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How did we end up at a semi-virgin beach?

During the pandemic, we were looking for an office to process Marina’s Mexican passport. The offices in Cancún and Monterrey were overwhelmed, and although we tried to contact the offices in Mexico City, we also encountered many difficulties due to the restrictions of that time. At that moment, we realized that finding an open government office was a challenge.

That’s when we thought of a place from which we could manage the paperwork without having to travel too far from our home in Tulum. So we started researching and discovered that there was an available office in the city of Campeche. We didn’t know this city or its surroundings, but it seemed like a great opportunity to take a road trip and explore a different part of Mexico while taking care of some paperwork.

We decided to make the appointment and set out on our journey to Campeche. We looked for a place to stay in the city center, without having much idea of what we would find. Our surprise was huge when we arrived at the Bay of Campeche, specifically the Malecón, just in time to enjoy the sunset. The beauty of the city left us in awe. It was, without a doubt, love at first sight.

At that time, we were somewhat disillusioned with our life in Tulum. We had acquired a piece of land and developed a retreat and training center for teachers, hoping to live in a natural, self-sustaining environment and within a community that shared these ideals. However, as the years went by, Tulum began to transform into a place more focused on parties, electronic music, and a lifestyle far from our initial expectations and values.

When we discovered Campeche, we found a much more pristine state, with a different kind of tourism, focused on ecotourism, discovering the history of Mexico, and indigenous cultures. This type of tourism was, at that moment, far from being synonymous with parties and alcohol consumption. It was a place that resonated more with our intentions.

While we were in Campeche, Marina and I talked at length about the possibility of moving. We wondered if it was time to take the step and change direction to a place that aligned better with our values. I told her, “Let’s see what happens. If something is meant to be for us, it will inevitably present itself clearly.”

And that’s how it happened. I decided to research whether there was any land available, and I found what, at that time, I felt was the perfect plot for a yoga center. Today, that place is VY Sanctuary.

A year immersed in papers and permits

After discovering this beautiful place, we decided to investigate what was needed to build in the best possible way. From the very beginning, our idea was to create an ecologically sustainable space with a business model that would inspire others to create businesses that not only do not destroy nature, but also help reverse, even if just a little, the damage to local ecosystems that humans have caused over the past few decades.

With seven years of experience living in the jungle of Tulum, completely isolated from urban services, we felt confident and ready for the challenge.

However, when we tried to process the construction permits for this new project, we realized that, obviously, there was no development plan for this area. Now we understand, since being a virgin beach, it doesn’t have a municipal development plan. But at that moment, out of naïveté, we hadn’t considered that.

It was then that we had to present to the government everything we wanted to do: a mangrove conservation center, a sea turtle sanctuary, and, most importantly to us, a training center for yoga and meditation teachers. We had to detail the type of construction we wanted, the materials, the layout, etc., in order to obtain the construction permit.

What’s incredible is that the process took us over a year, with multiple visits to the site, construction plans, project changes, and assessments of what could and couldn’t be done in this environment.

While we understand the importance of all the required paperwork, after this experience, we realize how complex and bureaucratic it is to create a project that benefits the environment.

We hope that in the near future, governments around the world will be more aligned with private ecological projects from small investors like us, and that we won’t have to be tied to municipal development plans in order to build.

The Day We Discovered a Buried Treasure

It all started when, as part of the documents required by the government to obtain the construction permit for VY, we were asked to have an archaeologist visit to certify that there were no Mayan ruins on the land. By that point, we had already thoroughly explored the entire area several times, both with our architect and with our biologist, without finding any evidence of Mayan remains.

Once again, our naivety or lack of experience came to light. But in our defense, we are simply yoga teachers. Even though we have lived for many years in the jungle and now want to live on a semi-virgin beach, that doesn’t make us Indiana Jones or Lara Croft.

When one thinks of ancient ruins, they tend to imagine them as depicted in movies with characters like those I just mentioned. I clearly remember walking with the archaeologist when he pointed to a mound of earth and stones, with some branches and plants growing from it. He said, “Do you see that mound? Walk towards it and tell me if you find a square-shaped stone.” As I approached, I noticed a stone darker than the rest, with squared, carved edges. “Now follow this straight line, and you’ll find another one just like it,” he instructed. Sure enough, I found another identical stone. He then said, “Now take a few steps back, walk in this direction, and you’ll find more.” As predicted, we found additional remains.

What initially seemed like just a mound of stones and earth turned out to be the remains of a pre-classic dwelling. The archaeologist explained that it was likely the home of a Mayan family, probably fishermen, who had lived in this spot.

Today, I have signed an agreement with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to leave these areas untouched, undisturbed, and preserved as a national treasure. In the coming years, we will develop a project with INAH to restore the homes of this ancient Mayan family.

I would like to clarify that our responsibility is clear: we must honor those who lived here before us. Our only task now is to respect their legacy and preserve this beautiful place for future generations. Our commitment is and will always be to education and fostering respect for those who came before us, as well as for those who will come after.