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An Opinionated Take On Mexico's Maya Riviera....Jan 16 '03 (Updated Oct 19 '08) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line There's a whole coast of great things to do along the Riviera Maya. Why don't I like the big all-inclusive mega resorts? Here's why... Only a few years ago it seems that everyone who took a trip to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula was heading to one of the region's two mega resort destinations: Cancun or Cozumel. A few mellower souls would relax on Isla Mujeres, but very few thought of the entire coastal area as their destination. That's all changed over the past few years. The Mexican government and regional tourism boosters are touting the "Riviera Maya" as today's destination of choice. It's a regional thing...stretching along the entire 200+ miles of Caribbean coastline, but most especially, the region between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. One of the things that strikes me about driving along the Caribbean coast on Highway 307 is the sheer number of huge, all-inclusive, mega resorts stuck out in the middle of nowhere. There are big time share places, like Mayan Palace, near Cancun, and their are whole clusters of them at places like Playa Aventuras. What I want to know is, who the heck wants to stay in these places? I mean, you're extremely limited in what you can do, where you can eat, what you can see (unless you rent a car). You have no convenient access to inexpensive buses for spur of the moment jaunts around town. You have no nightlife. You get socked with bills big enough to finance the national debt of a small country. You have the most mediocre food in the Yucatan -- all presentation glitz and no flavor! What is the point? Perhaps I'm missing something, but to me, the magic of the Mayan Riviera is not 500 room all-inclusive corporate run mega resorts with bland institutional food at prices beyond the stratosphere. It is not Club Med, nor any resort with the name "Palace" in its name. It is not hanging around the pool with grown up fraternity boys named Todd who rave about how the wonderful the resort is because "you never even have to see a real live Mexican". To me, the Mayan Riviera is about seeking out undiscovered gems like remote beaches and little villages with no hotels of more than about 20 rooms (including hammocks strung up on coconut trees). It is about finding restaurants that are no more than a few tables under a palm-roofed palapa and where the chef can be seen cooking meals on a grill under a tree. It is about having no TV, no phone, and sometimes no electricity in the rooms. It is about cold beer at cheap prices, and it is about long stretches of soft powdery white beaches where you don't see a soul all day. That, my friends, is the allure of the Caribbean Coast. Unfortunately, as the "Riviera Maya" gets increasingly built-up by mega resorts and timeshares, people who just plain love great beaches and seclusion are getting pushed further and further south. Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against folks who like big hotels -- I like them myself, especially when I have very short people with me, it's just that I like them in Cancun, and not strung along the beach for mile after inconvenient mile. Staying at a mega resort in Cancun makes some sense. You get predictable levels of corporate service, tons of amenities, and you have a huge critical mass which translates to tons of opportunities to find first-rate dining, shopping, night life, and more recreational activities than you any 10 (or even 100) hotels could do on their own. This is the beauty of a Cancun vacation. Things to Do Along the Mayan Riviera... As Cancun has grown, so too has the commercialization and development of attractions along the coast. There are a lot of great things to do in the Yucatan that you can't really do if you stay in Cancun itself, or if you confine yourself to whatever "all inclusive" resort you may be staying in. I can think of a hundred reasons why I'd want to just hop on a bus or rent a car and go bumming around the region. Here are a few reasons that someone might want to cruise along the Mayan Riviera... Wild Experiences at Croco-Cun... My wife and I visited this place a few years ago and it was a real hoot. We went thinking it would be like the alligator farms they have in Louisiana, but it's nothing like that! I think the best way to describe Croco Cun is as a "hands-on petting zoo for grown ups". I usually abhor snakes, but after seeing a bunch of women holding the big boa constrictors, a macho guy like me couldn't very well wimp out (I even managed to force a smile for the camera!) You can even a hold a gator that looks big enough to actually take a good size chunk out of your arm, if he were so inclined. Fortunately, he didn't seem inclined. Croco Cun is more than just a petting zoo though, they actually breed crocodiles for replenishing the species in swamps where it's population has been decimated in recent years. They also focus on more than just crocs and snakes. There are various birds, and even local insect species (like gargantuan tarantulas). This is a cool pit stop as you cruise down highway 307 -- definitely worth a stop! Horseback Riding or ATV Treks at Rancho Loma Bonita... There don't seem to be many stables along the coast, but that niche seems to have proven profitable for Rancho Loma Bonita -- a large riding stable located about 20 minutes south of Cancun on route 307 at the kilometer 42 marker. The stable specialized in 2-hour rides along a deserted stretch of beach, but they've also started running a jungle and beach tour on ATVs that seems like it could be a lot of fun. Tour operators from major Cancun hotels run trips to Rancho Loma Bonita, but it's easy enough to do on your own, and the ranch has guides who speak good english, plus a web site for more information -- you can also reserve your spot online. Go to www.lomabonitamex.com, or call them at (998) 887-5465 (from the U.S., dial 011-52-998-887-5465). For the benefit of those epinions advisors who insist on ingredient lists and formulas for writing reviews, I will mention that the horses tend to leave a lot of droppings on the beach and on the jungle trails. The droppings consist of undigested hay and natural vegetable matter, partially digested vegetable matter, fully digested vegetable matter, fiber, and smellanoids (the technical term for things that stink). Horse droppings are completely natural, biodegradable substances. Some readers may be prone to violent reactions from disgust at stepping in the droppings, and readers should never place ladders on frozen horse droppings (according to OSHA required warnings label on new ladders). Fortunately, the latter problem (or should I say "ladder" problem) is rarely a problem in coastal Mexico where winter time temperatures rarely drop below 70 degrees fahrenheit. A traveler can never be too careful though! Exploring Mayan Ruins... This region is called the "Mayan Riviera" for a reason -- hundreds of small, and often unknown, archaelogical sites dot the shores, islands, and jungles of the region. Heck, hotels like the Camino Real Cancun even have some genuine small ruins on their grounds! Don't be surprised as you drive down Highway 307 and see the small signs pointing to archaelogical sites where none are shown on your map -- there are simply far too many small ones, and the big ones are already on everyone's maps. The biggest Mayan site along the Riviera is Tulum. The temples built on rocky bluffs along the coast are some of the most stunningly picturesque ruins that you will ever see. Tours to Tulum depart daily from every major resort along the coast, or you can drive or take a bus there (admission is 35 pesos, plus parking and fees for carrying video cameras). I consider Tulum a "must see" site -- check out my photos at: www.tiogringo.com/tulum.html Less often visited and less well-known are the ruins at Coba, which is about 20 miles inland from Tulum. The site is more rustic, remote, and far larger and more historically important than Tulum, yet it represents a far different type of travel experience. Details and photos are on my web site at: www.tiogringo.com/coba.html There are also numerous archaelogical sites inland in the state of Yucatan, but they are not close to the coastal highway and are really more day-trip (or longer) destinations in and of themselves. (I have a map labelled "Maya Mundo" that shows another site called Kohunlich inland from Chetumal -- I know nothing more about the place.) Getting Wet... Snorkling, swimming, and just lazily floating in an inner tube down a slow moving river are all great things to do in several places along the coast. Of course you've got the whole ocean here to swim in, yet there are more than a few places that emphasize snorkling or swimming in a more controlled, predictable, theme-park-like environment. I've rececently reviewed the largest nature-oriented park in the region, Xcaret, which is located just south of Playa del Carmen. Xcaret offers a large waterfront area full of aquatic activities, ranging from scuba diving to snorkling to floating down a narrow river. Xcaret is the biggest, but not the only option in the region. Quite a few people prefer the somewhat smaller, cheaper, and quieter atmospher at Xel-Ha, just north of Tulum. Xel-Ha bills itself as the area's "largest natural aquarium", and stresses the variety of wildlife in its series of lagoons. They also have a "swim with the dolphins" program. I've also heard about a place called Tres Rios, just south of Cancun, that offers similar types of experiences. There are also places in Cancun itself, such as Parque Nizuc, where you can swim with dolphins or just hang out on the beach front. (Parque Nizuc also has one of those ultra-fast Shotover Jet boats if you feel like getting the adrenaline pumping a bit...) There are several places along the bay side of Cancun's hotel strip that will rent jet skis and some that do "jungle boat tours" through the swamps. There are watery ways for just about every taste... Scuba Diving Besides the obvious places to find reefs and dive shops (like Cozumel and Isla Mujeres), there are dozens of small reefs, coves, and bays along the Riviera Maya where you can find unique dive trips that are often overlooked among big-ticket places. Akumal is fairly well known, especially diving to a the wreck of the Mantanceros, which lies just off its shore, but even more fascinating to many people are the many, many places where you can dive in the milky green waters of the deep sinkholes called cenotes. This is definitely an experience for the more adventurous soul. The cenotes served as fresh water sources to the ancient Mayas, and they are still used as water sources for many Yucatan communities. More than a few cenotes are open to the public for swimming, snorkling, and even scuba diving. Some of the cenotes are extremely deep, and some are interconnected via underground rivers. Diving in these underground rivers can be very hazardous, and people have died after being trapped in underground caves. Nonetheless, the trips offer a very unique experience to more adventurous divers, and there are more than ample opportunities to find dive masters who will take you into the cenotes and underground rivers. In Praise of the Hidden Beaches of the Mayan Riviera... Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know...complaining about overdevelopment is no big deal, and I know that if some people didn't like overpriced, pre-packaged, all-inclusive mega resorts, there wouldn't be so damn many of 'em! Fortunately, the big-bankdrolled developers of the world haven't totally managed to dominate the entire coast yet. The Mayan Riviera is more than 200 miles long, and along those miles are small, quiet, secluded beaches that no more than 10 or 20 people will visit in a given week. These are places where you can truly find $10 bungalows on the beach (sometimes even with screens on the windows) and where your biggest concern will be how far up the beach you need to stroll to get away from the hum of the gas generator that's powering the bar's beer coolers (Heaven help us, we wouldn't to shut those down!) I probably shouldn't spread the word too loudly, but you guys are my friends, and if you really, REALLY want to get away from it all, I'll point you in the right direction. First, the easy place to check out just to see if you're made of the right stuff. From Cancun, head south just about 20 miles beyond the turnoff into Puerto Morelos. Near the 52 km marker, you'll see a small sign for Punta Bete (which I like to call "Puta Betty" -- I am soooo funny!) Turn here and bounce along the potholes for about 1 mile until you get to the beach. There is a small hotel at Punta Bete, and some camping sites, and an outstanding restaurant and bar. There are no mega resorts within miles (though there is a newish condo community just north of it), and generally very few people. If you like the seclusion, the beauty of the beach, and the feeling of tranquility, then you've graduated from Chill Out College and are ready to head to grad school -- the even smaller and more remote places for true beach bums! A couple years ago I wrote a review of a small beach that's tucked a good 30 miles or so off the road, through the jungles and swamps of the region's largest wildlife preserve. Amazingly stuck out in the middle of nowhere is a small village with a small hotel and restaurant, a beachside bar, and a few local fishermen who might be persuaded to take you out on the reefs if you feel like casting a line yourself. The place is called Punta Allen, and there is nothing of any consequence to do there other than loaf. If you have higher expectations, you will hate the place. If you require little more than sand and a bottle of beer, you will love the place! The review is at: http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-1EDA-1182D6B0-39764D48-prod3 As remote as Punta Allen is, there is a place that's even harder to get to -- it's called Xcalak, and is the southernmost point of the Mexican Riviera. It is on a spit of land that once connected Mexico and Belize, but the Mexican government wanted a physical demarcation point to keep the Belizean riff-raff out, so the army dug a small channel that anyone could swim across (though not legally, if anyone were around to enforce the law). Xcalak on one side, Ambergris Caye on the other. Xcalak is already known to die-hard scuba divers -- people who usually do have the fortitude to get there by hook or by crook, and divers have historically been the reason why there exists a small hotel, restaurant, and dive shop out in the middle of nowhere (the place is called Costa de Cocos). The area is home to a pristine 24-mile long coral reef along an area called the Chinchorro Banks. There are several ship wrecks along the reef, not to mention the stunning array of underwater wildlife that makes its home in these clear waters. Naturally, since there is only one place to stay, and the village is located 50 miles from the next nearest neighbor, you don't want to go without having reservations. See their web page at: www.locogringo.com/xcalak/costacocos.htm Getting to Xcalak is a bit of a trick. If you have a car, turn off highway 307 towards Majahual, then drive down the coast to Xcalak (this is all on primitive roads, though I have heard that the government wants to develop Xcalak and is building a paved highway to it so that tourists can easily reach the area. If you love secluded beaches, see Xcalak now because it might become the next Playa del Carmen... There are also dozens of small, less well-known beaches. Some of these seem to be used only by local Mexicans and few gringo tourists. It is often possible to find a great, hidden beach located just a couple miles from a new mega resort condo timeshare "community". Thankfully, there are not too many adventurous souls visiting all-inclusive mega resorts, so the hidden gems remain both hidden and gems. Several of these beaches can be found dotting the coast between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Consider pulling off the road to check out beaches like Chakalal, Playa Paamul, Xpu-Ha, Yal-Ku, and Playa Xcacel. Towns on the Mayan Riviera... I don't think I need to go into too much detail here about the big tourist points in the region -- especially Cancun or Cozumel. There are specific categories here on epinions, each with hundreds of reviews. Cancun is the major beach resort of the region -- it's big, it's got variety, it's got parties and night life, it's got parks, it's got great dining and world class hotels. Cancun is everything a pampered tourist really wants. Cozumel is Mexico's top diving destination (and arguably, the best place to dive in North America). I've heard that over 60 percent of all visitors to Cozumel are there for the scuba diving. Dive shops abound with lessons for newbies, and excursions to coral reefs, sunken ships, and lots more. If it's the undersea world that trips your trigger, Cozumel is where you should be. After Cancun and Cozumel, the most popular draw is unquestionably Playa del Carmen. Once upon a time, Playa del Carmen was a quiet, tranquil, largely undeveloped coastal town that happened to be blessed with an incredible beach (probably the best beach south of Cancun). Over the last decade or so, the small town has grown up to a bustling small city of about 50,000 permanent inhabitants and plenty of gleaming new white concrete hotel towers along the south side of the beach -- an area that the developers sometimes like to differentiate from the old town by calling their side of the beach "Playacar". Fortunately, the town itself has managed to retain some of its character, and old stalwart cheap hotels like the Blue Parrot still offer great bargains for the traveller willing to step off the tourism treadmill just slightly. You can still find small cafes with plastic chairs adorned with Corona and Superior beer ads, and you can find palapas to hang out under as you just chill out enjoying the soft sand and warm waters... Puerto Morelos is an enigma to me. For being so close to Cancun, it has somehow managed to stay small and to stay cool. Epinions writer JAMES23 has written several reviews raving about how cool Puerto Morelos can be, and he piqued my curiosity since I'd always just blown past the place at 70 miles per hour on my way to somewhere else. On my most recent trip, I left Cancun very early, so I'd have at least an hour or so to pop off the highway and have breakfast in Puerto Morelos. At 7:30 in the morning, the streets are quiet with only a handful of early risers out sweeping off the sidewalks or just shaking off the remnants of sleepiness as they got ready for a new day. I stopped in at a place called Posada Amor, which is an unassuming place that serves up good basic Mexican food. Scrambled eggs with some spicy salsa and warm corn tortillas make for a great breakfast. A cruise through the small town reveals no hugely garish resort hotels, but a couple places that look wonderfully relaxing and inexpensive. I just might hang my hat here for a couple days next time I vacation in this region....after all, if it's good enough for a rugged dude like James, it's got to be good enough for me! Chetumal is the only other town of any size or importance in this region, and I know of no tourist who really goes out of their way to visit Chetumal, even though it is the capital of the state of Quintana Roo and the only other real city in the region aside from Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Buses from Cancun go to Chetumal frequently, but I suspect that 90 percent of the passengers are just passing through on their way into neighboring Belize. (There is an airport in Chetumal with jet service to Mexico City or Merida via Aerocaribe or Aviacsa.) I have heard that Chetumal can be an interesting place to pass a couple days, but I've never yet gotten the chance to try it and see. Maybe some day... Bottom Line... There's a lot to do on Mexico's Mayan Riviera -- and no one vacation is ever going to let you see and do everything worth doing. It's also an area that offers enormous choices for travelers. In my opinion, the best way to experience the Riviera Maya is to either stay in a very small, very secluded beach area where quiet relaxation is the daily schedule, or to stay in Cancun where the sheer number of major hotels creates a competitive environment, guaranteeing that there is a resort for every type of demanding traveler and in every price range. Next time I'm back in the area, I plan to again rent a car and bum around to the places I want to see, but I won't be staying in one of those remote all-inclusive mega resorts. I suppose they're right for someone, but not for me. Until next time, see you on the road. As always, I'll be drinking beer and looking for the cheap deals.  |
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by knotheadusc
by artemis8
