The word “Playa” in Playa del Carmen means “beach” in Spanish. That is why, attached or unattached, the beach is often frequented especially during summer and when Valentines approaches. The fine sands and the calm waters of the beach offer an ideal place to meet and get to know someone. Its fabulous sunset is perfect to watch holding hands with somebody.

When the month of February comes, exploring the magnificent coral reefs in the Great Mayan Reef is a famous dating option. Not only will this give couples quality time with each other, it’s also an opportunity to be in awe with Playa’s underwater treasures.

Off the beach, Playa’s Fifth Avenue or the Quinta Avenida also offers a place for couples to bond more. A major shopping street, the area features a number of shops showcasing various products, so picking a present for your special someone on Valentines would not be hard. The street performers in Quinta Avenida will also add up to any couples romantic date in town.

At night, the romantic ambiance in the city heats up with a wide range of dining options to choose from. Couples can go for Italian, French, Asian, or German dining. Wherever they decide to spend their dinner, great time and great food are guaranteed.

While learning the Spanish language in Playa del Carmen is great, it would not hurt to loosen up and get mushy in this beautiful town.

Here are some of the best places to hike in the city:

Rio Cuale

Starting in Sierra Madre, Rio Cuale divides the city of Puerto Vallarta. The 12-kilometer hike is perfect for the whole family. To prepare yourself for the 6-hour hike though, do not forget to bring with you your sunscreen, insect repellent (as you’d be crossing through the jungles), swimsuit (in case you want to take a dip in the water),and shoes that’s tough enough to endure the long walk.

San Sebastian

Located on the eastern part of the city is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Sebastian. A colonial town founded in 1605, San Sebastian is home to 600 residents and highlights several spectacular sceneries. As you journey through the 10-hour hike, you can also enjoy the view of the many tropical bird species inhabiting the place.

El Cuale

For those who are big fans of parrots, a hike to the Cuale River would surely make your day. Home to the Macaw Conservation Program in the city, hiking in the place will give you the opportunity to see for yourself the world-famous Military Macaw. Aside from the parrots, you’ll also get to see a number of Sierra Madre’s endemic birds and some species of owls, woodpeckers, orioles, flycatchers, buntings, and more.

Sierra Madre

There’s no better place to hike in Puerto Vallarta that in Sierra Madre. The approximately 5-hour hike begins at the northern part of the Banderas Bay’s Mexican ranch known as the “El Naranjal”. You will pass through the magnificent subtropical forests and the great diversity of tropical trees and plants.

Hiking in Puerto Vallarta is not just a way to explore and experience the city, it’s also a perfect getaway to learn Spanish in México.

The common traditions

It has been a common tradition throughout Mexico to not let the New Year pass without eating a dozen of grapes as soon as the clock strikes to midnight. This tradition is said to bring good luck to those who ate the fruit throughout the year. When you are in Playa, this will surely be a visible act wherever you are in the city. Whether you are in a restaurant or bar to party for the New Year, grapes will definitely be a common sight.

Many people in Playa also have this tradition to look up the sky when the New Year is closely approaching. It is believed that a huge cloud will be seen to cross the sky on midnight to signal the start of the New Year. So do not wonder when you see a number of people gazing the skies on New Year’s Eve.

If you are living with a host family in Playa, do not be surprised when your host family asks you to help out for a general cleaning a day before the New Year. It is a common Mexican tradition to clean the house for the New Year to start everything clean. Expectedly, taking a bath on New Year’s Eve will also be observed around the town.

Underwear traditions

The Mexicans, particularly the people in Playa, have this weird tradition that has something to do with underwear. On New Year’s Eve, these people wear a particular underwear color depending on what they would want for the New Year. Red underwear is supposed to bring the wearer good luck on his/her love life throughout the year, while yellow is supposed to bring the wearer work. White underwear is believed to bring good health and green is supposed to attract money.

Some Playa New Year traditions may sound weird for those who are first-timers, but these very traditions help shape and define the city’s uniqueness and beauty.

So where do you get the best food while studying in Playa del Carmen? Will let these give you some idea…

Alux Restaurant and Lounge

Juárez Mza. Av. Number 217
Lote. 2 Col. Ejidal between diagonal 65 y 70.
Playa del Carmen Q. Roo.
+ 52 (984) 807 9084

Specializing in Mexican cuisine, Alux Restaurant and Lounge showcases a natural cave that is situated just 10 minutes from Playa’s beach. Enjoy the beat of the lively music while the waiters give you a quick tour on the restaurant’s hidden underground caverns, rivers, and tunnels. Aside from a giving you a relaxing ambiance while on a break from school, the restaurant is also ideal for weddings and private dinners.

Indigo Beach Club and Restaurant
Calle 14 y Playa
Playa del Carmen, Q. Roo
México
+52 (984) 803 22 22

Located next to the El Taj Oceanfront Condotel, Indigo Beach Club and Restaurant showcases a menu made by the creative chef Jen Paolo Ferrera. If you are looking for a place for a nice, sumptuous breakfast, this is the place to be.

Mosquito Blue and Wine Bar
Quinta Avenida entre 12 y 14 calle norte
Playa del Carmen
Q.Roo, Mexico
+52 (984) 873 12 45

If you are looking for a fine dining in Playa del Carmen, then try Mosquito Blue and Wine Bar located at the outskirts of the city. Savor its Italian/Mediterranean cuisines made by top Italian chefs, Vito Semarar, Nicola Cafagno, and Francesco Incesti. Aside from the food, you will feel relaxed with its ambiance brought by its natural scenery and its sophisticated and elegant architecture.

Showcasing European fusion in its meals, Negrosal will awe you with its great smoked lobster and salmon. Have fun in its lounge and wine room as you enjoy its amazing food.

Studying the Spanish language here in paradise is a lot of fun. So don’t fuss yourself with all your lessons. Take a time to check out some of Playa del Carmen’s best restaurants and experience its sumptuous offerings.

Here are some of the things you can do to kick off the New Year in the city:

Party in Mazunte

A small beach town in the city, Mazunte is one famous destination, especially on holidays. Located 22 kilometers of San Pedro Pochutla’s southeast, the beach’s name has two etymologies: maxotetia which is a Nahuatl phrase for “please deposit eggs here” and the word mizontle referring to a crab species abundant in the city before.

Popular for having a number of sea turtles, the beach is often a venue for great parties every New Year. Aside from the vigorous happenings on the beach, great music and superb food are also served especially for the occasion. Some resorts may even offer free grapes for everyone to kick off the New Year.

Sing and eat

As soon as the 31st kicks in, the people in Oaxaca ready themselves to sing the Auld Lang Syne with big smiles and high hopes radiating their faces. When the clock strikes 12, everyone prepares to make a toast of sidra, which is an apple cider that’s carbonated. Considered to be Mexico’s very own “champagne”, sidra can taste a mix of sweet and dry.

Break plates and get something sweet

Starting December, the festivities in Oaxaca do not seem to stop, and on the 16th up to the 31st, the “breaking of plates” is being held in the city to give everyone the ‘royal’ experience to let go and let loose. When you are in the city to learn the Spanish language, this can be your big chance to let out all the stress and pressure you are experiencing. Break as many plates as you can, and when you are done, you will know what the word “free” means.

Oaxaca is now just a perfect place to learn a new language. Celebrating the New Year in the city, you will find out it’s also an ideal place to discover Mexico better.

A blog is often referred to as an online journal, somewhat a diary for that matter. Here, you can share about the day you had in school, rant about your teacher or your classmates, and even record a video of yourself practicing your Spanish lesson of the day.

There are various blog platforms. The most common ones are Blogspot, WordPress, and Tumblr. Setting them up as just as easy as 1-2-3!

First, is to sign up for an account in any of those blog platforms – including the title of your blog (what do you want to call your blog? Would it be Maria’s Musings, Maria in Mexico, or Maria’s Spanish in Oaxaca? Before you decide for your blog title though, make sure it isn’t taken by another owner yet. After coming up with your title, you can start customising your blog. Want some flowery designs or edgy and modern one? Your blog’s design will speak of your personality, so be careful when choosing how it would look. When the design’s done, then you are ready to make your post! See? That’s just three easy steps!

Aside from keeping a record of your experience in Mexico, blogs are also great because you get to broadcast your memories not just to your relatives and friends, but throughout the blogsphere (a community of bloggers) as well. People can comment on your experience and in the same way share about theirs, too.

You may not be able to forget your experience in Mexico but you would sure want to re-live the moment through your own writings.

The celebrations

Throughout the year we’ve ‘joined’ in the various celebrations there is in Mexico, particularly in its key cities: Playa del Carmen, Oaxaca, and Puerto Vallarta. We were there as we celebrated its New Year, Valentines, Halloween, Christmas and its various festivals that include the Bird Festival, Yucatan Fair, and the Autumn Cultural Festival.

The food

Taking on a back track, this year we’ve also uncovered to best foods of Mexico. Have you visited its top restaurants already? Or tried cooking its top dishes and desserts? Have you gone to the streets to get a taste of its sumptuous street food? Have you just enrolled yourself to learn the techniques in preparing these foodies?

The treats

Learning Spanish in Mexico is never a stress-free task, with all the treats we discovered, we learned how to give ourselves a break once in a while. These treats include getting a facial spa or massage, going on a yoga, and even learning the art of dancing. And yes, how can we exclude the best places to watch films in Mexico in this category?

The lifestyle

Being in a foreign place takes some adjustments with the country’s lifestyle and way of life. Do you still remember the tips we gave you on how to stay safe in Mexico? What about the guidelines for a safe driving experience in the country? We hope you don’t forget about information we gave you about how to get along with the Mexicans, particularly your host family.

These were some of the things that added color to our 2011 experience in Mexico. In the coming year, let’s look forward to discovering more about Mexico and the Spanish language.

Aside from keeping you abreast of the latest national and local happenings, reading Puerto Vallarta newspapers is a great help in improving your Spanish. There are a number of newspapers published in the city – some, even have their own web counterpart to make it more accessible to everybody. For your convenience too, some of these newspapers are supplied in the English language. However, it is advised for you to choose those that are written in the Spanish language – after all, your main goal is to improve your Spanish.

Among the city’s newspapers include Ambito, a free weekly newspaper that is available in English and Spanish. The newspaper contains articles that are great read for both tourists and locals. El Faro is another publication in the city. It is a weekly Spanish language newspaper that is also part of Puerto Vallarta’s local radio station, La Explosiva 590.

For lighter content, Mano a Mano features free classified ads that are mostly in Spanish. Meridiano Vallarta on the other hand is one of the city’s top newspapers. It also has an online version in PDF for others to easily access them via the World Wide Web. Although not a “newspaper” per se, NoticiasPV is also a great resource online for Puerto Vallarta news in Spanish.

With the web and the print media, there is indeed no reason for you not to learn the Spanish language faster!

Happy reading!

If you intend to give out something while you are in Mexico to study the Spanish language, the following should give you some idea:

Mexican Silver

The mexican silver artisans  create really astonishing pieces of jewelry and decoration with this precious metal: rings, bracelets, medals & earrings  of all kind of shapes. What about a plate of the aztec calendar or a jaguar replica for your living room? Theres is great art in silver to choose from in playa del Carmen & Guanajuato.

Mexican candies

Candies are common gifts on Christmas in Mexico. A traditional Mexican candy is usually made of a mixture of salt and sugar with a hint of hot chili on its taste. Oaxaca is very rich in gastronomy and traditional candies, but the very best is the “chocolate”. You can get traditional chocolate in bars, get back home and make your family enjoy this delicious beverage with a very mexican and remarkable flavor.

Mayan pearl

If you want something that’s ‘genuinely’ Mexican, then try the Mayan pearl. Why the name? – Because when given as a gift, the pearl is actually still on its mussel or oyster. If you are receiving it, do not be too shocked with it. Mexican tradition says each color of the pearl hold a certain blessing. White for instance means health, while cream is happiness, lavender for wisdom, gold for wealth, and peach for love.

Cochinitos

As food lovers, it should not surprise you to find out that food id also often given as gift during Christmas in Mexico. One of the most common food present in the country are the cochinitos – soft gingerbread cookies that are cut into the shape of pigs. The term ‘cochinito’ is Spanish for “little pig”.

Christmas is one perfect reason to be generous and when in México you can get plenty of value for your money. But again, it’s not the present, it’s the thought.

It is this easy: hail one down in the street, use a dial-a-cab service, or go to a taxi rank. Taxis make a good transport mode in the city since you can always find them outside major hotels. If you are staying at a hotel, the reception will find a taxi for you. But if you go out during peak time, prepare yourself for a relatively longer wait.

Cabs in Playa del Carmen have a basic charge even before it takes off. Be aware that the cab has a meter and that this taxi meter starts only after the driver is sure of your final destination.

Also, be very aware that many cab drivers do not turn on the taxi meter past midnight because they know you really need their service as there are no more buses available.

Negotiate your fare by asking locals or at the hotel desk about fair fares between common places. Your hotel can arrange cabs for you. Some hotels post taxi rates on a board in the lobby. Usually, taxi hotel rates are higher than taxis you hail off the streets of Playa del Carmen. So if you are in a very tight budget, consider hitting the streets for taxis.

Speaking Spanish will benefit you. This is because speaking the local language allows you to negotiate fair a price with the cab driver. But if you do not speak the language, make sure to have a Spanish speaking person by your side when negotiating taxi fares as it will make things much easier.

Overall, taxi travel in the city is very affordable relative to taxi services in other cities in Mexico. And so, taxi provides a viable means of public transportation in this beautiful resort city. Not to mention it is the best way to save time and energy and to avoid the summer heat.