Mexico's Tulum coast: Turtles, amazing ruins and celebrities galore
The whispered call comes from somewhere further up the beach, but in the darkness I can't make out who it is. 'Gera - white girl - come.' I'm not in the habit of following faceless voices on darkened beaches. But as I debate the likelihood of a mad axe murderer stalking the Tulum coastline, I suddenly realise why this stranger is excitedly calling me over.
Yards away, a shadowy creature is slowly heaving its sizeable bulk across the sand.
A turtle. Right outside my hotel, an enormous turtle is crawling up the beach to lay her eggs.
Holiday haven: Sarah Gordon soaks up the view in Tulum, which is famed for its spectacular Mayan ruins overlooking the crystalline sea
I stand transfixed with my unknown companion, watching as this prehistoric creature painstakingly digs a hole with her flippers and lays what must be 100 eggs. More evening beach-walkers join us, and a small crowd gathers as the mother-to-be covers over her nest and makes slow progress back to the water.
This, I realise, is exactly why I had chosen to holiday in Tulum, where the developers are yet to move in and nature is on your doorstep.
Some 80 miles south of Cancun, Tulum is an antidote to the huge, all-inclusive hotels that line the north-east corner of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. And within two hours of landing, I find myself snaking down the Riviera Maya, past popular Playa del Carmen, to reach this sleepy, historic town.
A-list hideaway: The area's tranquillity has attracted a host of celebrities, including Sienna Mille! r
Already well-known among the backpacker set, this little haven, famed for its spectacular Mayan ruins overlooking the crystalline sea, is attracting more holidaymakers each year, thanks to its selection of boutique hotels and cabanas on the beach - as well as its eco-friendly credentials.
It is a favourite retreat with celebrities looking to escape the limelight. Drew Barrymore is said to enjoy holidaying at Casa Magna, a luxuriously appointed eco hotel on the beach which was once the holiday home of the late Colombian drug baron Pablo Escobar.
Actor Ryan Phillippe was recently spotted having lunch at rustic spa hotel Coqui Coqui with Mamma Mia! star Amanda Seyfried, when they were trying to keep their on-again-off-again relationship quiet (currently off-again - nothing to do with the lunch, I'm sure).
And Sienna Miller, Natalie Imbruglia and Kate Bosworth have all escaped their paparazzi-filled lives with a quiet stay on the almost deserted white-sand beaches.
While I am ensconced in the secluded comfort of a cabana right on the sand at The Hemingway hotel - complete with a hammock on my veranda - those who don't want to share their room with the odd crab wandering in from the beach choose more luxurious options, such as the Jashita Hotel or the Ana y Jose Charming Hotel and Spa.
One legacy left by the backpackers and hippies is a multicultural mix of businesses in the area. I sample the best Italian food I have tried in years, munch on Mexican dishes with a French twist and even visit an Argentine steakhouse.
The gap-year gang have also kept prices low. Taking a taxi from your beachside hotel to the town centre will cost 2.
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If you don't fancy heading into town, many of the hotels are laid out along the same sandy strip, making it a short walk to try different restaurants and watering holes, where a meal with fresh seafood is available from 15.
Down the road at the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve - which translates as 'a gift from heaven' - a company called Community Tours, run entirely by local Mayans, offers trips to learn more about the area's flora and fauna.
Cracking time: A baby turtle emerges from its egg. If you're lucky you'll spot turtles laying their eggs on the local beaches
My guide Alberto, whose father was a Mayan shaman, shows me which plants I can eat and which roots work as a natural toothbrush, and explains how the area's cenotes - water-filled sinkholes which make deep, natural swimming pools - were considered the gateway to the afterlife by his ancestors.
Stunning setting: Mayan ruins overlooking a peaceful beach at Tulum
He also explains that if I find myself getting lost in the forest, it is probably the fault of the aluxo'ob - knee-high sprites that are said to dress in traditional Mayan garb and delight in tricking passing humans.
While Alberto offers me first-hand knowledge of his culture, I find Mayan influences everywhere I look on the Yucatan Peninsula.
Beyond the clifftop ruins of Tulum and the pyramids emerging from the jungle canopy at Coba, Mayan culture is very much int! erwoven into modern-day life.
Even the modern Disney-style eco parks of Xel-Ha and Xcaret, which offer family-friendly activities such as snorkelling, swimming with dolphins and nature trails, draw heavily on Mayan myths and legends, celebrating a resilient people who survived even the brutality of the Spanish conquistadors.
But one Mayan legacy in particular captures my imagination as I travel between the sights dotted along the main highway of the Riviera Maya: the ominous prediction that the world will end next year.
The Hollywood disaster movie 2012 was based on the Mayan belief that a cataclysmic event will take place on December 21 - although I can't help thinking that the authorities in the Yucatan Peninsula aren't taking the threat too seriously, as everywhere I travel I see giant billboards merrily advertising the impending armageddon.
It's all part of a publicity campaign to raise the profile of Mayan culture and encourage tourists to visit, I am told.
But even if the worst comes to the worst, by my reckoning you've still got 13 months to squeeze in a visit to the area - and I definitely recommend that you do.
Getting there
Thomas Cook Airlines (www.flythomascook.com) offers return flights to Cancun from Gatwick from 344 for departures in December.
Thomas Cook Publishing has a wide range of travel guides, including Mexico, from 4.99 at www.thomascookpublishing.com.
Sarah stayed at The Hemingway (www.hemingwaytulum.com), which offers private cabanas for two from 106 per night, including breakfast.
A Community Tours trip to Sian Ka'an costs 60, including transport, guide, entry to the archaeological site, lunch and a snorkelling trip (http://siankaantours.org).
For more information on the Riviera Maya visit www.rivieramaya.com. For more information on Mexico, go to www.visitmexico.com.
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