Jetsettersblog

Mexico’s Real Resorts has named March as Spa Month.

Book any all-inclusive vacation between now and Feb. 26 for travel during March 2012 and receive a 20 percent discount on all spa services at The Royal’s SPAzul and the Gran’s SPAreal.

Enjoy a 20 percent discount on all holistic and Mayan inspired massages, facials, body treatments and wraps, hydrotherapy treatments, couples massages, as well as manicures, pedicures and salon services.

In addition, guests of the Royals can use the SPAreal’s hydrotherapy pools and sauna at any time, as well as enjoy yoga, spinning and Pilates classes without any additional fees.

Spa Month is available for bookings at the Royal Cancun priced from $563 per night for double occupancy, the Royal Playa del Carmen priced from $520 per night, for double occupancy, the Gran Caribe Real Cancun from $301 per night for double occupancy, and the Gran Porto Real Playa del Carmen from $368 per night for double occupancy.

Reservations must be made using the code SPA2 and this offer is not valid for previously booked reservations.

Guests will receive a 20 percent discount voucher upon arrival that is good for any and as many spa services as they would like at their respective resort’s spa.

On this exceptionally fun spring family adventure to Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, families will have an opportunity to learn how to surf under the expert guidance of an amazing surfing guide.

This unique Surfari Baja Surf Camp offered by Thomson Family Adventures, includes top-notch and personalized instruction during daily surfing lessons from guide Mario, horseback riding on the Baja Peninsula’s pristine beaches, a visit and the chance to volunteer with the children of the non-profit Palapa Society, swimming with sea lions at Los Islotes in the famed Sea of Cortez, and much more.

This unforgettable family surf camp

This is an active family’s dream come true, with abundant activity to keep everyone entertained in a unique and beautiful natural setting.

Kids and adults alike will have a blast learning to surf in sun-soaked Baja.

Prices start at $2390 pp. Dates: April 15-April 21, 2012.

www.familyadventures.com

LORETO, BAJA Calif.–USA-based Sea Kayak Adventures, Inc. has created a stunning trip itinerary for Feb. and March 2012, due to wildly popular demand, where participants can be eyeball-to-eyeball with a gray whale in Baja’s federally protected calving lagoons and paddle a kayak alongside dolphins and fin and blue whales in the clear waters of the Sea of Cortez.

Their exclusive “3 x 3 Baja Sea Kayaking and Whale Watching Combo” itinerary includes three days gray whale watching and two nights camping at their exclusive beach camp in the heart of gray whale activity in Magdalena Bay on the Pacific coast and three days paddling and two nights camping  in Loreto Bay National Marine Park (with a motorboat along to carry ice for the sunset margaritas!).

For folks having a shorter time frame to paddle but wanting to fully experience both wild coasts of the southern tip of the Baja peninsula, this Sunday to Sunday itinerary offers THE “best bang for the buck” opportunity to get close to friendly whales, explore uninhabited desert islands by stable sea kayak and snorkel along isolated coves in clear turquoise waters – in essence to see the “Best of Baja”, fully catered and guided by marine biologist guides.

This tour package also includes two travel days and three nights’ hotel with pool in Loreto. Clients fly from Los Angeles to Loreto on Alaska Airlines and overnight at a lovely hotel.

From there they cross the Baja California peninsula to the Pacific coast into Magdalena Bay for three days to watch gray whales and their newly born calves at close range from the safety of motorized skiffs.

Then back over to Loreto for another night hotel, then three days of sea kayaking and camping in Mexico’s newest national park – Parque Nacional Bahia de Loreto – which serves as sanctuary for blue-footed boobies, fin and blue whales, dolphins and sea lions.

UNESCO has declared this area a World Heritage Site. No prior kayaking experience is necessary – just good health and an eagerness for new experiences.

Weekly departures are scheduled from January 29 through March 16, 2012. The price of $1475 US dollars per person (double occupancy) includes three hotel nights in Loreto; all meals; all camping, sleeping and kayaking equipment; airport transfer and ground transportation, instruction, guides and all taxes.

Shorter and longer trips are available too starting at $995 Oct 2011 through April 2012.

The company includes more guides and amenities in the tour price than any other Loreto outfitter, has full license to operate in Loreto area national parks since 1993 and fully offsets carbon footprint. Not included: air fare from Los Angeles, gratuities, meals in town, $25 national park fee. 10% off for youth ages 8 through 17.

For further information or reservations, contact Sea Kayak Adventures Inc. at (800) 616-1943 or go to www.seakayakadventures.com

Aeromexico has connected San Antonio, Texas, to Mexico City and more than 40 Mexican destinations for years.

During this winter season, Aeromexico is giving travelers more reasons to fly by offering convenient and comfortable flights between San Antonio and Mexico City.

These flights are ideal for travelers looking to visit Mexico City or take advantage of the various comfortable connections available through Aeromexico’s main hub, such as Cancun, Guadalajara, Bajio, Puerto Vallarta and many other destinations available on Aeromexico’s vast network of flights.

Now, with Aeromexico’s Gran Plan, the airline’s travel package program, booking trips to San Antonio from Mexico City are more affordable.

A trip can start at $299, roundtrip including tax, and including a one-night stay, free extra or overweight bag back to Mexico to carry all of your souvenirs, discount coupon, Macy’s gift bag and mileage points along the way.

Travelers going to Mexico City can stay at the Galeria Plaza Hotel with an exclusive 20 percent discount from Aeromexico, if booked before Dec. 31.

For more information, visit www.aeromexico.com

Idaho-based Sea Kayak Adventures is offering an all-inclusive eight-day trip on which participants can spend three days helping researchers monitor and tag endangered sea turtles at their nesting beach in Magdalena Bay, and three days paddling a sea kayak alongside dolphins and sea lions inthe clear waters of Loreto Bay in the Sea of Cortez.

The itinerary offers opportunities for novices to paddle and explore uninhabited desert islands by stable sea kayak, snorkel with colorful fish along isolated coves in clear turquoise waters and learn all about sea turtles.

All activities are led by naturalist guides.

Sea Kayak Adventures is partnering with RED Sustainable Tourism to offer the conservation tour package along the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. For ecology minded travelers, the trip has the positive impact of directly supporting community-based conservation of endangered green sea turtles.

Recognized around the world as a model for community-based sea turtle conservation, the Grupo Tortuguero’s Eastern Pacific Green Sea Turtle Monitoring Program has helped to turn the tide for this once critically endangered species.

Local communities seek alternatives to fishing as their sole source of income, and strive to train local community members in ecotourism and other low-impact cottage industries.

The tour is scheduled for March 25 to April 1, 2012, including the air arrival and departure days. Forty percent of the price of $1,650 per adult ($1,485 for youth 12 to 17) goes to the local sea turtle conservation efforts.

The price includes three hotel nights in Loreto (with pool); all meals at camp; all camping, sleeping and kayaking equipment; airport transfer; ground transportation; instruction and guides; and taxes. Not included is air fare from Los Angeles, gratuities, $25 national park fee, meals in town, snorkeling gear and personal items. Alaska Air flies once daily LAX-LTO. For more information, call 800-616-1943 or visit www.seakayakadventures.com

New flights between popular Mexico vacation destinations Cabo San Lucas, the Islands of Loreto and Tijuana now give U.S. travelers additional options for getting to the Islands of Loreto and the destination’s luxurious new Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto.

The new Aereo Calafia flights depart Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and link the Islands of Loreto International Airport (LTO) with Cabo San Lucas International Airport (CSL) and Tijuana International Airport (TIJ). Flights from the Islands of Loreto to Tijuana are one hour and 50 minutes with roundtrip rates starting at $320. Flights from Los Cabos to the Islands of Loreto are just over 60 minutes and start at $240 roundtrip.

For more information, call 866-209-0726 or 855-440-5590 (Canada) or visit www.villadelpalmarloreto.com/flights/aereo-calafia.

BEACHBOOKER.COM CARIBBEAN wide

Pleasant Holidays unveiled its 2012-13 Mexico Brochure, with accommodations in Riviera Maya, Cancun, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit, Ixtapa/Zihautanejo, Acapulco, Cozumel, Manzanillo, Huatulco, Mazatlan, Loreto and Mexico City.

Pleasant Holidays offers 168 hotels in Mexico, including many all-inclusive and adults-only resorts, plus a wide selection of destination activities and sightseeing excursions including zip-lining, sport fishing and tours of ancient Mayan civilization sites.

“Pleasant Holidays’ 2012-13 Mexico Brochure is an excellent sales tool for agents specializing in beach vacations, all-inclusive escapes, destination weddings and honeymoon travel.

Many resorts in Mexico offer complimentary weddings, free room nights or special amenities for the bride and groom,” said Jack E. Richards, president and CEO.

The Mexico Brochure features 90 All-Inclusive, Unlimited-Luxury, Gourmet-Inclusive and Endless Privileges Resorts offering wellness, serenity, romance, outstanding cuisine, full-service concierge and butler services. The brochure also highlights Romance Travel and the Pleasant Holidays’ Wedding Travel Desk, which helps travel professionals and their clients plan dream destination weddings. Services include a toll-free hotline, flexible travel options, honeymoon vacations, luxurious couples spa treatments, floral arrangements and more.

Pleasant Holidays offers travel packages to Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean, Las Vegas, Costa Rica, Tahiti, the South Pacific and the continental U.S.

The company has taken more than 10 million travelers since 1959. The company provides vacation packages and travel-related services through its portfolio of four brands: Pleasant Holidays, Hawaii World/Distinguished Resorts, Pleasant Activities, and Air By Pleasant. For more information, call 800-448-3333

RIVIERA MAYA, MEXICO– Sandos Hotels & Resorts will introduce an Adults-Only program (ages 21 and up) on November 1, 2011 that will feature adult-only rooms, separate pools and beach lounge areas, as well as all-inclusive Select Club amenities.

The Sandos Select Club will be available at both of the brand’s Mexico properties, Sandos Caracol Eco-Resort & Spa and Sandos Playacar Beach Resort & Spa, and will offer an alternative, budget-conscious and eco-friendly option for guests looking for an adult vacation with luxury and privacy in mind.

Sandos Caracol Adults Only Select Club

Adult guests at Sandos Caracol Eco-Resort and Spa will enjoy the recently renovated eco-rooms on the edge of the tropical jungle that create an exclusive and hushed environment.

Highlights of the Adults Only Select Club amenities include a private reception area for Select Club guests, a business center, a private pool and an exclusive adults-only restaurant.

The newly designed eco-rooms, located in 16 individual villas, are sleek and modern witha cool, earthy feel, and the all-inclusive in room amenities for the Select Club feature upgrades including:

• Premium liquor bottles and a fully-stocked mini-bar

• Purified water dispenser

• Wi-Fi

• 24-hour room service

• Bathrobes to use in the room

The Sandos Caracol Adults Only Select Club also offers a private oceanfront clubhouse and beach lounge area. The clubhouse features an air-conditioned lounge with wireless internet and TVs, a premium bar and gourmet canapés, and locker rooms with showers.

In addition to the sparkling white sands and turquoise waters, the Select Club beachfront area luxury amenities at Sandos Caracol will include a private beach concierge and hammocks, lounge chairs and beach beds to assure guests’ ultimate Oceanside experience.

The exclusive Adults Only Select Club is within the grounds of Sandos Caracol Eco-Resort & Spa, allowing for a private, adult-only option while still offering its guests the benefits of using all the facilities within the resort, including:

• Seven restaurants with international cuisine (meals are all-inclusive)

• The Spa at Sandos Caracol, which features all-natural treatments using local ingredients and therapies

• Ten bars including a swim-up bar and sports bar

• Access to the resort’s two additional pools

• Adventure activities including swimming inunderground cenotes (freshwater pools considered by Mayans to be the entrance to the underworld), hiking through the lush mangrove forests with more than 60 species of wildlife

• Discounted prices on the Nick Price-designed Gran Coral golf course

Sandos RivieraAdults Only Select Club

The adults only section at Sandos Playacar Beach Resort & Spa, Sandos Riviera Adults Only Select Club, features many of the same amenities as at Sandos Caracol, including the private reception area, adults only pool with a swim-up bar and waiter service, and an exclusive area of the beach.

The rooms are located in a secluded part of the resort and are furnished with the luxury and comfort of junior and master suites, a spacious living roomand a Jacuzzi. Other in-room amenities include:

• A sofa and lounge area

• Premium liquor bottles and fully-stocked minibar

• Satellite plasma TV and video on demand

• Wireless internet

• 24-hour room service

Sandos Riviera Adults Only Select Club also has two VIP adult lounges, one located in the lobby of the hotel and another centrally located between the beach and the adults only rooms. The Select Club loungesoffer private concierges, premium liquor bars, gourmet canapés and coffee service, TVs and wireless internet.

The private beach area for Select Club guests offers hammocks and beach chairs, a beach bar and waiter service toensure ultimate relaxation.

Select Club Guests of Sandos Playacar also have access tothe resort’s all-inclusive amenities, including:

• Eight restaurants featuring international cuisine

• Five bars including a swim-up bar

• Tennis courts, the resort’s three other adultpools, water sports center with diving demos and snorkeling, and video gameroom

• The Spa at Sandos Playacar, which features one of Mexico’s only Nausicaa treatment beds, Jacuzzis and solarium

• Evening entertainment and full activities schedule

• Discounted prices at the Robert VanHagge-designed Playacar Golf Course

Guests of both Sandos Caracol Eco-Resort & Spa and Sandos Playacar Beach Resort & Spa also have access to the multitude of activities available in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, including exploring eco-parks, visiting Mayan ruins, and strolling along the famous Fifth Avenue in Playa del Carmen.

The Sandos Select Club area of Sandos Hotels & Resorts in Mexico will debut on November 1, 2011. For more information and to book rooms, please visit www.sandos.com

Sea Kayak Adventures is offering weekly four- to six-day guided kayak trips in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, from Oct. 25 to May 2, 2012, with gray whale tours in February and March 2012.

Guests explore the area’s islands on foot; snorkel in Mexico’s newest national marine park (Loreto Bay National Marine Park), a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and spend nights under the stars camping on secluded beaches in personal dome tents. Loreto is the site of the first mission in all the Californias, built by Jesuits in 1697, still in use today as a Catholic cathedral open to visitors.

These all-inclusive tours include kayaks and instruction, all gear, sleeping bags, camping supplies, all meals at camp, two nights at a Loreto hotel and airport transfer for prices starting at $895, featuring an outdoor island happy hour, complete with hors d’oeuvres and margaritas each day at sunset. Airfare is extra. Excursions are limited to 13 guests. No prior kayaking experience is necessary.

The company also offers an extra one- to three-day gray whale adventure in Magdalena Bay on Baja’s Pacific coast each February and March.

Participants will get the chance to get eyeball to eyeball to gray whales in quiet lagoons.

Cost is $150 for a full-day tour including snacks and lunch, to $995 for a five-day tour.

Not included are air fare from Los Angeles on Alaska Air (www.alaskaair.com), gratuities, meals in town, $25 national park fee.

A 10 percent discount is offered for ages 8 to 17.

For more information, call 800-616-1943 or visit www.seakayakadventures.com

While skies in much of the United States are grey, the aquamarine waters off Baja’s eastern coast come to life in the winter. That makes Tofino Expeditions’ Sea of Cortez kayaking tour a favorite for active travelers hoping to beat the winter “blahs.”

The eight-day tour winds along the coast and offshore islands of Mexico’s Bahia Loreto National Park, through turquoise bays edged with white sand and dramatic cliffs. Each night, the group will pull up on shore to sleep out under the stars and enjoy Tofino guides’ famous gourmet wilderness cuisine.

In the winter months, the waters are popular with Blue and Fin Whale, which are often seen by paddlers on the trip. Jacques Cousteau famously called the Sea of Cortez “the world’s aquarium,” and the offshore islands are a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the diversity of life they host.

The islands are teeming with birds; pelicans congregate on partially submerged reefs, osprey nest in the highlands, and blue footed boobies roost on the faces of white seaside cliffs.

Available from November to April, the trip is perfect for those travelers hoping to take a break from winter weather.

www.tofino.com