All photos by Dave Shultz

“Did you drink a lot of tequila last night?” The man checking my harness asks. I’m about to zipline into a cave cenote and I’m giddy with anticipation.

“The mosquitos here,” he continues, “they love the tequila.” I’m spotted like a leopard and doing my best impersonation of a person who doesn’t want to rub her entire body with a cactus.

I’m on a press trip and it’s my first time in Riviera Maya. I’m falling fast for this coastal town.

Also, I did drink a lot of tequila last night.

What Are Cenotes?

Scattered all over the Yucatan Peninsula, the cenotes are underground, fresh water pools formed by the complete or partial collapse of cave roofs. Many tap into larger cave and river systems that go on for miles, some not yet fully mapped.

The Mayans used to believe cenotes were gateways into the afterlife and made offerings and performed rituals in these natural structures. Remnants of the ancient Mayan presence can be found in and around many cenotes. Our guide led us to one pool in which the base stones of an ancient Mayan steam house once stood. A cave painting decorated the wall to our right and bats nestled in the ceilings ahead. It was beautiful.

Here in the Riviera Maya, Mexican land owners are opening up their properties to the public and allowing visitors entrance to the cenotes. Aware of the potentially harmful impact from sharing this natural inheritance with so many people, property owners only permit the use of biodegradable sunscreen and eco-friendly bug spray in an effort to keep this type of natural tourism sustainable.

When I was there, the cenotes still appeared pristine, the walls and the water not yet looking weathered by human traffic.

Where to Find Them

Many places that have cenotes also offer a range of companion activities. At Hidden Worlds, our group sky-cycled through the Mayan jungle to a large cenote where we donned life vests and went snorkeling in the cave’s river. The cool, underground water served as a welcome contrast to the hot sun and pointy jungle leaves.

At ATV Explorer Jungle Tours, we rode through the vegetation to swim a small cenote before heading back on the dusty road.

Some of the more expansive cave networks have been developed into giant adventure parks like Xplor, where visitors can participate in a variety of activities, though the half-hour underground river swim was easily my personal highlight. Floating on my back, I watched knobby and pointy stalactite formations gradually scroll down my line of sight as I slowly kicked my feet.

A quick click-through of the Riviera Maya tourism website pulls up plenty of places and services involving cenotes, though I tend to find the volume of such a list overwhelming. Xel-ha, Xcaret, and Xplor are the big-name, big-property adventure parks in the area anyhow and to be honest, it’s hard for me to say whether I liked those or the smaller operations better.

There are thousands of cenotes dotted all over the Yucatan. My recommendation would be to see at least one big adventure park and one smaller one, as they each have their merits. Xplor, while very “packaged” in feeling, is never intensely crowded — they limit the number of people in the park to 1500 throughout the year. My river swim there was mostly isolated, with only the occasional meeting of another swimmer.

Essentially, wherever the cenotes are is where I want to be, and lucky for me, they are all over Riviera Maya.

Community Connection

You can read more about Riviera Maya on associate editor Candice Walsh’s MatadorTravel blog, in which she describes cenotes as “cool and creepy and exciting all at the same time.”

We’ve also listed Riviera Maya as a Top 10 Dive Destination.

Feature photo and photo above courtesy of Samantha Brown.

With 10 years of travel experience, Samantha Brown is no stranger to overnight stays. Here are her five top hotel choices, from the lavish to economic. She also gives us tips on how to find a great hotel in the midst of a not-so-great economy.

1. Sunset Key Guest Cottages, Key West, FL

“It’s where I spent my honeymoon.”

Located on a luxury island 500 yards from Key West, Florida, the Sunset Key Guest Cottages offer patrons individual bungalows endowed with front porches and rocking chairs. Every morning warm muffins and freshly squeezed orange juice are left on the porch in a picnic basket for guests to enjoy over ocean views.

Rates start at $500 and climb depending on how high guests want to take their levels of luxury.

2.The Library Hotel, New York City, NY

Touted as Manhattan’s most celebrated luxury concept hotel, The Library Hotel defines modern elegance and extravagance. Rooms are filled with books on myriad subjects. From architecture to biographies, even to erotic literature, each floor is dedicated to one of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System.

Around $375 lands guests complimentary breakfasts, including espresso and cappuccino, a wine and cheese reception, and in-room access to the top 100 films from the American Film Institute. On the penthouse floor, The Library Hotel offers a poetry garden and writer’s den.

Photo by drewsaunders.

3. The Pod Hotel, New York City, NY

“Create more space by holding on to each other; you were going to do that anyway right?”

For young hipsters on a budget but unwilling to stay at Motel 6, the Pod Hotel is the perfect alternative. Established on 51st Street, the Pod Hotel offers a great location at an affordable $79-99 a night with cool features (mp3 docking stations, free WiFi, LCD TVs), and a dimmer lights.

4. Hotel San Jose, Austin, TX

This former motor lodge is now a very cool hotel with a desert Zen atmosphere. Sitting in one of Austin’s hippest neighborhoods, Hotel San Jose offers a great location on South Congress Street.

Right across the street is one of the best live music venues, The Continental, and Joe’s Coffee, which plays movies in the parking lot and live music on Sundays.

Not for quiet lovebirds, Hotel San Jose is tailored more for the party couple looking to love it up and live it up together. And with $100 rates for shared bathrooms on weekends, this hotel is definitely an affordable option.

Photo by Beard Papa.

5. Inn of the Five Graces, Santa Fe, NM

“This was one of the best beds I have ever slept in. And being on the road 240 days a year, let’s just say I’ve slept around.”

Ranging on the more expensive side, the Inn of the Five Graces averages $375 a night for an intensely romantic, mysterious, and exotic experience.

Guests feel like they have been transported by Aladdin’s magic carpet as rooms are decorated with beautiful textiles some would expect to find on the silk road. The slow, relaxed dripping water sounds of the courtyard fountains and the superbly comfortable beds make this establishment truly phenomenal.

Value added extras: free mini bar, breakfast, wine and cheese reception every evening. One of the rooms even has carving of the Kama Sutra on the headboard.

How to find the best hotel for your ever decreasing buck:

• Brown advises lovebirds to look for off-season destinations as one of the ways to help mitigate travel costs.”Right now it’s beaches, especially in the Northeast. Sure it’s cold, but you’ll have the place all to yourselves, which could be incredibly romantic.”
• Or as an alternative to traveling on the amorous holiday, Brown suggests couples create a personal version by reserving their celebratory weekend for another day: “Valentine’s Day weekend is one of the busiest in the hotel industry, so hotels are going to be able to charge whatever they want.

  “But if you hold off and go just one weekend later, the rates will be substantially lower. So give your sweetie your gift of a romantic weekend on Valentine’s day, but scheduled for another time. If they don’t appreciate it, then my advice would be to break up with that person; they are only going to get worse.”

• In the city, business hotels offer cheaper rates on the weekends (think Wall Street in NYC). “Take advantage of the road warriors going home.”
• Las Vegas and Orlando have cheaper rates during the week.
• Check out the destination’s Visitor’s Bureau website. “These sites really cater to people in search of deals.”
• BedandBreakfast.com: B&Bs are great, inexpensive options for the cozy couple just looking to get away from it all. “They are no longer like staying at an aunt’s house that smells of bad perfume and cats.”

Community Connection:

For more information on Samantha Brown, including her taping schedule, you can visit her page on the Travel Channel website.

Graffiti is considered vandalism in most places. Because of this, the risk graf artists, or “writers” take when they tag, and the speed and efficiency with which they must create their pieces, have helped shape the form itself.

More and more people however, in various places around the world, are recognizing graf as a legitimate art form and now provide legal spaces for it. Below are 10 places where tagging is legal, and in some cases, encouraged. It can also be highly competitive. Bring skills or just enjoy.

1. Hosier Lane, Melbourne, Australia

Photo by BlueBec

This famous spot is popular among tourists and artists alike. Located in the southern edge of Melbourne, Hosier Lane allows for all kinds of street art and even seems to encourage it, as the lane has been featured in travel guides and advertising campaigns. Graffiti artists, if there was ever a place for you, this is it.

Elsewhere in Melbourne, street art is just as prevalent though maybe not as heavily advertised as Hosier Lane. Even Banksy tagged it. The owners of the building then installed a perspex screen over the work to prevent it from damage or destruction.

2. Warsaw, Poland

Photo by *gorolla

Topiel Street provides ample wall space for writers and stencil art. No hassle from the local police!

3. Tesnov, Prague

Well-known among the denizens of Prague, near the Florenc metro station. Relatively safe, this site offers completely legal tagging with the added benefit of good lighting from nearby street lamps.

4. Queens, New York, United States

Photo by rawmeyn

Dubbed 5Pointz, this full city block in the Queens neighborhood of Long Island City is free to the public and almost entirely covered by graffiti. Artists who are interested in putting up their work here must first be reviewed and granted permission by curator Meres One.

Murals are allocated a certain amount of space and exhibition time based on the quality and durability of the work.

5. Paris, France

Photo by Gabriel Radic

Legal tagging sites are sprinkled all over France. Just be wary of the graffiti groups, as some can get a bit territorial and aren’t afraid of confrontation.

6. Taipei, Taiwan

Photo by neogenova

Many artists take advantage of Taiwan’s legal gray area concerning graffiti and vandalism, posting their work all over the city. Police officers openly admit to not getting involved unless there is an owner complaint or property damage.

7. Zürich, Switzerland

Photo by inthesitymad

Independently run by a group of artists and sanctioned by the city, Rote Fabrik in Zürich was originally a lakeside silk mill. Now this alternative cultural center is one of the few places in this city where graffiti art is not just legal, but encouraged.

8. Sydhavnen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Photo by tobiashm

Lauded as a must-see sight in Copenhagen, the hall of fame wall near Sydhavnen is home to some massive and complex pieces. Though individual pieces may not last long due to the popularity of this location, enough visitors stop by each day that artists’ creations gain significant exposure once put up.

9. Burghausen, Germany

Running 150 meters long and 8 meters high, the graffiti wall in Burghausen, Germany is open to all artists who bring their own paint and creative minds. The city is located in the southeast portion of Germany, close to the Austrian border.

10. Venice, California, United States

Photo by jakedobkin

The Venice Graffiti Pit located in Venice Beach is world famous for being an open and creative space for street artists. It is not uncommon to see an artist in the middle of working on a mural her. The only downside? Artwork gets painted over by other artists in rapid succession.

Though doing graffiti legally may not be as adrenaline-inducing as tagging illegally, the luxury of time allows for more detailed and intricate artwork.

Graffiti artists, aficionados, and admirers may visit this site for specific directions and a comprehensive list of sites.

Below are some of the world’s most spectacular roads. Fair warning to viewers: these images are shockingly attractive and have been known to induce wanderlust in those who gaze upon them.

Denali National Park, Alaska, Photo by nicmcphee

Timgad, Algeria, Photo by gabyu

Italy, Photo by skino

Illinois, United States, Photo by jamesjordan

Zion National Park, Utah, United States, Photo by wolfgangstaudt

Dades Gorge, Morocco, Photo by wolfgangstaudt

Meadowlands, New Jersey, United States, Photo by bobjagendorf

Greenwich Township, Berks County, Photo by nicholas_t

Highway 98, Arizona, United States, Photo by paraflyer

Las Canadas del Teide, Spain, Photo by hyperfinch

Monument Valley, Utah, United States, Photo by hyperfinch

Himalaya Highway, Photo by babasteve

Route 40, Argentina, Photo by rob

Beaver, Utah, United States, Photo by areyoumyrik

Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, United States, Photo by candiedwomanire

Utah, United States, Photo by areyoumyrik

Pacific Coast Highway, California, United States, Photo by tylerdurden

Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States, Photo by nicholas_t

Lapaz to Coroico, Bolivia, Photo by backpackerben

Southern Bolivia, Photo by philliecasablanca

Camino a Urubamba, Cusco, Peru, Photo by lebce