del-Adventures in Nature: Mexico

by Ron Mader

Butterfly sanctuaries, rain forests, whale migrations, and ancient truths are all part of the natural wonders of Mexico. This guide covers a wide range of interests and activities for travelers and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1562613405
• ISBN13: 9781562613402
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Rick Steves
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Beyond PV and the trinket shops

Biodiversity junkies are always ending up off the pavement in the jungles or on mountain tops and wondering where do we get our next meal, and how the hell are we going to get out of here. Mader comes up with answers in a country where surprisingly little has been written to guide the booming ecotourism trade. Lonely Planet and Moon barely scratch the ecotourism surface and brush over Mexico's fantastic national parks and reserves. Mader lives down there so this is no parachute quickie research junket type book. He has done his homework and gone beyond the obvious places (Palenque, Copper Canyon) to explore some of the most remote but best spots. Lucky gringo. I found his book helpful for finding contact leads in Oaxaca and Veracruz states that led to great guided trips with local enviro groups.

Buy It, Read It, See It!

I am the author of two guidebooks in this series, BELIZE: ADVENTURES IN NATURE and GUATEMALA: ADVENTURES IN NATURE, as well as dozens of travel articles about Latin America (including Mexico). I am flat-out amazed at the breadth, depth, and detail found in Ron Mader's MEXICO: ADVENTURES IN NATURE. Put simply, there has never been a book like this...and there have been hundreds of guides written to Mexico. Nowhere else will you find the information complied here, about everything from whale-watching to birding, turtle-helping to Maya ruin-exploring. These are aspects most tourists never know about, because nobody tells them about much beyond the traditional turista circuit of big hotels, crowded beaches, and mediocre restaurants. If you want to truly experience the incredible diversity of Mexico natural treasures, you'll start by getting your hands on this book! (Particularly useful is the extensive listing of e-mail addresses and websites, as well as practical info about hotels, restaurants, tour services, and transport)

Great guidebook for ecotourism in Mexico.

Ron Mader has produced an eminently readable and useful guide to the many places in Mexico that do not make it into the mainstream guidebooks. As someone who has traveled extensively in Mexico, I found that his descriptions of the areas I had visited were right on target as were his evaluations of the local restaurants and hotels.While this book should not be your only resource when planning a trip to Mexico, it is a necessary additional resource for any traveler who plans to go beyond the well trodden areas such as Cancun, Acapulco and Mexico City.

A Needed Source of Information on Nature Tourism in Mexico

MEXICO: Adventures in Nature is a sorely needed contribution to Mexican travel literature. As an ecotourism consultant and traveler in Mexico I often find information on Mexican natural areas to be lacking. Ron Mader has put together probably the most comprehensive body of work dedicated to visiting natural sites in Mexico. What's more, Mader goes beyond the standard travel guide. Craftily incorporated in this book is a critical look at ecotourism itself. Mader matter-of-factly discusses the notion of "ecotourism" of the playas and resorts in Mexico where jet skiing is considered "ecotourism." He presents responsible tourism, cultural tourism, and a discussion on the definitions of Mexico's protected areas after a brief historical introduction to the country.Mader covers flora and fauna in a geographical chapter of Mexico, then he presents information on travel companies specializing in differing aspects of nature/adventure/cultural tourism. Finally, Mader goes into detail on how to get there, where to stay, where to eat, and what to do, broken down by location. Readers will find 14 pages dedicated exclusively to ecotourism in and around Mexico City. Mader then covers the country in detail in nearly 200 pages broken down by: Central, Northeast, Northwest, Central Pacific, Baja and Sonora, Southeast, and Southern Mexico. MEXICO: Adventures in Nature ends with three appendices bursting with details, such as customs, what to pack, holidays, and the like; just like any other guide. However, readers will find some unique information, such as the locations of cybercafes where a traveler can check in back home via e-mail. There is also a list of over 50 online resources, including Mader's own content-rich ecotourism site. MEXICO: Adventure in Nature is a priceless resource for finding Mexico's out of the way natural treasures. For example, El Cielo Biosphere Reserve, a 357,000-acre cloud forest just south of Texas has not one sign from the highway to the ecolodge, located an hour and a half up unmarked mountain roads. Mader's guide gives detailed directions and interesting facts about finding such places. If a traveler were to contact the state tourism office in Tamaulipas, home of El Cielo, s/he would receive only old brochures of beach resorts and hunting lodges. This book is a "must have" for the true ecotourist. As someone once said, "Don't leave home without it."

Puts the "eco" into Mexican independent travel.

I've been visiting Mexico since I first hopped a bus to Mazatlan 35 years ago, and find it a country that gives great value-for-money. But Mexico's natural (as distinct from recreational, historic and cultural) attractions don't get the sort of tourist attention that their quality and quantity merits. Unlike the Western U.S., where neatly signed and labeled national parks and national forests make organizing a visit easy, Mexico often conceals its natural riches. Ron Mader's new guide goes right to the front rank of Mexico's scenic and wildlife attractions and offers accurate and frank appraisals of what most merits a visit. He has a good nose for a bargain and a sense of Mexican culture, so his advice can be trusted. And he is always up for a good meal. Highly recommended to novice and expert alike. Mexico is a country that warrants deeper nature study. This book will get you on your way.