Resorts in Mexico: Cancun or Riviera Maya?

The Riviera-Maya is a fairly young resort zone, formed immediately after the construction of hotels has ended in Cancun. Since the development of the resort area, the coast has changed significantly, and in a short time has become one of the most famous places for beach holidays in North America. Unique natural beauty, a progressive tourist infrastructure with an extensive selection of hotels of different price categories, a warm and mild climate is considered an important part of the Riviera Maya coast. Almost every year the resort is visited by a huge number of tourists from different countries to fully appreciate the beauty of local landscapes, the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, fine sand, glittering in the sunlight that warms it throughout the 12 months.

In addition to the tremendous opportunities for water sports and sunbathing, the Riviera Maya guests on a tour to Mexico will be able to make a number of unforgettable trips to the state of Quintana Roo, or just have fun in countless entertainment venues. The first of the most famous beach resorts is Playa del Carmen. Before coming to the Mexican land of the Spaniards, he was called Shaman-Ha, and he was such a staging point for the Mayan Indians on their way to the sacred island of Cozumel. In our time, right up to the beginning of the 80s of the last century, Playa del Carmen was not particularly different and was known as an ordinary fishing village, calmly existing on the very coast of the Caribbean Sea.

Everything swiftly changed at the end of the twentieth century, when the town changed beyond recognition. At present, it is a well-developed tourist center, with many new hotels, shops and restaurants. A wide choice of water walks to closely located coral reefs and islands gives the chance to tourists to feel the whole atmosphere of a fabulous holiday in the vast water expanses, to be able to enjoy absolutely all the joys of snorkeling, swim freely in the sea and enjoy from the process of eating seafood caught from the Caribbean waters. In the evening, a cheerful entertainment program takes place in the hotels, and those who have little experience in the resort can go on very interesting excursions that follow the trail of the Maya tribes, including such old cities as Tulum and Chichen Itza.

The Shkaret National Park is located on the coastal area of Playa del Carmen and can offer many active activities: diving and snorkeling, horseback riding, swimming with dolphins, caves with bats and butterflies, a walk along the underground river and much more.

The second popular resort in Riviera Maya is the island of Cozumel, located 19 km from the Yucatán Peninsula. The length of the island is slightly more than 50 km, and only a third of the land is intended for beach recreation. All other territory is covered with tropical vegetation and is a reserve. The overwhelming number of holidaymakers on Cozumel are divers and snorkelers. Here they attract a variety of coral reefs and an unimaginably luxurious underwater world, which is the true pride of the island. Many diving centers enable beginners to learn the practical basics in deep-sea diving, and to learn the secrets of the mysterious underwater world. Those who wish to take a sun bath, wait for specialized places, which are called "lounge parks". They have all the conditions for a comfortable pastime, including showers, umbrellas, relaxation rooms and sun loungers.

Among the most famous "lounge parks" are particularly prominent Playa Palancar and Playa San Francisco. The coastal line here is sandy, although it happens, there are also rocky areas. To avoid various injuries, you must at least walk on the beach in slippers. Tourists want to appreciate the diversity and beauty of living creatures living in the local waters, can make a fabulous voyage across the Caribbean Sea in a special boat with a transparent bottom.

On Cozumel there is a place for all lovers of water spaces, taking into account their preferences and interests. In addition to Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, there are several other resort areas on the Riviera Maya. So, in the center of the coast is a coral reef - Puerto Aventuras with a small beach Fatima Bay, the length of a little more than 2 km. This place is very popular with divers, poppies and sailors. The Xpu-Ha district is located 90 km from Cancun, it is famous for its underground lake and sandy coastal line.

The fascinating underwater expanses of Kantenal beach have long enjoyed the respect of experienced and not only divers, and Akumal is famous for the fact that its inhabitants have long been sea turtles. Each of these places is interesting for fans of diving or snorkeling, and for adherents to lie on the beach in the shade of always green palms, drinking juice from freshly squeezed exotic fruits.

One of the main natural attractions in the Riviera-Maya is the ecopark Sian Kaan, which was discovered relatively recently. It is a unique biosphere reserve, here tourists can not only swim in the subterranean rivers along the mysterious caves with stalagmites and stalactites, as well as see the excavation sites of ancient cities where many tribes that belonged to the Maya civilization lived many years ago . In addition, there is amazingly luxurious fauna and flora with countless different kinds of rare plants and birds. With regard to historical monuments, the most famous place for tourists who visited the coast is the territory of the old city of Tulum, where there is a system of underground tunnels and ancient structures of architecture preserved since the time of Maya.

Today Tulum is divided into 3 zones. In the first there are excavations themselves, in the second new city, and the third is occupied by hotels and souvenir shops.