Located on the Yucatan Peninsula, Riviera Maya sits on Mexico’s Caribbean coast just south of Cancun. This resort area has been growing rapidly in the last decade and has become on of Dallas’ favorite beach destinations. The resort area spans along 60 miles of beautiful white sandy beach, where jungle meets the azure blue sea.
There are resorts here to fit most budgets and expectations. There are adult-only resorts that appeal to the honeymoon and anniversary clientelle, as well as those that are family friendly. Most the resorts in the area are all-inclusive, which means that your meals, snacks, and beverages as well as some activities at the resort are included as part of your resort stay. This makes for a very convenient and hassle-free vacation. Sand, sea and unlimited frozen drinks. How can you beat that?
Riviera Maya resorts are more laid back than those in Cancun’s Hotel Zone. In Riviera Maya the resorts are sitting on acres, compared to the resorts in the Hotel Zone sitting on lots. Plus these resorts have plenty of activities and entertainment to keep you busy. If you decide to wander, downtown Playa del Carmen is an easy taxi ride, and offers some shopping and a bit of nightlife to boot.
For daytime fun, head over to the archaeological-natural park named Xcaret. The highlight activity here is tubing down an underground river (called a cenote). The caves are awesome, and the water is refreshingly cold! Allow extra time to wander the park.
For the active client, there are several golf courses in the Riviera Maya area, with reasonable green fees. Stay onsite at the Iberostar Paraiso Resort complex or the Moon Palace Resort if you’d like to focus on golf. Scuba and snorkeling in the Riviera Maya area is exceptional. Consider snorkeling from your resort, or sign up for a boat excursion for snorkeling or diving on the Great Meso-American Barrier Reef.
Getting to Riviera Maya from Dallas is a snap. The flight from Dallas to Cancun is only about 2 1/2 hours, and American and Sun Country offer several nonstop flight options daily. Book your package with transfers already included, which will save from the extra hassle and cost of a taxi ride. From the airport, your resort is ten minutes to eighty minutes’ drive south. And don’t forget, air travel to Mexico requires a passport.
~Cindy Grant, Travel Consultant, ReconnectTravel.com 972-625-6200