Riviera Maya is a district that encompasses the southern coast of the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea. It starts just south of Cancun in the fishing village Puerto Morelos and it stretches to a little town about 40 Kilometers south of Tulum, Filipe Carrillo Puerto . The diver friendly island of Cozumel is also included in this district. Below are some Riviera Maya travel ideas.
With beautiful white sandy beaches and enchantingly clear emerald waters you might think that all that there is to do there is lay on the beach, enjoy the solitude, and drink, but you would be wrong. Ziplining, 4 wheeeling, snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming with whale sharks, and that’s just scratching the surface. Cancun and Playa Del Carmen are the destinations that you’ve most likely heard of, but, there are plenty of other beautiful destinations along the coast with amazing places to stay and great adventures waiting for you to explore.
Getting There
Cancun International Airport is where most people will arrive, from there you can take a private shuttle, public bus, taxi, or hotel shuttle to your destination. If you are going to Cozumel there is an international airport on the island, or you can fly into Cancun and do the “bag drag” to Playa Del Carmen and catch the ferry.
When To Go
Anytime! Seriously, with average temperatures between 68 and 82 F in the winter and 74 and 87 F in the summer, there’s nice weather pretty much all year round. June and September are the rainy months and in September and October you would want to keep an eye on the weather because of the threat of hurricanes.
Now that you know how to get there and when to go, lets take a look at where to go.
Cheat Sheet
Cancun
While Cancun is not actually in the Riviera Maya it probably is the most famous of the towns on this list. It is located north of the district and it most likely will be your starting and stopping point. It has beautiful beaches, huge hotels and a good sized town, The population of Cancun is over 740,000. In Cancun you can stay anywhere from large resorts that you never have to leave for your entire stay to small boutique hotels where you can explore the city and enjoy the beaches. Chichen Itza is a short ride from here.
Playa Del Carmen
Playa Del Carmen is centrally located with Cancun to the north, Tulum to the south and a 40 minute ferry ride to Cozumel. There are countless tour operators there that will get you to any adventure that you want to do. When you’re done exploring for the day and still have energy, the night life in Playa Del Carmen won’t disappoint! Just want to lay on the beach during the day and party on the town at night? That’s fine too. In a town filled with cobblestone streets and lined by shops, restaurants and bars you’ll be hard pressed to not find something fun to do.
Tulum
Tulum, on the southern end of the Riviera Maya District is filled with Mayan ruins and cenotes (sunken rivers and lakes). The Mayans built this city and it reached it’s height between the 13th and 15th centuries. Protected by a wall that’s still partially intact inland and the towering cliffs on the sea, you can see why Tulum lasted for so long and is incredibly well preserved. Tulum is not as big as Playa Del Carmen or Cancun but there are still plenty of things to do. Take and exhilarating zip line into a underwater cave explore the forest, or just have a relaxing afternoon walking among the ruins and taking in the beautiful beach below.
Cozumel
Cozumel, one of my favorite places to go to, is an island off of the coast of Mexico. It’s easily accessible by air or you an take a ferry from Playa Del Carmen. Here’s the fun part, anything that you can do on the mainland, you can do on Cozumel! Even though it is a small island there are still plenty of things to keep you busy for any amount of time that you plan to stay there. Diving, snorkeling, biking, exploring jungles and Mayan ruins.
Do you want to know how to spend 5 perfect days in Cozumel? Just follow this guide and enjoy…you’re welcome.
Once you get past the populated center of Cancun and start heading south on the highway to Playa Del Carmen, you’ll find that the population dwindles and there is a lot of uninhabited area to explore. Dense jungles to hike and discover, crystal clear water cenotes to snorkel and dive, beautiful sandy beaches to relax on and awe inspiring reefs to scuba dive.
Want to get your sea legs back in shape? Sunset sails, all day catamaran tours, sport fishing tours, and snorkeling tours. Don’t want to get stuck on a overpopulated boat? Don’t worry, private charters are available on all the above tours.
Combine all that with the people who live here, then you’ve got the perfect place to visit. Warm, friendly, and inviting, the people of the Riviera Maya are all spectacular hosts.
And as always, Riviera Maya is a hot, sunny climate, make sure that you dress appropriately, wear a hat, use sunscreen and stay hydrated.
