Olympus Tours Travel Blog

Reef Explorer Or One Of The Most Relaxing Things To Do In Punta Cana

0 comments / June 12, 2015

Some people travel for business, some people travel for fun, some people travel for food and some people travel to relax… and that is exactly what we feel like doing this weekend, and you?

Being in the Dominican Republic means many things to do, like sightseeing, getting to know the history and culture of the island since spanish times, listening and moving your hips to merengue music, trying out the local food, ziplining on the rain forest or chasing down shipwrecks to dive into.

Sail across the azure waters of Punta Cana to live an experience like no other.

So, after all those things we honestly are in need of a break, wouldn´t you? What about a day to just relax and even learn a thing of two for a change? Inevitabily it comes a time in everyone´s vacation where you ask yourself: Are there any other things to do in Punta Cana if I just want to relax but not stay in my hotel all day long?

Like out of a James Bond movie, this floating dock is waiting for you.

If that is your concern, how does spending a good part of your day on a floating deck in the middle of a coral reef?

Picture yourself on board of a speed boat skiming across the water until a platform that looks like something out of a James Bond movie, if this sounds interesting to you, wait until you are power snorkeling looking for sharks and stingrays in the reef, you might even spot Jame´s Bond submarine Lotus while you go deeper (not really but it would sure be awesome).

Power Snorkel allows you to go deeper into the reef effortlessly.

You can also try some stand up paddle boarding if you still want to do something with a bit less impact while still enjoying the beauty of the azure waters of Punta Cana and the reef. I fon the other hand you just want to be lazy, guess what? That´s OK too! Get a floating lounge bed or a lounge chair on the dock and just sunbathe but wait, it gets even better because massages are also included, yay!

Relaxation is a big part of your experience.

Soothe your soul with a stone massage, sea shell massage or spend some time with a reflexology specialist and you´ll feel brand new. Get a bite from the super healthy juice and snack bar so will not only look great but also feel great.

The day will have the pace you want it to have, no shoes, no shirt, no problems one hour at a time.

Surf´s Up: Los Cabos Open Surf 2015

0 comments / June 11, 2015

“ Ya, we´re goin´to Surf City, ´cause it´s two to one

You know we´re goin´to Surf City, gonna have some fun”

Jean and Dean

Sun days, fun days, surfing days; this week Cabo San Lucas turns into Surf City because is Los Cabos Open Surf 2015 time baby!

2015 is the third year in a row for Los Cabos Open Surf.
Photo courtesy of Los Cabos Open Surf

Los Cabos Corridor is definitely seeing more action than on a regular summer week because of this major competition where junior pro surfers from Mexico, the United States and other countries unite to celebrate life, the ocean and an ancient sport that was born in the Eastern Pacific.

Man and Women pro surfers compete at Los Cabos Open Surf.
Photo courtesy of Los Cabos Open Surf

The year 2013 was the breakout year for this competition that has been growing tremendously with only a couple of editions, gathers surfers and sport fans, families, adrenaline junkies and artsy people all together for 5 days, enjoying the weather, the sun and concerts around Costa Azul area.

Zippers is the place chosen for this Pro-Junior Surf Competition.
Photo courtesy of Los Cabos Open Surf

The tip of the Baja California Peninsula, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez has some of the best waves for middle to pro surfers in the world that come to visit at basically any season of the year to enjoy the perfect weather of the area taking into consideration the wind conditions and tides.

But is not all about surfing in Los Cabos, with picturesque places like Todos Santos that are some of the favorite spots for surfers and travellers who want a more laid back and small town atmosphere while those interested in something a little more glamourous head to both Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo.

Town of Todos Santos, a favorite place for surfers near Los Cabos area.

But lets say surfing is not your thing but you want some action and adrenaline pumping, you are staying in the area… what do you do? There are a handful of adrenaline driven activities for you to do in Los Cabos due to its landscape, you can go zip lining, drive ATV´s, visit all the small towns around the area… you don´t even have to get wet if you don´t want to!

Also, to enjoy some of the best waves of the season and soak up in the surfing vibe, go to Zippers and enjoy at least a few competitions, learn the surf slang and take some awesome pictures and in no time you will be singing surf city too.

What To Drink In Mexico? Iced Tea Or Aguas Frescas.

0 comments / June 10, 2015

Summer is kicking in and with it higher temperature levels, humidity rises and so does the heat, you are in Mexico, you are thirsty but it might be a little too early for a cocktail or a beer so, what do you drink?

About 85% of the total tea consumption in the United States is iced tea.

The common asumption in the United States would be: it´s time for some Iced Tea! But you are not in the streets of New York in the summer, you are further south enjoying the caribbean with a gorgeous beach in front of you, what can you have in Mexico instead of the good old iced tea?

When in Mexico, you do what locals do and that is drinking Aguas Frescas. But… what exactly is Aguas Frescas?

Coloured fresh waters for a hot day.
photo by Javier Castañón on Flickr under CC License.

The rich soils of Mexico give life to an astounding number of seeds, fruits and flowers and the knowledge of mexicans throughout centuries has always found a way to make the best out of its nature, including finding ways of making everything taste better, including water.

Aguas Frescas are basically infused water with either sweet fruits such as watermelon, lemon, lime or oranges, more bitter fruits like starfruit or dragonfruit, seeds like chia and flowers like hibiscus.

Just hit the streets of any city or town in Mexico and you´ll encounter with street vendors selling all kinds of delicious fruits and aguas frescas to give you a break from the heat.

So, does that mean that you can´t find iced tea in Mexico? Not at all, you can find as many types and brands as back in the US but our point is, you have to try aguas frescas because basically they do much more for you than just satisfy your thirst.

What are the most popular flavors?

Although they may vary from region to region but there´s no doubt that there are clear winners in terms of popularity and those are Agua de Jamaica and Agua de Horchata. Since they are made out of raw fruit (in most cases) they are considerably less sugary than regular iced tea, a 100% organic and are simply DELICIOUS.

Hibiscus Water or “Agua de Jamaica” is choice #1 on a hot day, sometimes, even before a cold beer.

Agua de Jamaica is made out of the hibiscus flower, sweetened with either sugar or honey and sometimes a few slices of lemon can be added. Enjoy it with some ice and it will be the perfect companion for every meal.

On the other hand, Agua de Horchata is made out of rice, sounds weird, right? But it is actually very delicious, some vanila and cinnamon are also added to the mix that makes it taste smooth, refresing and sweet, almost like drinking a dessert. Yumm isn´t it?

One of the most popular options in Cancun and Riviera Maya is Agua de Chaya. Chaya is a leave used by mayans since ancient times; very similar to spinach that has to be boiled in water and is usually mixed with lemon, pineapple or orange and cooled, in recent years scientists discovered the tremendous health benefits of this leave such as improving blood circulation, helps digestión, helps lower cholesterol, decongest and disinfects the lungs, improves memory and brain functions, combats arthritis and diabetes among other miracles.

Relaxing time after a jungle tour with a good glass of Agua de Chaya.

Then beverages made out of other seasonal fruits can be found, like watermelon, passionfruit or even kiwi, the flavours are endless and they are the healthiest option in terms of what to drink in Mexico and you will be able to find it in most places and in most of the tours and excursions you may want to do that include a full buffet meal, aguas frescas is the first thing to be offered.

So, once you are back at home and feel a little overwhelmed by the heat and think of a tasty and refreshing drink, please remember your vacations in Mexico and try to make your own agua fresca, it will taste like vacations and you will have a new healthy and tasty beverage making skill, a win-win situation if you ask me!

A Day Trip From Panama City To Gatun Locks Equals Monkeys & Silence

0 comments / June 9, 2015

Who has visited Panama recently can say without a moment of doubt that is a young and vibrant country, specially those who have stayed in Panama City. The country´s mix between old and new, modern culture and rustic manners.

Panama City is a melting pot of the Americas

That often leads people to believe that Panama is only a place for connectivity between the Americas and the world when it is actually much more than that. More than a century ago while the canal was under contruction there were many other projects going on that supported the canal and the economical activities of the country, one of those was on Gatun Locks and the artificial Gatun Lake and Dam.

Fast forward to present times and the canal is a well oiled machine that operates puntually, a living organism by itself… so what happened to those other places and projects that used to served the canal? Today, Gatun Lake is a ecological reserve that holds two of the best kept secrets of Panama: Monkey Island and Sounds of Silence Island.

A new experience unlocks at Gatun Locks.

Gatun Locks is only 40 minutes drive away from your hotel in Panama City, the adventure begings once you jump on a small vessel and will start touring along the canal until you hit a detour that will lead you deep into Gatun Lake. This is one of the best places in the world for bird watching so you better keep your attention on any flying objects since you will only be astound by the variety of bird species you´ll have the chance to look at.

Fun Fact: Gatun Lake is the 2nd biggest artifical lake in the world.

At a slower pace you will encounter Monkey Island. Howler Monkeys, Capuchin Monkeys, Geoffroy´s Tamarin Monkeys are some of the species that can be found in the island as well as other animals like sloths, crocodiles, toucans, iguanas and turtles. You will also have the opportunity to get upclose and personal with the monkeys since there you are allowed(for a little while) to feed them from the boat with some natural organic treats.

A White Capuchin Monkey sneaks in the trees to look at the boat.

Once the monkey business is taken care of they trip will continue all the way to Sounds of Silence Island. In this jungle retreat you will have a unique picnic experience and sometime to explore, either go fishing in the lake, kayaking or just swiming in a spring. Or just close your eyes and listen to the sounds of silence.

One of the many species of toucans that can be seen during the trip.

If we had to chose how to spend the only day off we had in Panama we would definitely pick this day trip from Panama City, get away from all the hustle and bustle of the city and connect with nature.

Pyramids Facts and Time

0 comments / June 8, 2015

El Castillo, Chichen Itza, Photo by Brian Snelson

Pyramids have been built by many civilizations around the world in order to honor their deities or serve as the final resting place of a ruler. They still remain an impressive sight but we sometimes fail to realize exactly how old these structures are. How long had the pyramids at Giza been standing before the Roman Empire numbered Egypt among its provinces?

Historical events and dates tend to run together after a while and it becomes difficult to put things into perspective. So we’ve built a helpful animated timeline that highlights some of the pivotal points, peculiarities and well-known events throughout ancient history in relation to some of the most important pyramids raised.

While looking at the timeline try and guess as to why the pyramid was such a popular shape for building monuments by people separated so much by time and distance.

Hint: it’s not the fact that a pyramid is the most stable shape with the maximum height that could be accomplished with most materials available at the time – though this of course still is one of the main reasons.

Click here to view the timeline with these interesting pyramid facts.

Three Dishes Made In Panama – What To Eat In Panama

0 comments / June 5, 2015

Its finally Friday and you know what that means in the world of internet… its #FoodieFriday! This trend helps us fill our cravings for the most delicious food and if that includes trying out new and different dishes, the better!

So, what do you know about Panama? Besides knowing that it is home to the uber famous canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and that is where the stylish Panama hats are made!

The very distinctive and stylish Panama Hats.

Today we decided to try three dishes that are all made in Panama. Why? Because panamanian cuisine is little known and what we found in the streets of this in between continents country is that is delicious and plentiful! Like its neighbors from South America it has some basic flavours and ingredients with a Caribbean twist like those similar to the Dominican Republic for example. Here are our first three picks of panamanian dishes that you should try like, right now!

Arroz Con Pollo:

A very popular dish in both Central and South American countries, it consists on rice mixed with chicken but wait, that´s not an ordinary mix. It is based on a sofrito which is basically sauted onions, garlic and peppers with either shreded or full pieces of chicken. Once this mixture gets a nice golden color the rice is added and is left to cook slowly with water until is dry. Let it rest a little and enjoy a very fulfilling meal all done in one pot. Isn´t it wonderful to have so much sense of flavour and of time economy at the same time?

Arroz con Pollo a.k.a Chicken with Rice is a favorite Latinamerican dish.
Photo by LWYang on Flickr under CC License

Ceviche:

Even if ceviche is not a signature dish of Panama one thing is for sure, panamanians know how to use their sea products. What makes panamanian ceviche stand out from others is that is served as an apetizer in most restaurants, it is made of sea bass mostly with sea salt, lime, habanero peppers, onions and celery. In fancy restaurants is also served on a shell while in the streets or economical kitchens around is served with crakers and a cold cerveza.

You can´t leave Panama without trying its ceviche with a cold beer.
Photo by Lava on Flickr under CC License.

Sancocho:

This soup like dish has different variations throught the caribbean countries of South America and it is of common belief that it will help you to come out of the dead. Why? Because it is very rich in proteins and carbs, the stock can be made of beef, chicken or fish and a variety of vegetables can be added to the mix, potatoes, corn, onions, celery, cilantro, meat and other seasoning make up for a complete meal by itself and if you got a little carried away during the night and you wake up wondering about what to eat in Panama for your hangover, a bowl of sancocho is just the perfect cure.

Sancocho is believed to “bring out the dead”.
Photo by travelingsoutherner on Flickr under CC License

So, what did we learn about panamanian food today? It is rich, plentiful and delicious, like the country itself, its a melting pot of cultures, flavours and mixtures that will leave you craving for more. Don´t miss the opportunity of enjoying all the fun things to do in Panama this summer.

Just Wanna Have Fun – Girlfriends Getaway to Riviera Maya

0 comments / June 4, 2015

A strange tradition established June 4th as Old Maid´s Day but… what does that mean? WWII had separated or put “on hold” many relationships and engagements, therefore, those young girls who waved their boyfriends good bye a few years earlier were still waiting for their beaux. Many of them returned home and married their sweetheart and many of them never came back… and to honor those ladies who kept on waiting for their true love, Old Maid´s Day was created.

A long weekend is the perfect excuse to have a girlfriends getaway.

Althought is a kind of sad story, we don´t want it to be confused. Fast forward to 2015 and being a single lady is actually a priviledge since most girls in the western hemisphere are now the owners of their own lives, having successful careers, making very nice incomes, wearing the most amazing clothes, learning and experiencing the world with the finesse that only girls have.

A hot trend among young independent women is to plan short trips anytime they want, in a month time it will be July 4th and therefore, there´s a long weekend coming up and a girlfriends getaway to Riviera Maya should be on your mind, right?

Touch base with your gal pals, book a flight to Cancun, a cute and cozy hotel in Playa del Carmen or Tulum and take a look at this activities to make the most out of your girlfriends getaway in Riviera Maya:

Day 1: For your first day – supposing you and your girlfriends arrived the night before – you probably want to enjoy the sun and the sea as much as you want. You probably would also want to do a little swiming and snorkeling in between sun bathing and sipping margaritas while chatting with your friends, right? If this is your case, how does catamaran sailing sounds to you? If it sounds as relaxing and glamorous to you as it sounds to us, that´s the way you should go! By the way, did I mention that there´s lobster in the menu?

A day sailing on a catamaran is perfect for a girlfriends getaway in Riviera Maya.

Night 1: Put on your coolest summer outfit, that means your flowy dress and a pair of gladiator sandals, lipstick and perfume and hit the streets with your girlfriends to wine&dine. There are plenty of delicious restaurants around with nice drinks as well. For the sake of a good night sleep.

Day 2: Now that you got to spend the whole day relaxing on a boat, it is time for a little adventure, in that case a quick visit to Tulum Archaeological Site is the best thing you girls can do. Discover the “Walled City” with its beautiful and well preserved temples that are just up the cliff, a unique view of the gorgeous caribbean sea from the tallest point of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Fun Fact: Did you know that the final scene of Robert Rodriguez´ “Planet Terror” was shot in Tulum and you can see the city at the back of Rose McGowan leading the survivors of a zombie massacre?

Get a taste of central Mexico at Xoximilco.
Photo courtesy of Xoximilco Park.

Night 2: What about a mexican fiesta? From 5 pm you can hop on a trajinera boat and enjoy the different flavours of Mexico while listening to an enormous variety of musical styles of the country at colorful Xoximilco. All food and drinks are including and althought they are a huge part of this park, the music, the boats, the canals, the colors and its people make a whole lot of the whole experience since it pays homage to the southern end of Mexico City a little further away. Try singing along with the mariachis and while doing tequila shots and you will be speaking in no time.

Day 3: Last day of an amazing girlfriends getaway, right? Make the most out it before getting ready for your trip to Cancun airport by sunbathing once more in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, drinking some “Agua de Coco” and even buying those cute handbags and knitted cats you saw the other night while strolling downtown. Don´t forget that last beach sealfie with your gals!

Cute arts&crafts can be found in downtown Playa del Carmen and Tulum.

The jokes and laughter of your girlfriends getaway to Riviera Maya will live on for much longer than your hangover, you can go over your pictures and in a few years from now, with you significant other and your kids, go over them again and plan your next family trip to visit those places where you felt more alive, beautiful, sexy and wanting to eat the world of one bite. No old maids in here sir, no way!

Do Over – 5 Most Fun Things To Do In Cancun

0 comments / June 3, 2015

According to the National Day Calendar today, June 3rd is meant to be Repeat Day, yeah, we said it, its Repeat Day… so we decided to be consequent and respectfull with this absurd yet fun holiday and listed our top 5 most fun things to do over and over and over and over in Cancun.

And the list goes like this:

Swim with Whale Sharks:

Oh Whale Shark sight… but first, let me take a selfie!

Get up ridiculously early in the morning, try NOT to have breakfast because you are going to the open sea after all and the ride though is usually very smooth, you might as well find some high tide and believe me, that´s no fun for your stomach. You can have some cold ginger water and a banana before you leave your hotel and you should be seasick (trust me) but still all the seasickness is forgotten once you arrive to whale shark point. It will begin with just one huge dark figure underwater, then you´ll see another and another and before you realice it you are surrounded by this friendly giants and that´s when its time top ut your fins and snorkeling gear on and go for a ride with them. Try to get your well deserved selfie with them, you won´t regret it and next whale shark season you will be craving for this adventure all over again.

Río Secreto Natural Reserve:

Go deeper underground for an experience out of this world in Río Secreto Natural Reserve.
Photo courtesy of Río Secreto Natural Reserve.

This is a tricky one. Río Secreto is a ginormous net of underwater river Canals and caves all very different from each other which means, you won´t find the same stalatites and stalagmites twice. The lenght of the tour my vary from route to route, there´s a “dry” route where you can experience the intricate nature of the caves and enjoy a mapping/screening featuring the mayan cosmogony and the origins of the world or you can go to any of the “wet routes” and excursions through different sets of galleries where the experience will never be less than amazing. On Río Secreto Plus package you also get to do rappel and ride a bike around the reserve.

Cancun Underwater Museum:

Water and art are a match made in paradisiac Cancun.
Photo courtesy of MUSA.

If you thought that water, sports and art can´t be mixed, think again because Cancun Underwater Museum (MUSA) will prove you wrong. More than 400 life size sculptures will astound you as you swim around, diving up and down to capture the details of each and everyone of them until all of the sudden it´s time to go back to Cancun and you will feel like a child leaving Disneyland… very upset! By the way, all the beautiful marine species you will also find there are part of the boost of the reef, so, how would you not want to see its progress over time?

Eco Adventure in Coba:

After climbing the pyramid at Coba, climb and fly above the jungle on a zip line.

Coba is one of my absolutely favorite places in Riviera Maya. As one of the less known archaeological sites you won´t find the crowds that you´d usually encounter in places like Chichen Itza or Tulum and you can really feel the vibe of the place. Coba is the home to Nohoch Mul pyramid which stands as the tallest of the Yucatan Peninsula rising 140 feet above the ground and is also one of the few where is still allowed to climb, once you reach the top just enjoy the breeze and the scenery. After you complete your visit to the area you can have a full adrenaline pumped experience by ziplining over the jungle and diving into the cristal clear waters of the surrounding cenotes. Finish your daytrip by spending some time at Chimuch and get up close and personal with this mayan community, learn how they live, hear their stories and try amazing yucatecan food prepared on site. It won´t get more real than this eco adventure and, like me, you will return as many times as possible.

Snorkeling Extreme:

Go rappeling down the river and end up swiming with turtles in the sea.

Both Cancun and the Riviera Maya area are connected and surrounded by the beach and the jungle so, once you step out of town that´s basically what you will find. You will also find amazing cenote caves along the way. What about ziplining and alight on the cool waters of a cenote? But not just that, you can go rappeling down the cave into the underwater river, get your snorkeling gear and swim until you end up in the sea. I can´t even start to tell you all the colors and types of fishes and marine life you will see but trust me, it would be like if you were living Finding Nemo. Once last thing, swiming with sea turtles is also included, now you know why its called extreme snorkeling, right?

So here are our picks and some of my own personal picks of the fun things to do in Cancun that are 100% worth repeating. Wouldn´t you experience them all over again?

5 Famous Shipwrecks In The Caribbean – Things To Do In The Dominican Republic

0 comments / June 2, 2015

“It was sad when that great ship went down

It was sad when that great ship went down

Cold ocean floor must be your home

It was sad when the great ship went down” – Woody Gunthrie

The island of La Hispaniola was a favorite among pirates and buchaneers in the 18th century.

Do you remember when you were little and you read those pirate stories, names like Barbarossa, John Cook, Red Legs Greaves or Calico Jack. Their bravery and sassiness is still heard up until today and has inspired many songs and films like the Pirates of the Caribbean saga.

Now, put together the amazing blue waters of the caribbean sea and pirates, treasures and ships, do a little math and what do you get? Shipwrecks! And the caribbean has plenty of stories and hidden treasures to be found!

A cannon is what´s left of a gun ship found near the Dominican Republic.

In recent years the Dominican Republic made it to the headlines when a Florida based group found what they thought was the oldest shipwreck in the Caribbean since by just scratching the surface they got about 700 coins dating back from 1535, that means that the wreck has been laying down the ocean for at least 450 years.

Wether the finding is true or false, is still unkown since the last information on the shipwreck came out in 2011 but one thing is for certain: you never know what you can find in the pristine waters of the Caribbean. Places like Punta Cana welcome divers from all corners of the world eager to discover what´s underneath.

Some recent shipwrecks can actually be seen from the shore in Punta Cana.

Here are 5 shipwrecks that lay close to the Dominican Republic´s coast:

The Astron: Somehow a “young” wreck that broke in two and sunk in 1978 not far from the coast of Punta Cana, it can actually be seen from the beach.
Conde de Tolosa: This ship sunk in 1724 when it was hit by a hurricane and left to rest in Samana Bay. Another famous gun ship that sunk in the area at about the same period of time is the “London”
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe: Apparently 17th century wasn´t nice to the ships that sailed the Caribbean because this spanish galleon was sunk by the same hurricane that sunk the Conde de Tolosa near Samana Bay.
Quedagh Merchant / Adventure Prize: According to historical data, this was an indian vessel that was capture by famous pirate William Kidd in 1696 who set it on fire before he was arrested for piracy. The ship was discovered in 2007 just off Catalina Island.
George: This ship was sunk on purpouse to create an artificial reef in La Romana.

Just like the Titanic, the Astron broke in two and can be seen from the beach in Punta Cana.

So, there you have it, if you are intrigued by shipwrecks there´s 5 of them in your things to do in the Dominican Republic buckelist to cross off, they are not far from the island you will be able to visit and admire from a safe distance like the Astron or sink and swim around them if you are a die hard scuba diver or even snorkeling aficionado, just put your fins on, gear up and enjoy!

Mexico City, The Inland Atlantis – Things To Do In Mexico City

0 comments / June 1, 2015

When Hernan Cortez and the spanish army under his orders first saw the great Tenochtitlan – back in 1518 – they were astound by the city´s size and beauty. Two hundred years before, the Mexicas had settled in a island in the middle of Lake Texcoco but it wasn´t until the Aztecs took over the city that it started to grow and became the jewel of its empire.

Mexico City as seen from the top of Chapultepec Castle.

So Cortez and his people came to Tenochtitlan, destroyed it – which is an irony since they said it was beautiful – slaughtered its inhabitants, slaved the few aztecs that were left alive and rebuilt the city according to the spanish standars of that time, forgetting all the canal systems the aztecs had built before, they just drained the water that surrounded the city and forgot about what was beneath.

Bigger, drained and shaken by earthquakes over the centuries, Mexico City proved to have an incredible noble nature, standing still through all the battles and changes that came along while silently and slowly sinking into the lake bed. All the newly discovered archaeological sites, the colonial architectural jewels and many of its modern skyscrappers are doomed to sink at a ridiculously fast pace by the second half of the twentieth century.

Unlike Venice in Italy or Bangkok in Thailand which are located next to the sea, Mexico City stands or “floats” above the old Lake Texcoco bed, making it the perfect example of an inland Atlantis. So, where exactly can you look around and tell that the city is sinking?

Among the thousands of things to do in Mexico City, you can go and look for the areas of the city where you can see unleveled buildings but there are also specific places where you can actually feel it. Here are some of the places you need to see before its too late:

Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral seen from Templo Mayor.

The Cathedral: The Metropolitan Cathedral located in the city´s central square or “Zocalo” is considered one of the architectural jewels of the spanish times. Built on top of an ancient precint that was part of the aztec´s Templo Mayor, it is the living proof of how much the city has sunk over the centuries. Just stand on front of its entrance and you will be able to see the crooked steps and how it is sort of leaned on its right side and once you are inside you may feel a little dizzy due to its unevenness. Despite the dizziness, you can appreciate the stunning art that is held inside this place.

The Zocalo is the beating heart of Mexico City.

Historical Centre: The city´s historial centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a whole. Its ancient aztec sites, the colonial buildings, the cobblestone streets. Take a stroll and you will be able to see beautiful buildings leaning on each other and beautiful stone and wrought iron balconies in all kind of weird angles.

The city has sunk around the Angel of Independence monument.
Morenovel / Shutterstock.com

The Angel of Independence: As one of the city´s most iconic places is an homage to the country´s centennial of the country´s Independence war. Back in 1910 it was a sole column placed on a roundabout with a few other statues. Today some 23 steps have been added since the city sunk around the statue.

Beautiful and crooked building in Roma Neighborhood in Mexico City.
Photo by Omar Barcena under CC License.

Roma and Condesa Neighborhoods: These two neighborhoods are just off Paseo de la Reforma Avenue, in their streets you can find beautiful mansions and buildings from the early 20th century as well as some more avant-garde buildings from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Among the art galleries, author cuisine restaurants, cafes and hipster designer stores - not to mention the doggie parks – you can notice that the buildings are kind of… twisted. Some go below street level and some others a few steps above the ground, it makes it all very interesting to say the least.

The Xochimilco canals and chinampas sink as much as 18 centimeters every year.

Xochimilco: This uber famous postcard of Mexico used to be an independent town since aztec times. Located on Lake Xochimilco the area has hundreds of artificial islands called chinanpas and a vast canal system that used to connect the town´s centre with Mexico City´s centre up until 1950s. Today, Xochimilco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, filled with flowers and colorful trajinera boats its also sinking about 18 centimeters per year. Maybe the scary dolls on The Dolls Island had something to do with it!

The reality says the great Tenochtitlan is sinking but don´t panic just yet, the city government has been putting major efforts to stop the situation or at least make it slower and because of it, we can say that the city will stick to its noble nature, fight against nature and stand proud above the lake bed… but still, why would you wait for it to be completely eaten by the muddy soil if you can visit it now? After all, life is too short not to be enjoyed and Mexico City is too large, diverse and beautiful to miss it!