Beaches of the Mayan Riviera

I have stayed in four different cities on the Mayan Riviera. They were all distinctly different with their own unique perks. Below I sort out the differences between Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum.

Cancun is the largest of the four. The hotel zone reminds me of Vegas with lavish hotels, clubs, restaurants and shopping. Since hurricane Wilma in 2005, many hotels chose to upgrade their accommodations targeting the luxury traveler. That said Cancun still has all the clubs you’ve heard of like Senior Frogs, Daddy O’s and Coco Bongo. The beach is beautiful and Isa Mujeres is only a few minutes away by ferry, a must see for anyone in Cancun. I can’t think of anything you will be unable to find in Cancun, it is a large, accessible city.
Heading south you run into Puerto Morelos. This is still a relatively small fishing village and I find it to be the most authentic Mexican town of the four. The beaches are just as nice as Cancun but with 1/3 of the people. Accommodations here are not very luxurious but also not as expensive. There are a few hotels on the beach but various laws have prohibited large buildings so it keeps a small town feel. There are some restaurants, a grocery store, a few dive shops and little to no nightlife compared to Cancun or Playa.

Next up is Playa del Carmen. Playa is quickly becoming Cancun’s rival for popularity. There are a number of all inclusive resorts and Senior Frogs as well as Coco Bongo have clubs there. Quinta Avenida (5th Avenue) is still a favorite for shopping, bar hopping and you can even find a few hostels left over from when Playa was a backpacker’s paradise. As with all Mayan Riviera cities, the beach is amazing however you will find more solicitors here. The ferry to Cozumel runs regularly from Playa which makes it easy to split your vacation between the two places.

The last on our journey is Tulum. There is a hotel zone as well as ruins. If you visit the Mayan Riviera I recommend seeing the ruins of Tulum. They are stunning ancient buildings right on a cliff overlooking the beautiful Caribbean Sea. No matter where you stay on the Riviera your hotel should be able to recommend a good tour company for Tulum.

The hotel zone south of Tulum is known as “eco chic.” All the hotels must generate their own electricity which means they might not have it 24 hours a day. Most of them are small cabana type accommodations with no air conditioning. There are a few bars and restaurants but no large clubs or discos; it is a very tranquil place and some of the hotels offer yoga classes or cleansing mud treatments on the beach.
As you can see, the Riviera Maya has a place for everyone. If you like a relaxing vacation on the beach or to party it up until all hours of the morning, The Mayan Riviera has towns to please all tastes. I look forward to reviewing some other places such as Akumal or Puerto Adventuras soon.