El Paraiso Resort, Aldama, Tamaulips, Close To Texas Border

El Paraiso is an Eco-Treasure, Near Tampico (Aldama & Barra del Tordo), Tamaulipas With the deepest Cenote in the world (1070 Feet)

El Paraiso Resort, near Tampico (Aldama),Tamaulipas. is an Eco-Treasure Close To The Texas border (4-5 hours)
© 1998-2008 by "Mexico" Mike Nelson, excerpted from More Than a Dozen of Mexico's Hidden Jewels.

Quick! This is a quiz. Where can you:
* find the deepest cenote (sacred natural pool) in the world?
* the greatest variety of birds in Mexico?
* find an unspoiled beach, hours from Texas?
* visit the nesting areas of the endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtles (Rancho Nuevo)?
* dive in an unknown reef without the crowds you find everywhere else in Mexico?
* catch snook, negrilla, red fish, flounder, grouper and freshwater bass in the same day?
* enjoy peace, romance and serenity and be treated to two flights of parrots daily?
* sleep in a modern palapa with tiled bathroom on an island on a river?
* kayak, ride horses, hike peaceful serene countryside and play tennis gratis?

If you answered "El Paraiso," you are among the few who know about this hideaway. If not, get thee there! El Paraiso is a collection of unique villas with hundreds of varieties of birds, an unspoiled beach minutes away by boat, and great fishing. I've always believed that this is one of the very special spots in Mexico. For a unique getaway, and the chance to experience nature at its most peaceful, check it out. Birders will love it. Romantic couples will too. Fishermen, heck, they like anywhere if the fish are biting, and they usually do here, both river, surf and deep-sea. Divers will love the undiscovered reef offshore (best in the Fall and Spring). Groups (spiritual or business retreats) wanting a truly undisturbed location for seminars rent it frequently.

I introduced this hideaway Mexican eco-resort to Joe Nick Patoski, a good friend of mine who wrote a story about it for Texas Monthly. I'm always glad to help small hoteliers. This small hotel offers birding, kayaking, hiking through nature, a cenote, fishing and a restful retreat. Mexico has many small resorts like this you will only find by driving.

(Note: since this story was written, El Paraiso was sold by Francisco to a hotel conglomerate -- Maeva? I would put their contact info here, but they have been particularly unresponsive. So enjoy the story and if you are adventurous, go find it).

I've been to this out-of-the-way spot more times than I can count. El Paraiso has changed, but the area around it is still pristine and will probably remain that way because the only realistic way to get there is to drive. You could fly into Tampico and rent a car if you wanted. Fortunately,El Paraiso has not become well-known or fancy. It is still a special place for those looking for a retreat from the bustling world. If you want to get away from the Texas heat in the summer, it is always cooler at El Paraiso than in Texas. If you want to get away from the cold in winter, the weather is about the same as the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, perhaps 5 degrees warmer.

"Paradise" is such an overused word in travel writing and traveler's gushings. Let's just say that El Paraiso (which is Spanish for paradise) is really a very special location, off the beaten track, that combines luxury at an affordable price and a natural, spiritual retreat far from the madding crowd. If this is your definition of paradise, then so be it. It's only 4 hours south of the Texas/Mexico border at McAllen or Brownsville. El Paraiso Resort, close to Barra del Tordo, Tamaulipas has been around for more than a dozen years. Incarnated as a fishing lodge, it is now an eco tourism resort.

To get to El Paraiso, drive down Hwy 97 or 101 to Hwy 180 and keep going south towards Tampico. At Aldama, you take a left and head towards Barra del Tordo. The scenery changes dramatically from the flat land you've just traversed to gentle rolling hills. Turn left again at a sign that says, "El Paraiso" and go through a pasture. Watch that cow! The parking lot is a nice cleared field shaded by some hundred year old trees. There's 24 hour security. Besides being a stress-reducing get-away for a weekend, it is set up to host small conventions or groups, like mediation groups, that want a location where they can completely get away from it all and have no telephones, faxes or televisions to distract them.

To get to the lodge, you have to leave your car and take a small launch upriver. As the outboard motor drones, you can watch eagles, egrets, hawks and parrots overhead and on the banks. Ducks abound in the winter. Birders will find this a perfect spot catch glimpses of over 200 species of land and waterfowl. The rest of us will be glad to observe the flocks of wild parrots that wing their way over the resort twice a day on their daily commute.

The lodge is set on a bluff overlooking the river, about one hundred feet up. From the river you can glimpse the thatched roofs of some of the cottages. Don't despair, and think you are about to enter a primitive camp. Each of the dozen cottages have electricity, air conditioning, comfortable beds and nicely tiled bathrooms with plenty of hot water. They are built in a semi-circle around one of the clearest swimming pools I've ever seen. The "big house" has family-style dining setups, and private tables for more intimate situations. His chef prepares hearty Mexican and international meals.

El Paraiso still has boat rides down lagoons for catching glimpses of dozens of species of birds. Farther down river, you come to the Gulf and miles and miles of truly deserted beaches. Imagine you and your sweetie frolicking on fine white sand with miles of pounding surf and driftwood your only companions. The endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtles use the area to nest, up the coast a ways. If you go during the winter, you can visit the nesting area of the turtles. No matter when you go, the lodge will show you a video about this fascinating species.

Not too far away, back towards Aldama, to the west, is the deepest cenote in the earth. A diver from the University of Texas discovered its bottom, at 1,070 feet. The water is as clear and turquoise as any cenote I've seen in the Yucatan. There is also a sulfur spring and two semi-hot pools and a cave in the neighborhood. Local residents swear the sulfur pools clear the skin and reduce signs of aging.

It's hard to match El Paraiso for a great get-away. Do a little Internet research and you will find the new owners. Then tell them you heard about their resort from "Mexico" Mike's web page. Maybe they will contact me.