Continued: ALONG THE RIVIERA MAYA

Where to stay: The strikingly modern 128-room Rosewood Mayakoba makes the most of its constrained beach frontage with a series of channels that allow every room to face a waterway (a few beachfront rooms are extravagantly priced). The first-rate spa overlooks a cenote, a natural reservoir. From $590 ($790 high season); 1-888-767-3966; rosewoodhotels.com.
Beach town

The de facto hub of the Riviera Maya and Mexico's fastest-growing city, Playa del Carmen is not exactly a place for seclusion and quiet, but it's also not a high-rise jungle. Often known simply as "Playa," the beach is surprisingly broad and relatively clean -- especially north of main drag Constituyentes -- and resort and dining prices are the region's most competitive. Years ago, city officials had the prescience to designate Fifth Avenue -- one block from the beach -- as a pedestrian-only street, with restaurants and shops that percolate cheerfully each evening.

Despite 180,000-plus residents, Playa is an ideal location for car-free visitors. The town beach is lively, especially around Mamita's, a hip beach club with a pageant of white beds, loungers and umbrellas for rent.

Within walking distance just south of town is the Playacar complex, with hundreds of condos, a golf course and a collection of low- and mid-priced all-inclusive resorts. Intensive building close to the shoreline has taken its toll on the slender beach here; some hotels have planted immense sandbags that look like beached whales in the water to hold the sand. You'll find good hotel deals here, but if you're staying elsewhere it's not a beach worth a detour.

Where to stay: Most hotels are a block or two from the beach. A perennial favorite is La Tortuga, a 51-room hotel with a pool and lush gardens. It's a subdued but sexy hideaway just off Fifth Avenue. From $114 ($160 high season); hotellatortuga.com.
Sacred strands

Southbound traffic thins out after you pass Playa, and 4 miles beyond the aquatic theme park Xcaret lies Paamul, a throwback to the Riviera Maya of a couple decades ago when ramshackle fishing hamlets ran on generator power. There's no real village in Paamul, just a bare-bones hotel and trailer park, plus a modest restaurant overlooking the innocent crescent cove. It's worth a margarita stop.

Continued on Next Submission