Cities
Other destinations
Understand
"Riviera Maya" is a tourism district following the highway 307 of Quintana Roo, Mexico. It historically started at Playa del Carmen and ended at Tulum pueblo, though the towns of Puerto Morelos to the north of Playa del Carmen and Felipe Carrillo Puerto inland are both currently being promoted as part of the Riviera Maya tourist corridor. The Riviera is generally thought to be bounded on the south by the Sian Ka'an Biosphere, south of Tulum.
The area is famous for its all-inclusive resorts located along the highway, as Mayan Resorts, and smaller boutique hotels located in and around Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
Talk
Most locals speak Spanish. However, some locals trace their heritage to the Mayans who settled the area before the arrival of the Spanish. The present-day Mayans tend to live inland and speak little Spanish. In the tourist areas, many locals speak some English and some locals (esp. hotel and restaurant workers) are very fluent in English.
Get in
By plane
The nearest international airpot to Riviera Maya is the Cancún International Airport (IATA: CUN, ICAO: MMUN) which is the second busiest airport in Mexico. Receives internationl flyers from: Atlanta, Amsterdam, Belfast, Birmingham (UK), Boston, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Calgary, Cardiff, Cincinnati, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Doncaster, Düsseldorf, Edmonton, Fort Lauderdale, Frankfurt, Glasgow, Guatemala, Halifax (Nova Scotia), Hamilton, Hartford, Havana, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Kelowna, Kitchener, Lisbon, London, Los Angeles,Madrid, Malpensa, Manchester (UK), Miami, Milan, Moncton, Montreal, Munich, Nashville, New York, Newark, Paris, Quebec City, Panama , Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Regina, Rome, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santiago de Chile, Saskatoon, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Vienna, Victoria, Washington DC, Winnipeg, Zurich
By boat
Many cruise lines, such as Carnival stop at nearby Cozumel Island. Two companies offer passenger ferry service from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen (a 30 minute trip).
Get around
By car
The major cities, such as Cancun and Playa del Carmen offer many car rental agencies. North American drivers will feel at home on the road here, despite some drivers' quirks. For example, on the main two-lane highway along the Riviera, it is common courtesy for slower drivers to pull over onto the shoulder to let faster drivers pass.
Rent a car at the Cancun airport. Playa del Carmen is roughly 45 minutes from the airport. Tulum is another 45 minutes. After passing through Playa del Carmen, the main highway (Rte 307) turns from a modern 4-lane highway into a "two and a half" lane highway. There are two regular lanes and an extra-wide shoulder to allow slower vehicles to pull over to let faster vehicles pass.
From the city of Tulum, the Boca Paiala road provides access to the beach-side hotels and areas further south, such as Punta Allen. This dirt road, if not freshly resurfaced, has massive potholes (commonly wider than a car). It is passable with a VW bug or a scooter, but the trip will be much more arduous than if travelled with a Jeep or other SUV/truck.
By Van
Many collectivo vans run between the major cities and offer cheap transportation for local workers and budget-minded tourists.
See
The Riviera's charm lies not only in its stretches of white beaches, but also its native culture. There Mayan ruins of Tulum provides amazing sights as
Do
Adventure/Sports
Golfing
Jet Skiing
Jet skis can be rented at most beaches by the hour
Snorkeling
The Yucatan Peninsula is lined by a large system of reefs. Snorkeling and scuba diving tours are offered in many places, however, it's not too difficult to buy your own snorkeling equipment and simply swim off-shore. Hurricane Wilma has damaged some of the reefs in the area, so the sights in unprotected areas may be less dramatic.
Swim with Dolphins
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Snorkeling
Logically enough, is the second most popular activity. Many beach-side dive shops rent equipment for $7-10. Even though all beaches in Mexico are public some require fees to enter and use the facilities. Beaches with a rocky limestone shoreline on the west coast are the best for snorkeling or shore dives since less sand is disturbed so visibility and coral growth are better.
Eat
When you travel to Mexico, you can expect to find great Mexican food -- beans, rice, marinaded meat, guacamole, tortillas, and salsa. Some specialty restaurants serve Mayan cuisine, such as lime soups, venison, and chicken and fish marinaded in citrus juices.
Drink
The Riviera Maya caters to vacationers and therefore offers many bars (some placed conveniently on the beach). Bottled water and soft drinks are the norm at any restaurant.
Stay safe
Within the tourist areas, the Riviera is very safe. There are very few incidents reported. As one moves inland, however, some locals in the poorer villages are reported to engage in robbery. As always, use common sense.
Stay Healthy
The major concern for westerners is the local water supply. Drink only bottled water, soft drinks or alcohol. Do not drink water with ice. Avoid vegetables as they may have been washed with ground water. Use bottled water for brushing teeth.
Many toilets are hooked up to septic tanks and businesses will request that you throw your toilet paper in the trash rather than flushing it. Flushed toilet paper can cause major clogs and leave your cute little hotel smelling for the rest of your trip.
"Riviera Maya" is a tourism district following the highway 307 of Quintana Roo, Mexico. It historically started at Playa del Carmen and ended at Tulum pueblo, though the towns of Puerto Morelos to the north of Playa del Carmen and Felipe Carrillo Puerto inland are both currently being promoted as part of the Riviera Maya tourist corridor.
It is famous for its all-inclusive resorts and smaller boutique hotels along the highway and on and near the beach.
Geography
The terrain is flat, covered by low tropical jungle, and its coasts alongside the Caribbean provide many kilometers of powdery white sand beaches, inlets, bays, and mangrove swamps. As in all of the Yucatan Peninsula, there are no important above-ground rivers with the exception of the Rio Hondo, a navigable river on the border with Guatemala. The most important lagoons are Coba, North of Tulum, Bacalar to the Northeast of Chetumal, the State's capital, and Chichancanab, between Santa Rosa and Polyuc. Sweetwater "cenotes" are abundant in the region, and were the original water sources for the ancient population centers of the Maya culture.
Climate
The average annual temperature ranges from 77 °F (25 °C) to 86 °F (30 °C). Cenote water temperature for snorkeling or diving is around 76 °F (24 °C) year-round. Offshore water temperatures range from 78 °F (26 °C) in January to 84 °F (29 °C) in August. May through November is the rainy season.
Destinations
The main tourist destinations on the Mayan Riviera are (from north to south):
The Riviera is generally thought to stop at the Sian Ka'an Biosphere south of Tulum.
External links
