After working for 30 years and having a short annual vacation in different destinations near the beach, John Smith decides to pack his bags and invest in a beautiful condo in Riviera Maya, where he can enjoy taking a dip every morning in the warm waters of the Caribbean, see the radiant sun awaken from the horizon from his comfortable beachfront apartment, read a chapter of his book every afternoon and relax with a delicious cup of coffee in the comfort of his home with his wife, and finally be able to spend Christmas in shorts.
And everything is perfect until 3 months after doing it every day, John begins to wonder what else?
Retiring in another country is an adventure, especially if you arrive in a culture very different from yours, with a language that is not yours. However this earthly paradise has one of the advantages that you only find in areas like these, you are not the one only one who has done it! Today I’m going to tell you a bit about my experience, not as a retiree, but as an ex-pat in the Riviera Maya, and give you some tips that could work for you to make more pleasant your stay in the area.
Possibly something that you and I have in common is our attraction to the sea, there is something in that beautiful receptacle of saltwater that calls our name regardless of where we are, as a Caribbean girl myself, I was very spoiled with beautiful beaches all around me. Since I can remember the sea could be seen from my house. Growing up I emigrated to CDMX, but I will not bore you with that, because I already told you a little about my story in the biography that you can read in this link, and the closest beach to CDMX was 5 hours away.
Like you, I didn’t know where to start, and the first option that occurred to me to start getting to know the Riviera Maya better and doing different activities was the Facebook events App (Facebook Local), so today I’m going to share some different activities that you can do.
Cultural activities
The Riviera Maya has a majestic past, full of unique Mayan traditions. For example, celebrating Hanal Pixan in a Mayan community, Mayan Ceremonies or the Sacred Mayan Journey, Mexican afternoons or nights, all of them focused on the traditions of the indigenous people who populated this land so many years ago.
Expats Meetups
The ex-pat community in Riviera Maya is very large, and there are always meetings to celebrate Canadian and American festivities, as well as informal gatherings where they meet to play volleyball on the beach, day pass in a beach club, hotels, or rooftops for events they carry out, such as karaoke nights, salsa classes, etc.
Dance, cooking, or Spanish classes
Being in a different country you have to take advantage and learn as much as possible, and the classes in Riviera Maya are very wide. If you want to learn to dance to a Caribbean rhythm, or prefer to improve your skills in Spanish or learn about local food, there will always be an open class where you can meet other retirees and ex-pats.
Walking or cycling tour
I must confess that in my first months in Playa del Carmen I did not know much beyond the downtown area and surroundings, but I did not really know downtown. I did not know the strategic places, I did not know the small restaurants or local places that are hidden gems. There are food tours and visits for you to get a better knowledge of them.
Give back to the community
Some ex-pats and retirees in the area also volunteer in different activities as a way of giving back to society and making more meaningful connections. Whether from volunteering in hospitals, English classes for children, beach cleaning among other recurring activities throughout the Riviera.
But the greatest advantage of living in the Riviera Maya is that people are open to meeting others, since many couples or families come here for short or long periods, or to retire, and you will surely meet others in the same situation.
What do you usually do to meet people in a new city?
