Reasons for visiting the Riviera Maya

First, Mayan archaeological treasures are rife in the area - over 1200 sites are scattered within a few hours drive from Cancún in the Riviera Maya, including major sites at Tulum, Cobá, and Chichén Itzá. Many sites have been wonderfully restored, while others are still shrouded by tangled jungle vegetation.

Secondly, the Riviera Maya masterfully mixes the exotic with the familiar, so Americans can experience a completely different way of life without the struggle of trying to adapt to the unknown. English is spoken everywhere, the US dollar is valid currency, and familiar names in hotels, restaurants, and shopping eliminate the disorientation and lost time that often hinder foreign travel. As soon as you land, you are off and ready to have fun!

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Just south of Cancún, the Riviera Maya is taking shape as Mexico's newest holiday land. The region is filled with scenic and natural wonders, bordered by a craggy limestone shore of sugar-white, palm-fringed beaches, grottoes, and tropical coves. Also, some of the most fantastic archaeological sites in Mexico are found here. Resorts are generally all-inclusive and are confined to a few pockets of developed areas, leaving most of the region uninhabited and ideal for visitors seeking a Mexican-Caribbean getaway in a secluded setting.

Approximate Air Travel Time

• New York City: 4.25 hrs
• Boston: 6 hrs
• Philadelphia: 4.5 hrs
• Miami: 1.5 hrs
• Los Angeles: 6 hrs
• Chicago: 4 hrs
• Dallas-Forth Worth: 4.5 hrs
• San Francisco: 6.5 hrs

Please note that limited direct flights are available. All travel times are subject to change.

Areas within the Riviera Maya

Playa Del Carmen

Visitors from around the world flock downtown to the Plaza Municipal, which faces the city's spectacular white-sand beach. Nearby, the main pedestrian arcade of Quinta Avenida comes alive in the evenings, as locals and tourists browse the shops, boutiques, and open-air cafés. To the south is the upscale residential/resort development Playacar, which opened in the 1980s and is the site of several all-inclusive resorts and the area's best golf.

Puerto Aventuras

This turquoise bay is now home to an ambitious deluxe resort development spanning nearly 900 acres, plus private villas, condos, hotels, and shops. At the heart of the development is a marina and island, full of boats and surrounded by restaurants, coffee shops, handicraft stores, and bakeries.

Akumal

Once part of a large coconut plantation, Akumal is now a thriving resort community with silky white-sand beaches that are protected by offshore reefs. Akumal is made up of 3 adjacent bays: Yal-kú, Half Moon Bay, and Akumal Bay (the original development).

Tulum

This legendary Mayan archaeological site is adjacent to a modest-sized coastal city, and the only Mayan port ever discovered. The blend of traditional Mayan huts, French restaurants, boutiques, and shops creates a jovial and unusual atmosphere.

Puerto Morelos

Puerto Morelos is a small town located between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, near an active commercial port. Known by many as “La Joya del Caribe” (Jewel of the Caribbean), Puerto Morelos is a charming Mexican fishing village with a population of approximately 3,000 people.

Chetumal

Chetumal, the capital of Quintana Roo, is known for its bargain shopping, cultural museum, rain forests, and location, which allows convenient travel to Mayan archaeological sites. An excellent tropical climate makes this destination perfect for tanning and relaxing.

Topography

The Riviera Maya lies on a tropical, coastal lowland at the northeastern shore of the Yucatán Peninsula. The landscape contains beautiful scenery, lush plants, and exotic wildlife.

Climate

The Riviera Maya is sunny most of the year, with a coastal location that brings trade winds to make summers cooler than the interior jungles. Winters are very pleasant, with warm and mild weather. The average year-round temperature is 85° during the day and 75° at night. The heart of hurricane season lasts from early September to late October, though strikes are rare and there is plenty of advance notice to prepare. When threatened by a hurricane strike, one should expect a 2-day displacement from evacuation to safe return.

What To Do & See in the Riviera Maya

Day Trip to Cozumel

Discover the appeal of this easygoing, sleepy island. Includes shopping and snorkeling, city tour, lunch with drinks.

Tulum

This imposing fortress city sits high on a cliff of the Riviera Maya overlooking the Caribbean. Built over many centuries in the first millennium AD, it contains one of the most amazing archaeological finds in all the ruins - the Temple of the Frescos. This is the most visited of the ruins in the Mundo Maya, and you should take along a bathing suit for a dip in the exquisite beaches at the base of the city.

Xcaret

A singularly unique ecological park on the Riviera Maya, it was built over the ancient Mayan jungle seaport of Polé. Its privileged location amid an archaeological site and the natural splendor of the peninsula inspired the fusion of nature, culture, history, and technology in perfect harmony. Dive the underground rivers that join the most extensive subterranean water system in the world, snorkel the crystal waters bursting with colorful life, swim with dolphins, and float down the Maya River to an authentic recreation of a Mayan village. At night, ancient Mayan rituals are re-enacted in illuminated grottoes and culminate in a traditional show in the moonlit amphitheater.

Cobá Ruins

The ruins of this important Mayan site in the Riviera Maya are still shrouded by thick jungle, imparting the feeling of "discovery" for visitors. The city, still being unearthed, is an enormous 50 square miles! Excavations have located the tallest pyramid in the Yucatán, a 9-tiered castle, and a ball court. Also, it has the most sacbe (wide, limestone-paved ancient roads) of any site yet discovered.

Dining in the Riviera Maya

Seafood and steak are the staple of most menus, but you can also find Arabic, Chinese, Italian, French, Cajun, and Polynesian food, not to mention American, Mexican, and local fast-food joints. Restaurants are found mostly at the resorts, but there are also independently-owned restaurants where you can enjoy authentic local dishes. Yucatecan cuisine, the local specialty, has gained a reputation as one of the finest in all Mexico and combines Mayan and European ingredients -- a tasty by-product of the Spanish Conquest. While the Riviera Maya does not have as many restaurants as its northern neighbor Cancún, the quality and variety of cuisine is just as great, especially along Quinta Avenida in Playa del Carmen.

Nightlife in the Riviera Maya

The Riviera Maya's night scene is notably more subdued than that of Cancun's. Your tour or transfer operator can usually provide monthly guides for nightlife and other events, and they're also handed out at the airports and hotels, as well as distributed around town.

For more Travel Tips and Advice for your Vacation, Honeymoon or Wedding in the Riviera Maya - ask a Mexico Travel Advisor!

Ready to book your Riviera Maya vacation or honeymoon? Don't worry, our Mexico Travel Advisors are delighted to assist you with your vacation travel plans at a time convenient for you. Call 1-888-420-9053 for courteous and timely attention or...

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