SPORTS & ECO-ADVENTURE

ECOTURISMO

SPORTS & ECOTOURISM

Mexico’s outdoors is on such a grand scale, its countryside and bodies of water so diverse that it tops the list of ecotourism destinations. In answer to the demand all over the country are places offering fun activities such as scuba diving, hiking, kayaking, sailing, mountain biking and the like; even the most reticent find them hard to resist.

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ECOTURISMO

21 M

69 ft: the highest wave surfed in Baja California

175 golf courses in Mexico

1212 lb: the weight of the biggest marlin fished in Los Cabos

More than 2,000 cenotes (sinkholes) to explore in Yucatán

E X I S T E N

41 days: the length of Mexican sailor Galia Moss’ solo Atlantic

crossing (Spain-Mexico) in 2006

41díaSduró el cruce del Atlántico

(España-México) en solitario deLA vELERISTA MExICANA

GALIAMOSS

EN 2006

4 MÉxICO

ECOTURISMO

Además del confort y sus aguas templadas, en las playas más premium de México encontrarás todas las facilidades para bucear. El gran arrecife maya, también conocido como “la barrera de arrecifes mesoamericano”, se extiende casi mil kilómetros desde la costa de la península de Yucatán hasta Honduras. Es, de hecho, el arrecife de coral más largo del hemisferio norte, el segundo más largo en el

mundo después de Australia, y tal cual, un santuario ecológico en el Caribe.

En Yucatán y Quintana Roo, famosos por sus 60 mil metros cuadrados de cenotes, puedes sumergirte en sus aguas cristalinas y explorar un mundo diferente: una experiencia única para todos los amantes del buceo que solamente se encuentra en el sureste mexicano.

BUCEOSCUBa d IV ING

CINCO DIfERENTES AGUAS SALADAS BAñAN LAS COSTAS DE LA REPúBLICA MExICANA: EL PACífICO, EL ATLáNTICO, EL GOLfO DE MÉxICO, EL MAR CARIBE Y EL MAR DE CORTÉS. CON ESTA DIvERSIDAD DE ESCENARIOS, MÉxICO SE COLOCA ENTRE LOS MEjORES LUGARES PARA PRACTICAR BUCEO.

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ECOTURISMOBUCEO

The only place in the world where you can

scuba in ancient cenotes is in

southeast Mexico.

Five different oceans lap Mexican shores: the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and the Sea of Cortés. Such diversity in coastal landscape puts Mexico among the top choices for scuba diving.

Full service facilities at Mexico’s top beaches make your underwater adventure a snap. One place sure to thrill, the Great Mayan Reef, also known as the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, stretches nearly 621 miles along the Yucatán Peninsula down to Honduras.

This protected ecological sanctuary is the world’s second longest reef, topped only by Australia’s. This nature reserve in the Caribbean is truly spectacular.

A totally different experience for scuba divers awaits enthusiasts awaits in the states of Yucatán and Quintana Roo: more than 60,000 square meters of cenotes, where crystal clear, refreshing underground waters provide diving enthusiasts a singular adventure available only in southeastern Mexico.

Half of Mexico’s states enjoy direct access to the sea, their coastlines adding up to a total of 5,592 miles. All this warm ocean water is not only great for swimming; its depths are also home to some 75 types of catch-worthy fish, precisely why fishing tournaments are held on many Mexican shores.

Los Cabos ranks among the planet’s five top sport-fishing destinations. It is proud to hold the title of “Marlin Capital of the World” and to be the site of the renowned Black and Blue Fishing Tournament, which awards up to 2.5 million dollars in prize money to the winner.

Manzanillo, a port city on the Pacific Coast in the state of Colima, has over the years been attracting more and more fishing enthusiasts, who acknowledge it as today’s “Sailfish Capital of the World”. Every November, the city holds the International Sailfish Tournament, on the strength of the large numbers of the species just offshore.

LA MITAD DE LOS ESTADOS qUE COMPONEN LA INMENSA REPúBLICA MExICANA TIENEN SALIDA AL MAR Y EqUIvALEN A MáS DE NUEvE MIL kILóMETROS DE COSTA.

PESCAF ISH ING

What better backdrop for a

fishing expedition than the Arch at

Los Cabos?

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ECOTURISMOPESCA

Albacore tuna fishing is common in Zihuatanejo.

ECOTURISMO

GOLf

Jones han intervenido para consentir al jugador con las vistas más sorprendentes y los campos más lujosos y de máxima calidad. Todos los estados del país cuentan al menos con un campo de golf de primer nivel, y tan solo en Los Cabos hay más de diez, todos acondicionados con las facilidades para poder practicar este deporte.

El corredor de Cancún a Riviera Maya cuenta con 13 espectaculares campos y todos están abiertos al público.

NO ExISTEN CAMPOS DE GOLf EN EL MUNDO COMO LOS MExICANOS.

GOLF

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ECOTURISMO

Mexican golf courses are unique in the world. And there are lots of them. In fact, in all the Americas, Mexico is outstripped only by the United States in number of courses. Take your choice among the more than 160 scattered throughout the country, from those with a sand and sea backdrop in Baja California to others surrounded by thick rainforest, in Puerto Vallarta.

Jack Nicklaus, Tom Doak and Robert Trent Jones are just a few of the most renowned

golf- course designers around the globe who

have skillfully found ways to marry spectacular scenery with engaging places to play the sport in a luxurious atmosphere. Every state boasts at least one first-rate golf course, but Los Cabos itself has more than ten, all of them outfitted to make your round of golf a fulfilling experience.

There are 13 spectacular public courses in the tourist corridor that runs from Cancún to the Riviera Maya.

ECOTURISMOGOLf

The only golf course in the world on a natural

islet, Vallarta-Nayarit’s Pacífic has an optional

par 3 hole known as the Whale Tail.

ECOTURISMO

SENDERISMOHIK ING

Climbing the Ayoloco, a glacier on Iztaccíhuatl Volcano.

Escalando el glaciarAyoloco en el Iztaccíhuatl.

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ECOTURISMO

The experience of traversing Mexico’s woodlands, rainforests, deserts or snowy peaks on foot can easily become addictive.

A trip to Mexico is incomplete if you don’t partake of its great outdoors. Perhaps that’s why hiking has grown so popular of late. The country offers just about any landscape you’re looking for, where you can set your own pace and just enjoy.

For instance, the Copper Canyon provides a scenic test of stamina and skill, or explore the Peak of Orizaba foothills, in the state of Veracruz.

For a jungle experience, head for the Lacandona Rainforest, in Chiapas, or go camping in Oaxaca’s Sierra Norte. Mexico’s countryside gives you so many delightful ways to commune with nature; make the most of them!

ECOTURISMOSENDERISMO

Breathtaking vistas abound in Copper Canyon.

ECOTURISMO

SURfSURF ING

NO ExISTE NADA MáS EMOCIONANTE qUE SURFEAR LAS GRANDIOSAS OLAS DE LAS COSTAS MExICANAS. NUESTRO PAíS MÉxICO OfRECE LAS AGUAS IDóNEAS PARA ESTE DEPORTE ExTREMO.

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ECOTURISMO

Nothing can compare to the thrill of being inside a tube of water created by the surf or seeing the world from atop an enormous wave. Mexico has ideal spots for this sport.

Surfers have been flocking to Tijuana and Ensenada’s out-of-the-way beaches on the Baja California Pacific Coast since the 1960s. Later, they went on to discover other beautiful spots with challenging waves in Mazatlán, Sinaloa and San Blas, Nayarit, as well as on the coasts of Michoacán and Oaxaca. In the latter state, the awesome surfing paradise of Zicatela hosts the Mexpipe Challenge Surf Carnaval.

Another of the great scenarios in Mexico for surf lovers is Todos Santos Island, in Baja California. Beware, though! If you are not an expert surfer, you’d best admire the action from on the beach.

ECOTURISMOSURf

In the Pacificthere are waves

for all categories surfers, from

beginner to the experts.

ECOTURISMO

RAfTINGRaFT ING

LOS RíOS NO SOLO SON fUENTE DE vIDA PARA LAS TIERRAS POR DONDE CORREN, TAMBIÉN PROPORCIONAN AvENTURAS Y DIvERSIóN.

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ECOTURISMOECOTURISMORAfTING

Not merely a source of life-giving water for the land around them, Mexico’s many rivers make for adventures and fun.

Of the 85 major waterways that flow through the country, six are ideal for the excitement of rafting. The Filobobos River, in Tlapacoyan, Veracruz, is known for the beauty of its landscape. Setting off at Puente Filo, you travel through 16 thrill-packed miles of lush jungle and exotic wildlife. The adventure also takes in La Tomata and El Encanto waterfalls as well as visits to the Cuajilolte Archaeological Site and the Totonaca town of Vega de la Peña.

Another place for an adrenaline rush is the Amacuzac River, in the state of Morelos, with miles of rapids that rush through a canyon surrounded by tropical plant life. In Tabasco, the Usumacinta River provides plenty of thrilling adventures, along with great swimming holes and ancient Mayan cities hidden in the rainforest. Up north, in San Luis Potosí, the Tampaón River runs across a limestone-walled canyon –another breathtaking descent.

The Antigua River, in Veracruz, owes its reputation to the wild rapids that call for action-packed paddling. And for a look at the impressive Lacandona Rainforest, with its vestiges of ancient Mayan cities, take several days to raft down the Lacanja River, in Chiapas.

Going down the Filobobos

river in Tlapacoyan,

Veracruz.

ECOTURISMO

úNICOEN MÉxICOONE OF a K INd MÉxICO

UNA DE LAS ExPERIENCIAS MáS ENRIqUECEDORAS qUE OfRECE EL ECOTURISMO ES CONOCER DE CERCA LA MAjESTUOSIDAD DE LOS OTROS HABITANTESCON LOS qUE COMPARTIMOS EL PLANETA.

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ECOTURISMO

The Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve, in Yucatán, is home to countless pink flamingos. When these spectacularly elegant birds take wing, they fill the sky with rosy hues: a treasure to behold. The zone was declared a biosphere reserve in 2000, to protect the delicate saltwater lagoon ecosystem that comprises part of the habitat of the only colony of pink flamingos in the northern hemisphere.

ECOTURISMOúNICO

ENMÉxICO

The northwestern part of the Yucatán

Peninsula is home to thousands

of pink flamingos.

PINK FLAMINGO COLONY

ECOTURISMO

The big show in Baja California takes place at sea when thousands of gray whales migrate from the Arctic to the Sea of Cortés to birth their calves. From December to March, ecotourists get to view these magnificent, friendly mammals from just yards away.

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WHALE WATCHING

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ECOTURISMO

Tourists in the Sea of Cortés

view the humpback Whale from just

a few yards away.

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ECOTURISMO

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Mazunte or Maxontetia

means “please lay your eggs”

in Náhuatl.

Mazunteo Maxontetia, es un vocablo

náhuatl que significa

“¡Te pido que desoves!”

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ECOTURISMO

In Mazunte, Oaxaca, all ages delight at the sight of thousands of newly hatched turtles set free from the protective turtle camps to crawl across the sandy beach and paddle out to sea. While Pacific green, leatherback and hawksbill sea turtles all lay their eggs in the sand at Mazunte, the olive ridley is the most prolific species here.

úNICOEN

MÉxICO

RELEASING BABY TURTLES

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ECOTURISMO

CABO SAN LUCAS / BAjA CALIfORNIA

HUASTECA / SAN LUIS POTOSí

BARRANCAS DEL COBRE / CHIHUAHUA

Climate diversity and the strong trend toward ecological sports in Mexico make for endless possibilities of outdoor activities. The country welcomes visitors coming to conquer its crystal clear waters —be they calm or dull of waves— and rugged land and sheer cliffs.

STA. CATARINA / NUEvO LEóN

SANTUARIO DE LA MARIPOSA MONARCA / MICHOACáN

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ECOTURISMO

COPA NORTEAMERICANA DE WINDSURf

North American Windsurfing Championship / CANCúN, qUINTANA ROO

TORNEO INTERNACIONAL DE PESCA

DEPORTIvA DE PEz vELA

International Sailfish Fishing Tournament / HUATULCO, OAxACA

TORNEO DE PESCA DEPORTIvA

CIRCUITO MAR DE CORTÉS

Circuito Mar de Cortés fishing tournament / BAjA CALIfORNIA, BAjA CALIfORNIA

SUR, SINALOA, SONORA

TORNEO INTERNACIONAL DE GOLf (PGA)

OHL CLASSIC MAYAkOBA OHL Classic Mayakoba / RIvIERA MAYA, qUINTANA ROO

TORNEO INTERNACIONAL DE GOLf

LORENA OCHOA INvITATIONAL (LPGA)

Lorena Ochoa Invitational (LPGA) international golf tournament / GUADALAjARA, jALISCO

EvENTO INTERNACIONAL DE SURF ASP

6-STAR LOS CABOS OPEN ASP 6-Star Los Cabos Open international surfing event / LOS CABOS, BAjA CALIfORNIA SUR

MExPIPE CHALLENGE SURf CARNAvAL

Surfing / PUERTO ESCONDIDO, OAxACA

TORNEO INTERNACIONAL DE SURf REEf

CLASSIC MÉxICO International surfing tournament / MAzATLáN, SINALOA

vUELTA INTERNACIONAL DE CICLISMO

DE MONTAñA LA AzULITA

Mountain biking / MÉRIDA, YUCATáN

ExPEDICIóN AzUL MAYA

(200 kM EN SEIS DíAS)

Kayaking (124 mi in six days) / RIvIERA MAYA, qUINTANA ROO

CAMINATA PARA ExPERTOS

EN BOSqUE RíO ESMERALDA

Expert-level hiking in Bosque Río Esmeralda / LA PRIMAvERA, jALISCO

TOUR DE MONTAñISMO AL vOLCáN

IzTACCíHUATL Mountain-climbing tour of the Iztaccíhuatl Volcano

/ ESTADO DE MÉxICO-PUEBLA

fESTIvAL INTERNACIONAL DE TURISMO

DE AvENTURA. International Festival of Adventure Tourism / CHIHUAHUA

TOP TOURNaMENTS aNd ExPEdIT IONS

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