Alltournative Off Track Adventures

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Editor's Notes: My wife and I just returned from a visit to the Cancun/Riviera Maya area this past Feb. 2009. We had the opportunity to enjoy Alltournative's Maya Encounter Excursion. Quite frankly, we were dumb struck to see how Alltournative uses a portion of our tourist dollars to enhance people's lives in Traditional Maya Villages. They educate them as to how protecting and preserving their environment and way of life attracts tourists, directly benefiting them. In addition, we seen first hand how Alltournative is using what appeared to be a good portion of the proceeds from the excursions they offer to upgrade village homes and other buildings to newer concrete structures as well as installing running water and electricity. What first appeared odd to us and totally out of place, a rather large satellite dish perched atop a building rooftop, brought a huge smile to our face when our guide explained it's purpose. The structure was a school house and the satellite dish linked the classroom via  audio/visual interaction to a teacher in a modern Mexican city. Alltournative and the tourists they bring provide the Maya People with new employment opportunities, allowing the young the opportunity to have have a future in their native communities while enhancing so many people's way of life. The tour was beyond our expectations and it is our sincere opinion that now, after now knowing what a portion of the money we spent is used for, we would have gladly paid twice that amount! We can't thank you enough Alltournative as well as the many other Mayas we had the opportunity to meet!!!

- Bruce & Treena Clement

Ecotourism is one of the best alternatives to attain true sustainable development in rural communities. Alltournative is the pioneer in ecotourism in the State of Quintana Roo; Mexico. Since 1999, Alltournative has developed eco-tourist projects that have benefited the economic, social and cultural development of various Maya communities.

The tourist-based economic sustainable development offered by Alltournative is of vital importance to the Maya communities as an alternate occupation to adverse conditions of the land which allows only for poor subsistence agriculture.

In each ecotourism project, Alltournative has achieved significant economic sustainable development for the inhabitants, established programs for cultural and ecologic preservation as well as promoted the natural and cultural treasures of Mexico.

Alltournative through its work alongside the Maya communities seeks to:

1. Increase Maya communities' income.


2. Create direct jobs inside the community and avoid migration of the inhabitants.


3. Improve life quality for the inhabitants.


4. Education of the inhabitants in ecotourism practices.


5. Preserve and rescue customs and culture.


6. Preserve flora and fauna.


7. Foment respect for traditional customs within the community.


8. Offer the opportunity of cultural and professional development to the members of the community, primarily focusing on children and adolescents. 

The sustainable development of the Maya communities is supported by the agreements made with community groups, or ejidos, where the communities inside this area of influence are committed not only to achieve social and economic development, but also to avoid logging and hunting in the areas visited by tourists and beyond. Through these agreements protection and conservation of great areas of rain forest, middle perennifoliae and subperennifoliae jungle as well as the great diversity of endemic flora and fauna is achieved, such as spider and howler monkey, swamp crocodiles located in the lagoons of this area, five of six species of Mexican felines (jaguar, puma, ocelots, jaguarundies and margays), white collared peccaries, white-tailed and Temazate deer, a great diversity of birds, amphibians and other reptiles as well as different species of trees, bushes and epiphytes, just to mention some.

 Currently, Alltournative supports three sustainable development projects involving six different communities: Pac-Chén, Tres Reyes, Punta Laguna, Rancho San Felipe, Chikin-Há and Kantenah, turning these areas into natural sanctuaries whose protection is based on the agreements and goodwill that exist between Alltournative and the members of each community.

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