrong turn, no less than five miles form the resort. Static-filled, seemingly ominous radio transmissions, no cellular reception, and the slightly panicked-edge voice of our bus driver allowed me just the right amount of thrill-seeking I expected to endure and I was ready to return to the Wyndham property within minutes. It would take a few more trips to get used to relinquishing control of the wheel again.
New Appreciation for Ecotourism and Real Estate Opportunities
Villas
On the flip side of getting lost, was finding our way back to the resort and understanding just what the area has to offer. The Wyndham boasts the largest privately funded sea turtle preservation in Mexico, specifically dedicated to the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, a federally endangered species. One look at the baby turtles swimming around on site in a hatchling pool and I began to coo – immediately understanding the human reflex to care for another entity unable to care for itself.
For those able to care for themselves – and to care well – the real estate market in the area offers condo rentals and vacation homes, both beachfront and golf course properties, at absolutely amazing rates. The prices available on such amazing real estate, lots, and properties will most likely interest individuals from all areas, ranging from seasoned developers to those just entering the market.
The Wyndham Itself Does Offer Sanctuary and Serenity
The rooms at this hotel are positively gorgeous. I toured all manner of rooms: oceanfront, oceanview, garden view, and all were met with the same rigorous attention to detail and design. Upon settling into my room, hotel staff came by to make sure to remind me of activities onsite (four restaurants to choose for dining, golf, horseback riding, spa, hot tubs, fitness center, tennis, all manner of fishing, just to name a few things ….), but what I really wanted to do was walk on the beach, watch the sunset, and remind myself of the tremendous amount of good in my life for which I could be grateful. Mazatlan’s Wyndham Las Villas Hotel is a perfect spot for families, couples, and even the solo traveler looking to expand writing horizons.
Though I blame no one, perhaps only my own naïve tendencies, I am grateful for the wrong turn. I witnessed scarcity and poverty of such a level that was new to me – and also in such close proximity to wealth and abundance – that I took very little of this trip or anything else about my life in the US for granted once I returned.
