Luxury hotels in Riviera Maya

Riviera Maya guide

Riviera Maya: Tulum, cenotes and the reef

Mayan ruins above the sea, swimming in underground rivers and the world's second-largest barrier reef.

The Riviera Maya runs south of Cancún to Tulum, and its most cited sight is the Mayan city of Tulum on a cliff above the Caribbean, best at opening time. The region is also famous for its cenotes, such as Dos Ojos and the Gran Cenote, where you can swim in clear underground rivers.

The Mesoamerican Reef runs along the coast, with turtles at Akumal and diving off Cozumel. The Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO site, is explored by boat through lagoons and mangroves. Seaweed can arrive in summer, so we choose beaches and dates with that in mind.

Chichén Itzá and the cenotes of the Yucatán

Chichén Itzá, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO site, is the most cited excursion from the Riviera Maya, about two and a half hours inland. Arriving at opening, before the tour buses, lets you see El Castillo, the pyramid of Kukulcán, the Great Ball Court and the Sacred Cenote in peace.

The cenotes of Ik Kil and Suytun are ideal for a swim on the way, and the colonial town of Valladolid, with its pastel streets and the Zací cenote in the centre, is a pleasant lunch stop. The equinoxes draw crowds to see the serpent of light on the pyramid.

Cozumel and the Mesoamerican Reef

Cozumel, an island a short ferry ride from Playa del Carmen, is one of the world's most cited diving destinations: drift dives along the coral walls of the Mesoamerican Reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world, with turtles, rays and very clear water. Snorkelling at Palancar and El Cielo, with its starfish, is excellent too.

On the mainland, Akumal Bay is known for green turtles, and the eco-parks of Xcaret and Xel-Há combine underground rivers, snorkelling and evening shows, popular with families.