Riviera Maya Holidays - Compare Prices & Departure Dates

The Riviera Maya, also known as the Mayan Riviera and the Mexican-Caribbean Coast, is the tourist area south of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

Definitions of the actual size of the area vary, but it runs along a 75 mile stretch of the coastline from just south of Cancun to Tulum and includes the most well-known resort of Playa del Carmen, as well as Puerto Aventuras and Akumal.

This whole stretch of coastline is very much sought after by holidaymakers seeking white sand beaches, warm temperatures and those ubiquitous crystal blue waters. The area is also known for being less partying and more relaxing that neighbouring Cancun.

Although the climate and beaches are the draw to the Riviera Maya, many visitors also enjoy the Ecoparks and discovering Mayan culture with Mayan village visits and trips to archaeological ruins.

The official currency along the Riviera Maya stretch of resorts is the Peso, but the US dollar is widely accepted as well. The area is six hours behind UK time and the official language is Spanish, with many living and working in the resort areas speaking English, Italian and German.

Cancun International Airport (IATA code CUN) is Mexico’s second busiest airport and welcomes many scheduled and charter flights from the UK. The flight time from London is around 10 hours and 40 minutes and around 11 hours from Manchester.

The Mexican government is planning to build another airport specifically to serve the Riviera Maya.

Most tourists arrive at Cancun airport having booked package holidays through UK tour operators, so getting from the airport to your accommodation is by pre-arranged bus transfers. Independent travellers will find taxis, buses and hire car options. Playa del Carmen is around a 45 minute drive from the airport and Tulum further south about 90 minutes away.

UK nationals do not need a visa to enter Mexico on holidays of less than 180 days, but you will need to fill in a tourist card on arrival at the airport.

To enter Mexico, you must have at least six months’ validity left on your passport and proof of return travel. On leaving the airport a departure tax of around 500 peso is due, but more often than not this is included in the flight or package holiday cost.

Once in resort if you haven’t got a hire car, taxis are plentiful, many hotels offer bicycle hire and there are the Collectivo shuttle buses too which run around resort and up and down the 307 coastal highway. These are 15 seater buses which run when full out of the main towns of Cancun, Puerto Morelas, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. If you’re waiting on the coastal highway for one, the driver will flash his headlights if there are spare seats.

If you’re staying in Playa del Carmen, the resort is easy to get around on foot and the main shopping and hotel area on 5th Avenue is pedestrianised.

If you have a hire car, take care when driving the Route 307 main highway between Playa and Tulum. The road is two and a half lanes, with one lane each way and a wide hard shoulder. Slower drivers move over the hard shoulder to let faster vehicles pass.

It’s all about those white sandy beaches and clear blue waters on the Riviera Maya. Most visitors are happy to make their way to one of the many beaches or coves on the coastline, pay for their sun lounger and parasol for the day, then set about doing some serious sunbathing and relaxing.

The sea is an average of 25 degrees all year round, so it’s a pleasure to swim in those blue waters. The sea is also so clear that many people snorkel or scuba dive in the area. The Riviera Maya boasts and abundant aquatic life, as it sits on the Belize Barrier Reef, famous for coral, sea anemones and tropical fish.

If you are keen try some watersports, the beaches are dotted with sailing, boating, diving, snorkelling, kitesurfing and jet ski companies.

Swimming with dolphins is also something that most visitors to the Riviera Maya want to try. There are two parks, Delphinus and Dolphin Discovery, where you can swim with dolphins and it’s also an option at a couple of the Ecoparks in the area.

The Ecoparks, although commercially run, offer and insight into the geology of the coastline, the flora, fauna and ancient Mayan culture, all so rich in this area of Mexico. Located in protected bays and coves, these parks attract thousands of visitors every year.

Xcaret is an eco-archaeological park which highlights Mayan culture with a Mayan village and dance show, as well as being home to animals such as deer and turtles. Xel-Ha is a nautical aquarium where you can swim with dolphins, go scuba diving, snorkelling and encounter hundreds of species of fish.

Xplor is a nature park with caves, coves and grottos to be explored. It’s also home to a large tree adventure park with zip-lines set up between the tall trees if you’re feeling brave. Aviario Xaman-Ha is an aviary, but also shows collections of butterflies, plants and mammals.

You can also visit a whole labyrinth of underground caves called Rio Secreto with hundreds of stalactites and stalagmites creating weird and wonderful natural sculptures. It’s also well worth a trip to the Instituto Nacional de Archeological at Tulum, home to impressive Mayan ruins.

There are several resorts along the 75 miles stretch of the Riviera Maya, with the most popular being Playa del Carmen, known locally simply as ‘Playa’. Here you’ll find the full range of hotels and villas, from luxury five star International names to all inclusive beach resorts and smaller boutique hotels.

Unlike many beach destinations, many of the bigger hotels are located a couple of blocks inland, around the busy 5th Avenue area.

Playa del Carmen is the liveliest resort in the area, but still not as bustling as Cancun. If you’re looking for major peace and quiet look towards resorts such as Akamal, which is a small town with beautiful, unspoilt beaches and an hour from Cancun. There are also hotels at Puerto Morelos and Puerto Aventuras.

You’ll find shops at all the resorts in the Riviera Maya, selling souvenirs, shirts, bracelets and the like. In the smaller shops haggling is the name of the game.

In the bigger resort of Playa del Carmen there are two large out of town shopping centres, Centro Maya and Plaza Las Americas. Both have shops, cinema, bars and restaurants. There are also four large supermarkets in and around Playa.

Boutiques sell everything from international brands to Mexican handicrafts. Many people buy Mexican or Cuban cigars, but watch out for fakes and inflated tourist prices.

Every type of food you could want is readily available here from McDonalds and Argentine steakhouses, to Japanese and Italian, with the bigger hotels in the likes of Playa del Carmen all having restaurants offering food from around the world.

In fact, the whole area around 5th Avenue in Playa offers a wealth of restaurants, bars and cafes to try. The beaches also have bars and restaurants.

For a local flavour, try the street food stalls offering filled tacos, cornitas, pollo and chorizo for just a few pesos. Seafood is renowned to be particularly good and must-tries include more traditional dishes such as Enchiladas and Pollo Pibil which is chicken with orange and spices, barbecued on a banana leaf.

As for drinks, Mexico’s favourite drink is Tequila, which here is usually served as a Margarita. The local beers are known worldwide now too, with familiar names such as Sol, Corona and Dos Equis.

The main tourist season in the Riviera Maya is between May and October. Temperatures are easily into the 30s, so you’ll need to be prepared for the heat, especially when on excursions in-land.

May to December is cooler, but the tropical climate means there are often big storms, with January and February often being windy too.

The average water temperature year round is 25 degrees, so perfect for swimming in whatever the season.

• A Mexican holiday in a destination less bustling than Cancun
• Families and couples looking for the classic combination of white sandy beaches and blue waters
• A luxury getaway on an all inclusive deal

• Those who want lots of culture and sightseeing
• Those wanting a short-haul year round destination – it’s a 10 or 11 hour flight to Mexico

Riviera Maya – the official tourist information site for the area
Riviera Maya news – a community and news website to get the ‘inside knowledge’ on the Riviera Maya

The Riviera Maya (also Mayan Riviera or Mexican-Caribbean coast) offers several resorts along its 75 miles of coastline, with many white sandy beaches looking out over the crystal blue waters perfect for families and couples.