I awoke at first light. With my eyes still closed, I noticed the wonderful, slightly earthy smell of the natural thatch roof above me. The sound of the waves hitting the beach outside my door, combined with the view of the sun rising over the ever turquoise sea created a natural alarm clock. Rolling over to see what time it was, the analog timekeeper said that it was 6:36 AM, and I had no desire to stay in bed.

I climbed out from underneath my mosquito net and went outside to greet the day, barefoot and in my pajamas. The sand was cool and soft and white and fluffy under my naked feet. Little buckets and shovels lay in the sand where the children left them the night before, after an evening’s play. Empty cabana chairs greeted the sunrise and waited for everyone to wake up and come and sit in them. God’s rays broke through the temporary clouds as the sun rose higher in the sky. Waves broke on the beach and coconut palms swayed in the morning breeze. One of the cabana boys came out with a rake and began raking the sand. I stretched.

Such is life in Tulum. Such is life at Zahra.

Laid back. Tranquil. Relaxed. Rustic. Romantic. A tad hedonistic. All are words or phrases I would use to describe life on the Tulum playa.

As I stood on the beach I thought for a moment about my flight down to The Yucatan. I was held captive in my seat, surrounded by a gaggle of women, who were spending a few days away from their husbands at one of the all inclusives on Cancun Playa. I eavesdropped for the entire three and half hour flight as they discussed their hectic lives at home, planning weddings and their next plastic surgery sessions. As they planned and schemed their next few days – they couldn’t wait to get a burger once we hit the ground – they drank the plane’s bar dry.

Shaking my head I made the memory fade and went back to looking at the sunrise while standing on what seemed to be my own private beach with only a few birds, and a cabana boy with a rake to keep me company.

At Zahra, things are a little more down to earth. Or maybe I should say a little more connected to the earth.

Only one-hundred-thirty kilometers south from the Babylon that is Cancun, the Tulum playa offers a more relaxed environment where one can enjoy the ever pristine white beaches and the warm turquoise sea. Coral reefs, the archaeological site of Tulum, the sun, heat, and a mañana attitude are only a few of the things to enjoy. The entire playa of Tulum is off the grid and using alternative power, so the lights go out and electricity goes off at 11PM. After that there are only candles and the stars in the night sky to light your way.

Looking to its placement within the land of the Maya, Zahra Hotel and Cabanas offers a restful stay in a peaceful place that has magical healing qualities. Although Zahra gives its guests the option of using the Maya Spa and clothing optional beaches, it hopes that they will take full advantage of their location, learning something about the indigenous culture and ecological issues of the playa in the process. Close to the ruins of Tulum and an hour away from the ruins of Cobá and Muyil, the energy of the ancient Maya is still present here.

Zahra offers beautiful, spacious beachfront and garden cabanas. The family oriented beach at Zahra, and the clothing optional beaches at Copal and Azulik are there for the taking. Both Copal and Azulik are accessible by a short walk across la playa blanca and a series of sandy paths through the jungle.

So, what can I do today, I ask myself as I wiggle my toes in the sand and watch the sun rise in the sky? Go to yoga class at Copal? Lay naked on the immaculate, clothing optional beach over at Copal? Get a Mayan massage or do one of the nightly sweat lodges? Visit the ruins of Tulum or Cobá or maybe even Ek Balam? Read a book in my cabana? Watch the children play on the beach out my front door? Lounge on the bed swings in the garden? Hike the beach? Rent a bike? Have a great meal at the cafe? Wait for nightfall to take in all the stars of the universe?

Ahh, all are options and all are possibilities … happy sigh.

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