I’ve always identified myself as a traveler, craving the local scene over the guided tour. I want to understand a place and experience it as it’s own people do. This is what unites us as humans, seeing how others live and realizing that we are all the same. We eat different food, live in different terrains, speak different languages, but we all put our pants on one leg at a time. It has been a long time opinion of mine that traveling is a cure for misconception and the more ground I cover across this beautiful planet of ours, the more I consider the age old debate of traveler vs tourist.
Recently I had the pleasure of visiting Newport House in Playa Del Carmen. If you’ve been to Playa you know how ‘touristy’ it can seem. Tons of people, night clubs, crowded beaches, large resorts. It’s easy to take it at face value but the city has another side, a vibrant soul and Newport House wants to help you find it.
“Live like a local” is their mantra and their specialty is creating “off the beaten track” itineraries so you can discover Playa in your own way. This is what I loved most about our stay – getting the insider info on local cuisine and secluded sites aka things you wont necessarily find on Google.
Newport House is made up of self sufficient apartments with a full kitchen (and laundry), so you can hit up the markets and cook your own dinner with all the local produce you’ll surely over buy. DAC Market, which I’ve included photos of in this post, is a local favourite for fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s about a 10 minute bike ride from Newport House and conveniently NH provides you with the bikes!
Some other things I loved about my experience at Newport House were:
- The private rooftop, perfect for answering morning emails (they have outlets in the cabanas!) also perfect for watching the sunset over the city.
- The welcome basket waiting for you in your room, filled fresh organic breakfast essentials – all locally sourced.
- A list of local restaurants ‘gems’ including vegan/vegetarian options waiting for you in your room.
- Full access to bikes and longboards to help you explore the city and cruise the beach.
So for all my fellow travelers, if you’re heading to the east coast of Mexico and in search of an authentic experience Newport House has you covered!
