Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Cultura y turismo. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Cultura y turismo. Mostrar todas las entradas

viernes, 30 de diciembre de 2011

Los destinos más buscados de México en 2011


Los destinos más buscados de México en 2011

Por: México Desconocido

Google dio a conocer una lista con los destinos turísticos más buscados por sus usuarios durante el 2011. Conoce los 7 más "solicitados" de México y ¡lánzate a descubrirlos este 2012!

Hace un par de semanas, el gigante de Internet Google dio a conocer una lista con los destinos turísticos más buscados por sus usuarios-viajeros -de todo el mundo- durante este año que termina. Particularmente, para el caso de México, este ranking registró una serie de sorpresas que, a continuación, ponemos a tu consideración para su conocimiento y posterior registro dentro tu agenda o plan de viajes y vacaciones para este 2012. ¡No puedes terminar el año sin conocer alguno de ellos!

1. Ensenada, Baja California

En primer lugar según Google aparece Ensenada, la ciudad-puerto más importante del norte de la península de Baja California. A este destino, cientos de turistas, sobretodo náuticos, se dan cita para participar de sus emocionantes circuitos marinos, identificados por bellos paisajes (de costa y mar) y numerosas estaciones que ofrecen todo tipo de servicios (víveres y combustible) para embarcaciones de pequeño y gran formato. ¡Toda una sorpresa que este punto del Pacífico aparezca en el primer lugar de este conteo. ¡Habrá que visitarlo más seguido!

2. Los Cabos, Baja California Sur

También de la Península de Baja California, pero en su Costa Sur, destaca en segundo lugar del ranking, Los Cabos, el fantástico destino conformado porSan José del CaboCabo San Lucas para disfrutar y el estupendo corredor hotelero que los une. Ahí, los viajeros pueden disfrutar de espectaculares paisajes naturales pero también del lujo y comfort que identifica a sus increíbles hoteles dotados con los mejores campos de golf y restaurantes que ofrecen lo mejor de la cocina nacional e internacional los 365 días del año. Hablar de Los Cabos es hablar de lo mejor de la vida ¡a unos cuantos pasos del mar!

3. Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo

Destino de primer orden en el escenario mundial, la Riviera Maya aparece en el tercer puesto de este listado. El increíble azul turquesa de sus playas, la fina arena de éstas y los espectaculares hoteles que entre la selva se van abriendo paso  para descubrirnos asombrosos parques naturales y milenarias ciudades mayas, hacen de este paraíso un sitio imposible de no conocer.

4. Huatulco, Oaxaca

En cuarto lugar destaca Huatulco, el destino de playa más famoso deOaxaca, dotado con una serie de nueve bahías, ideales para recorrerse en lancha, y cuya paz y tranquilidad, difícilmente se pueden encontrar en otro sitio, alejado del ruido y del constante ajetreo que se vive en las grandes ciudades.

5. Cancún, Quintana Roo

En el quinto lugar aparece el siempre increíble Cancún, para muchos, la verdadera puerta al mundo maya, ya que a este tradicional destino, arriban vuelos de todas partes del mundo cargados de miles de turistas que años con año, no dejan de sorprenderse por las playas y servicios que este destino ofrece. Sin duda ir a Cancún es descubrir uno de los regalos más bonitos que la naturaleza regaló a México. ¡Y no es exageración! Hay que conocerlo para constatarlo.

6. Mazatlán, Sinaloa

El sexto lugar del conteo según Google es para Mazatlán, importante punto de la costa del Pacífico que este año ha vuelto a posicionarse como un destino destacado y fundamental para quienes quieren conocer otros lugares cercanos o en la misma Península de Baja California, gracias a su notable actividad portuaria y de transporte de pasajeros.

7. Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo

Finalmente, en el séptimo lugar del ranking destaca Playa del Carmen, el llamado corazón de la Riviera Maya, punto obligado de reunión para todos aquellos que buscan disfrutar de hermosas playas, buenos hoteles y vivir lo mejor de la noche acompañados de una exquisita copa o degustando lo mejor de la cocina internacional en sus cosmopolitas establecimientos.
Y tú ¿ya conoces estos siete destinos? ¡Qué esperas para descubrirlos en 2012! En México desconocido te decimos cómo... ¡sólo tienes que atreverte!
¡Felices fiestas!

domingo, 21 de agosto de 2011

36 Hours in Downtown Manhattan


36 HOURS

36 Hours in Downtown Manhattan

Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times
From Left: Watching the progress at the World Trade Center site from the World Financial Center; at Duane Park Patisserie; the scene along Stone Street in the financial district. More Photos »
ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER is rising, and the 9/11 Memorial will open right below it next month on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Although progress on the World Trade Center site has been slow, the surrounding neighborhoods did not wait to revive (and in some cases reinvent themselves) after all the emotional and economic devastation. The financial district is bustling, Chinatown is as quirky and enticing as ever, and TriBeCa is bursting with new restaurants, bars and hotels. With the exception of those seeking a night of relentless club-hopping, travelers hardly need venture north of Canal Street for a complete New York weekend.
Multimedia
Friday
2 p.m.
1) CRUISING THE HARBOR
Been there (Liberty and Governors Islands) and done that (taken the free Staten Island Ferry)? There are other options for harbor cruises, and what better way to get an overview of Lower Manhattan? One possibility is a 90-minute sail on the Clipper City tall ship, a replica of a 19th-century lumber-hauling schooner (Manhattan by Sail; 800-544-1224; manhattanbysail.com), which departs from the South Street Seaport. Another is a one-hour harbor cruise with Statue Cruises (201-604-2800;statuecruises.com). The company will soon launch its Hornblower Hybrid, which relies on several power sources, including hydrogen fuel cells, solar panels and wind turbines.
4 p.m.
2) SUGAR AND SOAP
Venture to TriBeCa for a treat at Duane Park Patisserie (179 Duane Street; 212-274-8447;duaneparkpatisserie.com, lemon tarts, $5; “magic cupcakes,” $4) on the shady pocket park it’s named after. Then wander into the nearby shops, ranging from the cute to the serious. At Lucca Antiques (182 Duane Street; 212-343-9005; luccaantiques.com) the owners salvage old wood and metal objects from Europe and brilliantly reformulate them into modern furniture, lamps and wall décor. Torly Kid (51 Hudson Street; 212-406-7440;torlykid.com) has funkily functional clothes for babies to tweens. At the Working Class Emporium (168 Duane Street; 212-941-1199; workingclassinc.com), a shop, you can buy quirky gifts like three-dimensional puzzles and soap shaped like dogs.
6:30 p.m.
3) BANKERS’ HAPPY HOUR
If you resent investment bankers’ salaries and bonuses, then here’s something else to be envious of: the cobblestone stretch of Stone Street. What might be New York’s greatest outdoor drinking spot happens to be right next to Goldman Sachs’s former headquarters. When it’s warm, this quaint block, lined with 19th-century Greek Revival buildings, is practically blocked by tables occupied by  financial types, a few sundry locals and knowledgeable tourists. Choose a table outside Adrienne’s Pizzabar (212-248-3838; 54 Stone Street; adriennespizzabar.com) and order a meatball and broccoli rabe pizza ($28.50), enough for three people; a bottle of wine starts at a few dollars more.
10 p.m.
4) THE ANTI-COPA
Midtown’s Copacabana recently reopened, bringing some throwback flash to New York’smusic scene. But for throwback grit, try the Friday night party at 2020 (20 Warren Street; 212-962-9759; 2020latinclub.com), where Latinos working in every kind of downtown job come to dance to the D.J.-supplied rhythms of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean.
Saturday
10:30 a.m.
5) BUENOS AIRES BRUNCH
Under one form or another, the restaurateur Stacey Sosa has run an Argentine restaurant in this cool space in TriBeCa since 1997. And though brunch at Estancia 460 (212-431-5093; 460 Greenwich Street; estancia460.wordpress.com) is very New York, with frittatas, granola and some innovative egg dishes, there are flashes of Buenos Aires, like French toast with dulce de leche. (Brunch for two about $30.)
Noon
6) MANAHATTA
Most people don’t put the Smithsonian on their New York must-do list. But the National Museum of the American Indian (212-514-3700; nmai.si.edu), in the Beaux Arts splendor of the old Customs House near Battery Park, is a reminder that Manhattan and the rest of the Western Hemisphere has a long and vibrant cultural history. The Infinity of Nations exhibition has everything from a macaw and heron feather headdress from Brazil to a hunting hat with ivory carvings from the Arctic. To get an up-close view of a wampum belt and corn pounder used by the Lenape Indians, who called the island Manahatta, head to the museum’s resource center and ask. The museum is free — not far from the price for which the Lenapes famously sold Manhattan to the Dutch.
2 p.m.
7) DOCTORAL DOWNTOWN
Continue your historical education with a Big Onion tour. Downtown’s a complicated place, with layers upon layers of history: Dutch, African-American, Revolutionary and financial, among others. It takes a doctoral candidate to decode it, and that is who will lead you on a two-hour $18 tour that might include “Historic TriBeCa,” “Revolutionary New York” or “The Financial District.” Times vary; see bigonion.com.
7 p.m.
8) WINE BY THE T-SHIRT
At the wine bar Terroir Tribeca (24 Harrison Street; 212-625-9463; wineisterroir.com), the young servers dressed in wine-themed T-shirts don’t look as though they could know what they are talking about, but don’t get them started. (Actually, do get them started.) A glass of wine begins at $8.75, and the menu is full of temptations so nonstandard you can justify it: fried balls of risotto, wine and oxtail ($8), for example, is a perfect way to spend your allotment of deep-fried calories.
9 p.m.
9) SALVAGE AND BRUSCHETTA
Who knows how many diners have walked out of Robert DeNiro and company’s Locanda Verde, the big northern Italian spot, and wondered what was going on in the tiny, bustling restaurant across the street? Decked out with salvaged materials that evoke an old factory or warehouse, Smith and Mills (71 North Moore Street; 212-226-2515;smithandmills.com) seats 22 at tables shoehorned between the standing, drinking crowds. The menu includes tomato bruschetta, oysters with horseradish, burgers and brioche bread pudding; dinner for two about $70, with drinks. One must-see: the bathroom, in a turn-of-the-century iron elevator.
11 p.m.
10) DRINKS ON DOYERS
Head east to Chinatown, where Apotheke (9 Doyers Street; 212-406-0400;apothekenyc.com) is a non-Chinese intruder sitting on the elbow of L-shaped Doyers Street, the spot known as the Bloody Angle for the gang-related killings there in the early 20th century. Here you’ll find one of the city’s top cocktail bars, with throwback décor and dim lighting. Try the Deal Closer, made with cucumber, vodka, mint, lime and vanilla, along with “Chinatown aphrodisiacs” ($15).
Sunday
8 a.m.
11) BROOKLYN BRIDGE CROSSING
With the arrival of the dog days, you have to get up pretty early to walk across this beloved landmark in comfort. As romantic as ever, a walk along the elevated pedestrian walkway provides a photo opportunity a minute. On your way back, stop by City Hall Park to see four decades of Sol LeWitt’s sculptures, on display until Dec. 3. Then head west across Chambers Street to pick up bagels and smoked salmon from Zucker’s (146 Chambers Street; 212-608-5844; zuckersbagels.com).
12: 30 p.m.
12) IN MEMORIAM
On Sept. 12, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum opens, with its pair of one-acre reflecting pools in the footprints of the fallen towers, names of victims inscribed in bronze panels, and rustling swamp white oak trees overhead. The on-site museum will have exhibitions on the original World Trade Center and the day of the attacks. Visitors can reserve free passes at 911memorial.org. No pass is needed to visit the “Unwavering Spirit: Hope and Healing at Ground Zero” exhibition at St. Paul’s Chapel nearby (209 Broadway; trinitywallstreet.org). St. Paul’s became a refuge for rescue workers in the days after the attacks. Now it houses photographs, testimonials and artifacts from those weeks after the city changed irrevocably.
IF YOU GO
The Greenwich Hotel (212-941-8900; 377 Greenwich Street; thegreenwichhotel.com), Robert DeNiro’s 2008 creation, has 88 individually designed rooms in the heart of TriBeCa. Free Internet and local phone calls, and for rooms starting at $495 a night, you actually get your choice of local newspaper.
To keep it boutique but lower the rate, try Gild Hall (15 Gold Street; 212-232-7700;thompsonhotels.com), a member of the Thompson Hotels, where 12-foot ceilings and marble bathroom floors go for as little as $179 a night on weekends.

sábado, 2 de julio de 2011

Nature hikes, canoe trips, pancake breakfasts—just another perfect summer day in one of America's best lake towns.


8 Perfect Summer Lake Towns

Nature hikes, canoe trips, pancake breakfasts—just another perfect summer day in one of America's best lake towns.

By Beth Collins

Chelan, Wash.

on Lake Chelan

Everywhere you look in Chelan, some ruddy-cheeked soul is kayaking, swimming, fishing, or windsurfing on the 50-mile-long glacier-fed lake. The Stillwater Inn, a butter-yellow 1906 house just a block from the beach, makes an ideal home base, thanks in part to the fortifying breakfasts of fresh-baked goods and fruit served each day. Two miles down the road, in downtown, the one-screen Ruby Theatre has been entertaining families since 1914, and these days it doubles as a community meeting place that hosts benefit concerts, dance recitals, and school plays. Don't leave without taking a ferry up the lake—the fjord-like gorges make for stunning scenery, with the slopes of the North Cascades dropping dramatically into the deep-blue water. Most ferries make a stop in Stehekin, population 95, where the local organic garden sells fresh vegetables, goat cheese, and yogurt for an off-the-beaten-path afternoon picnic.

Grand Marais, Minn.

on Lake Superior

Lake Superior begins at the edge of town, and the Boundary Waters—a series of connecting lakes that offer 1,500 miles of canoe routes—is just 25 miles southwest. Fishing for prime trout and salmon has improved in recent years owing to a massive restocking program. Before you set out for a day of activities on the lake, fuel up at World's Best Donuts. The name sounds like hyperbole until you taste the confections: The simple cake doughnut, with a dense, chewy inside and a golden, just-crisp-enough outside, is a thing of beauty. For dinner, head to the Angry Trout Cafe at sunset and ask for a table outside. The combination of simply prepared, freshly caught fish, a light evening breeze, and sunlight reflecting off the lake is enough to make you consider investing in a summer cabin. East Bay Suites has rooms with lake views, kitchenettes, and balconies.

Dillon, Colo.

on Lake Dillon

Lake adventures in this Summit County town—within 15 miles of ski-season hotspots Breckenridge, Keystone, and Copper Mountain—start at the Dillon Marina, with weekend sailing regattas, boat rentals, and meet-ups for guided Saturday-morning hikes and kid-friendly wildflower walks. From the marina, head two blocks to downtown for the Friday farmers market, where more than 90 vendors sell fresh produce and folk-rock musicians entertain the crowd. For some good old-fashioned fun, spend an afternoon at 18-lane Lakeside Bowl, the only bowling alley in the county. The rooms at the Best Western Ptarmigan Lodge are nothing to write home about, but the lakeside location just a block from the marina is hard to beat. Rooms with decks and lake views are available

Forest Grove, Ore.

near Hagg Lake

Just 25 miles west of Portland, Forest Grove is quintessential Oregon: laid-back and outdoorsy with a healthy dose of quirk. The historic downtown is lined with old-fashioned ironwork street lamps, sophisticated wine bars, and boutique gift shops. Institutions like Joe's Ice Cream & Deli will take you back to an America you thought was long gone—get the black-licorice ice cream, a townie favorite. The 1,100-acre Hagg Lake is an easy nine miles away and sits at the base of Oregon's coastal mountain range, surrounded by picnic areas, two boat launches, and 15 miles of hiking trails. Serious fishermen appreciate that the lake is well-stocked with rainbow trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and yellow perch, and waterskiing and kayaking opportunities are easy to find, too. The area's most unique lodging option comes from the McMenamin brothers, famous in the Northwest for converting old buildings into hotels and bars. In 2000, they restored a late 20th-century Masonic home and opened McMenamins Grand Lodge, a 77-room hotel. On rainy days, hang out at the lodge and watch a second-run movie at the Compass Room Theater with a burger and fries; there's also a heated outdoor saltwater soaking pool for post-waterskiing recuperation.

Rangeley, Maine

on Rangeley Lakes

Maine is home to more undeveloped land than any other state in the country, so keep an eye peeled for herons, eagles, and, of course, moose—maybe while sailing Rangeley Lake on a guided boat tour led by Sam-O-Set Four Seasons and Dockside Sports Center. The company can also set you up with anything from a basic canoe to a 20-foot speedboat. Back in town, browse the quilt and antiques shops downtown, like Threads Galore, a quilter's paradise with close to 1,000 bolts of fabric, plus classes where you can meet locals. Then head south about five miles to Edelheid Road, where you'll find the Maine Mountain Maple plantation. Take a tour of the sugar shack, where locally tapped sticky sap is made into sugary syrup, and one free taste later, you'll never buy the generic stuff again. Rest your head at North Country Inn Bed & Breakfast. It's a bit like visiting your favorite great-aunt—if she served you quiche or pancakes topped with fresh fruit every morning.

Leland, Mich.

on Lake Michigan and Lake Leelanau

Leland rests on a peninsula between Lake Michigan and petite Lake Leelanau. Families who've been spending the summer here for generations often arrive by boat and never set foot in a car during their stay. The town's roots as a fishing village aren't hard to spot—the main attraction here is Fishtown, a cluster of old shanties converted into shops and restaurants, now a lakeside historic district. Locals love the pretzel-bread sandwiches at the Village Cheese Shanty, and kids never let parents walk by the Dam Candy Store without stopping for an ice cream cone or chocolate-covered cherries. The 107-year-old Riverside Inn and Restaurant, one block from downtown, has a homey feel but is classy enough to offer an extensive international wine list and dining on the deck with views of the Leland River. If you do bring a car, make time to explore the wineries of northern Michigan. The pinot noir from Chateau Fontaine, just three miles outside Leland, has a vibrant berry flavor—it's the perfect summer wine.

Truckee, Calif.

on Donner Lake

This year, skip Lake Tahoe and head 16 miles south to Donner Lake's warmer water temperatures and small-town atmosphere. Originally an Old West town (you can still visit the original 1875 jailhouse), Truckee is a great base for exploring the lake's many outdoor activities—lately, stand-up paddleboarding is the sport of choice. Truckee also has a growing local art scene—a slew of new galleries has opened recently, including Riverside Studios, which sells pottery, jewelry, and clothing made by a collective of area artists, and Carmel Gallery, home to Olof and Elizabeth Carmel's impressionistic prints and photographs. Whatever your plans, carb up first with the All Day Addiction, a concoction of hash browns, avocado, Canadian bacon, and two eggs, at 1940s-style diner Jax at the Tracks. Later, you can relive your adventures over a Base Camp Golden Ale at Fifty Fifty Brewing Co., where all the beers are brewed in-house, and watch the sun set over the water from the redwood deck at Loch Leven Lodge.

Oakland, Md.

on Deep Creek Lake

At the southern end of Deep Creek Lake, Oakland is home to Lakeside Creamery, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor dishing out 90 flavors to flocks of visitors. The peach ice cream, made from fresh local fruit and milk sourced from area dairy farms, is a perennial summer favorite. Right next door, Copper Kettle Popcorn sells the standard sweet-salty version and regional specialties like popcorn sprinkled with Old Bay, plus homemade fudge and chocolate-dipped pretzels. You can get to both by car, but it's more fun to arrive by water and pull up to the boat slips. Deep Creek Marina rents everything from canoes to powerboats, plus kid-friendly toys like water trampolines. If it's swimming you're after, try the mile of shoreline at Deep Creek Lake State Park. Naturalists often lead free nature hikes and evening campfire talks centered around the area's black bear population. Rest your head at the Lodges at Sunset Village, tucked deep in the woods about eight miles from Oakland. The cabins sleep four to 10 people and have working fireplaces, rustic knotty-pine furniture, and kitchenettes.