The Riviera Maya: Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulum

Cancún

**Cancún** has two sides. The **Zona Hotelera** is a long sandbar of resorts between the sea and a lagoon, with beaches like **Playa Delfines** that are open to everyone. **Downtown Cancún**, on the mainland, is where people who work in the resorts live, and it has cheaper hotels, the evening food stalls of **Parque de las Palapas** and honest local restaurants. The **Museo Maya de Cancún** has ruins in its grounds and makes a cool escape from the sun.

From Cancún, ferries cross to **Isla Mujeres**, a relaxed island with the calm, shallow Playa Norte, golf cart rides around the coast and snorkel trips to the **MUSA** underwater sculpture museum. Further north, car free **Isla Holbox** is reached by road and ferry and is the place to swim with whale sharks from roughly June to September with licensed operators.

Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen

**Puerto Morelos** is a small fishing town with a protected reef close offshore and a quieter feel. **Playa del Carmen**, an hour south of the airport, is a lively town built around the pedestrian **Quinta Avenida** (Fifth Avenue), with beach clubs, restaurants and nightlife. Ferries run from Playa to **Cozumel**, an island famous for world class drift diving and calm snorkelling. Around Playa, big eco parks such as **Xcaret** and **Xel-Há** offer underground rivers, snorkelling and evening shows and are popular with families.

Tulum

**Tulum** has three parts. The **archaeological site**, a walled Maya city on a cliff above the sea, is one of the most photographed places in Mexico; arrive at opening time. The **beach road** is lined with boutique hotels and jungle restaurants. **Tulum Pueblo**, the town on the highway, is more affordable and has the best taquerías. South of Tulum, the **Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve** protects lagoons, mangroves and reef, with boat trips to see dolphins and turtles and a lazy float down a Maya canal at **Muyil**.

Cenotes

The coast is dotted with cenotes. **Gran Cenote** and **Dos Ojos** near Tulum are famous for clear water and caves, **Cenote Calavera** is fun for jumping in, and the **Ruta de los Cenotes** near Puerto Morelos has several quieter ones. Inland, the jungle ruins of **Cobá** are explored by bike.

Further south

**Bacalar**, a few hours south, sits on a long lagoon of shifting blues and is a slower, more local feeling stop. **Akumal** is known for snorkelling with green turtles over seagrass; follow the rules and go with authorised guides.

Getting around

**ADO** buses link the airport, Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and beyond comfortably, and colectivo vans run along the highway for short hops. The **Tren Maya** railway now links Cancún airport with Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Valladolid, Mérida and Bacalar; check the official site for current services. Use authorised airport transport rather than offers in the arrivals hall.

Practical tips

Sargassum seaweed can wash up in large amounts in spring and summer; the government publishes a seaweed traffic light map, and beaches on Isla Mujeres facing west and the north coast are often less affected. Hurricane season runs from June to November, peaking from August to October. Use biodegradable sunscreen, respect the reef, and use normal care at night in Cancún, Playa and Tulum, where crime linked to drug sales has affected nightlife areas. Read your government's advice for Quintana Roo before you go. See our places to visit for cenotes, taquerías and stays, and pair the coast with Mérida and the Yucatán in the trip planner.