The Riviera Maya, or Mayan Riviera as it is often called, stretches 112 miles along Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Located in the state of Quintana Roo, it runs south of Cancun to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve south of Tulum. With a rich cultural heritage, fabulous beaches and natural beauty, lodging to suit all budgets, a diversity of activities, and an average annual temperature of 82°F, the Riviera Maya makes an ideal vacation destination.
A RICH HISTORY
Noted for its numerous archaeological ruins, this region has been home to Mayan people for more than 3,500 years. One of the most highly developed civilizations in the ancient world, the Maya were the first people to use the number zero in math, they developed a 365-day calendar that was more accurate than the one used in Europe at the time, they were able to accurately forecast eclipses and the orbit of Venus, and they developed the most advanced writing system in the Americas. The ancient Maya also built elaborate stone temples, palaces, and pyramids even though they didn’t have the wheel or metal cutting tools.
With origins dating back more than 5,000 years, the Maya people first appeared on the Yucatan Peninsula around 1600 BC. They achieved their most significant scientific and artistic achievements between 250 AD and 900 AD – the Classic Period – when they also established their first great cities. Some of the most popular archaeological ruins along the Riviera Maya date from the Post-Classic Period, 900–1500 AD, and include the walled city of Tulum and Chichen Itza, with its fabulous Pyramid of Kukulkán.
Although the arrival of the Spaniards in the 1500s brought about the eventual demise of Mayan independence, Mayan culture is still very much alive today. The many indigenous communities that continue to populate this region, comprising around half a million people, still preserve the traditions, religion, and social structure of their ancestors.
WATER WONDERLAND
While the area’s archaeological ruins remain popular with visitors, it is the Riviera Maya’s beautiful beaches and fabulous diving that lure many vacationers. Average water temperatures ranging from the low 70s (ºF) in winter to the low 80s (ºF) in summer, endless miles of sparkling-white sandy beaches, the world’s second longest reef system, exceptional underwater visibility, and the world’s largest underwater cave system combine to make the Riviera Maya a dreamland for water enthusiasts.
The Mesoamerican Reef System – or Great Maya Reef as it is more commonly called – protects most of the coastline providing calm waters perfect for swimming, kayaking, sailing, and other water sports. For amazing open-water diving the waters around Cozumel offer some of the best diving you’ll find in the Atlantic. Extreme divers may favor the spectacular cave diving around Tulum and Akumal, where more than 300 miles of rivers snake underground. You’ll also find excellent snorkeling at Akumal, as well as at nearby Yal Ku Lagoon and Half Moon Bay, Dzul Ha and Chakanaab in Cozumel, and most anywhere that advertises a “natural” beach – meaning natural coral and seaweed beds as opposed to the prototypical sandy beach. For a different type of snorkelling head to one of the numerous inland cenotes – freshwater sinkholes connected to the underwater river system – such as those at Kan Tun Chi, Dos Ojos, Gran Cenote, and Actun Ha. A number of theme parks, including Xel-Ha, Xcaret, Kantun-Chi, and Punta Venada, provide fun for the whole family with opportunities for snorkelling, swimming with dolphins, kayaking, exploring caverns and cenotes, and more.
If you’re looking to just kickback on a beautiful Caribbean beach, head to Playa del Carmen, Playacar, Puerto Aventuras, Xpu-Há, central Akumal, Tulum, and Xcacel.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ALL BUDGETS AND STYLES
Whether you are travelling as a family, a couple, or with friends, you’ll find lodging to suit your needs. All of the larger resorts have supervised activities or facilities geared to kids. Couples can find peace and seclusion at the quieter communities along the coast, and those looking for an active nightlife will find it here too.
The sleepy fishing village of Puerto Morelos, just 15 minutes south of Cancún International Airport, has some small hotels, rental villas, and spa resorts. The bohemian flair of this quiet community comes from the artists, writers and foreign residents who make their home here.
In Playa del Carmen you’ll find hotels to suit all budgets, including rental condos and a number of all-inclusive resorts. The most happening place south of Cancún, Playa as it is called, has grown in recent years and offers a good selection of restaurants, excellent shopping, golf, an active nightlife, and a tourism infrastructure to suit the most discerning traveler.
The laid-back island of Cozumel, a 45-minute ferry ride from Playa del Carmen, is a divers mecca. The island has a well-developed infrastructure with banks, hospitals, markets, plenty of duty-free shopping, a large selection of restaurants and cafés, and a number of all-inclusive and other small- to medium-sized hotels. You’ll also find beautiful beaches, golf, a national park, an ecological reserve, and numerous archaeological sites here.
The upscale marina community of Puerto Aventuras is the region’s center for sport fishing. Here you’ll find world-class resorts, rental villas, B&Bs, international restaurants, a beautiful beach, golf, diving, and the area’s only maritime museum.
The quiet village of Akumal, known for cenote diving and for the fabulous snorkelling and diving right off its brilliant beaches, offers a number of rental villas and condos as well as all-inclusive resorts.
The ancient Mayan port town of Tulum is the area’s most popular archaeological site and a jumping off point to other ruins, cenote diving, and the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. It has a beautiful beach, a small selection of restaurants and cantinas, a large market, and many small resorts, spas, and rustic lodgings.
The village of Felipe Carrillo Puerto is the gateway to the Mayan communities of the area. Here you’ll find traditional Mexican handicrafts, cuisine, and housing in the small villages that still retain the same customs, traditions, and way of life of their Mayan ancestors.
The towns of Boca Paila and Punta Allen, located in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, offer limited lodging in unspoiled natural surroundings.
Getting around the Mayan Riviera is easy thanks to Highway 307, which runs along the coast. Taxis and rental cars are readily available and buses run from Playa del Carmen to all destinations. Cancún International Airport is the main gateway, although Cozumel also has an international airport.
With its easy access, accommodations for every budget and style, great food and shopping, natural beauty, and diversity of activities, this stretch of the Yucatan Peninsula offers a fun, interesting, and relaxing Mexican vacation for all.
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