All the Splendor of the Mayan World in Second Life
 The Mexico Tourism Board has announced the opening of the "Mayan World", a "virtual site of Second Life" (www.secondlife.com) beginning on April 3rd, 2008. Visitors experience the magic, nature, culture, as well and many other wonders offered in the Mayan World, which extends throughout Mexico in the states of Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Yucatan.
Visitors to the sites of the Mayan World will have the opportunity, to fly over pre-Hispanic cities, dive in search of treasures, climb majestic pyramids, learn about the exquisite cuisine of the region, swim in the sacred cenote, experience the mysticism behind the temascal and ride butterflies for aerial tours, among other things.
 In addition, the list of attractions includes sites as spectacular as Chichen Itza, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998 and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Tourists can virtually visit the impressive temple of the god Kukulcan (feathered serpent), a great pyramid that is visited by thousands of people every equinox (March 21 and September 21) to observe the shadow of the God projected on the northern ladder due to a solar phenomenon, which is also known as El Castillo.
Vast virtual ruins, located in the state of Yucatan, offer visitors the opportunity to experience the lush vegetation of the area, its rivers and underground deposits of limestone rocks that the Mayans used to build Chichen Itza in the thirteenth century.
The wonders of Quintana Roo, Chiapas, Campeche and Tabasco, the other four states that make up the Mayan World, were added on to Chichen Itza, which was inaugurated in 2007 and has been visited by more than 210,000 virtual tourists.
The inclusion of these four states in Second Life, and the opening of the two SIMs in which they are located, enable visitors to become familiar with the major attractions of southeastern Mexico, and enjoy a special tour that goes beyond the imagination.
As for Quintana Roo, the tour is focused on Tulum’s Castle, a building that is 7.5 meters high, in front of the Atlantic Ocean, around which revolved the activity of the city that flourished between the years 1250 and 1520. The itinerary also includes visiting El Castillo, diving excursions in the nearby reefs, horseback riding and hiking through the varied landscapes of the place.
In Chiapas, travelers can visit the Temple of the Inscriptions in The Palace, witness and participate interactively in a ballgame, feel the power of water in the river and waterfall Tulija Misol-Ha, rent a kayak, mountain climb and hand glide, all while observing animals typical of the Mayan world such as ocelots, jaguars, spider monkeys and anteaters.
Tabasco, which many consider as the Eden of Mexico, for the exuberance of its variety of flora and fauna, offers the possibility to visit the archaeological site of La Venta, center of the Olmec culture that developed between the years 900 and 400 BC. The main attractions are the colossal sculptures of heads representing the ancient inhabitants of the place, as well as so-called shrines, which undoubtedly will attract the attention of visitors to rely on the representation of a "priest" with an elaborate costume.
Finally, in Campeche, the tour covers the period from the ancient Mayan villagers until the discovery of the city of that name, and the state capital by the Spaniards in 1517, without neglecting the various hackers who suffered in the mid-sixteenth century and forced to protect her with impressive walls. The tour of the walled city of Campeche, declared a World Heritage Site in 1999, also includes the ability to learn and prepare recipes from the refined cuisine of the region.
"Virtual Mayan World is a milestone of which we are proud of. It allows us to share with a greater number of people one of the most important heritages that Mexico has and at the same time, show the vast array of amenities presently offered so that visitors can enjoy it to the fullest extent.” said Eduardo Chaillo, Director of the Mexico Tourism Board’s Strategic Business Unit in the United States and Canada.
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