Type of luxury escape, destination or month

Blog 27/04/2020

Virtual Journeys: Sights, Sounds and Tastes of Mexico

  • Adventure

    Adventure

  • Beach

    Beach

  • Celebrate

    Celebrate

  • Culture

    Culture

  • Discovery

    Discovery

  • Romance and Honeymoons

    Romance and Honeymoons

Welcome to our fourth virtual journey. These are based on some of our favourite itineraries; designed to inspire, guide and delight you in your daydreams for travels to come. We’ll showcase some captivating destinations alongside mouth-watering recipes, cocktails, book, TV, film and music recommendations all designed to bring the trip alive from the comfort of your own home.


Let us take you on escape number four, to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula known for its tropical rainforests and jungles, colonial cities and Caribbean sea, as well as its being the home of the ancient Maya people. You’ll tour the highlights of the region, staying at three of local hotel brand Coqui Coqui’s uber cool properties; a stylish jungle hideaway in Coba, a colonial residence in the charming city of Valladolid and an elegant townhouse in artsy Merida. Then kick your shoes off for your final few nights on Tulum’s palm-fringed beaches at boho-chic retreat Nomade Tulum.

Find the full itinerary here 

Eat & Drink


Coqui Coqui Coba Residence and Spa is your first stop, a boutique sanctuary in the Mayan city of Coba in the Yucatán jungle. Take advantage of the close proximity to the ancient ruins and ensure you get there early before the crowds, then unwind on your lagoon-facing terrace or cool off in one of two plunge pools. Embrace the simplicity of the hotel’s natural style as you connect with the surroundings; this is an escape from the real world in true understated luxury. For breakfast, why not try a Mexican classic – Huevos Rancheros? 

Huevos Rancheros


Ingredients:

1 onion, peeled, peeled and finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
2 red peppers, deseeded and finely sliced
2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
1 large dried chilli
olive oil
3 fresh bay leaves
2x 400 tins of plum tomatoes
2 large tomatoes, sliced
6 large eggs
6 tortillas
Cheddar cheese, grated, to serve


Method

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan (make sure you’ve got a lid to go with it) on a high heat.
2. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, fresh and dried chillies, bay leaves and season well. Cook for 15 minutes, or until to softened, stirring often.
3. Stir in the tinned tomatoes, and break up with a spoon. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a medium heat and cooking for 5 minutes to reduce the sauce.
4. Lie the sliced fresh tomatoes over the sauce.
5. Make small wells in the sauce using a spoon, then crack in the eggs quickly so they poach in the juices for roughly the same amount of time.
6. Season evenly, cover with the lid on to allow the eggs cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Warm the tortillas while the eggs cook in the oven at 180°C/350°F/gas 4 for a few minutes or microwave for a few seconds.
8. Remove the lid off and give the eggs a poke with your finger to check they are done to your liking.
9. Layer up each tortilla with eggs, sauce and grated cheese, wrap up and you’re ready to serve!

Beachfront Nomade Tulum is your final destination, a rustic retreat in fashionable Tulum. Feel the sand between your toes as you stroll along the white sand shores, unearth inner zen with a daily yoga session and dine in the two excellent restaurants which focus sustainability, using locally-sourced ingredients. The hotel’s eco-friendly ethos is evident in the architecture which blends into the natural surroundings, built almost entirely with wood and stone. Sit back, relax and nourish your mind, body and soul, enjoying laid-back luxury at its best. As the sun sets, try this twist on a traditional Mexican cocktail. 

Spicy Cucumber Margarita


Ingredients:

Fresh lime juice
4 slices of cucumber
60ml Tequila
30ml simple syrup or honey
30ml of orange liquor
1 fresh jalapeno, sliced

Method:

Simply shake up the ingredients together and serve over ice. Salud!

Watch


Roma, Film

An Oscar winning drama inspired by the life of director Alfonso Cuarón, Roma is set in the early 1970s, following a year in the life of Cleo, housekeeper of a middle-class family in Mexico City. A captivating commentary on class and domestic turmoil against a backdrop of political unrest.

Coco, Film

One for the family, this Disney Pixar film follows wannabe singer Miguel. Though Miguel has always dreamt of proving his musical talent, his family has an age-old ban on music, so he sets off on a magical journey to the 'Land of the Dead' to discover his family history and the origin on this curious prohibition. 

Y Tu Mamá También

This coming of age story follows two teenage boys on an impromptu road trip. Framing their story through the lens of class and politics, award-winning director Alfonso Cuarón constructs a layered film that touches upon many elements of growing up, masculinity, and poverty.


Read

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

The story of Tita, youngest daughter of the De La Garza family, forbidden to marry her true love Pedro, due to Mexican tradition. Instead, Tita must care for her heartless mother until she dies. Tita expresses herself through her magical recipes which have seduced and enchanted Pedro, who marries her sister so he can be near Tita. Forced to be close to each other for years yet unable to truly be together, will Tita and Pedro ever get their happy ending?

Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowery

Set on the Day of the Dead in the small town of Quauhnahuac, Mexico in 1938, 'Under the Volcano' tells the tragic tale of Geoffrey Firmin, the former British consul who is on the road to ruin through alcohol, his debilitating vice. His estranged wife arrives on a quest to save him, as well as their troubled marriage, by starting a new life away from Mexico, but her endeavours are disrupted by Geoffrey’s half-brother and a childhood friend. What follows is Geoffrey’s drink-fuelled self-destruct and spiral into his terrible fate.

The Labyrinth of Solitude, Octavio Paz

This internationally-celebrated book, by Mexican poet—one of the country’s foremost writers and thinkers—explores Mexico’s quest for identity. The book-length essay takes a compelling look at the country that is hidden behind the ‘mask’ by diving into the complicated history between the US and Latin America, and the effect it has had on Mexican identity.

Listen


Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, En Concierto

This celebrated and longstanding Mexican folk ensemble formed in 1897 plays classic mariachi music on harps, trumpets and violins. Expect an orchestral twist and new expression to traditional Mexican sounds. 

Nortec Collective, Tijuana Sessions, Vol 1

Hailing from Tijuana, Nortec Collective fuses techno with authentic Mexican music to create an alternative and easy-listening sound that’s unlike any other electronica out there. This unique music has lead to their nomination for two Latin Grammys.

Café Tacuba, Re

In Mexican band Café Tacuba’s second album they combine rock-and-roll and punk with indigenous Latin rhythm to create one of the greatest Latin-rock albums of all time. 

Learn


Faces of Frida 

Google Art & Culture has teamed up with museums around the globe to pay tribute to non-conformist Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo by creating an online exhibition showcasing more than 800 of her artworks and items from her private collection such as letters, diaries, clothing and precious objects, accessible from your computer or phone.

Find it here

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