Introduce the Family to Día de los Muertos at Sandos Caracol

If you didn’t grow up celebrating holidays like Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), you are probably more than a bit curious. But heading to a different country to experience a cultural event you aren’t familiar with can be a bit intimidating. Where’s the best place to go? How do you know what to do? Or not to do, for that matter? If Dia de los Muertos falls into that category for you, you might want to consider Sandos Caracol Eco Resort in Mexico’s Playa del Carmen. This resort lets you experience an authentic celebration firsthand without having to worry about all the details.

© Eugenia Lazaris

The resort hosts an annual Dia de los Muertos celebration each year on Nov. 1 and 2. Everything is contained within the resort grounds, which takes all the guess work out of navigating the holiday. Over the course of two days, you’ll be able to experience all the traditions that typically accompany this holiday, like music, entertainment, face painting, costumes, sugar skulls and marigolds everywhere. And did I mention lots and lots of great food? Yeah, you’ll get plenty of that, too.

The resort is all-inclusive and designed to be family-friendly, which includes the festival. During two days of celebration, families can take advantage of all the great activities around the property, like the beach, pools and waterpark. There is wildlife roaming the property, such as coatis, racoons, spider monkeys and iguanas, along with countless bird species and even elusive howler monkeys hiding deep in the jungle. And as an added bonus, there are Mayan ruins on the property..

When night falls, the resort comes to life with different ways to celebrate the holiday. There will be a street fair-style setup with food stations serving foods like tamales, tacos, quesadillas and churros, and vendors will be on site to sell Mexican handicrafts and Day of the Dead souvenirs — these vendors (and the property’s gift shop) are the only place you’ll need to spend anything beyond the all-inclusive cost of your stay.

© Eugenia Lazaris

There is a large cenote centrally located in the resort — it’s a wonderful spot for a swim during the day and, each afternoon, there is a local expert to tell you about the cenote and its unique ecosystem. At night during the Dia de los Muertos festival, a lantern ceremony takes place at the cenote. Guests can write their prayers or wishes on pieces of paper and send them off into the water on a floating lantern.

Throughout the festival area you’ll find performers dressed as Mayan gods, making for great photo opportunities. Resort employees set up ofrendas, or altars, to celebrate and honor their ancestors, which makes the experience all the more authentic. The highlight of the evening will be a massive parade winding through the festival area with costumed dancers, musicians and any guests wanting to join in the fun.

Resort staff get dressed up for the event with face paint and flower headdresses, so you won’t feel out of place if you want to dress up as well. Face painting will be available during festival hours for anyone who wants it, but lines will get long as the night goes on, so get there early.

When you check in at the resort, ask for a list of festival events to plan out your activities.