Sandos Cancun Resort...and the New Mayan Era

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December 21, 2012 is coming.

To a few Hollywood movie-makers, that date meant the end of the world (according to the ancient Mayan calendar). To those with a spiritual bent, it means the end of an era...and the beginning of a new one. To most of the rest of us, December 21 means...December 21.

To the descendants of the Mayans, however, it means a three-month "party like it's 1999" on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. They've filled the calendar with colorful events meant to welcome this New Era, and to give visitors an immersion into their native culture.

Visitors from all over the world will be flocking to Cancun's famous strip of beachfront hotels. And one of the best places from which to experience this party is the Sandos Cancun Luxury Experience Resort.

It's name says it all. This is a boutique, all-inclusive property sitting on the famous white-sand beach, back-dropped by a lagoon, and close to most of the ancient Mayan ruins. There are 214 luxurious guestrooms and suites here, three gourmet restaurants, and a world-class spa, all newly-designed and renovated just a few months ago. In addition, the resort boasts three infinity pools, leading up to that white-sand beach and the turquoise Caribbean waters lapping it. And, in line with the New Era, guest can take health/wellness and yoga classes on the beach.

The list of upcoming "New Era" events - visitors will be able to participate in all of them - would take up several pages. But here are a few...

• On December 21 and 22, visitors can watch the release of macaws - important in Mayan culture - which will fill the sky with a red glow.

• Native Mayan dances and rituals will be performed all over Cancun in the coming months.

• Guests will be invited to send their messages to the Gods the Mayan way...by way of four sacred, brightly-colored trees.

• Candlelight ceremonies on the beach will celebrate the coming of the New Era.

• Guests can fly through the air (rappelling!) while scattering seeds in the forest of Quintana Roo, thus leaving their mark on this diverse eco-system forever.

• You can participate in events to help the sea turtles who come to nest here, by releasing them back into the water.

And, oh, yes, guests at the Sandos Cancun Luxury Experience Resort will also be able to swim, snorkel, and dive in some of the world's clearest waters, laze on beaches that recently underwent a $71 million renovation, dine at some of Mexico's best restaurants, experience attractions like the Cancun Underwater Museum (underwater sculptures!), visit scenic islands like Isla Mujeres ("Island of Women"), and hike or bike on terrain ranging from beaches to jungles.

Then, too, they can visit the sacred sites of an indigenous culture that dates back to 2,600 B.C. In the state of Quintana Roo, you can find the ruins of an ancient civilization at places like Chichen Itza and Tulum. Here, the pyramids and temples and columns echo the footsteps of the ancients, and a civilization so advanced that they were creating these magnificent structures while most of the world was still living in huts.

These places will take your breath away (especially as you climb them!). The views from the tops are incredible. And you'll feel the spirits of this culture everywhere around you.

Later on, you'll be able to end every event-filled day at the Sandos Cancun Resort, perhaps with dinner a the signature Seasons Restaurant, and then perhaps at one of the infinity pools, while nursing a tall drink, listening to the sounds of the ocean rolling in, and gazing up into a star-filled sky.

Not a bad way to begin the New Era!