VENUE
The school will be held in Playa del Carmen, state of Quintana Roo, on the Mayan Riviera, Mexico.
Most (but unfortunately possibly not all) participants will be lodged in the hotel Real Playa del Carmen, while a few participants may have to be lodged in the hotel El Tukan. For more details about lodging see the Accomodation page.
The lectures will be given in the hotel Gran Porto Real which is a 5-10 minutes walk from the Real Playa del Carmen and 2 minutes from the Tukan.
How to reach Playa del Carmen:
Fly to the Cancún International Airport which is about 60 km north of Playa del Carmen.
From the airport to Playa del Carmen:
- Taxi costs about 900 Mexican pesos, ~US$70 (and only use official taxis: buy a ticket inside the terminal)
- Shuttle costs about 300 Mexican pesos, ~US$23, per person (buy a ticket inside the terminal)
- Bus: they leave from the parking lot, just next to the terminal exit, and the line is called "ADO". Buy a ticket at the booth next to the bus and go to the "Quinta Avenida Terminal" in Playa del Carmen. Cost is about 120 Mexican pesos. From there take a taxi or walk to the hotel which is about 1.5 km (Real Playa del Carmen) or 1 km (El Tukan) north, both on the 5a Avenida.
Playa del Carmen and the Mayan Riviera:
The 1.5 km long 5a Avenida is the main touristic street in Playa del Carmen and offers plenty of opportunities for diversion (restaurants, bars, night-clubs, shops with some of the best art-craft selections in the country, ...).
The Mayan Riviera beaches are among the best in the world, on the Caribean coral reef (-> great snorkel/scuba diving). (There are no hurricanes in January, so far.)
The amazing Maya civilization left us many beautiful sites to visit, including (in Chichen Itza) the first astronomical observatory on the continent (which was not called America then 'cause it had not yet been discovered).
The landscape (very flat) has been completely reshaped by the Chicxulub asteroid impact (~ 65 million years ago): all rivers are underground and can be seen in the "cenotes" (sinkholes). (Consequently, the are no dinosaurs left, but still many crocodiles, so far.)
... and the school's lecturers are also among the best in the world !
