11 must-see sites in the Riviera Maya (Mexico), from Mayan ruins to idyllic beaches

La Riviera Maya It is one of the main destinations to consider in a tourism trip to Mexico.

What makes the Riviera Maya A special destination is the combination of large venues of the ancient mayan culture next to some spectacular Caribbean beaches of white sand and waters of impossible color.

But when preparing a trip to the Riviera Maya Many other attractions appear, such as the splendid hotel offer.

Also the ease of access thanks to the nearby Cancun International Airport, some excellent theme parks and many possibilities of active tourism.

Furthermore, although they are not properly found in the Riviera Maya, in its vicinity there are many other places that are worth a visit. The ruins of the Mayan city of Chichen Itza is the best known example.

What is and where is the Riviera Maya

With the name of Riviera Maya you know a stretch of Caribbean coastline of about 120 kilometers of length between Puerto Morelos and Punta Allen, which is already in the heart of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve.

This entire area is located south of Cancun and in front of the Island of Cozumel, which are different tourist products.

Although it may seem like a journey of a few kilometers, the amount of natural and cultural attractions, the variety of activities to do and beaches to enjoy is such that it is difficult to see everything in a single trip.

11 places to see in Riviera Maya (our experience)

With the experience of several tripsBelow we present a selection of some of the main places to visit and activities to do in the Riviera Maya.

Tulum, Mayan city on the seashore

The icon of the area is the archaeological remains of Tulum, unique in their kind since there is no other known case of Mayan city at the edge of the sea.

The image of Castillo (the main structure) peeking out from the vegetation that crowns a rock and with the blue sea and a golden beach at its feet it condenses all the travelers' desires.

Its architecture is not by far the most remarkable of this civilization, but its location is superb.

It also has other special details, such as being the last Mayan city to be built, and the the only one that was inhabited when the Spanish conquerors arrived in 1518.

Paradise beaches in Riviera Maya

Remember that in addition to the Mayan culture, both ancient and modern, the other main attraction of the Riviera Maya is the Caribbean Sea.

The coast, however, is not a continuous succession of beaches, but rather these alternate with coral rock areas, mangroves, bays y caletas, creating places of great beauty.

Sometimes the tropical forest It reaches the very edge of the sea.

Parallel to the coast runs the Coral barrier, the second longest in the world, which offers great possibilities to fans of scuba diving.

The highway also runs parallel to the coast, but two kilometers inland, so the search for beaches cannot be done by continuously traveling along the coastline.

In reality, you have to leave the road, get to the coast, and then return to the road to find another place from which to reach the shore.

Diving and turtles in Akumal 

One of the coastal places that we liked the most is Akumal.

It is a large bay with a tourist offer for all budgets, but the place stands out for being one of the diving centers of the region.

Akumal It means “Place of the Turtle” and is probably the best place to observe these animals; You just have to swim from the beach to find them.

If you do not have your own equipment (goggles, tube and fins), you can rent it there.

Of course, you should be careful and not get too close to the turtles when swimming, nor stay close to them for too long.

In any case, it is a beautiful experience to swim parallel to a turtle that is just a few meters away.

Great leisure offer in Playa del Carmen 

Although the Riviera Maya It is fundamentally a beach destination, activities in the nature and knowledge of the Mayan culture and history, it is also possible to enjoy a more urban leisure offer.

The main population in this regard of the Riviera Maya is Playa del Carmen, located in front of the Island of Cozumel. Many services such as banks and gas stations are concentrated here that are not abundant in other places on the coast.

Until a few years ago, the place was a fishing village next to one of the best beaches in the area, and now it is a city of 300.000 inhabitants with a very lively tourist area.

The reference place is Fifth Avenue, a pedestrian street parallel to the coast where you can find those establishments that you might miss on an isolated beach, such as clothing and craft stores, jewelry stores, shopping centers and restaurants.

The Fifth Avenue nights and the nearby streets are, surely, the liveliest in the entire area.

Great pyramid in Mayan city of Cobá

Tulum is the best known, but the Mayan city of Cobá also worth a visit.

This enclosure is completely different from that of Tulum. Cobá It is located inland, in a wooded area and next to five lakes.

A thousand years ago it must have had more than 55.000 inhabitants and was the center of an important network of sacbeob (the Mayan roads) of which you can see a small piece.

Another fundamental detail of Cobá is Nohoch Mul pyramid which, at 43 meters high, is the highest in the entire Yucatan Peninsula.

Xcaret theme park

In Riviera Maya Well-designed theme parks abound, but by far the most famous of all is Xcaret, which offers a large number of attractions of all kinds.

Xcaret It is so large and varied that you cannot see everything in a single day.

There are those who say that it offers a very sweetened vision of the Mexican culture, but it is true that it allows you to learn, especially for those who do not know other regions, a lot about the country.

Located six kilometers from Playa del Carmen, is defined as eco-archaeological park.

In fact, on these lands different remains of constructions from the late classical period, from about 800 years ago, are preserved.

Throughout the day there are different guided tours with topics like ecology, The archeology or Mayan town.

The hottest hours of the day are the best to practice the water activities.

Can be done snorkel in the cove or, more original, do the tour of underground rivers.

At the end of the afternoon you have to see the show “Xcaret Mexico Spectacular”, in which the Mexico history.

Cenotes in Yucatan

One of the peculiarities of the Yucatan peninsula It is a limestone terrain through which water filters.

Thus there are no rivers or lakes on the surface, but underground ones that have been the source of drinking water that sustained the populations.

None visit to the Riviera Maya is complete without delving into this underworld and swim in this dark world, illuminated only by the lights that let in a stream of light.

Sometimes it is enough to arrive at the access point to the cenote and pay a small entrance fee to have an unforgettable experience.

Some excursions offered by local agencies include the visit to a cenote within a broader program.

Secret River in Riviera Maya

Secret River is a underground river which has been conditioned so that part of it can be visited. and thus get to know that world that is glimpsed when visiting a cenote.

El tour of the Secret River, with the necessary equipment and all the safety measures, consists of entering a cave and following about a kilometer of underground river.

The water sometimes reaches the ankle, other times the waist, and once you have to swim, something that is done without problems with the life jackets they wear.

The entire visit is done with the light of headlamps, and with each step you discover hundreds of stalactites In the silence of the cave, it is a magical experience.

The place is located about 10 kilometers from Playa del Carmen.

The experience of visiting a Mayan community

There is a danger in considering the Riviera Maya like a gigantic amusement park and forget that it is a territory populated for thousands of years, where there are still many peasant communities.

To many it may seem violent to appear in a Mayan town without warning, so in this case it is convenient and advisable to do it in the company of a guide.

We visit Pac Chena whirlpool bath, Mayan community that offers visitors tour the village, learn some local customs and eat in the same place some traditional dishes freshly made.

The town is located next to a lake, so it is possible practice canoeing and get to know the vegetation of the shores.

The visits are organized with different guides who take rotating shifts and thus all the inhabitants can receive the tourists.

Sports and nautical activities

La Riviera Maya It is fertile ground for sports practice and the active tourism.

Of course, there is a wide range of nautical activities of all kinds, similar to those that we can find in any beach area.

The scuba divers They can enjoy the transparent waters of the Caribbean and the nearby barrier reef.

It will be very easy to find options explore the area by bike or canoe.

Something practically unique to the Yucatan peninsula is the abundance of cenotes.

Some can be visited easily, usually you just have to go down a few steps and you reach a underground lagoon. There, on many occasions you can swim, which is a highly recommended experience.

Others have a more complicated entrance and you have to access by rappelling to get directly to the cenote.

In some cenotes You can dive, but this is an activity reserved for divers with a certain amount of experience.

Another possibility is to do zip line tours among the forest trees or even about cenotes.

Chichén Itzá, Mayan World Heritage City

Chichén Itzá is not found in the Riviera Maya itself, but it is so close, that it is one of the most popular excursions once you find yourself in that destination.

Its importance is such that it is included in the list of World Heritage of the Unesco.

Furthermore, in 2007 it was chosen as one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

El best-known monument of Chichén Itzá is great pyramid of Kukulkan.

It is built with such precision, that in the days of equinox The movement of the sun generates shadows that when moving create the image of the great feathered serpent.

Other important places are temples of the Warriors and the Eagles, Plus ball game fields.

El Chichen Itza cenote It was the scene of a great adventure by the first archaeologists who investigated this city. There they dived in search of treasures and remains of the ancient mayan civilization.