Take a beach-by-beach tour of Mexico's Riviera Maya

03:16 PM CST on Sunday, November 8, 2009
By DAVID SWANSON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

In the early 1980s, the pristine, beach-girdled Caribbean coast of Mexico's Yucatán peninsula was marked by little more than a few fishing villages. There was a hotel here and a hammock there, but not much of an effort to identify their position, nor much infrastructure to support them.

But just as it did for Cancún, Mexico's tourism development agency decided to put a name to this beautiful face, and the Riviera Maya was born. Soon enough, a highway paralleling the coast was built, linking this coast to the Cancún airport.


David Swanson/Special Contributor
Riviera Maya is a fitting name for the magic carpet of sand that unrolls south from Cancun on Highway 307. Tulum's beach is splendid.
View larger Photography Photo store The name rings of romanticized marketing, but Riviera Maya is, indeed, an ideal description of the magic carpet of sand that unrolls virtually unbroken for 81 miles south from Cancún.

Better still is the sheer breadth of vacation options, from elegant hideaway resorts to wallet-conscious all-inclusives; from lively beach bars to candlelit gourmet repasts. But since the region's developed areas have sprung up recently as well, you're excused for not knowing the difference between Xpu-Há (shpoo-HA) and Xel-Há (shel-HA), Maroma and Mayakobá.

In fact, many travelers assume the Riviera Maya is merely an extension of Cancún. It isn't. With more than 37,000 hotel rooms of its own and almost 3 million visitors annually, the Riviera Maya is a fierce competitor to its more famous neighbor. But whereas Cancún is a busy resort city, visitors south of it are spread over a much larger area and resorts tend to be stand-alone, often more intimate.

So, pack up your rental car at the airport and head south on Highway 307. Here's the lay of the land.


Northern star

The Riviera Maya starts 12 miles south of the airport in Puerto Morelos, one of the coast's last genuine fishing villages. The beach here isn't as impressive as those deeper into the region. The salt-and-pepper shoreline doesn't glisten quite as brightly, and less-than-translucent seas have turtle grass underfoot.

But there are advantages to being based in Puerto Morelos. Your airport transfer is barely 20 minutes, and the proximity to Cancún makes an evening out on the town a realistic option. Night life in laid-back Puerto Morelos may be a tad scruffy, but it's fun for an evening or two. Better still, the barrier reef – the world's second-longest – lies less than a mile offshore. And the beaches of Puerto Morelos? Quiet and uncrowded.

Where to stay: The 496-room Paradisus Riviera Cancún is an all-suite, all-inclusive resort on the most favorable stretch of beachfront just north of Puerto Morelos. Amenities include 24-hour room service, a AAA four-diamond restaurant and an adults-only wing with butler service. Doubles from $350 ($478 high season). Contact: 1-888-741-5600; www.paradisus.com.

Note: Unless otherwise noted all rates are per room, double-occupancy, and don't include meals or taxes.

Luxe landings

Ask a local their favorite beach, and watch their eyes go dreamy as they say, "Maroma."

Eighteen miles south of the airport and virtually untouched by builders until recently, Maroma is where talcum-soft sand and tranquil waters meet in what is arguably the region's finest beach. It first was inhabited by the classy Maroma hotel, a Mayan-Moorish honeymoon oasis. There's no town: The jungle behind the beach is thick, while the sand is a cream of alabaster. Your footprint may be the first of the day.

Just south is Mayakobá, a 593-acre development shared by three hotels hugging a milelong stretch of coast. The bulk of the facilities are a half-mile inland, accommodating the strip of mangrove lagoon just behind the beach. By leaving most of the mangrove undeveloped, Mayakobá has the feel of encroaching jungle, with cormorants and egrets fishing and preening in the sun. A 7,000-yard Greg Norman golf course snakes around the property.

Where to stay: Boasting strikingly modern architecture, the 128-room Rosewood Mayakobá makes the most of its constrained beach frontage with a series of channels carved into the limestone just inland, allowing every room to face a waterway. (A handful of beachfront rooms are extravagantly priced.) The spa overlooking a cenote is first-rate. From $590 ($790 high season). Contact: 1-888-767-3966; www.rosewoodhotels.com.


Beach town

The de facto hub of the Riviera Maya and Mexico's fastest-growing city, Playa del Carmen isn't a place for seclusion and quiet, but it also isn't a high-rise jungle. Often simply called Playa, the beach fronting the town is surprisingly broad and relatively clean, especially north of main drag Constituyentes. Resort and dining prices are the region's most competitive. Fifth Avenue, one block in from the beach, is a pedestrian-only street, with restaurants and shops that percolate cheerfully each evening.


David Swanson/Special Contributor
In Playacar, some hotels have planted immense sandbags in the water to hold in the sand.
View larger Photography Photo store Despite 150,000-plus residents, Playa is ideal for car-free visitors who don't want their vacations to be defined by the swim-up pool bar. The town beach is lively, especially around Mamita's, a hip beach club with a pageant of white beds, loungers and umbrellas for rent, a DJ spinning electronica and hip-hop, spa services and good food.

Within walking distance just south is the Playacar complex, with hundreds of condos, a golf course and a collection of all-inclusive resorts. Intensive building close to the shoreline has taken its toll on the slender beach here; some hotels have planted immense sandbags in the water to hold in the sand. While good hotel deals can be found in Playacar, if you're staying elsewhere it isn't a beach to make a detour for.

Where to stay: Only a few of Playa del Carmen's hotels are beachfront. Most sit a block or two inland. A perennial favorite is La Tortuga, a 51-room hotel wrapped around a channel-like pool, embraced by lush gardens. From $114 ($160 high season). Contact: 011-52-984-873-1484; www.hotellatortuga.com.

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