Gallery located in Plaza Kukulcán, next to Luxury Avenue entrance.

Sergio Bustamante galleries were founded in 1975, and the works of this Guadalajara based artist cram this hotel zone gallery.

Bustamante’s original combination of animal and human forms are endlessly interesting. His collection has expanded in recent years to include jewelry, furniture,  shoes and bags.

Photograph by Anita Brown

Photograph by Anita Brown

La Gran Via, Madrid, by Jorge Ezquerro. Acrylic on canvas, .80 x 1 m

Galeria de Arte Contemporánea opened on the upper level of Plaza Caracol II this April. One of the owners, Miriam Pineda, described the works shown as being mostly by local artists.

Paintings by Jorge Ezquerro  (b. 1958) are on view, whose works of architecturally accurate city landmarks are of highest quality. He exhibits in galleries as far flung as Valencia and Madrid in Spain; as well as Miami and Vancouver in North America. In addition to this gallery, his paintings can be found at Villas Rolandi Hotel and Restaurant on Isla Mujeres.  Mr. Ezquerro is a cartoonist for newspapers, portrait artist, and has done large murals in Monterrey, Nueva Leon, and in Mexico City.

Located in the far corner of the open atrium of the plaza. The gallery has a pleasant, well-lighted aspect. Open daily.

The comida executiva lunch is very good. Fresh fruit drinks and horchata, jamaica are delicious.  It is best to be prompt for lunch if you want to be assured of there being enough food left to serve! Can be noisy. Reasonable prices.

Photograph by Anita Brown.

La Via Laktea, the Milky Way, consists of eight over-sized luxury cabañas on secluded Punta Piedra beach, about two hours south of the Cancun airport by car. A short drive from the world-famous Mayan ruins of Tulum, this boutique hotel nestles between the jungle and the Caribbean among dense palms and verdant tropical foliage right where the Sian Ka’an Biological Reserve begins. It is one of the few guest facilities on the almost undeveloped southern tip of the Rivieria Maya.

The solidly-constructed cabanas are roofed in traditional palm thatch. The elegantly simple furniture and fittings were made by local carpenters using wood from community-managed forests. Bathrooms are decorated with traditional Mexican tile, with hand-crafted porcelain wash basins. Each high-ceilinged ocean front room has its own ample balcony or terrace. Paintings by major Mexican artists from the collection of the owner, a Mexico City art dealer, hang on the walls.

Nature is the main event at La Via Laktea. Sandy paths wind through the green light of the palm trees to a broad expanse of powder-white sand facing the turquoise Caribbean. Striped canvas umbrellas shade locally-made wooden lounges. Sian Ka’an means “Where the sky is born” in Maya. At night, the stars appear in immense numbers unencumbered by urban light, and you really do feel as if you have the best seats in the house on the Milky Way itself. During their nesting season, giant marine turtles lay their eggs at night all along Punta Piedra beach, protected by environmental agency patrols.

“The sound of the sea encompasses every moment of the day,” Cancun photographer Anita Brown wrote while documenting La Via Laktea. “I feel as though I’ve come home.”

“Beautiful,” popular blogger Libby Spencer commented. “This is probably my favorite place in the world. I had the same feeling as soon as I walked on that beach — that I had come home.”

Fascinating shops and eating places are found within walking distance of La Via Laktea. Massage, Yoga, meditation, and other healing and relaxing activities are offered by local practitioners at nearby spas and awareness centers. You can also swim in a cenote, dive or fish with expert guides, visit the Tulum and Cobá ruins, and see crocodiles, toucans, flocks of parrots and other wildlife while kayaking through the Sian Ka’an Biological Reserve, 1.3 million acres of primeval tropical forest and wetlands established in 1986 as part of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Program.

La Via Laktea (The Milky Way)
Luxury Beach Cabañas, Tulum, Riviera Maya

Hosts: Bambu Kessler & Roberto Alvarenga
Carretera Tulum–Boca Paila Km 9.5, Tulum, Q. Roo, México
Tel: [52-984] 807-4341 & 807-4341 § [52 555] 105-5551

Fluent English spoken.
DAILY RATES, USD

* December to April

Ocean-front top $165
Ocean-front ground $145
Jungle-view $100

* May to November

Ocean-front top $145
Ocean-front ground $125
Jungle-view $80

Breakfast $12
Seafood dinner $20.
Drinks not included.