Tag Archives: Indigo Beach Club

Living the High Life at Porto Playa

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I recently had the pleasure of staying in one of the two bedroom penthouses at Porto Playa condos, and experienced what living the high life was all about! My sister was visiting Playa del Carmen from the states and I wanted her to experience the best of this town I have come to love so much.

Upon entering the glass doors of the apartment, we were immediately struck by the stylish yet earthy design, influenced by Mayan culture. There is definitely something unique about Condo Hotels, an attention to detail which simply isn’t found at large all-inclusive resorts catering to droves of tourists.

Porto Playa certainly felt like a ‘home away from home’ for us as we made the most of the luxury and comfort of our suite. Soft, pillow top beds, natural bath products and marble flooring throughout created a welcoming oasis after days spent shopping and beach hopping in Playa del Carmen.

And then there was the view! Overlooking the pool, we kept an eye on the sun and planned our day around sunbathing and relaxing by the deep blue cascading infinity pool. My sister loved the in-built lounge chairs for relaxing in the cool, clear water. Having seen all of the condo hotel pools now, I think that the pool at Porto Playa is now my favorite.

Porto Playa pool

Relaxing…

Surrounded by lush green gardens, it feels like a jungle paradise with a decidedly tropical feel, and the elevated position provides excellent views of the surrounding area.

Pool at Porto Playa

Love this pool!

Our evenings were spent grilling on our own private roof terrace, then simmering in the private jacuzzi under the moon-lit sky. Screens of green plants provided total seclusion, making us feel like the only ones in the place!

terrace at Porto Playa

Private terrace with BBQ and Jacuzzi…

The enormous space we had to utilize during our stay made us not want to leave the condo, and instead just enjoy all the facilities on offer. We did, however, tear ourselves away on occasion to relax on soft lounges at the nearby Indigo beach club and listen to the gentle waves lap the sandy shore.

Indigo beach club

Chilling at Indigo beach club…

After exploring the great restaurants around town for dinner, we would return home to watch a movie on the flat screen television in the living room before retiring to our comfy beds where we slept soundly each night.

Life at Porto Playa was very easy to get used to, so when it came time to leave the luxury and comfort of our penthouse, we couldn’t help but be a little sad. We had experienced what it was like to live the high life, so returning to normal life wouldn’t be easy, but we had created special memories to last a lifetime and knew that someday we would return.

Porto Playa collage

Memories of Porto Playa condos…

Sunday Bliss at El Taj and Indigo

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We awoke to a blazing blue sky on Sunday morning at El Taj Oceanfront and immediately knew it was going to be a great day. Though every day in Playa del Carmen seems like a weekend, Sundays have a special feeling of relaxation; a chance to completely unwind before the week ahead. First though, we had a few dilemmas to face in regards to how we would spend the day…

After waking up in our deluxe King bed clothed in high thread count linen,

Deluxe King Bed at El Taj

Perhaps we’d brew a pot of delicious strong coffee in our fully appointed chef’s kitchen?

Kitchen at El Taj

Then sip it on the terrace overlooking the pool, lush gardens and Caribbean Sea?

Balcony view at El Taj

Or head to Imprevist restaurant to indulge in a gourmet breakfast of pastries, fruit, yogurt and eggs?

Imprevist in Playa del Carmen

After breakfast, maybe we’d relax in the infinity Jacuzzi perched over the main pool like an overflowing champagne fountain?

Jacuzzi at El Taj

Or simply chill out on our private terrace, taking in the view of the stunning Caribbean sea, streaked with ten different shades of blue…

View from El Taj

Perhaps a soak in our private, heated Jacuzzi, relaxing our muscles against the massaging jets would be in order?

private jacuzzi El Taj

Then maybe we would spend the afternoon with a good book under one of the umbrellas at Indigo beach club, listening to the waves lap against the shore and watching pelicans soar overhead…

Indigo beach club

Later, we could make use of the complimentary ‘Manager’s Welcome Party’ buffet at Indigo, while sipping on fruity cocktails and listening to the live tunes of the resident band.

Indigo beach club

Then walk along the pier in our ‘front yard’ and watch local families haul shiny silver fish from the water with nets.

Pier condo

Fishing El Taj pier

Perhaps we’ll stop on the pier for a while, watching the sun set over our ‘home away from home’, El Taj, wishing we could stay forever in this Caribbean paradise…

Sunset at El Taj

Then make our way back to the comfy lounges at Indigo, singing along to old favorites as the beach turns black and the palm trees are illuminated with golden light.

Indigo band

Afterwards, maybe we’d retire to the luxurious comfort of our condo to watch a movie on one of our three flat screen televisions, lounging on the spacious modular sofa with a large bowl of pop corn…

With so many options, how would we possibly choose how to spend our Sunday at El Taj?

By doing them all of course!

So that’s exactly what we did, experiencing a day of food, music, sun, relaxation and pure bliss; the perfect Sunday at El Taj Oceanfront and Indigo beach club.

I’m already dreaming of next Sunday…

Yoga on the Beach: A Perfect Start to the Day

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I was thrilled to learn that beach-front yoga classes were being held on Saturday mornings at the El Taj Oceanfront. Not only was I spoiled for choice by the fifteen classes of yoga per week in The Gym, but I now had the option of doing yoga on the shore of the Caribbean Sea!

As I walked through the Indigo Beach club past the huge white Buddha statue, I saw the teacher and my classmates gathering together on the sand to begin the lesson.

Yoga on the beach Playa del Carmen

“A very fitting setting for yoga,” I thought to myself as I breathed in the salty scent of the ocean which gently lapped against the white sand.

Sam, the teacher introduced himself and we positioned ourselves on the sand. No yoga mats were required, we would be going ‘el naturale’ for this beach front yoga class!

Sam began the class by giving us a small reading from the Mayan calendar, which he studies daily. Apparently the Mayans used many different types of calendars to assist them in their ritualistic lives, and today some Mexican people study the calendars for insights which guide them in modern life also.

I liked the idea of starting the class with some ancient Mayan wisdom. Yoga is an ancient spiritual practice originating in India, so the Mayan aspect to the class was a new addition for me. Sam assured us that it was still traditional yoga, just with a shift in focus towards ancient Mayan wisdom.

It sounded wonderful; practicing yoga on the shores of the Mayan Riviera, whilst learning a little about the ancient culture of the area. The word ‘Yoga’ means union, of the body, mind and spirit, so with my feet buried in the sand, I closed my eyes and listened to Sam’s words of ancient wisdom, breathing slowly and deeply, connecting to the moment.

Most of the class was carried out on our feet, through a variety of standing postures such as ‘tree’ and triangle’ poses. Toward the end of the class, however, we made our way down to the sand for the sitting postures. It was certainly different doing yoga in the sand, and not on a mat inside a studio, but with the beautiful Caribbean sea to rinse off in afterwards, I wasn’t too worried about having it on my skin!

Yoga on the beach Playa del Carmen

Triangle pose!

For the last five minutes of the one hour class, we lay back on the sand in ‘shavasana’ pose, or ‘corpse’ pose, for relaxation. Being early in the morning, the fine sand was still cool to touch, and provided a soft natural surface to completely relax in.

Through my almost-closed eyes, I saw a flock of pelicans soar overhead in an arrow formation, in perfect unison with each other. I wondered how they instinctively knew exactly what to do and where to go.

“They just do,” I thought to myself. Returning my focus to my breath, I closed my eyes, falling into a deeply relaxed state.

I was very grateful for the wisdom of two ancient cultures coming together on the shores of the Caribbean sea; allowing me to begin my day in a peaceful, centered state – the perfect way to start any day.

Buddha at El Taj Oceanfront

Namaste!

*There are yoga classes on the beach every Saturday morning at 8 AM. There are Tai Chi classes at 8 AM Sundays, and all classes are complimentary for all Condo hotel guests.

 

Aquatone at El Taj: Working Out in Style

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There’s nothing like a little glamour to encourage me to exercise, which is exactly why I attended my first Aquatone class at the luxurious El Taj Condo Hotel on Friday morning. Surrounded by tropical gardens and presided over by two standing Buddha statues, the gorgeous beach-front pool seemed like the perfect place to work out in style.

playa del carmen hotel

I have to admit, before starting the class I thought it would be a breeze. I mean, how much of a workout can you really have in a gorgeous Balinese-style pool? For me, the word ‘workout’ conjures images of sweaty repetitions and bulky gym equipment, not floating around in a tropical paradise.

playa del carmen hotels

I joined several other ladies and a couple of men in the crystal clear waters to begin the class which began at 10 AM. Our instructor Melissa started with some slow shoulder rolls to get us loosened up.

Then as the sound of the waves faded against the uplifting soundtrack, we started picking up the pace.

“Hey, this is pretty tough!” I thought to myself as I moved my arms and legs through the water, trying to keep up with Melissa’s coordinated moves.

I found it hard to keep my feet on the floor – I kept floating up as my arms moved through the water – and had to work on stabilizing my core to stop myself from floating away!

Melissa demonstrated every move from outside the pool, encouraging us to “be aggressive” and push ourselves harder. I felt my muscles burn as we lifted our knees, ran on the spot as fast as we could, and ‘frog jumped’ up and down the pool.

gym in playa del carmen

It was quite a tough workout after all!

As I looked around at the faces of my class-mates through the splashes made by our moving limbs, they were all smiling and laughing, which encouraged me to loosen up and enjoy the watery workout. So I kept moving, and kept smiling.

I felt rather uncoordinated under the water as though I was moving through jello or walking on the moon, but I knew it was just the water providing my muscles with the resistance necessary to build strength and stamina.

And I could certainly do with some of that!

Melissa encouraged us to use the water to our advantage and move against it deliberately and powerfully. I felt my heart rate increase and was very grateful to be surrounded by the pool’s cooling embrace, unlike poor Melissa who was having a much warmer workout on the pool’s edge.

We began some slower stretching as the class started to wind down. Waves crashed onto the nearby shore and water trickled down from the ‘infinity Jacuzzi’ perched above a tiled feature wall at the end of the pool. It was definitely the most beautiful setting for a workout I had ever experienced, and I was actually a little sad when the class came to an end.

After a healthy breakfast of fresh fruit salad I secured my sunbed for the morning at Indigo Beach Club. A light breeze flowed in from the turquoise Caribbean Sea as birds glided across the clear-blue sky above me. Just in front, fishing boats bobbed around gently on their moorings, having recently returned with the morning’s catch.

I thought to myself, “Yes, Aquatone at El Taj is definitely the kind of workout I could get used to.”

*Aquatone classes are at 10 am Monday, Wednesday and Friday and are complimentary for all Condo Hotel guests, as are all the classes and facilities of The Gym fitness center nearby*