Kick back or kick into gear with Yucatan's sea, night life

11:40 AM CDT on Sunday, October 25, 2009
By MELISSA WARD AGUILAR / Houston Chronicle

You could lounge on the beach sipping Don Julio and reading a novel. Or you could pack as much into your four-day trip to the Yucatán as time will allow. It's your call.

If you want to lie back in a canopied chaise longue and look at the ocean, I recommend a long stay in the Riviera Maya. White sand, turquoise water; there isn't a prettier view.

But if you would rather do it all, here's an itinerary.

Cancún

If shopping and clubbing are high on your list, fly to Cancún. (If those activities aren't your cup of tea, skip ahead to Riviera Maya.) You can hit the duty-free stores for hip island club clothes and beachwear. Eat an elegant meal in Cancún City. Club all night. And stay in the hotel zone.

La Isla Shopping Village is a good place to start. The beautiful outdoor mall has a river walk along the lagoon. It also has a great restaurant and bar, La Madonna, catering to the older-than-30 crowd. For a romantic meal in town, you can't beat La Habichuela.

If you feel like partying all night, head to Coco Bongo. There's no dance floor here. You dance at your table, or on your table or on the bar – wherever you feel like. This club can hold 3,000, and if you don't like crowds, skip the club and try lobby-hopping from one hotel bar to another in the hotel zone.

Riviera Maya

The next morning, head south along the coast to the Riviera Maya resort zone. Here is where you chill, calm your nerves and recover from Cancún. The all-inclusive resorts will pamper you with great food, spa treatments and drinks on the beach.

Even if you don't stay at the five-star Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort, make dinner reservations there. The resort includes separate Spanish, Mexican, Asian, French, Italian and casual beach restaurants with excellent food. Our favorite was the signature restaurant, Cocina de Autor.

Plan a day trip while you're here. If you're traveling with kids, don't miss Xcaret, the Yucatán's fun-filled ecopark. Swim with dolphins (or sharks), tour the underground rivers, scuba and watch the Mayan dancers in the Mexico Espectacular show. Warning: This place gets packed.

Or you could visit the ruins at Tulum. The site is small, but it's one of the best preserved, and most visited, of the Mayan ruins. Swim at Tulum's beautiful beach and get another view of the ruins.

Playa del Carmen

Thirty-two miles south of Cancún is the bohemian former fishing town of Playa del Carmen. On the agenda here: Mayan food, mojitos, souvenir shopping and dancing in the streets after dark.

Its pedestrian-only Quinta Avenida, or Fifth Avenue, is lined with shops, restaurants, bicycles, bars and quaint hotels. It's a picturesque scene with people, many still in their swimsuits, strolling past the shops, stalls and Starbucks.

A few favorite places along the avenida: La Hierbabuena, with hand-painted Katrina skeletons and Virgin de Guadalupe figurines; Maya-xel with light fixtures made from conch shells; Babe's for mojitos; the silver vendors; and Yaxche, serving Yucatán cooking (try the fruit salad with lime and chile pepper powder).

We found a couple of gems off the avenida, too. Luna Blue Hotel and Garden has the most inviting bar. Swings hanging from the palapas serve as bar stools and overlook the beautifully landscaped cenote courtyard on Calle 26, just off Fifth. The rooms are cozy and affordable, guests told us.

On Calle 12, a brother and sister were selling embroidered shirts and handmade toys from Chiapas. Their stall was so laden with linens that it was sweltering inside. But the handiwork was too good to pass up. If you keep walking down Calle 12, you'll hit the beach.

The Cuban bar and restaurant La Bodeguita del Medio is a pleasant spot to hang out while you're waiting for the ferry. There are a few nice stores down by the Zocalo, too; Gloss Boutique and Daniel Espinosa Jewelry are worth visiting. On Sunday evenings, there are free concerts in the square. The whitewashed church celebrates Mass with an overflow crowd.

Cozumel

Had your fill of the mainland? Take the ferry to Cozumel. The island is just 30 minutes away. And you can catch some rays on the big boat's top deck if you don't want to miss a minute outside.

In Cozumel, you will want to dive or snorkel. The water is clear and the reefs are so full of fish, it's like swimming in an aquarium. We took a boat from the Palancar Beach Club to the renowned Palancar and San Francisco reefs for snorkeling.

Cozumel is also a great place to walk the beach in the evening. The sunset over the water is incredible and lasts an hour. You'll also want to eat lobster and drink sangria at Cabana de Lobster. And then there's great pizza and sangria at Guido's. Breakfast at the Playa Azul Hotel is a favorite with divers.

If you're interested in Mayan culture, stop by Cozumel's Island Museum. At La Casita Maya, the small Mayan house exhibit, the docent assured us that the Mayans are not an extinct ancient civilization. They are alive and well and living in the Yucatán.

If you have any time left before you head to the Cozumel airport, relax on the beach with your book. You've earned it.