Making Waves
Finding a hidden farmhouse in South Africa, a baller yacht party in Spain, an incredible meal in Mérida, and ... yourself (on a group adventure through Mexico).
Today’s post — free for all Way to Go subscribers — highlights the places we’ve been lately:
Relaxing on long stretch of glistening Mediterranean coastline known as Costa del Sol
Joining a tour centered around adventure and deep cultural exploration of the Yucatán
Eating, swimming, and relaxing well in Mérida, Mexico
Exploring the hidden vineyard and farmhouse community outside Cape Town
Making the most of a remote work schedule in Vancouver
Positively chowing down with in-the-know guides in Ireland
Upping our luggage game (you know it’s time)
You’ll get the gist below, and you can read the full stories on the Fathom website.
Summer Without the Crowds on Spain’s Costa del Sol
Southern Spain’s Costa del Sol is a long stretch of glistening Mediterranean coastline between Málaga and the Strait of Gibraltar, with the resort town, Marbella, being the crown jewel. This playground for the rich and famous began in 1954 when Spain's Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe-Langenburg fired up his Rolls Royce in Madrid and traveled the coast in search of his own summer hideaway. Soon after he settled with his family in a charming estate, the Prince began inviting European nobility, royal families, and Hollywood movie stars to the Marbella Club for decadent weekends under the Andalusian sun. Today, the resort remains a charming and chic gem.
A Grown Woman’s Guide to the Yucatán
Our true first destination was the pre-Hispanic city of Chichen Itzá. I thought I’d already been there, but I was wrong. It’s easy to mix up your Mayan ruins, and years ago, I relegated “piles of old rocks” to the same category as Gothic churches: I’ve seen plenty. I had not, however, seen Chichen Itzá. I had not stood inside the largest ballcourt in Mesoamerica where winners (or losers?) of the onomatopoeic pok-ta-pok game were beheaded. I had not moved slowly around the corner of El Castillo to watch a stone snake undulate segment by segment down its stairs. And I had not heard the sound of the revered quetzal bird, created by clapping while standing in front of the pyramid. When our guide demonstrated the ancient phenomenon, emotion overcame me and I burst into tears.
History, Gastronomy, and Community in Mérida, Mexico
A local joked, “If you come to the Yucatán and you don’t sweat, you get your money back.” True enough, the scorching days lend themselves to time spent away from the sun, meandering through museums, enjoying the city’s plentiful coffee shops and heladerías, and browsing the wares of the region’s talented artisans. Over the course of a few nights, we stumbled across a local orchestra performance, traditional dancing, a Maya history lesson projected onto the grand Cathedral Mérida (spoken in part in the beautiful ancient indigenous tongue), and even a nighttime 5k complete with a DJ. In the mornings, streets shut down for bike rides, cookouts, and artisan showcases.
Follow Her to South Africa: Hotelier's Perfect Cape Vacation
Start your journey by spending a day driving to Cape Point — the scenery is amazing. Drive through to Simon’s Town to see the penguins and end up in Kalk Bay for fish and chips on the beach or at Olympia Cafe. Make sure your visit falls over a weekend so that you can spend Saturday morning strolling around Oranjezicht Market and enjoying some oysters. Once it closes, you can move on to La Perla for lunch by the sea. It’s a super local authentic restaurant that almost feels like it has stopped in time. Once you finish lunch, stroll along Seapoint promenade, right across.
Swapping the UN and World Cups for a Mountain Lodge and Wineland Farmhouse
Kokos Huis, my second hospitality project — the first is L’Ovella Negra mountain lodge in Andorra — came about because I fell in love with a winemaker and found myself living in Swartland, just outside Cape Town, South Africa. It started when I visited Cape Town for a friend’s wedding and met a gorgeous winemaker. I had what I thought to be a holiday romance — until he showed up at my doorstep in Andorra the following week. The rest is history.
In Vancouver, Canada: Working Remotely With Time to Explore
Working east coast hours freed up my afternoons and evenings to tour and sightsee. This worked out really well. With bright blue sky weather during my entire stay, it was easy to plan for a few hours atop Grouse Mountain. Visitors can visit for a full day, but since this wasn’t my first time to the Peak of Vancouver, I opted out of “The Grouse Grind,” a grueling hike up the steep 1.5 mile incline, and took the lift instead. A slew of wildlife refuge activities are available at the tippy top: ranger talks, lumberjack entertainment, and up close views of Coola and Grinder, the resident rescued grizzly bears. If hunger pains catch you off guard on Grouse, there’s a cafe and a coffee shop that also provide a perfect panorama of daring hang gliders.
Heading to Ireland? They'll Guide You Beyond Guinness and Potatoes
If there’s one thing that we’ve learned from the late Anthony Bourdain, it’s that you can truly be immersed in a country’s culture when you experience it from the perspective of food. Food is not just nourishment to sustain us every day, it’s an integral component of every celebration, and sometimes the focus of a celebration itself. Traveling through the lens of food, we gain a deeper understanding of the locals, their traditions, and their history. Bog & Thunder brings their guests to meet goat cheese producers in Galway, fishermen in Cork, and honey producers in Ballymaloe, and, in addition to visiting some usual tourist sites, organizes meals at local restaurants.
Travel Loot: A Ludicrously Capacious Bag
We know that packing for a trip elicits a full spectrum of emotions — excitement, trepidation, angst, pride, grief, awe. We’ve had experiences. We have opinions. So we made a list, taking into account the kinds trips we’ve packed for …