Over the past two years Playa Viva has been actively supporting the evolution of a game called WordTrails, which just arrived on the market in December. 

Prototypes have been out on the table here at Playa Viva multiple times during the long stays of its creator, Scout Wilkins. Many of the elements in the game emerged right here, through interactions with other guests and community members.

There are many commonalities, between Playa Viva and WordTrails… Both carry the Playa Viva soul vision of “disconnect to reconnect” helping people slow down, listen deeply, and synch up with place, people, and the magic of life. 

Both take a little time to enter and relax into a flow, which deepens over the days. Key conversations emerge from engaging. And both are a beautiful mix of comfort and new, weaving things together as you go along.

Now the game is printed and in circulation, and Scout wants to return the support she has been such a grateful recipient of, and help Playa Viva and the turtles.

There are 1,500 copies in the initial “Founder’s Edition.” 5 % of the sales from this edition will come back into our watershed, to help fund the Playa Viva’s community watershed regeneration initiative, ReSiMar which includes Scout’s beloved turtle conservation project, La Tortuga Viva.

If this sounds intriguing to you, we hope you will consider buying a copy!

To purchase WordTrails: https://wordtrails.myshopify.com/

To learn more about WordTrails, visit:  https://wordtrails.com

To learn more about Scout and her deep connection to nature and her family here at Playa Viva listen to this podcast, recorded during her most recent stay at her second home, Playa Viva

A description of WordTrails:

WordTrails is a game where players create paths together using word chips and action cards. There’s just one rule: no explanations allowed! As players take turns adding to the trails, everyone holds a few special trinkets. When someone plays a word or action that feels true or meaningful to you, you can place your trinket on it – a quiet way of saying “that matters to me too.”

The magic happens when all the trinkets have been placed, and the game moves to its next level. These special pieces – the ones that touched different players – are brought together and each player gets a turn to form their own pattern or story with those chips. Once you have built your own pattern, you are free to share its story, or just let the pattern speak for itself.

As 8-year-old Presley puts it, “I can tell people how I’m feeling without having to say it.” It’s a game that lets everyone share what’s real for them while discovering what matters to others – in a space where no one (including you) can ask for an explanation why.

Other things that could be said:

WordTrails offers the chance to slow things down together. Everything is back on the table: all the possibilities, all the questions, and all the actions that might be taken. Players get to re-enter the world as it is right now, with all options reinstated.

What is new in the WordTrails version of the world is the absence of explanation. 

Suddenly, there is space enough and time enough for taking it all in. For walking together, listening carefully, considering things, taking next steps and exchanging trinkets of appreciation. 

WordTrails feels like getting to talk with a trusted friend where there is no such thing as shame or judgment.

At Playa Viva we are working to promote gender equality within the team so statements like the title of this piece are a thing of the past. One woman leading the way for us is Cecilia Vega, who is in charge of the maintenance of the solar systems and power at the hotel. She tells us how since university she has been excelling and challenging gender norms in a job that is traditionally thought to be for “men”, how she arrived at Playa Viva and the impact that this has had on her life.

DAVID: Let’s start from the beginning: Your name, what you do here; and I want you to talk about what it’s like to be a woman and be part of a team that normally has men as its head and what it’s like to be in that environment.

CECI: I’m Cecilia Vega Rauda, ​​I’m in charge of technical maintenance at the hotel. First of all, arriving at the hotel and knowing that I would be surrounded by men is something that I had already experienced, because normally you don’t see a woman in this type of job. Since university I have always been the only woman in the room, Playa Viva is no different. When I arrived I was aware my colleagues had the mindset that a woman doesn’t have the same capabilities as a man, and yes, it was a little difficult to deal with but I think we have moved past it. I got ahead by showing them that I am neither better nor equal to them, but that we can have the same capabilities and we can support each other without having to step on each other’s toes. At the end of the day, we are working towards the same goal, which is to ensure that the hotel is always in the best condition for our guests and operating 100% off-grid efficiently.

DAVID: How did you hear about the role at Playa Viva and when finishing university did you imagine working somewhere like this?

CECI: I heard about the role through an ad on the Facebook page of the university where I studied; Industrial Engineering and Maintenance. I didn’t even know that Playa Viva existed. The director of the university program called me and told me there was a position in a hotel near Petatlán, and when I googled Playa Viva I thought: “Do we have this near here in Zihuatanejo?” I saw the treehouses and things like that and was very impressed, so I sent my resume; and to my pleasant surprise, Julia immediately answered me and the next day I was interviewed by the engineer Alberto.

DAVID: And how did it go?

CECI: Well, it went well. Maestro Alberto asked me several things about myself, he took me to see some facilities that he considered were not finished or in compliance with the norm or safety standards and he asked me questions, about what I could do to correct it; names of things and so on, and then I think he liked me or he saw something in me and now, here I am. When I arrived here and began to see the palapas and that everything was self-sustaining; I liked it a lot; I was excited. I went home to tell my mother that we had this beautiful place so close and how crazy it was we didnt know. I believe it is because national tourism doesnt really recognise the importance of sustainability and international tourists are a bit more educated and therefore attracted to Playa Viva in that respect. This really made me love the project more, instead of destroying this place we are aiming to support it, it is reassuring to know that there are sustainable ways to preserve nature and the world if only we are shown how to do it well.

DAVID: How do you feel about being in charge of the solar system?

CECI: Well, at first it was a challenge because I didn’t know what a photovoltaic system was, but the Engineer Alberto taught me all what I should know in regards to the maintenance part. But I can’t be blind in something, just waiting for the engineer to tell me what to do, I always want the full picture so that’s when I asked Julia if I could have attend a course to gain some extra knowledge on the subject. It was a challenge for me, but I didn’t fear it, I liked it, I liked knowing that they were autonomous, that they had no relationship with CFE (the Mexican energy board). It was a great experience for me and I feel proud to be managing such an extensive system myself and training our team.

DAVID: How would you describe the environment for a woman coming to work here at Playa Viva?

CECI: At first the environment was very tense in my maintenance area, not from the outside of my team, from the outside I saw them thinking, “What is a woman doing there?”, but there was never anyone pointing at me or saying bad things, rather it was like a surprise for them to see a woman in maintenance, but I considered the environment good. Inside maintenance however it was very difficult at first. I would say that it is very difficult to work with someone who has a very deep-rooted way of thinking; maybe from childhood, right? Yes, it was very difficult.

DAVID: Has the situation improved?

CECI: Yes, it has improved, we have a better relationship, I think he has realized that I am not here to take his place, but to support him and for him to support me. Where there is a case that he has more knowledge than me I am happy to ask him, and also, if he has doubts about a topic he approaches me. There is respect there now and we have started to work as I wanted at the beginning, as a team.

DAVID: Tell us about the benefits of working here.

CECI: I like being surrounded by the concept that we have here, I think the feeling of family is evident between the team and guests. We are all supported by the space and there is a feeling of peace all the time, even if you dont know guests or new holistic hosts, they greet you, and they can even hug you and that transmits a lot of good energy to me. I like that there are hostesses who talk openly, who teach you, that if for example you are going through a bad situation, they are there to guide us. I really like the more relaxed working environment that we have of course, some situations I have to resolve with the systems stress me out but mainly, I don’t feel stressed, I really like working here at the hotel.

DAVID: Playa Viva often talks about being a regenerative hotel. What does that mean to you?

CECI: “Regenerative”—that’s a new concept for me. I’d be surprised if I give you the definition you’re looking for, but it’s like taking what we already have in nature and improving it if we’ve damaged it. For example, if we have things that are good for the environment, leave them be or add more, but don’t harm what we already have. I think Playa Viva is on a good path to achieving that. We’ve been making changes, and it’s becoming more evident that we’re using environmentally friendly practices.

DAVID: Are there any practices from the hotel that you now use in your personal life?

CECI: The fact that e paint with earth—I want to do that now. I told my mom that we should paint our family home with earth because it’s eco-friendly. Before, I didn’t pay much attention to what I consumed, but now I’m more conscious of what I eat as well. I try not to consume junk food, though it’s hard, but I try to be healthier. Working here has changed my mindset, and I’m proud to be part of something positive for the environment.

DAVID: In terms of raising awareness, has it raised your awareness in any other way?

CECI: I need it. I think there is a lot of potential for Playa Viva to raise awareness in us, but I think the issue is, we Mexicans are very lazy. So, Playa Viva wants to take away that laziness from us Mexicans. What we could really benefit from is recycling in the towns, I would like to, start to separate plastics, cardboard, things that I can reuse and that are worthless to me because at the moment I throw them away. So I think Playa Viva is here to raise awareness in each one of us, but it is up to each one of us to want to learn or to continue learning what Playa Viva is trying to teach us. It would be great if outside of the hotel, there were things in place which can enable us to engage with good practices in our homes.

DAVID: How can we help with that?

CECI: Maybe having a course every so often in which they give us official figures of what is happening around us in the country; because sometimes Mexicans think: “Oh no, nothing is happening, that will never happen”, but if we give them correct figures, official figures, for example, I heard that: every hour 3 people are dying because of lung damage due to enhaling toxic fumes from burning garbage. That is when they will say… “I am not going to burn garbage in my house anymore, I will use it as fertilizer for the trees instead”, we need to see numbers to start worrying and taking care of what is around us

DAVID: What do you see for the future of Playa Viva and your future?

CECI: I see growth for the hotel and becoming even more cemented in the foundations it has in the sustainability space. I am proud that our practices are not only on paper, we live them everyday, each one of the team feels responsible to meet the standards the hotel has and improve on them. I see the hotel stronger in terms of the environmental impact and I see myself aware of working in a hotel that is experiencing sustainable growth. I see myself growing personally as well thanks to putting into practice each of the values ​​and principles that the hotel is trying to instill in each one of us, such as sustainable, energetic, and companionship practices, as well as being guardians of the Juluchuca community. Little actions we make today, such as picking up trash if you see it lying around, all those good practices that we have been taught since we were little but that we don’t do, are all going to make a sustainable difference in the future. 

DAVID: Any final words for those reading this?

CECI: I’d like to say that I’m very grateful for the opportunity to work here and learn. I’m constantly learning every day. It’s been an incredible experience to meet people from different cultures and learn from them. I’m very happy to be part of this team, and I’ll continue working hard to ensure Playa Viva remains a beautiful, sustainable place.

In recent years a new team member has enabled us to add cultural events, showcasing Mexican traditions, spirituality, and our sustainability projects to our offering but what are they and who’s behind them? Find out in this interview with Yara Landa, fashion designer, entrepreneur, and Cultural lead at Playa Viva; who gave us the opportunity to learn about the entire process through her eyes.

David: Tell us, what is your name, how many years have you been here and what is your role at Playa Viva?

Yara: My name is Yara Landa, I have been at Playa Viva nearly three years now and I am in charge of the Boutique and lead cultural events

David: Cultural leader, explain what that means?

Yara: I am responsible for organizing events that aim to share beautiful Mexican traditions with our guests. In my first year working here at Playa Viva, I had the initiative to plan a special event for Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead as it is more commonly known outside of Mexico (which is one of my favorite Mexican traditions). We invited guests to participate and feel part of the tradition, showing them how the altar is made, explaining the characteristics and history of the celebration, and why it is culturally significant to us. It was an honor to give them the opportunity to enjoy special moments like being blessed with copal to cleanse their spirit and aura, adding photos of their family members to the altar, and helping them to feel connected to their loved ones through the ceremony. One of the ways in which we adapt this tradition to the Playa Viva style is to give them marigold petals for them to make a path from the altar to the dining room so that they feel that their family member is eating with them. That’s how it started. 

After that in the same year we organized a posada which is a traditional event that brings families and friends together ahead of Christmas.  We shared this tradition with the guests in the Mexican style, with Mexican Christmas carols at candlelight, we broke the piñata, we explained the history to them and we invited them to participate. This year we even had dancers from the local community come to perform dances that are unique to this place. The response from those first two events was so positive that now we have an annual calendar of traditional events such as Dia de Mariachi, Festival of San Martin and monthly full moon ceremonies to name just a few. 

I love planning and executing the events, sharing my culture in Playa Viva style is such a pleasure because by engaging the guests we are keeping these traditions alive. My favorite thing is seeing how the guests react, they always leave very happy, very grateful and they take a part of our culture home with them. 

David: What other events are you thinking of adding? What do you like to do and how do you do it?

Yara: More than adding other events, I would like to think about how to make them more meaningful for the guest. For example, the full moon ceremony that we offer every month to harness the full moon’s energy and take time to be thankful, let go of what no longer serves and invite in abundance. I am constantly working with our Holistic Hosts to make them deeper, more meaningful and memorable for the guests, so that they feel more secure that they are in a healthy circle to be able to free themselves, share and express themselves, that is the intention of the ceremonies and it is a honor to provide that space.

David: Tell me, thinking about the guest experience, what do you think makes Playa Viva different? 

Yara: Out of all of the hotels I have visited and stayed at, I cannot compare any to the experience you have as a guest in this place. One of the advantages I have is that I stayed at the hotel twice, once about 5 years ago an the second time 3 years ago. Getting to know the staff first as a guest and then as a worker has been very meaningful, I already felt a good connection with them just as a guest but now as a team member getting to know them deeper and more intimately is something that I have liked a lot. I will always say that the staff are one of the most beautiful parts of the Playa Viva experience, I see it every day when guests complete their check outs with me, guests reference team members by name and it is such a good reflection of the fac that our team enjoy making guests feel like they are at home. That is special. I believe that for our guests Playa Viva is not only about pretty rooms or a very important social impact project, but becomes meaningful to them because of the humility and heart that each member of the team puts into the hotel.

David: You said, “Playa Viva is much more than…” What else is Playa Viva for you?

Yara: Much more than just a nice hotel. It is community, it is family, friendship, it is… for example, as a worker, it is an opportunity. I feel that Playa Viva provides a platform for you to develop professionally, here you have the opportunity to share your ideas and for those ideas to be heard. I mention this because, for example, I am also a fashion designer and I sell my brand here at the hotel. I wasnt sure what to expect but luckily the guests love my clothes and give helpful feedback, the results I have seen have been unexpected and I can really see a development in my brand. I really appreciate having the opportunity to sell here because not everyone does, that makes me feel the support and trust of the leaders and the managers of the hotel. Having the opportunity to develop as a person, especially in the workplace is very positive.

David: How have you grown as a person in the two years you have been here?

Yara: I feel that I have developed on a personal level, but also on a professional level in a way that, honestly, I didn’t expect, because Playa Viva also makes you leave your comfort zone, it invites you to see beyond what you can do. The growth that I have had here has been very, very, very great.

David: In what sense?

Yara: Something that makes me feel very proud is the development of my English speaking abilities. I came here to Playa Viva barely speaking English, I had only done a 4 month intensive course and I remember perfectly that when I spoke with you, David, in an interview about the possibility of working here, that you asked me for a project proposal; by the way, I read that email recently and I said “Wow, I have fulfilled all those points that I said I would do;” but anyway, I arrived speaking almost no English and that was one of my goals to improve, I honestly didnt think it would be possible but today I feel much more confident to be able to express myself with it. Sure, I still make mistakes but it is a testament to our team and guests because they make me feel comfortable to be able to learn, make mistakes and I love when they correct me, every day I am learning. The Yara of 2 years ago is not the same as Yara now, all it took was the Playa Viva family to open the doors for me for me to continue growing and developing. When I took the role I didnt expect it to help my brand but with my improved English I have been able to attract more clients and an engaged audience of Playa Viva guests, and that has been very satisfying.

David: Playa Viva says it is a regenerative hotel? What is that? What have you learned about Regeneration in your 2 years here?

Yara: When my friends or acquaintances ask me about the hotel, I always talk about the whole sustainable part; from the solar panels to how we take care of the water not just in the hotel but in the entire watershed, and all the social impact we have in Juluchuca. I think that when I first heard about Playa Viva, I hadn’t understood all these amazing commitments, I just thought it was a beautiful hotel. Thanks to being in close contact with Ximena, who is in charge of the education node, Osmaira who manages the Women’s cooperative part, and Kerry, who has a background with “Regenerative Travel,” makes me see that something very important is being done to make change in this area. I have seen a growth in terms of support for the community, one example being the products that I sell here in the boutique, which are products that the Women’s Cooperative make. Just recently I was talking with Mayra, who is part of the women’s cooperative; I asked her if she really liked her job and she said yes, that she never imagined working in that field but now she cant imagine doing anything else, she loves the women she works with. Seeing how little by little they have grown makes me say “Ok”; I feel proud to know where I am working and the people who are a part of these projects; there are many things that I would like to understand more, for example how they do the study of the water basin from the mountains, so I can share more with our guests but from what I already understand I am proud to be able to confidently tell them that Playa Viva is much more than just a nice hotel.

David: Something I wanted to ask when you were talking about the piñata. Can you tell us about when you made the change from one piñata to another?

Yara: The piñatas that we have always had here at Playa Viva had been filled with the normal candy that comes wrapped in plastic wrappers, until a guest shared with us her sadness when she saw one of those plastic wrappers the next day in the sea. We had a talk between the kitchen, office, housekeeping and boutique in which she was involved, and from there we began to observe the areas where we we may not have thought about alternatives to plastic. Perhaps she thought her comment wasn’t important but I love how Playa Viva is always open to feedback, it makes us see where we can improve. From that day we committed to only offering plastic-free pinatas so they are instead stuffed with traditional sweets such as tamarinds wrapped in tamale leaves, nuts and fruits. We buy candies in bulk to make plastic-free pic n mix bags so no one is left too disappointed and the ocean is safe from unwanted plastic rubbish. 

David: How have you changed your habits because of working here?

Yara: I have become more conscious, especially in relation to how much plastic and trash I generate in my house, I can really notice that I have changed my consumption of single-use products. I am also more conscious of how much I consume, not only in material things, but also in solar and electric energy and I now separate the organic from the inorganic. It doesnt sound like much but we really are not taught about the importance of these things so it is nice to be an example for my friends and family.  

 Sign up to our newsletter or follow us on social media to learn about our upcoming events organized by Yara.

What do the cliff divers of Acapulco, the Posadas de Taxco and Playa Viva have in common? All have been recognized by the The Excellence Awards by Groupo Excellencias!

On the 24 of January 2024 Playa Viva was awarded The Excellence in Tourism Award 2024 during Fitur in Madrid. Playa Viva was selected as the winner for this prestigious award from a group of outstanding tourism operations by an independent judging panel of international trailblazers and personalities working within Tourism, Art and Gastronomy, headed by José Carlos de Santiago as president of the Grupo Excelencias.

Among more than 1 thousand applications from over 25 countries, only 45 projects were awarded. Playa Viva has received this significant commendation thanks to our:

• Conceptualization, planning, and 100% sustainable operation that also considers environmental, sociocultural and economic needs.
• Internationally award-winning sustainable bamboo and wood architecture
• Driving social and environmental change- Support of the La Tortuga Viva turtle sanctuary and 20-acre Permaculture Farm and extensive programs in the local watershed across education, water, permaculture, marine conservation and reforestation 

Since their inception The Excellence Awards have become the benchmark in the field of tourism and gastronomy in Latin America. The spirit of the awards is to give well-deserved recognition to outstanding people and projects in tourism worldwide. In the history of the awards, the State of Guerrero has only been awarded three times. Once to recognize the cliff divers of Acapulco with their 80-year history and another award was given to the Posadas de Taxco with its 300-year history, in both cases to recognize their cultural significance. This is the first time a singular brand and hotel has been nominated and won. To achieve the Award of Excellence by this esteemed group and panel is a huge achievement for Playa Viva and the wider state of Guerrero and Mexican Tourism. 

“Playa Viva is driven to showcase how tourism can function in a different way, that honors all stakeholders including the natural world in a regenerative manner. Receiving international recognition for our regenerative tourism model is a huge vote of confidence for us, for our team, for our community, and for the entire State of Guerrero and Mexico as a whole. Regeneration for us is about co-evolution and we truly believe that if we have managed to become a world-leading example of regenerative tourism here, in Juluchuca, then it really is achievable anywhere in the world. Thank you for the Department of Tourism for Guerrero for nominating us and thank you to FITUR for recognizing us with this Award of Excellence.” David Leventhal, Co-founder and Operating Manager at Playa Viva

Thank you all who have participated in our start, evolution and growth. We look forward to another 15 years of trailblazing in the regenerative tourism space and offering an experience “Where Your Vacation Meets Your Values”