Luxe Beat Magazine AUGUST 2014 | Page 33

Travel Brasserie, French Restaurant at Barcelo Maya Palace Deluxe Barcelo Maya Beach Resort is a great wedding destination Mexico Lindo offers an upscale twist on traditional Mexican fare. I began my evening with a refreshing Mango Margarita and then a local regional favorite, Sopa de Lima (Lime Soup) and the sample plate of appetizers, including Marinated Pork Tacos, Mexican Yam Lasagna with Lobster Relish and a trio of Ceviches: green, white and red. For my main course, I selected the Duet of Salmon and Sea Bass with wormseed and chili pasilla sauces. I tried to forget the bathroom scale, taunting me back in my room and splurged with the Mexican Crème Brûlèe! Rodizio is a Brazilian steak restaurant offering outstanding steak and pasta. While I chose the tenderloin, others in the group went for the never-ending skewers with green chorizo, chicken thighs, turkey breast, pork loin, veal picanha and rib eye. Again, I couldn’t help myself--I just had to have the Sicilian cannelloni stuffed with ricotta cheese. Mexican Riviera or one of many, you’ll certainly want to experience some adventures beyond the resort. Barceló Tours (located on the resort property) can help you plan a variety of outings. There are adventures that include swimming with dolphins, catamaran cruises, touring ancient Mayan ruins of Tulúm or Chichen Itza, one of the seven wonders of modern times. And with 500 species of fish, 72 top dive spots and a 90-mile section of the 450-mile Great Mayan Reef, guests are assured of some spectacular snorkeling or diving. Our group did the Tulúm-Akumal full-day tour, that included an amazing history lesson on this 13th century Mayan city from a knowledgeable tour guide. Located on tall cliffs overlooking the The Palace Brasserie (French) offers romantic outdoor seating as an option. Their classic French onion soup is a must. The ravioli alle pistache and Burgundy escargot were two amazing appetizer offerings. My selection of surf’n’turf followed. Other favorites of our group were rack of lamb and duck salmistrado with red wine. Dessert time again! Crêpes Suzettes were totally worth the extra pounds I’ll have to lose when I return home. Unlimited Adventures Whether it’s your first visit to the Pool outside my suite at Barcelo Palace Deluxe 4 Caribbean, its view is spectacular from Tulúm ruins! We then headed to Akumal Bay, where the second largest reef in the world is located. Akumal, meaning ¨Place of the Turtles” in Mayan, is a great place for snorkeling, with a reef accessible from the beach providing up close encounters with tropical fish, turtles and stingrays. Having worked up quite an appetite, we were all ready for the next phase of our tour—a private beach club (reminiscent of something from Gilligan’s Island) where we had lunch. Too soon the trip ended and I was headed back to Cancun to catch my flight home. As I reflect on the trip, I can say I’m sold on “all-inclusive,” especially if it’s as luxurious as Barceló Maya Beach Resort.