Turning 70 in Paradise
How to turn 70 in paradise? I turned 69 in a small island town, on the Gulf of Mexico called El Cuyo. It was not how I planned that birthday but we ended up spending 2.5 weeks there while we had our new car fob ordered and programmed. The people in El Cuyo were so wonderful that I decided that was where I wanted to be for my 70th. When we left El Cuyo I promised Tamara at Nikau and Maria and Alex at Zapote that I would be back. And I warned them I wasn’t coming alone!!
I have had some amazing trips to celebrate momentous birthdays – 50 in Australia, 60 in Italy - but for this one I wanted to be in Mexico, a place that I call home. To give a little background: in 1998 I was 43 years old and for the first time found my “true north” during a family holiday to Cancun. In 1973, I was invited by an architect friend, to come see a new place called Cancun, but I had to pass to return home and start college. I am a true believer that everyone has a place, not necessarily where they were born, but where they belong. Mexico is that for me, and fortunately it is where we have retired.
El Cuyo is a place that reminds me of what the Riviera Maya was like when I first landed here 27 years ago. I loved it and wanted to share it with those who chose to join me. Many who came for our 3-night adventure had never been to El Cuyo, and several had never seen the Riviera Maya Coast before it was developed. I knew this would be a real treat. And those who had been to El Cuyo before, like Mike and I, were happy to return.
El Cuyo, so far, is developing its coastline in a very eco-friendly way – buildings are set back behind the dunes and the beach vegetation. There are no high-rise hotels. Most of the streets are unpaved. The beach is over 2 miles of pristine beauty. The island faces north so you can literally walk the beach and see the sunrise as well as the sunset. There is not a lot to do on El Cuyo, visitors go to enjoy the beaches and do water sports. I tell people El Cuyo is so casual that you don’t even need shoes! What is surprising about this small town, though, is the quality of some of the restaurants. Since the nightlife in El Cuyo is basically non-existent except for the occasional festival or pop-up techno-music party, restaurants are the entertainment.
Mike and I must done a great job of promoting El Cuyo because I was pleasantly surprised that my birthday adventure ended up including 33 of us. Several of us opted to share a van from Puerto Aventuras, while others drove. The drive from here is about 2.5 hours. Most of the trip is on narrow roads, winding through the Yucatan scrub-jungle.
We booked 3 hotels – Nikau, Can Cocal and Mero Mero. Nikau and Can Cocal are located relatively close to each other, about a mile from the zocolo. They are across the street from the beach with easy beach access close by. Mero Mero is in the center of the small town, not far from the other hotels and very close to the pier and restaurants. All three offer breakfast options and pools on-site. And we highly recommend all three.
Most of us arrived on the March 12th , in time for lunch at Naia, a lovely breakfast and lunch café with a garden setting. After lunch people wandered the beach, checked into their hotels and just relaxed until Happy Hour at Nikau. Nikau now has a lovely small poolside bar with an amazing bartender. The owners provided welcome drinks for our guests upon arrival. Mike and I picked this spot to host our welcome reception with specialty margaritas, amazing fresh shrimp ceviche and a charcuterie spread. It was a beautiful setting for everyone to mingle. Most people opted to dine at Can Cocal and either order off their menu or enjoy their paella. Twice a week the chef makes paella over a wood fire pit.
On our first full day most people opted to enjoy the beach or pools. There are tours available, but we found most people easily adapted to the laid-back feel of El Cuyo. There is something quite intoxicating about finding a pristine piece of beach, the sound of the waves, the caress of the ocean breeze and your feet buried in the sand. And no creature loves it more than our dog Manito!
Maria and Chef Alex, who had welcomed a beautiful son, Dario, into the world just days earlier, did an amazing job helping me plan my birthday celebration at their restaurant Zapote. We worked out a tasty menu beginning with 3 appetizers: shrimp, beef and plantain tostones with rib meat paired with their Sangria. All were passed while we mingled. Dinner started with more appetizers, family style: salad, ceviche, and wings. The main entrée was a choice of fish or the bone-in short-rib that is slow cooked for 10 hours (which happens to be my absolute favorite). The meal ended with a wonderful cake. The highlight for me was getting to meet beautiful Dario who made a surprise appearance. Several of us returned to Nikau for a “final final” before heading off to bed. There was a total eclipse of the full moon that night, but few were up to see it.
As we do every morning that we are in El Cuyo, we started our day with a walk on the beach – the beaches here still allow your dogs to run free, and Manito is so happy to do just that. What we noticed last year and again this is that the locals take really good care of their beaches. You do not see garbage and even though the dogs run free, owners are very responsible. It seemed like everyone eased into the laid-back vibe and chose to spend their day either hanging at the beach or one of the hotel pools.
Most of our group met on the pier for Sunset and enjoyed a tequila, which just happened to be, appropriately, Don Julio 70, with a side of Michele’s AMAZAING sangrita! Life doesn’t get much better than that: sunset, beautiful beach, great friends and a drink in your hand. After sunset groups headed in different directions to have dinner at El Cielo, Can Cocal, Off The Vine or back to Zapote. I opted for Zapote where Mike and I split their amazing Wagyu beef burger. On our walk home we stopped briefly to say high to the group at Off The Vine.
I know I am very fortunate to have made it to 70 in good health. But more precious still is how blessed I am to have such incredible friends whom I love deeply. And these friends are the best because they will jump at the opportunity to experience new places. The memories of which will last as long as one of us is around to appreciate them.