Cancun, Cozumel, And Riviera Maya

The Mexican Caribbean is home to plenty of experiences. Visitors can choose to enjoy the beaches, the jungle, the nightlife, local events, and more. Cancun, the Riviera Maya, and Cozumel in particular are constantly adding new attractions to appease any type of traveler. You can learn more about what Cancun, Riviera Maya, and Cozumel have to offer you on your next vacation below.

CANCUN

Cancun is one of Mexico’s most popular resort areas. Boulevard Kukulkan, known as the Hotel Zone, runs down the middle of the 15-mile-long sandbar and is lined with hotels, restaurants, malls, and nightclubs on either side. You will find many of the city’s all-inclusive hotels here, most of which sit on their own private stretch of beach, allowing guests to enjoy the ocean views right from their room. As you travel closer to “El Centro” (the city’s downtown), you will find more business class hotels and hostels, as well as local markets and traditional restaurants.

Cancun is a paradise for nature lovers and adventure seekers. Just outside of the city, you can drive an ATV in the middle of the jungle, spot marine life while snorkeling the Great Mayan Reef, swim at a Mayan cenote, and cross over zip lines at Extreme Adventure Cancun. Or visit Selvática for family-friendly, adrenaline-fueled activities for all ages, including swimming in an ancient cenote, crossing suspension bridges, flying down zip lines, braving the bungee swings, and going off-road in a 4×4 ATV.

If you prefer a more laid back vacation, you can relax in the sun or at the spa, or spend a day at one of Cancun’s seven different golf courses. Admire nature and learn more about conservation efforts at Zoo CrocoCun on a one-hour family-friendly tour, where visitors will have the chance to feed the deer and interact with crocodiles! For a taste of culture, visit the Mayan Museum of Cancun, where you’ll find hundreds of artifacts, which were uncovered at some of the most prominent archeological sites on the Yucatan peninsula.

RIVIERA MAYA

The Riviera Maya spans 80 miles along the Mexican Caribbean coastline and is home to more than 2,500 cenotes, which are semi-open limestone caves, or sinkholes believed to be the entryway into the Mayan underworld. Travelers can embark on a jungle tour to popular cenotes, where they can go swimming, snorkeling, or diving. Snorkelers will also love the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is the second-largest barrier reef in the world and is home to nearly 500 species of fish, dolphins, and turtles. The region is also rich in archeological sites, featuring the remains of ancient Mayan towns, including Coba, which is one of the largest and most beautiful Mayan archaeological sites. The city dates back to the pre-Hispanic Mayan civilization and is one of the oldest Mayan cities in the region.

For those who love to shop till they drop, La Quinta Avenida is a 22-block shopping street in Playa del Carmen, which features everything from local handicrafts to internationally known shops, along with local eateries and stands serving street food classics.

For visitors who want to enjoy nature in style, Serenity Beach Club at Xpu-Ha beach offers standard beach club amenities like day beds, loungers, bar and restaurant service, and spa treatments, along with water sports like paddle boarding and diving, but they also offer overnight glamping experiences, featuring tents that are fully equipped with a bathroom, shower, bed, air conditioning, black-out curtains, a terrace, Jacuzzi, Internet, and a hammock.

COZUMEL

San Miguel, the main town of Isla Cozumel, is only a 40-minute ferry ride away from Playa del Carmen in Riviera Maya. Across from the ferry docks, on the western side of the island, Plaza Central (“El Centro”) is where you’ll find most of the restaurants, craft markets, shops, and hotels. The eastern side of the island is lined with rugged limestone cliffs and a wide-open ocean, with plenty of waves for surfing.

Cozumel is filled with hidden gems and has become a cruise ship favorite, as well as a hotspot for divers. It’s easy to get around the island by renting a buggy or scooter. Boats, snorkeling, diving, and even submarines are other popular ways of exploring Cozumel. Visit the once-sacred Mayan site of San Gervasio, or taste your way through the melting pot of Mayan cuisine along Rafael Melgar Avenue. Visit the Benito Juarez Municipal Market, for fresh produce, handmade tortillas and artisan souvenirs, or walk the neighborhood of El Cedral for a taste of authentic island life. Once a worship ground for Mayan gods, today El Cedral is the site of the annual Día de la Santa Cruz festival held each spring. The festival celebrates the 21 founding families that established Cozumel after the Caste War in 1848.

At night, take a look up at the sky. Cozumel is a prime spot to see the Milky Way. The Planetarium of Cozumel Cha’an Ka’an hosts events throughout each month, allowing visitors to view the night sky through the planetarium’s telescope, while learning about Mayan mythology.