There's much more to Cancún, Mexico, than just shops and beaches.

Roberto Machado Noa/Getty Images

• My husband and I retired to Cuenca, Ecuador, but always wondered what other options were out there.
• We spent time in Cancún and Playa del Carmen to see why many American expats retire in Mexico.
• We were pleasantly surprised and impressed by the weather, shops, and more in each place.

In 2010, we left the United States and retired abroad to Cuenca, Ecuador.

Although we're fortunate to enjoy a fabulous retirement life abroad, we've always wondered if there's an even better place for us out there.

So, over a decade later, we set off on an adventure that lasted more than two years to explore other potential retirement spots around the globe to find out.

Our journey started in Mexico, a popular spot for American retirees in part due to its proximity to the US, generally lower cost of living, and its warm weather.

While there, we spent two weeks each in Cancún and Playa del Carmen, two of the country's popular Caribbean vacation spots.

Although we chose tourist-heavy cities, we tried to get a taste of daily life by staying in neighborhoods outside the main vacation and hotel areas.

We were pleasantly surprised by Cancún

Cancún is more than hotels and tourist spots.

WisKay/Getty Images

Located on the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Cancún is a major tourist destination in Mexico. That said, Cancún has a "hotel zone" along the beach that's miles away from the city itself.

Most visitors (like us on an anniversary trip years ago) arrive at the airport, take a shuttle to their hotel, and never leave the vicinity before departing for home.

On this trip, though, we rented an Airbnb in a residential section of downtown to attempt to see what it might be like to live there.

We found downtown Cancún to be quite different from the miles of fancy resorts, boutiques, and eateries in the hotel zone.

As we walked around, we passed numerous modest single-family homes and locally owned shops and restaurants. We liked that the downtown had everything we could need for daily life within walking distance.

In addition, the area had some popular American chains, like Walmart, which had a surprisingly impressive selection of affordable products and produce.

Plus, there's a major international airport just 20 to 30 minutes away from downtown — ideal for American expats who want to visit family back home.

Our apartment was miles from the beach, but an inexpensive bus ride made getting there a snap. However, once we got to the miles of public beaches, we were disappointed to find very few designated access points.

It was harder to enter the beach than we expected, especially since we'd been used to walking from an oceanfront hotel directly onto the sand when we'd stayed in Cancún as tourists. This was definitely a drawback, but not an insurmountable one.

Overall, though, we were pleasantly surprised at how similar downtown Cancún felt to our current neighborhood.

Playa del Carmen seemed to offer the best of both worlds for American expats

Playa del Carmen has beaches, businesses, shops, and more.

Arturo Peña Romano Medina/Getty Images

Located about an hour south of Cancún is the coastal town of Playa Del Carmen. Unlike Cancún, Playa del Carmen doesn't have an isolated hotel zone separate from its residential areas.

This city has beaches, the famous 5th Avenue a couple of blocks away, and then local housing and businesses all the way to the major highway that runs from Cancún past Tulum.

I liked that nearby neighborhoods could easily access the beach and popular spots like 5th Avenue. The lively area felt like Mexico's version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans, filled with tourists, vendors, and live music. This was fun, though I worried it could eventually be annoying to navigate while trying to do chores and run errands on a daily basis.

Even so, the area felt overflowing with outstanding food and shopping options.

In addition to local offerings, we found popular American chains like Walmart, Sam's Club, Office Depot, and many familiar chain restaurants in the area that US expats missing home would surely enjoy.

Although Playa del Carmen doesn't have its own international airport, the one in Cancún is only about an hour away.

Overall, we can see why retirees would choose either place

It was exciting to see what else is out there for other Americans looking to retire abroad.

We appreciated how Playa del Carmen and Cancún both felt beautiful and walkable, with fairly easy access to airports, which is great for retirees moving away from family.

We can definitely understand why the warm weather, beaches, and other perks would bring expats to either place.

That said, we also realized the area's generally hotter temperatures weren't quite an ideal fit for us. For now, we still call Cuenca home.

——————————————-
By: [email protected] (Cynthia Staton,Edd Staton)
Title: We scouted 2 popular vacation spots in Mexico as possible retirement destinations, and both left us feeling impressed
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/popular-american-retirement-destinations-mexico-cancun-playa-del-carmen-2025-3
Published Date: Sun, 09 Mar 2025 14:35:01 +0000

Read More

Jason Harris

I’m Jason, and I write for ValleyNewspaper.com!

I love to travel and enjoy doing things outdoors, like hiking or working remotely from quaint little coffee shops.

The best thing about the blog for me is the ability to discuss anything, from personal life to current events.

I enjoy spending time with my Wife, 2 boys, and my Pug, Patty. I love traveling and speaking at social media events.

If you want to know anything else, ask!

This original article was first published here: How To Have The Perfect Day For Yourself

Do you keep pushing yourself to do more and more, and do you feel guilty when you stop? If so, you’re not alone, but you might be causing yourself some health issues. It’s far better to take some time for yourself and relax than it is to keep going, but knowing that and doing that are two different things.

The fact is that if you never take any time for yourself, you’ll burn out, and that’s going to affect your health and happiness even more. So why not take a perfect day to yourself and relax, have fun, and re-energize? It will help you more than you could know, and you’ll have a good time too. If that sounds like a great idea, here are some things you could do with your day to make it perfect. Read on to find out more.

Wake Up Early

If you want a day to relax, the idea of waking up early might sound like a bad idea when sleeping in might be something you don’t normally get to do, but if you wake up early, you can do more with your day, and you won’t feel guilty for wasting any time.

The best thing to do is to go to bed at a reasonable time the night before. In that case, it will be easier to wake up early, so plan ahead and make sure you get a good night’s sleep. Not only will you get more done, but you’ll feel healthy and energized too.

Do Something Fun

You don’t have to do anything at all on your day off when you have your home all to yourself, but if there’s something fun that you do want to do, this is the perfect opportunity to do it. You might want to go and see a movie that none of your friends and family are interested in, or perhaps you want to go for a walk in the woods and enjoy nature in peace and quiet. Maybe you want to rent a luxury car in Montreal and go for a drive in the city, enjoying the fact that you’re doing something just for you that you’ll look back on and feel happy about in years to come.

Whether you do nothing at all or you plan a day of activities, just make sure you’re enjoying what you do and that you’re not getting overwhelmed and stressed, or the good you did by taking some time to yourself will quickly be undone again, and you’ll be back to square one.

Disconnect From Technology

As tempting as it might be to spend time on your day off scrolling through social media or checking emails, try to resist and do anything else instead. Social media can be fun and even good for business, but it can also be bad for people’s mental health, so disconnecting and doing other things is a much better option.

When you’re not constantly distracted by notifications and worrying about missing out on things that other people are doing, you’ll be able to enjoy the present moment much more. When you’re more mindful – which is what enjoying the present moment means – you’ll become less stressed and more relaxed, and your day off will be worthwhile.

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

—————————————-
By: Men Style Fashion
Title: How To Have The Perfect Day For Yourself
Sourced From: www.menstylefashion.com/how-to-have-the-perfect-day-for-yourself/
Published Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2023 08:31:33 +0000

Read More

Jason Harris

I’m Jason, and I write for ValleyNewspaper.com!

I love to travel and enjoy doing things outdoors, like hiking or working remotely from quaint little coffee shops.

The best thing about the blog for me is the ability to discuss anything, from personal life to current events.

I enjoy spending time with my Wife, 2 boys, and my Pug, Patty. I love traveling and speaking at social media events.

If you want to know anything else, ask!

The beginning of the 2020s saw people spending more time at home than ever before. The pandemic shone a spotlight on the clothes we wore while lounging around the house, and if you’re anything like us, you probably realised just how much time you spend slumped across the sofa in the same old moth-bitten sweater and gym shorts.

Lockdown is now (thankfully) well behind us, but it has left in its wake a newfound appreciation for good-quality loungewear, and an understanding that the clothes you wear behind closed doors are every bit as important as the ones that venture out of the house.

Chilling at home is an important part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle, and having some decent garments to do it in makes it all the more enjoyable. We’re talking comfy, cosy pieces that feel great to wear, but that won’t leave you looking like a complete slob when you have to nip out to the shop or greet the pizza guy at the door.

Here are the key pieces you might want to consider.

Dressing Gown/Bathrobe

There are few pleasures in life greater than swaddling yourself in a gigantic fuzzy dressing gown to drink your coffee on a lazy Sunday morning.

You can throw this thing on in the absence of clothes when you emerge from the shower. You can pop it on over your PJs while you shuffle around the kitchen eating toast. You can even spend an entire day in it, nesting on the sofa, surrounded by calorific snacks on a day off.

A good bathrobe is the perfect partner for all of these situations and more, so make sure to arm yourself with a good one in a cosy towelling fabric. Some of our favourites come from Derek Rose, Missoni Home and The White Company.

Drawstring Pants

A good pair of drawstring pants is one of our favourite style cheat codes. They allow you to enjoy the comfort and practicality of a pair of pyjama trousers or jogging bottoms while masquerading as something much smarter.

This makes them perfect for days spent around the house when it may not be appropriate to go full goblin mode, such as when WFH.

Check out the 24 Trousers from L’Estrange – one of our favourite options in this category.

Cashmere Jumper

Investment pieces aren’t usually part of the conversation when it comes to loungewear. That’s understandable. After all, who wants to pump a big chunk of their cash into something that’s never going to see the light of day?

But that’s where a cashmere jumper is different. This is one of the few pieces that can seamlessly transition from Netflix binge to formal function.

It’s comfy and cosy for lounging around, but it’s also luxurious and smart enough to team up with tailoring. And it’ll happily do everything in between those two extremes too.

Boxy Hoodie

We’re staunch advocates of the importance of a good fit, but when it comes to loungewear, you don’t necessarily want everything to be tailored to perfection. There’s a time and a place for baggy, boxy, loose-fitting clothes, and that’s when you’re chilling at home.

A heavyweight boxy hoodie is perfect for throwing on while you’re nesting at the weekend or on cold evenings after work. Go for something plain and well made so it lasts.

We always recommend Camber. It’s a USA-based brand that specialises in heavy-duty blank tees and sweats, and it’s hoodies are some of the best in the game.

House Shoes

You should always take your shoes off when you’re in the house, unless they were specifically designed not to be. ‘House shoes’ is an admittedly pretty broad term that can include anything from slippers to clogs.

They’re what you put on to schlep around the kitchen or take the bins out, and they really came into their own during lockdown.

Birkenstock has a bit of a stranglehold on this market with the Boston, but take a look at other styles like Reeboks Beatnik or The North Face’s Tent Mule too.

Heavyweight Joggers

Don’t waste your money on sub-par sweatpants. If you want them to last and be as comfortable and cosy as possible, spend the extra cash and get a proper heavyweight pair.

Not only will they stack better on top of your best sneakers far more effectively than a flimsy pair, but they’ll be much better at keeping you warm in the winter months.

Again, take a look at what Camber has to offer in this department. Otherwise, Carhartt WIP and Reigning Champ make some stylish options.

Oversized T-shirts

We’ve established why boxy hoodies are great for chilling in, and that same logic applies to tees too. Baggy T-shirts are just comfier, and that’s exactly what you want when you’re lounging around at home.

Instead of buying ones that are a few sizes too big, you could opt for some deliberately slouchy tees like the ones from Uniqlo U, which have dropped shoulders and a wide fit, but still sit at the right length for your torso.

Merino Socks

Merino is a wonder fabric that insulates amazingly, wicks moisture and dries fast. It’s also super soft and comfortable, all of which makes it a prime candidate for socks.

Buy enough pairs to rotate and never look back.

Traditional Pyjama Set

The modern loungewear landscape is dominated by sweatpants, hoodies and crew necks, but a good old set of traditional PJs is still as good an option as ever, and something well worth arming yourself with if you like to save on your heating bill in the winter months.

Some of the brands making the best versions include Derek Rose, Hamilton + Hare, Desmond & Dempsey and CDLP.

Sweat Shorts

Sweatpants are comfy, but they might be a bit too warm for the summer. That’s where you’ll want a pair of sweat shorts. These stretchy bad boys are essentially cut-off joggers.

They’re made from the same comfortable fleece-backed jersey cotton and are perfect for chilling in the warmer months.

The post 10 Loungewear Pieces That Will Keep You Comfortable And Stylish appeared first on Ape to Gentleman.

—————————————-
By: Paddy Maddison
Title: 10 Loungewear Pieces That Will Keep You Comfortable And Stylish
Sourced From: www.apetogentleman.com/key-loungewear-pieces/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=key-loungewear-pieces
Published Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2023 08:00:56 +0000

Read More

Jason Harris

I’m Jason, and I write for ValleyNewspaper.com!

I love to travel and enjoy doing things outdoors, like hiking or working remotely from quaint little coffee shops.

The best thing about the blog for me is the ability to discuss anything, from personal life to current events.

I enjoy spending time with my Wife, 2 boys, and my Pug, Patty. I love traveling and speaking at social media events.

If you want to know anything else, ask!