Things to Do in Riviera Maya & The Yucatan

Founded during the French Revolution in 1793, the Museum of Natural History, or Musee d'Histoire Naturelle, took over the grounds of Louis XIII’s Royal Medicine Plant garden and prevailed under the guidance of naturalist pioneers Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck and Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. Despite once rivaling the University of Paris’ scientific research departments, the museum is now best famed for its educational collections, focusing its research on environmental studies and preservation work.

Today, the vast museum complex is split into three different areas – a Paleontology museum, a Taxonomy wing and a Geology museum. The Museum of Paleontology is renowned for its prolific collection of bones and fossils, including a spine-tingling display of dinosaur skeletons and a lifelike collection of exotic taxidermy. Next up, the Taxonomy division focuses on plant life, with indoor and outdoor exhibits featuring a herbarium, containing around 8 million plant specimens, a small zoo and aquarium and some of the city’s most spectacular botanical gardens stretching over 26 hectares, including tropical greenhouses, a manmade labyrinth and a colorful rose garden. Finally, the Geology section houses a wide range of interactive exhibits alongside the acclaimed Gallery of Mineralogy.

The National Museum of Singapore is the definitive historical record for the country as well as its oldest museum. Built in 1887, the impressive structure is one of the 11 national treasures of Singapore and contains several precious artifacts and fine art.

The museum offers free admission to its permanent exhibits including the Goh Seng Choo Gallery, which features a selection of watercolors from William Farquhar. Living in Singapore in the 19th century Farquhar assembled a series of paintings exploring  the sights and sounds of the country.

Even with these permanent exhibitions, the museum’s organizers also incorporate new events and exhibits that keep Singaporeans coming back, showcasing new work from local photographers, filmmakers and dance performers on a weekly basis.

Aside from these events, the museum itself is worth exploring, containing intricate designs to its façade and interior. The very dome atop the structure contains 3,000 zinc fish-scale tiles and panels made from stained-glass.

The Estremadura town of Nazaré hugs the western Atlantic coast, a traditional Portuguese fishing village turned popular summer resort and surfer’s paradise. The long sweep of sandy beach is backed by a long esplanade and a cute white-washed, red-roofed town.

The protected harbor at the south end of Nazaré’s beach springs into life when the day’s catch comes in; fish such as lobster, sardines and mackerel are laid out to dry in the sun along the harbor walls and then sold from market stalls run by women swathed in the area’s traditional headscarves and seven layers of skirt. The waterfront bars and restaurants rightly have an excellent reputation for the spanking fresh seafood served daily; the fish stew caldeirada is a local specialty.

To the north of the coastal village, a funicular trundles 360 feet (110 m) up and down between the golden beach and the cliff-top Promontório do Sítio, famed for its far-reaching sea views and landmark shrines. Legend dictates that a statue of the Virgin Mary, brought back here from Nazareth in the fourth century, was found on the cliffs in the 18th century; the Baroque church of Nossa Senhora de Nazaré commemorates its re-discovery. Close by, the Ermida dá Memoria is crusted with sparkling blue azulejo tiles and celebrates a sighting of the Virgin Mary, whose timely appearance prevented a 12th-century aristocrat from riding his horse over the cliffs in thick fog.

Nazaré lept to international attention when Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara surfed a record-breaking wave on May 11, 2012; the height of the wave was estimated at 78 feet (23.75 m) from peak to trough. McNamara’s claim to have surfed an even bigger wave here in January 2013 is awaiting verification.