Riviera Maya: Margaritas and Mariachi in the Western Caribbean by Melanie Reffes
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From Cancun to the Belize border, Riviera Maya unfurls along eighty-one miles of Mexico’s Caribbean coast. With some of the finest beaches and golf courses in the world, nearly 40,000 hotel rooms, duty-free shopping, eco-adventures, archaeological sites and Great Mayan Reef - largest coral reef in the western hemisphere - Riviera Maya is the preferred destination for three million travelers annually.
Tourist centers include Playa Del Carmen, Cozemel, Isla Mujeres and Tulum and the hotel zone is getting a USD 71 million facelift that will pump one billion gallons of sand on the beaches damaged by Hurricane Wilma in 2005.
With seventeen miles of resorts facing the sea, Cancun has a first-rate tourist infrastructure while fifty miles south, Playa del Carmen has morphed from a sleepy fishing village to the largest city in the region. The deep waters separating it from Cozumel are ideal for sport fishing while down the coast in Tulum, Mayan ruins sit atop cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea.
Tu Casa
A regal quartet of all-inclusive properties, Royal Resorts include Royal Playa del Carmen, Gran Porto Real Playa del Carmen, Royal Cancun and Gran Caribe Real Cancun. With an expansion that included fourty-four new suites, Royal Playa del Carmen now offers eleven dining options and junior-Olympic pool. An on-site civil registry office is a first for the region and allows couples to marry without legal red tape. “Extras for couples include tequila baths and strawberries by the Jacuzzi,” said Lili Levet, one of three romance concierges.
Grand Velas Resort is, indeed, grand with 497 spacious suites, butler service and the largest spa in the region. Celebrating the Unesco Natural World Heritage Site, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Package takes guests through Mayan ruins and the natural habitat of jaguars and crocodiles.
The 90-suite all-inclusive AAA-four-diamond-rated Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita has introduced a Wellness Experience package, following its re-branding to an AM Resort.
Dreams Riviera Cancun excels with nine restaurants and 486 octagon-shaped rooms and suites. A member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the resort offers complimentary golf at El Camaleón Mayakoba Golf Club and Explorer’s Kids Club.
In Tulum, Catalonia Royal Beach Resort is an adult-only all-inclusive with 288 rooms and cultural extras like Mayan-ritual spa treatments. For the eco-minded, the 14-cabana Amansala tempts with a six-night Bikini Boot Camp and men-only Warrior Weeks.
Marriott International said it will triple the number of hotels it has in Mexico including two in Riviera Maya slated to open next year- 450-room JW Marriott Milla de Oro Resort & Spa and an upscale 150-room Renaissance Milla de Oro.
To Explore
The most visited eco-archeological park, Xcaret has introduced new attractions including Vino de Mexico and an interactive sea turtle exhibition in addition to swimming in underground rivers, snorkeling and the nightly cultural show. A Museum of Popular Mexican Arts will open this summer.
Underground currents of fresh water combine with salt water to produce an unparalleled ecosystem at Xel-Ha Park. Popular for snorkeling, other options include floating on inner tubes, swinging over sinkholes (or cenotes) and swimming with dolphins. Covering one thousand acres of rainforest Aktun Chen is home to three caves with underground rivers.
For birdwatchers, Xaman Ha Aviary celebrates sixty species including macaws and flamingos. Xplor is an adventure park with eleven zip lines, cavern rafting and underground rivers. New attractions at Hidden Worlds Cenotes Park include the SkyCycle enabling adventurers to pedal bicycles suspended over the rainforest by cables.
Each day a limited number of visitors are welcome to take part in normal village life and, accompanied by a local guide, guests hike around unexcavated Maya ruins and prepare lunch with the villagers in the traditional open-pit oven.
Kensington Tours has added five cruise itineraries aboard catamarans that sleep up to eight people. "An intimate cruise through the Riviera Maya is a great take on this popular destination, “said Jeff Willner, founder, “we visit the islands of Mujeres, Contoy, Blanca and the vibrant city Cancun for a price comparable to a week at any fine hotel.”