Gulch Guides

The Gulch Quick and Dirty Guide to the Mayan Riviera

The stretch of green jungle and white sandy beaches that run from Cancun to Tulum on the Yucatàn Peninsula is a lush tropical paradise. The 127 km stretch has become so popular with American and Canadian tourists that it even has a new marketing inspired name and theme: The Riviera Maya. This corner of the world is popular, though, for a good reason – it just might be the most perfect vacation destination on the planet.

Traveling there has the exotic feel of visiting a non-English speaking country yet the comfort of actually being able to speak English pretty much everywhere. It has exotic sea and jungle life, ancient archeological ruins from a mysterious culture, great bars and clubs, luxury hotels and cool budget hostels, world-class scuba and snorkeling, and amazing white sand beaches.

No matter what type of warm weather vacation you are looking for, you’ll find it in the Mayan Rivera. It’s the perfect place to go for a week on the beach or for a jumping off point to explore more places in Mexico.

Here then is our simple, budget list of places and things that we recommend. Again, like anything we post on Gulch Guides, everything is highly recommended – no need to look for the four stars or the thumbs up – it’s all our favorite.

Getting Around

There is no real reason to rent a car here. There is one major highway that runs parallel to the cost (Hwy 307) from Cancun to Tulum. Every town has a bus station and buses run frequently along the highway. Buses in Mexico are usually very nice. They come in levels from the basic to the luxurious and are almost always on-time.

There are also collective taxis (known as colectivos or combis) that run up and down the highway between towns. To catch one, simply walk out to the highway and wait for a large white Ford Econovan with a green or red stripe and the word “Colectivo” painted on the side. Flag it down and hop in – no matter how far you want to go, it will only set you back a few dollars. The collectivos are used a lot by tourists, so don’t by shy.

Taxis are also fairly affordable and make good inner-city transport when it’s too far to walk.

Cancun

Cancun, in my mind, doesn’t really exist in Mexico. It’s sort of a Las Vegas with an ocean or an Ibiza with Americans. Unless you’re into the hardcore party scene, it’s best avoided. If you’re into the hardcore party scene – this is your town.

No matter what, you’ll probably fly into the Cancun airport. There are now buses that run directly from the Airport to Puerto Morales and Playa Del Carmen. Look for signs that say Playa del Carmen or for the Mexican bus company Rivera. Tickets should be around $7USD (cheaper if you have pesos).

You can also take a taxi shuttle to the downtown Cancun bus station. This should be avoided if possible as the shuttles will wind their way first through the Cancun hotel zone. Due to the staggering amount of traffic and drunk people, it can take upwards of an hour to reach the bus station and will cost you more than the bus. It’s not a great way to start a vacation.

Playa Del Carmen

Playa Del Carmen was a backpacker, expatriate haven ten or fifteen years ago. Before the main highway was completed, you could walk down 5th Avenue and expect to mainly see locals, longhaired backpackers from Norway, and Vietnam vets from the States. Today, Playa Del Carmen is on pace to eclipse Cancun as the place to go for vacation in the Riviera Maya.

Playa is still true to its bohemian roots. Most hotels have under 30 units and the majority of its shops and restaurants are locally owned and operated. Playa is popular with European tourists and has a European feel to it, as is evident by the many topless sunbathers and German run hotels.

There are three main streets in Playa. Fifth Avenue (Avenida Quinta) is the main street and it runs north-south parallel to the beach. It is mostly closed to traffic but open to all forms of tourist driven commerce. Although the calls of “Hey Mr. Big Spender” from t-shirt and trinket store owners will eventually drive even the most hardened traveler crazy, it’s a great place to people watch. Calle Juárez and Calle Constituyentes intersect Fifth Avenue and run east-west from the beach to the Highway. Most hotels, restaurants and bars are centered around 5th Avenue. The farther away from Fifth Avenue the less expensive and more authentically Mexican the experience will be.

Playa Del Carmen Accommodations
Playa del Carmen is filled with hundreds of small hotels. In the low season, it’s worth walking around and checking out rooms and prices if there is nothing special about where you are currently staying or plan to stay. Prices will be significantly higher during the busy season. Here are a few places that we recommend:

• Hostel Palomar (984 80 3 26 06) is located on Fifth Avenue directly across from the bus station. Don’t be put off by its busy location and noisy entrance. This hostel is well kept, clean, and has great views of the ocean. Private rooms come a large bed, ceiling fan, and hammock on a small private balcony. The bathroom is down the hall but does not get busy. There are also, of course, dorm beds available. A hostel style breakfast is included and there is a great place to hang out on the roof. For around $25 USD a night for a private room, this is one of the best bargains in town.

• The Luna Blue (formally Hotel Zanzibar / 984 87 30 990) is located at the far end of Fifth Avenue in the newer part of town. It’s laidback and quiet, and its unique buildings are centered around a nice garden courtyard. Rooms include balconies, hammocks, patios, air conditioning, and use of beach chairs/loungers at a nearby beach club. There is a community kitchen for guest use also.

Playa Del Carmen Restaurants
Unlike many other towns in Mexico, there are more diverse and ethnic restaurants in Playa than dogs running around on the streets. This is due to the high influx of tourists and a stray dog euthanasia program. Restaurants on or around 5th Avenue will be more expensive but are usually in unique spaces, open aired, and romantic. Restaurants farther away from Fifth Avenue will have more authentically Mexican and spicy food. Here are a few places that we enjoyed:

• El Serape (Juárez at Calle 20) on any given night will be filled with half locals and half tourists who have discovered the excellent Mexican food served here. It can often be loud and hot, but the tacos and fajitas are worth it. Be sure to try the fajitas al pastor for a great Mexican flavor. The lime soup, a local dish, is unique and delicious also.

• Casa Tucan (Calle 4 at 10th Avenue) is an excellent little restaurant run by some expatriot Germans that serves French and European food. This is the only place to find tofu fajitas in town.

• Pollo Caribe (Just off Calle 10) belongs to the roasted chicken category of Mexican food. You get a whole or half chicken, some tortillas, coleslaw, and hot sauce. Wash it down with a cold beer and it might just be the perfect meal. If you don’t eat at one of the chicken places, you miss a true Mexican dining experience.

• Media Luna (Fifth Avenue at Calle 10) is a romantic and popular restaurant with a funky atmosphere that serves Italian, Mexican, and vegetarian food.

• 100% Natural (Fifth Ave near Calle 10) is a good choice for vegetarian options. It serves tasty salads, pasta, hummus, and all sorts of fresh vegetables and fruits in a pleasant garden setting. They have also opened in new location in Tulum.

• Babes Noodles and Bar serves, well, thai style noodles in a trendy atmosphere that is popular with the international crowd. It now had two locations - the old location is at calle 10 between 5th and 10th, and the new location is at 5th Ave. between calle 26 and 28.

• La Vagabunda (Fiftth Avenue at Calle 24) is our favorite place to go for breakfast. Hearty and cheap, most breakfasts come with coffee, fresh fruit, juice, and bread.

Playa Del Carmen Bars and Clubs
Playa is filled with tequila bars, martini bars, beach bars, bars for people watching, and bars for shaking it up. The bars are pretty mellow during the day and evening, then reflecting the European nature of the town, they get hopping late at night. Here are our favorites:

• Deseo - The first impression upon walking up the stairs to Deseo (on Fifth Avenue at Calle 12) is that you might have just stumbled into the coolest bar on the planet. A modern concept bar, Deseo has a hip, international sophistication. Located outside and on top of a building, Deseo overlooks the main street in town. Instead of tables, there are mattresses with white billowy sheets that float gently in the breezes above them. Black and white movies are projected on the side of the building next door and there is a softly glowing pool with the phrase “Away From You” painted on its bottom. The drinks tend to be expensive but it’s worth going for the atmosphere and cool trance music.

• Alux - If it’s a rare experience these days to hang out in a cave, it’s even more exotic to drink beer and go dancing in one. However, Alux (Avenida Juárez, Manzana 12) is a cool bar/restaurant located about 50 feet underground in a dry cenote cavern on the far side of the highway. Dinners can be expensive but order a beer at the bar and you can wander around and explore the back tunnels of the cave. There are cool little niches with tables and couches hidden amongst the stalactites and stalagmites and the whole place is lit up with colored lights. Alux is popular with locals and there’s a large dance floor. To get there, take a cab from Fifth Avenue or walk up Juárez for three or four blocks beyond the highway.

• Capitan Tutix (Calle 4 at the beach) is a pirate themed beach dance club. The bar is shaped like a large pirate ship and when the party gets hopping there, the dj may sport an eye patch. Early in the evening, this bar will often have live acoustic music. Around 11pm, it switches over to international and Latin techno and dance grooves and gets packed with European and Latin American hipsters.

• The Blue Parrot (Calle 12 at the beach) was once rated one of the ten top bars in the world by Newsweek magazine. It is the original beach bar in town and continues to be a great place to hang out. Instead of seats, swings hang down on ropes from the thatched palapa roof. There is often live music in the afternoons and dancing and fire juggling in the evenings.

Playa Del Carmen Scuba Diving
Tank Ha Diving Center (5th Avenue between Calles 8 & 10 / 984 879 3427) is the place to go for scuba or snorkeling trips. Their competent, friendly staff offers the full range of trips from two tank ocean dives to cavern diving in the local cenotes.

Playa Del Carmen Snorkeling
For snorkeling in Playa del Carmen, walk north along the beach for several kilometers until you come to Coco beach where the reef is closest to the shore. There are several bars and hotels at this point and you’ll see boats sheltered in calm water behind the reef. It’s possible to swim out to the reef and although it’s in bad shape, there is still a lot of cool stuff to see. Be careful on the swim out as boats are often moving in and out of the protected area. Tank-Ha arranges off-shore snorkel trips.

Cozumel

Unless you’re a hard-core scuba diver, there really is no reason to go to Cozumel. Playa del Carmen has better beaches and restaurants, and for that matter, almost as good scuba diving.

Tulum

When someone mentions that they are heading to Tulum, there are three different places that they could be going. First, they could be heading to the Tulum Ruins – the only full Mayan archaeological site on the coast. Although it is less impressive than Chichén Itzá or the nearby Coba ruins, its setting on the rocky cliffs above the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea make it an unforgettable spot. To get there, ask any bus or collectivo running north of town or south of Playa del Carmen to to let you out at the ruins. They will actually drop you off at crossroads leading to the ruins – walk for about 10 minutes to the east to get to the entrance. Bring water, sunscreen and bug repellant. Keep an eye out for iguanas sunning themselves on the ancient ruins.

The second possible (and least likely) place people are talking about when they say they are visiting Tulum is the Tulum Pueblo. This small village straddles Highway 307 and is a little way station for travelers. It has a new and bus station, tourist shops, some good restaurants, grocery stores, and a few hotels. Most people who come through the town are either on their way to the beach or to the ruins. However, wandering a few blocks off of Highway 307 will let you experience a true sleepy Mexican village. The Weary Travelers Backpacker Center, down the street from the bus station, has Internet and a book exchange. It will store backpacks and luggage for a few pesos, as will the bus station.

Finally, the third Tulum that exists is the Tulum beach area, also called the "Zona Hotelera". Running south of the Ruins for many kilometers is a road that parallels the white sand beaches and rocky headlands of the coast. Along this road are places to rent cabañas. The cabanas of Tulum are famous with backpackers in this corner of the world and rightly so. Although they can run the full range of luxury, most are cheap, are right on the beach, lack electricity, and are made of sticks. The back to basics beach life here is different from anywhere else on the Mayan Riviera – it’s a chill, mellow scene that will make you feel like you have found your own tropical paradise. It is the perfect place to relax and forget about the modern world.

To get to the cabanas, it is necessary to take a taxi from the bus station. We recommend stopping at the San Francisco Supermercado at the cross roads between Highway 307 and the road that goes to the coast to stock up on water, beer, and snacks. Most cabana places rent bicycles and that is a great way to visit the ruins or explore the coastal road. Make sure your cabana includes a mosquito netting over the bed.

Tulum accommodations
Here are a couple of places we stayed and really enjoyed:

• Cabanas Copal is the perfect combination of rustic and luxurious. Its cabanas are well furnished and will run about $35USD for a sand floor, shared bathroom cabana to around $200USD for the upscale shack. Its many cabanas are centered on a small bluff overlooking the ocean and there is a small fresh water soaking pool, hammocks scattered everywhere, terraces, a white sand beach, and a little beachside bar. It has no electricity except at its restaurant. It can often fill up so making reservations in advance is recommended.

• Papaya Playa is right next door to Cabanas Copal and shares the same stretch of beach. Unlike Copal it caters to the backpacker crowd and is a bit less expensive and more rustic. There have been a number of recent renovations and improvements though so prices are probably going up. Most cabanas are right next beach and contain a bed, mosquito net, bare light bulb, a plastic table, and nothing else. Papaya Playa does have electricity (which is on only for a few hours at night) and has a small dance floor at their outdoor swing-seat bar. While staying at Papaya Playa for less, we occasionally hung out next door at Cabanas Copal’s soaking pool and bar.

Tulum Restaurants and Food
Most cabana places have their own restaurants and bars and it is pretty easy to walk along the road to find other places to eat (bring a flashlight as the road is unlit and has a lot of traffic). In this cabana zone, restaurants can be pricey and, often, mediocre. The restaurants in the pueblo are less expensive and are usually better.

A ten minute walk south of Cabanas Copal or Papaya Playa will bring you to a small village that has a few restaurants and a tiny convince type store that is pretty expensive. It's worth bringing snacks or groceries from town with you to the cabana zone.

Here are two places to eat that we think are pretty good:

• Trecelunas Cafe - This little cafe serves strong coffee, homemade bread, fresh fish, and good breakfasts. The owners are very friendly and outgoing, speak English (she's from Canada), and will give you great tips for cool things to do in the area.

• Que Fresco is our favorite place to eat in the zona hotelera area. It's located right on the beach and you can hear the waves lap on the shore as you munch on brick oven pizza or sip a michelada. The pizza is the best in this part of the world and the other food (including some vegetarian options) is quite good and relatively in-expensive.

Both of these places are an easy 10 minute walk south of Cabanas Copal. Trecelunas is on the right (if you're walking south) in the middle of the the small village. Que Fresco is on the left at the end of the village at the Zamas Hotel.

Riviera Maya Outings and Adventures

Cenotes
On the northern part of the Yucatàn Peninsula, there are no above ground rivers. The Peninsula is basically a large hunk of limestone. Over the centuries, rainwater has permeated the limestone and formed hundreds (if not thousands) of miles of underground rivers and caves. Centoes are the freshwater sinkholes and wells where the roof of a cavern has been exposed to the surface. They come in all forms and shapes, from completely underground lakes to lakes on the surface to large lagoons. They all have shockingly clear water and make great places to swim, snorkel, and scuba dive.

There are a number of cenotes along Highway 307. Any bus or collectivo will let you out at the entrance. Most charge an entrance fee of around a few bucks. Dive shops (like Tank Ha) in the larger cities will arrange dive trips into the centoes for around $100 for two dives.

Here are our favorites:

El Gran Cenote is easily the best cenote in the area for snorkeling. You can swim in electric blue waters under cavernous arches and rocky shelves seeing stalactites and other formations that you'd normally have to scuba dive to see. El gran cenote is located near Tulum - about three miles from the intersection of the main highway (307) and the road to Coba. It costs around $8 a person to enter. To get there, it's pretty inexpensive to take a taxi from Tulum. After your visit, you can stand along the road until a collectivo or bus (or friendly local) stops to pick you up.
• Casa Cenote / Manatee Cenote is a very lagoon surrounded by mangrove trees set just off the beach. It’s deep, clear, and long, and makes an excellent snorkeling location. The lagoon enters a cave that passes under the road and the beach and exits into the ocean. The beach is an excellent area to hang out in between swims and there is a restaurant and small hotel there. There is no fee for swimming in the cenote. There was no secure place to leave your things, so if you don’t have a car, be aware not to bring anything valuable, or take turns swimming.
  Casa Cenote is located a few kilometers north of Tulum. Collectivos will drop you off at a dirt road that runs to a resort at the ocean. Walk down the road until the resort and then follow it north. It’s about a fifteen-minute walk from the highway.

• Cenote Azul is a large turquoise lagoon located in the jungle. It’s clear waters are an excellent place to go snorkeling. It is located a few kilometers south of Playa Del Carmen and collectivos will drop you off at the entrance.

Chichén Itzá
While not actually in the Maya Riviera, the ancient Mayan city of Chichén Itzá is a must see destination for any traveler heading to that part of the world. Major construction at the site began in 900 BC and today the site is filled with temples and pyramids that are a sprawling testament to the skills and the ingenuity of the Mayan people.

Chichén Itzá is located in the middle of the Yucatàn Peninsula, about 3 hours away from Playa Del Carmen. There are three main options for visiting Chichén Itzá. The first is to arrange a tour from one of many tour companies in Playa del Carmen or Cancun. These tours usually last all day and include a bus ride directly to Chichén Itzá, a guide at the site, a stop at one of the nearby cenotes, sometimes lunch, and almost always a stop at a trinket stop. The second option for visiting Chichén Itzá is to rent a car. This has the advantage of allowing you to be on your own schedule and explore the area but also has the hassles that come with, well, renting a car.

Finally, for travelers with more time, we highly recommend taking a bus to the nearby town of Valladolid and spending the night there. Valladolid makes a great base for exploring the ruins.

Chichén Itzá Tips: Bring lots of water and sunscreen lotion. If you are traveling on a budget, bring food with you as the restaurants there are very expensive. Arrive early in the morning if you can to avoid the heat and crowds that come mid-morning on buses from the resorts. Plan on walking a lot and being very hot. Bringing a guidebook with detailed descriptions of the buildings or hiring a guide with make the visit better. There are usually two sides open for climbing El Castillò, the central pyramid. One side has a rope strung down the middle of the stairs that can be used as a railing or banister. The other side does not. El Castillò is very steep and the rope helps. Finally, the tunnel inside of El Castillò is very narrow and steep. There appears to be no limit to the amount of people the authorities will let in at any given time, so people with claustrophobia should be warned that they will be spending the next 20 minutes of their life in a dark, dank, hot, and humid tunnel with what feels like 10,000 of their closest friends.

Valladolid
Valladolid is a quiet colonial city that makes a perfect base for exploring Chichén Itzá and the nearby cenotes. Staying a night or two in Valladolid will get you out of the Maya Riviera for a bit and allow you the chance to experience the rich culture and atmosphere of the Yucatàn Peninsula.

Valladolid Accommodations and Sights
Besides Chichén Itzá, Valladolid is a great colonial city with an amazing main square and several cenotes nearby. Here are our recommendations:

• Albergue La Candelaria Hostel (201-F Calle 35 / 856-22-67) is simply a great hostel. Inexpensive with a friendly staff, it also has an outdoor jungle-like garden where you can lounge in a hammock or cook your own meals in the outdoor kitchen. It's located at the Parque La Canelaria, about a five minute walk from the main zocolo.

• Hotel Zaci (191 Calle 44 / 856-21-67) is a modern place with tv’s, air-conditioning, and a swimming pool. If you’ve been staying in Tulum in a sand floor cabana it’s a great place to get used to being back in the world again.

• Cenote Zaci (3 blocks east of the zocalo) is a large cavernous lake in the middle of a sinkhole in the middle of town. Vines hang down into the deep azure waters where local families and children swim while bats swoop above. It’s a great place to hang out and people watch. The admission (around $2 USD) also includes access to small zoo, which consists of a dozen or so metal cages filled with sad monkeys and other depressed local fauna.

• If you’re limited on time, skip Cenote Zaci, and visit two other, much nicer cenotes about 7 km away from Valladolid. Cenote Dzitnup is in a large underground cave with massive stalactites that hang from the ceiling and plunge into the surface of the lake. The water is very clear, cold, and swimable so bring a swim suite and goggles. Nearby Cenote Samulà is in another cave. Visitors enter through a steep stairway carved tunnel into a massive cavern. Roots from a tree snake in through a small opening in the ceiling and plunge many feet down to the lake. Both cenotes charge a couple of dollars in admission.

  The easiest way to reach these cenotes from Valladolid is to take a taxi there. To save money, after visiting the centoes it is easy to walk out to the main road and then flag down a bus or collectivo heading back into Valladolid. You can also take any westbound bus or collectivo and ask to be let off at the cenotes. It is also possible to rent bikes in town to ride to the cenotes.

• The Convento de San Bernardino de Siena is a massive convent built in 1552 over a cenote with stones from a Mayan temple. If you go when it's open, it's likely someone will offer you a tour for a few pesos, which I recommend as it's a very cool place and the oldest ecclesiastical building in the area. It's about a 15 minute walk to get there from the main zocolo. It's at the end of the super pedestrian friendly Calle 41A (called "El Paseo de Los Frailes"), which is worth a stroll in itself.

• Finally, check out the murals on the second floor in the city hall building which is located next to the main church in the zocolo. The murals tell the entire history of the area and are amazingly painted.

Izamal
Izamal is a small town of about 15,000 people, located about two hours away from Valladolid. It's one of the most beautiful cities on the Yucatan Peninsula. Izamal was once a religious center for the Mayan people and was home to 12 pyramids. The Catholic, as they were good at doing, knocked down the largest pyramid and built a huge yellow convent on top of it. The other pyramids still stand today and most of the other buildings in town have been painted yellow to match the convent. Strolling along the tranquil streets, taking a carriage ride, sitting in the zocolo, climbing a pyramid, or eating some of the best regional cuisine in the Yucatan makes for a great escape from normal tourist activities. To get there, take one of the many buses from Valladolid. A direct 5 hour bus also leaves from Cancun.

Izamal Accommodations, Sights, and Restaurants
Besides the obvious things to check out (like the convent) here are our favorite places in Izamal:

• Machan Che Bed and Breakfast (Calle 22 #305 / 52-988-954-02-87) bills itself as an oasis and it truly is. An easy five minute walk from the heart of Izamal, Machan Che is a collection of bungalows situated in an amazing garden. There's a pool and an outdoor dining area where wonderful breakfasts are served and where you can hang out at night and play board games. The owners are often around and will provide great tips of things to check out. There's also a number of cats who like to be pet if you need some quality animal time. Rooms start at about $30 USD.

• Hacienda San Antonio Chalanté (52-999-1327411) is a bit farther from town and you'll need to arrange a taxi or horse drawn carriage to get you there and back. Located on a Spanish colonial hacienda, it's a completely relaxing, beautiful place. They offer meals and horseback riding. Rooms start around $35 USD in the off season.

• Kinich-Kakmo is the largest of the 12 Mayan pyramids that are located right in the middle of the town. You can climb it for free and have a great view of the city and surrounding jungle from horizon to horizon. The other pyramids in town are worth checking out as well, ask locals for directions. Kinich-Kakmo will always be a special place for Jen and I as we somewhat expectantly got engaged there on our last trip to Izamal. It's located three blocks north of the Convent.

• Hecho a Mano(Calle 31 #323 / 52 99 26 0002) is a great little store that sells folk arts and crafts from all over Mexico. The owner, Hector, who is from Florida, will give you a personal tour of his store, an explanation of the types of arts displayed, and recommendations of things to see Izamal. Purchases from his store directly benefit the artisans of Mexico, who receive commissions and orders for their work. Hecho a Mano ("handmade") is located on the corner of the Zocolo.

• Restaurant El Toro serves some of the best food on the entire Peninsula. It specializes in traditional Yucatacan cuisine and is really cheap. Be sure to try the Sikil-Pak (a pumpkin seed salsa) or, my favorite, panuchos. Wash the meal down with a jarra of horachata and you'll be dreaming of the meal for years to come. It is located next to the bus station, one block back from the main square. Resturant Kinich Kakmo near the pyramid of the same name also serves some great regional cuisine.

Puerto Morales
Puerto Morales is a sleepy little town about twenty minutes north of Playa del Carmen. It’s home to a large ex-patriot population and also serves the resorts that are located to both the north and south of town. It’s a nice place to go if you need a slow change of pace.

Snorkeling at Akumal
Akumal is a tourist city of luxury condos and hotels about 40 km south of Playa del Carmen. It is also home to two of the best snorkeling sites in the Maya Riviera: Half Moon Bay and the Yal-Ku Lagoon. To reach Akumal take any bus or collectivo going north from Tulum or south from Playa del Carmen and ask to be let out at the main Akumal entrance (there are several). The highway is a few kilometers from the main part of Akumal but it’s an easy walk and there are often taxis waiting at the junction. Half Moon Bay is a large shallow bay that is protected from the open ocean from a reef. It is ringed with luxury condos but all beaches are owned by the government of Mexico and are open to the public. The reef starts about a ten-minute swim from shore and you can expect to see colorful clown and angelfish, sea turtles, eels, and thousands of other types of marine life. To reach Half Moon bay from the Akumal turnoff on the highway, either take a taxi or walk to the main village of Akumal and then walk north along the coastal road. Half Moon Bay is about a half hour walk from the turnoff.

The Yal-Ku Lagoon is a large protected inlet of water that is perfect for snorkeling. With no waves, abundant fish and sea life, and ultra clear water, the Yal-Ku Lagoon can rival scuba diving for an amazing experience. To reach it, continue on the northbound coast road from the main part of Akumal until you see signs. There is an admission fee and snorkel gear is rented on the premises.

Xcaret
Xcaret (pronounced Ish-Car-Et) is large Mayan World theme park. There are real and mock ruins and Mayan villages; a large zoo-like complex with jungle cats, monkeys and bats; an aquarium with massive sharks and giant turtles (but not in the same tank); an underground river to go snorkeling in, a large beach complex, wading pools, Mayan churches, and even a mushroom farm. After dark, there are shows which feature Mexican folk dances and recreated Mayan ball games. Xcaret is very expensive ($40+ USD) but like Disney World it can be a lot of fun.

Xcaret is located a few kilometers south of Playa Del Carmen. You can buy your tickets in any of the major cities and they’ll show you where to catch a bus. Likewise, any collectivo or bus will also let you off at the entrance.

Xel-Ha
Xel-Ha is worth skipping. For more rewarding and far cheaper snorkeling try the Yal-Ku Lagoon or Casa Cenote.

Other Advice on Visiting the Riviera Maya

Drink Lèon Negra or Montejo! These fine beers are made in Mèrida on the other side of the Yucatàn Peninsula. While a lot of Mexican beer can taste like water, Lèon and Montejo will remind you what good beer tastes like while quenching your thirst and putting out any spicy food flames. Plus, you will always impress the bartender when you order the local brew. Leon and Montejo can be hard to find outside of the Yucatàn so enjoy them while you’re there. If they are not available, Negro Modelo, Bohemia, or XX Amber are suitable substitutes. Beer in Mexico, especially the lighter varieties, should always be drunk with a lime. Ask for them if they are not readily available.

When it comes to drinking water, buy bottled water. Ice cubes that come in drinks are generally safe as they are usually from ice factories that use filtered water. Alcohol will dissolve capsicum, the main ingredient that makes jalapeno and other chili peppers spicy, while water will just wash it around. Thus having tequila while you eat spicy food just might save your life.

The one absolute thing to avoid in Mexico are day-glo margaritas that come out of slurpy machines. Life’s too short for that stuff. Likewise, also avoid any drinks that come in the “yard” – a florescent plastic three foot tall glass. Drinking from one of those things makes you look like a dork.

A more personal look at my most recent travels in Mexico can be read on my blog here. The entries are in reverse order and you'll find many posts about the Yucatan. You can also find more photos of this region on my photoblog as well as several galleries on my picture gallery page. Finally, I was also interviewed about the Maya Riviera by Travelocity for a podcast and you can find info on listening to it here.