Art Inspired by Hotel Xcaret Mexico
Introducing Hotel Xcaret Mexico
If you’re looking for your next vacation spot, look no further! Hotel Xcaret is the place be!
I didn’t think anything could top our Hawaiian vacation last year, but along came Hotel Xcaret in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It’s impossible to ignore the tens of thousands of reviews on the resort and its attractions, paired with its 4.5 star rating. This place has something for everyone, and it’s so massive that we couldn’t cover it all in 10 days.
What makes it unique, is it’s all inclusive of 7 top attractions, each with its own personality.
Xcaret park has a zoo and underground rivers. The kids play area, 12 and under, is built into two cenotes, connected by a tree house obstacle course and water slides.
Xel ha, an all natural water park with a lazy river, that’s a real river and not the usual man made chlorinated kind.
Xplor & Xplor Fuego - one place, two experiences based on the position of the earth relative to the sun. There’s a wild zipline that goes through a ring of fire at Xplor Fuego.
Xenses - this is a immersive art experience that plays with your senses, don’t miss this one.
Xavage - if you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, this is the place. There’s a ropes course that goes between 2 and 8 stories high, whitewater rafting, and ATVs.
Xoximilco - this park pays tribute to the Mexican culture, customs, music and food.
I’m not even covering the half of it, but I recommend this to everyone, especially if you like tropical, beach, all inclusive vacations and want to see more than the resort.
Let’s get into art!
Octopus Slide - Watercolor
Octopus Slide
So, on this vacation, I travelled with a mixed media sketchbook, graphite pencils, colored pencils, eraser, pencil sharpener, a set of short brushes and a compact Derwent watercolor pan. I really enjoy watercolor pans for how low maintenance and mobile they are. I painted everywhere, on the plane, beach, rivers and pools.
We spent one afternoon at a kids pool with an octopus slide. I painted a simple version of the octopus from my lounge chair. Here is the polished version made in watercolor.
I used the Derwent watercolor pan, but I felt the colors were subdued. I kept having to go over the black several times to get it a true black. I also wanted the tile circles and arrows to pop, so I picked up some Winsor & Newton watercolor tubes. They’re so vibrant, it made all the difference! I have to say the quality of the Winsor & Newton watercolor tubes are outstanding. They’re highly pigmented and a little goes a long way. I’ll continue using them for all of my finished work, and I will continue to use the Derwent pan for on the go sketch painting.
Flamenco Dancer
On our last night, we went to the dinner theatre. This included a four course meal and a culture rich show. I especially loved this performance captured on video, a flamenco dance to Besame Mucho. (Where are my heart emojis?) I hope you enjoy this performance as much as I did, and if you stick to the end, you’ll see the origin of this acrylic painting, the Flamenco Dancer. I’m happy to add her to my collection of dancers.
The Flamenco Dancer - Acrylic
From octopus slides to flamenco, inspiration is everywhere at Xcaret. That’s the biggest takeaway.