Casa de las Olas » Guest Stories

Yoga at Casa de las Olas

Casa de las Olas — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:55:40 +0000

Sunrise yoga with Sonja, at Olas has become a fast favorite with people who have come to relax and connect with the nature of the ocean, the beautiful biosphere next to us and themselves. At first the thought of waking up so early may not seem so appealing, but once here in Tulum, its easy to see how time manifests itself a little differently. Waking up to watch the sun rise over the horizon, with its beautiful tones of orange painting the sky with the promise of the bliss that the day will hold is unique each day. Sun rise meditation can be the best way to start your day centered and connected, top that off with a gift of having a guided yoga practice with the warm ocean breeze on your skin, makes you feel as though you have treated yourself with love and abundance before you have even had breakfast. a sure way to lay guilt free in the sand and indulge in the delicious food that is available in Tulum beach.

“From our sunrise yoga practices with Sonja to our last night dinner with our fellow guests, this trip was magical in every way.” Joan

“I also had two amazing private yoga classes on the beach with the wonderful Sonja. Can you say “blissed out?”” Chris

The old man and the sea – personal history of Tulum

Casa de las Olas — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:24:49 +0000

The old man and the sea, Don Manuel Gozalez can be found every morning on the Tulum beach watching the sunrise and reflecting on his story that started in Campeche and brought him to Tulum over 30 years ago. He has watched the city change, grow and become the popular beach town that it is today. Has Tulum changed? Sure, but the areas that make Tulum the beautiful destination it is, remain the same. The sun continues to rise, with its vibrant colors and the sun continues to set, behind the trees of the jungle.

The old man and the sea reflects on Tulum

With over 30 years of Tulum living under his belt, Don Manuel Gonzalez continues to call his beach hut home. He lives just south of the ruins near the fisherman’s cooperative with his boat, his memories and desire to continue the community focus Tulum is known for. Born in Campeche in 1921, Don Manuel has seen many changes to the coast in the Mayan Riviera. He has lived in Playa del Carmen, Isla Contoy, haciendas near Merida and always comes back to his nest, as he likes to refer to it as, on the beaches of Tulum.

His father moved to Tulum over 30 years ago to farm chicle, the gum of the chicle tree that was exported to the United States for candy production, the Adams chewing gum, chiclets. He fell in love with the community in Tulum and recalls the life that he lived when there were few roads to Merida, a vibrant farming community that grew fruits and vegetables, and cultivated honey in the depths of the jungle. He wandered off to other coastal areas and always came back, drawn by the sound of the waves, the colors of the sunrise and the community that works so hard to create a life for all of its residents.

Reflections on modern-day Tulum

Don Manuel Gonzalez has mixed feelings about modern-day Tulum. He loves that he can still enjoy the beauty of the ocean. The ocean has been his favorite place and no one can touch the beauty of this. He loves that no one has touched his sunrises. He dreamed of a vibrant cultural community with a cultural center that celebrates the history and traditions of the area, he has lived to see this come to life. The building and continued expansion of vacation accommodations is a natural evolution for any city, town or location. At 91 years old, Don Manuel has witnessed more changes in his life time than many. Change is inevitable and his little piece of paradise is untouched, something very few can say.

Modern day Tulum and the international community that now calls Tulum home, is an interesting change that Don Manuel did not envision. The respect and understanding of the land, ocean and jungle by the new Tulum residents is more than he can ask for. The respect that the small businesses have to protect and preserve the ocean, the jungle, the farming and culture is a blessing.

His belief is that the world lives in cycles and Tulum is not immune to these cycles. His boat, Pampano, has lived the cycle, as it recently washed up onto shore after being swept away over 7 years ago by a hurricane. In the past few weeks, the boat returned, motor gone, boat hull in tact. Did he welcome it back? Of course. He smiles at that fact that the cycle continues, even in modern-day Tulum, as the ocean takes away and provides each and every day.

Have a story about Tulum? Share it on our Facebook page with your photos and Tulum reflections.

7 social media travel sites you can use on your vacation

Casa de las Olas — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 11:57:40 +0000

Staying connected while on vacation is now a favorite part of online users vacation adventures. Whether you are lounging on a beach, participating in some extreme sports, walking, driving, eating, or chilling, social media does not take a vacation when you are!

Top 7 sites that you will want to stay connected to on vacation

With the ease of video, photo and text sharing, top social media travel sites must have the ability to share all media, videos, photos, and text. There may come a time when you can share smells that identify a vacation destination, like the grilled BBQ chicken in Tulum or a camp fire on the beach or the smell of the salt air when walking along the ocean. That company would rock if they could share smells across social media, but in the mean time the sites we have picked share only videos, photos and text. Alas…

Autoslash.com -find the best price for your car rental anywhere in the world. This site reserves your car through any car company and when the price drops for any reason, you are guaranteed that price break. So cool and will save you money. Get the best price no matter when you reserve your rental car.

Wanderfly.com – This company has just been purchased by Tripadvisor so if you are a Tripadvisor user already you will soon see the benefits of Wanderfly integrated into Tripadvisor. Wanderfly is a Pinterest type site but focuses solely on travel so you don’t have to search through thousands of boards looking for travel photos. Wanderfly acts like Pinterest, shares like Pinterest it is just more specific to travel. Find other people’s recomendations and see before you arrive. Share your photos and reco’s (as wanderlust calls them) and become a travel expert!

Momondo.com – Now this is smart. A bunch of young techies have put together an all in one travel search engine that will find you the deals on flights and car rentals. Keep in mind they do not have all options so if you don’t find the option that you are looking for go to Kayak.com for more deals.

Tripit.com – consolidate your travel information and get driving directions, flight gates, instructions, everything that a travel agent would provide for you but you drive it. The final product is a one page itinerary sheet with all your trip information in one spot

Tripadvisor – The go to site for any traveler that wants to plan their trip around guest recommendations. Tripadvisor has broken away from it parent company Expedia and is coming into its own with more social media integration, more photo and video upload options and yes more review options. They are savvy and they are smart and so are the people who use Tripadvisor.

Irrive.com – Scrap-booking has always been a favorite travelers pastime but there is so little time to actually put it together. Irrive does it for you, taking all of your social media posts and creating your own trip scrapbook. We have seen it in the works and it is pretty impressive! The kicker is, you still have to post on your other social media sites so Irrive can grab the content and make your scrap-book. When will someone make a social media site that takes your thoughts and just posts, oh maybe not…that may not be a great idea…

Virutaltourist.com – this is one of the oldest social media sites that act like a Facebook page and Tripadvisor. There is information posted by local residents and visitors so you get the entire experience. This is not as well populated as Tripadvisor but that means that you become an expert faster and easier than other social media sites.

Tripwolf.com – another fun social media travel site owned by the travel guide books Footprints, that is much like a Yelp site, with votes and reviews. Footprint guides were good in book form so check this out and see if it works for you. Integrates with other social media sites as well so you post on one site and share with others.

Vacation first, post second or you may miss your vacation

Your priority on your vacation should be, your vacation. There is nothing worse than being on a tour, walking around, driving in the car or just sitting on the beach and feel like you have been working all day….take a break from your social media during the day and upload your photos, comments and posts at the end of the day. Stay connected to your destination first, your travelling companion second and then your smartphone. If it is that you do not have wifi where you are traveling, take your photos and videos and then upload when you get back, and journal after the fact. It is not imperative that you upload your photos to social media that second, no one will really know the difference. But it is great to have a log of your travels at some point that easily be shared with all of your friends in one post. This is the greatest benefit of social media by far. No longer do you have to create slide shows, invites and a dinner or snacks to show your vacation photos….those days are over..and no longer do you need to receive phone calls from people asking about your opinion of X place or X place. If you post on social media, all you need to do is refer people to your Tripadvisor profile or your Tripwolf profile and they have all the information.

How are you planning you next vacation and is Tulum on your list? Check out Tulum, Mexico on all of these platforms and see what Tulum is all about. Then let us know where your next vacation will be.

Tulum Turtles – a first hand experience

Casa de las Olas — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:00:19 +0000

Melissa Manning www.melissajoymanning.com

One of our guests, Melissa Manning, had an incredible experience on the beach in front of Casa de Las Olas. Baby turtles being protected by local environmentalists were sighted by Melissa and this has become a forever memory captured on camera. Melissa has been kind enough to share her turtle story and photos with all of us! Thanks Melissa for this wonderful memory and incredible story of your vacation at Casa de las Olas!

Turtles, turtles everywhere on the Tulum beach

It was the movement that caught my eye. A scurrying across the sand that was both too big and forwardly linear to be a crab. I was up & running across the beach even as my mind processed what I was seeing: 5 little black turtle hatchlings that were busily making their way to the sea.

As an artist inspired by nature, seeing these turtles make their way across the beach was a blessing and I was immediately obsessed! I had heard about turtle season in Mexico but, for one reason or another, had always seemed to miss it. So, it was with great excitement that I spent the next few days travelling the beach on foot looking for nests and baby turtles. Unfortunately, though, I was having little luck duplicating my original discovery on my own.

A magical sustainability moment in Tulum Mexico

It was late afternoon when I heard the RTV approach down the beach. It came down the sand, bearing a bright orange bucket strapped to the handlebars. Curious, I approached the driver to see what he was all about. I found myself instantly delighted by his cargo- he was a naturalist and his bucket was full of baby turtles; scrambling over each other, climbing the sides, flipping this way and that, doing, I guess, what baby turtles do! Excitedly, I learned that his job was turtle mapping- he spent every morning marking new turtle nests and each afternoon visiting those he knew were due to hatch. If a nest had indeed hatched that day, he dug through the sand to find any little guys who were buried too deep in the sand or too weak to break through their shells. Once rescued, they were added to his neon bucket to scrabble with other hatchlings until 9:30 each night when he released them into the surf. The night freeing, he said, ensured the babies a higher chance of survival since the birds didn’t hunt at night. Amazingly, he let me hold a few of his endangered prizes.

Gently pinching the little turtles between my finger tips and staring into their weirdly charming but beady little eyes is an experience I won’t soon forget. The abundance of nature continually amazes me and it was with great joy that I was able to help these little turtles find the sea.

Thank you Melissa for sharing this great post and your Casa de las Olas experience! We share in your beliefs which can be seen through your jewelry designs and materials on your website. We love what you do and the philosophy behind your designs. Read more about Melissa’s committment to sustainable practices, a belief that drew her to Casa de las Olas and we are sure will have her return.

Fun drive on the Tulum beach road – the eclectic neighborhood

Casa de las Olas — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 12:55:54 +0000

Most days we need to drive down the Tulum beach road, to get supplies, see a friend, do some chores. This has become a ‘normal’ thing to do and we forget that for visitors and guests the Tulum beach road and all that it is, is a forever memory of their vacation. Today, we took another look at our daily ritual, and the Tulum beach road is a rocking place. Jungle frames the road on each side, stores pop out of no where and have some really unique products from clothes, mayan clay, mexican art. Restaurants are about every 500 meters and bicyclists are joining walkers, drivers and runners on this super interesting 10.5 kms that is called the Tulum Beach road.

Restaurants, stores and hotels line the Tulum beach road

Casa de las Olas is near the end of the Tulum beach road so all guests get the luxury of seeing every single detail this road has to offer. LIttle neighborhoods exist at about every two kilometers, this being a group of restaurants and stores that seem to have gathered in one area and have formed a community of restaurant owners, servers and shop keepers who work together to highlight their unique area on the stretch.

These micro-communities seem to also have a theme to their unique area. It could be organic and sustainable products or art and clothes or just a group of interesting food options through small corner stores and restaurants.

Jungle and Cenotes on the Tulum beach road

When you see the videos below the most interesting landscape on the Tulum beach road is the jungle and cenotes that line each side of the road. The ocean is about 100 meters rom the road but the jungle covers that view in most cases so the visitor has no idea that what behind the palm trees and plants is the Mexican Caribbean. There is one little area that has a spectacular view of the Caribbean about 2.5 kms down the road. There are two cenotes that visitors can visit, one at around 6 kms and one at 10.5 kms.Both of there cenotes have a fresh and salt water mix and are mangrove cenotes.

What you need to know when driving the Tulum beach road

1. The entire road is paved up to the Sian Kaan gates

2. There are various unidentified speed bumps all along the road so drive slowly. They will pop up when you least expect it. In spanish speed bumps are called topes.

3. Watch for bicycles, walkers and motorbikes. Watch for poorly parked cars on the side of the road.

4. Watch out for the blue crabs that run across the road, all, the, time.These little creatures can be in packs or solo so drive slowly so you can stop and let them cross.

5. Watch for neighbourhood dogs that seem to think that they own the road. It is no unusual to see a dog in the middle of the road, hanging out.

6. Watch for oversized trucks. Deliveries happen all day long and though the road is a two lane road, it is wide enough for two small cars, not a large delivery truck and car so be aware of these oversized vehicles.

The Tulum beach road is a forever memory for many guests and a daily drive for us. It is hip, chic and fun, safe, eclectic and interesting. There are few places where industry works so well with jungle and cenotes but the Tulum beach has found a way to do.

Tulum beach road Videos – Enjoy!

OH! BBQ at Casa de las Olas with guests, guides and friends in Tulum

Casa de las Olas — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 12:15:17 +0000

the first OH! BBQ was held in the afternoon on the beach at Casa de las Olas with Hartwood food to make it the summer hit that it was! Community is important to us, and saying thank you to guests, local guides, friends and staff is just as important. The first and not last OH! BBQ as a hit and drew friends, staff and guides from not only Tulum but Playa del Carmen, Akumal and Cancun. Our guests loved the semi impromptu BBQ where they met new people, learned more about we each of us do, where people are from and some language lessons were thrown in there for guest and locals.

Thanks to Hartwood for working with Marie and Antonio on the food. It was a BBQ, a salad bar, a roasted veggie haven and lots of create cocktails to go around.

See what you are missing! Fun times, sharing, a great meal from some great chefs, and a pretty competative beach football game that ended in a tie….wink wink…

To top it off, there was a full rainbow at 5 pm that landed at Olas, right on your beach front door step. If the food was not a show stopper, the rainbow was!

Check out the photos below and we will let people know when the next OH! BBQ will be happening at least a day or two in advance. Call it a ‘Random Act of Kindness’ when at any moment we feel the urge to honor all of the people who share in the Casa de las Olas experience.

And thanks to Michelle Cook for some of these fabulous photos!

Local designer, writer, dentist and geek!

Lots of guests and friends at the OH! BBQ and still we have some quiet and peaceful places at Casa de las Olas

Turtle video never seen before in Tulum! Turtle laying her eggs

Casa de las Olas — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 13:12:23 +0000

This is what makes Tulum so special on a daily basis. The undisturbed beach at the end of the beach road brings magical moments to us and our guests that rarely get captured on film let alone video. This video was provided to us from a guest and it is the most incredible video of a mother turtle laying her eggs in broad daylight!! Magical, normally unheard of and we have it on video! Un mil gracias ( a thousand thanks you’s) to our guest who has shared this video with us!

Mother turtles generally lay their eggs in the evening and early hours of the morning when no one is around. Who would want to be disturbed as you were popping out hundreds of eggs! Not me. This series of videos shows the mother turtle making her nest, and going back to the ocean once her business is done.

Magical really and out of this world. This is why we find it critical to maintain a sustainable development property at Casa de las Olas year round. If we did not do this then these magical moments and the turtles would – disappear – poof!

Keep it real!

Composting for Hartwood at Casa de las Olas! Culinary compost

Casa de las Olas — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:37:55 +0000

For the past year, Casa de las Olas has been composting the vegetable and fruits leftovers from Hartwood Restaurant in Tulum in a joint effort to continue their ideas and beliefs in sustainability. I think culinary compost is a new word, made up by us but if you have ever eaten at Hartwood, shared in meal crafted by Eric Werner the chef and creator of his unique slow smoked farm to table concept, me thinks that our compost pile may become a local attraction in Tulum!

Shared beliefs and philosophies about our planet

Casa de las Olas is a Tulum beach villa that was built using sustainable development principles. The owners feel a deep responsibility to preserve, protect and contribute to the delicate eco-system that exists on the property and the surrounds the area. Additionally there is a very strong committment to the local economy in Tulum, local residents and artists including fisherman and farmers. Buy local, is not a new concept, and in recent years the buy local philosophy has grown into a movement throughout the planet. Casa de las Olas supports and fulfills the buy local concept and furthers their committment to include the support for local tours, local guides and highlighting the gifts in the Tulum area.The result is a new way of cooking in Tulum with a great following of his farm to chef’s table slow roasted menu!

Hartwood Restaurant shares in this way of life and continues to support local farmers, ranchers, residents and businesses. All produce is sourced locally, Eric hand picks his seasonal fruits and vegetables, the menu changes to reflect the best choices of the day. Originally from New York, Eric has joined a new community in Tulum and supports the area that he now calls home.

Over a beer on the beach, Eric and James have shared their similar beliefs and joined forces to ensure that both properties and businesses maximize what they can offer. The composting idea was a no brainer. Eric had compostable items, James needed to fuel his compost for the continued planting of his indigenous plants, James had staff who could manage the compost and the extra land to keep it from interfering from anyone’s vacation.

Sustainable development and sustainable practices on the beach in Tulum, Mexico

Both Casa de las Olas and Hartwood are 100% solar. Dinner left overs are composted at Olas for the continued planting of indigenous plants. Information is shared so that local ranches, local artisans, carpenters and fisherman contribute to the ongoing success of these buy local, share locally, sustainable businesses. Every effort is made to partner resources and information so it stays in the Tulum family so we like to say. This is really a match made in sustainable heaven and the results have been….a culinary compost fit for a king, just like the meals at Hartwood.

Stay tuned for more amazing sustainable plans developed by the Tulum team of Casa de las Olas and Hartwood where nothing is overlooked and everything is possible. Their most recent endeavor was the Oh! BBQ held at Casa de las Olas and food prepared by Hartwood. Local residents, partners and players were all there to join in on this spontaneous treat. And if there were leftovers, which if we remember correctly there were few, all was added to the culinary compost!

Tulum is being kept as an untouched beach front vacation destination thanks for the many that think of the area, the ecosystem, local residents and local businesses first when designing your dream vacation in the Mayan Riviera. It is sustainability with a surprise once you witness the quality and committment Tulum businesses and accommodations have made to its dreamy and unforgettable location.

Dreaming about your Tulum vacation – great Kelly Harmon photos

Casa de las Olas — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 12:04:21 +0000

Are you getting ready for our Tulum vacation? Want some photos that can give you the lay of the land before you arrive, or give you a reminder of what you miss about Tulum? Here is a series of Tulum photos, some photos are of local businesses, some photos were taken on the beach and property of Casa de las Olas and some are just great Tulum that capture the heart of this little beachside town.

Photos of Tulum – Tulum beach, Tulum town and odd things in Tulum

We want to thank Kelly Harmon who is a friend, traveller extraordinaire and guest of Casa de las Olas who shot the photos of Tulum. Kelly, thanks for these great photos! Hope to see you back at Casa de las Olas soon!!!

If you love Kelly’s photos, wait till you actually stay with us in Tulum and have the physical experience of all of these areas that Kelly captured in her photos. Seeing is believing but experiencing Tulum will convert you to a Tulum traveler, something that we witness each and every week. You can also follow Kelly on Twitter @HipTraveler so followher photos and adventures!

Like Casa de las Olas on Facebook so you stay in the know about what is happening in Tulum, see more photos from our dedicated guests and connect with others who love one place on the planet, Tulum.

7 reasons to stay at Casa de las Olas in Tulum, Mexico

Casa de las Olas — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:20:58 +0000

There are many reasons to have a vacation in Tulum and many more reasons to book accomodations at Casa de las Olas in Tulum. This list came from a guest, a guest that had a great stay, loved what we do and decided to write down 7 reasons to book at Casa de las Olas. Super sweet for them to do this and even sweeter for them to share. With their permission, we are sharing their 7 reasons why a visitor to Tulum should stay at Casa de las Olas.

7 reasons why you should stay at Casa de las Olas – Tulum

1. Sustainable development that respects the environment, community and local businesses in the Tulum community. It is evident that Jimmy takes care of his own, his own meaning the community that he lives in and the people who contribute to the ongoing success of Tulum. This community includes people, artists, the ocean, and the jungle. There is no difference between them, all of these items are precious to Jimmy, and each needs to be taken care of. Not only does he hire locally, but he buys locally, a time consuming but rewarding activity that has given Jimmy great stories to share. The search for just the right table, or just the right biodegrable shampoo, or just the right anything takes time, but the adventures are priceless!

2. A desire for people to design their vacation – Casa de las Olas is not a cookie cutter vacation place. Jimmy has some favorites that are top on his list of things to do, but he listens intently to each guest and pulls what they need out of his magic Tulum hat. If you want romance, he knows where to go and what to do, if you want adventure, he has the places that provide adventure and sustainable tours. If you want peace and quiet, he has already provided that in the development of Casa de las Olas.He is your resource to design your perfect vacaton. Use it, you wont regret the suggestions and information he has.

3. Natural beauty – Casa de las Olas is naturally gorgeous, everything around it is built by nature, sustained by nature and continues to thrive due to the natural surroundings. The owners of Casa de las Olas do not take credit for this beauty, they just highlight it and magnify it without destroying what is naturally there. There are no theme parks, no fansy pansy amenitites, but the ocean, the jungle, the cenote, the sun and the moon bring you the best vacation you could ever have.

4. Great service – Service at Casa de las Olas is old school, and it works. It is about face to face communication, it is about an innate desire and understanding of what people want on thier vacation, it is a natural inquisitive mind that has sought out all possible solutions or answers to any number of questions or needs. Promises are kept, questions are asked, staff reach out to guests, and there is a general underlying desire to make your stay the best. That does not happen any more…very often, but it happens each day at Casa de las Olas.

5. Privacy – The beach is secluded, the rooms very private, people respect each others need for privacy and there are only 5 rooms on the property. Privacy is the number one priorty at Casa de las Olas, and this is maintained during your entire stay.

6. Seclusion – Secluded enough so you feel far way from everything, but in a short walk you have amenities, restaurants and shops at your finger tips. The jungle has been the number one factor in keeping this property secluded. The second factor is the owners desire to not make this property commercial for the sake of profit. This is a special business that runs like a private home, so you feel very far away from it all but have great support when you need it.

7. The People – From the staff to tour guides, from the waiters to the transportion companies, anyone connected to Casa de las Olas is great. Jimmy has built a great community of people that work on the property and has hand picked his vacation and restaurant referrals/recommendations to ensure that your ‘people experience is the best! The people we met, and the guests we interacted with were really A1 people who all had similar beliefs about the area. Every singel person was working towards the same cause, keep Tulum beautiful, keep it the paradise that it naturally is and no matter what you do for a living, it is important that sustainability is a part of your day to day concern and focus.

Not convinced yet? Check out the reviews on Tripadvisor or check out the website for Casa de las Olas. This is the just the beginning, there are many more reasons to stay at Casa de las Olas but only a visit will let you add to the list. Reading about it is one thing, experiencing it is a whole other ball game!