Cancun/Riviera Maya

[EnLinea Media]

Mexico's best known beach resort zone, Cancun offers a pretty exceptional package: a slew of beach resorts from modest to ritzy; excellent dining, shopping, and nightlife; and accessibility to lots of adventure activities, golf, and most uniquely jawdropping ancient Maya archeological sites like Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Tulum, Cobá, and more. Plus the more low-key Isla Mujeres is right next door. Down the coast, the Riviera Maya includes both big ritzy resorts; small boutique inns; and value-oriented digs in the fun town of Playa del Carmen. Offshore from Playa, Cozumel is a fairly developed but lower-key island getaway whose main claim to fame its its superb diving and snorkeling.

[David Paul Appell]

Deals in Cancun these days! Caught this in an AP story on swine flu's effect on Mexican tourism:

"Businesses are doing everything they can to woo tourists, he said: Restaurants are offering two-for-one dinners and bars two-for-one drinks, while handicraft stores have $1 specials on dolls and necklaces."

That's assuming you have the cojones, of course...

[David Paul Appell]

Hi Davide! Here are my two cents on some good bets on the Riviera Maya. Like I said, if you want a low-key and not pricey beach experience convenient to the Maya archeological sites, your 3 top choices are probably:

>Isla Mujeres: A tiny island right off Cancun, a quick ferry hop, it has small, homey inns and restaurants. I covered this recently, recommending Casa Sirena (www.sirena.com.mx). Last I checked, this was starting at US$130 a night, but they've got a 20%-off summer special for 3 or more nights, and at this point I'll bet you could also bargain them down even closer to the $100/night you mentioned, given the impact of the recession and the flu scare. If not, there are other charming little inns and guesthouses that will fit your budget just fine, which you can check out on one of the web sites above or even TripAdvisor. BTW, a great place to eat out here is Olivia's (www.olivia-isla-mujeres.com). And if you do want a touch of sizzle and flash, Cancun is of course very close.

>Tulum: Down the coast from Cancun and right next door to the famous seaside Maya ruins also called Tulum (and just a half hour from another great site, Cobá), there's a town and a stretch of small beach hotels. One cute choice is Zamas (www.Zamas.com), a collection of cabañas with thatch roofs that starts at $100 (and again, given current circumstances you might even be able to do better). If for a change of pace you want a spot of shopping, dining, or partying, the town of Playa del Carmen is a fairly easy drive back up the coast.

>Puerto Morelos: Least expensive of these three options is this quiet village between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, and a good choice here is Rancho Sak-Ol (www.ranchosakol.com), which is a cozy beachfront charmer where doubles start at $65 this summer (you can get a junior suite from $85!)

[davide maronati]

Hi David and thanks for the suggestions which I'm going to show Tim too.
davide

David Paul Appell said:

Hi Davide! Here are my two cents on some good bets on the Riviera Maya. Like I said, if you want a low-key and not pricey beach experience convenient to the Maya archeological sites, your 3 top choices are probably:

>Isla Mujeres: A tiny island right off Cancun, a quick ferry hop, it has small, homey inns and restaurants. I covered this recently, recommending Casa Sirena (www.sirena.com.mx). Last I checked, this was starting at US$130 a night, but they've got a 20%-off summer special for 3 or more nights, and at this point I'll bet you could also bargain them down even closer to the $100/night you mentioned, given the impact of the recession and the flu scare. If not, there are other charming little inns and guesthouses that will fit your budget just fine, which you can check out on one of the web sites above or even TripAdvisor. BTW, a great place to eat out here is Olivia's (www.olivia-isla-mujeres.com). And if you do want a touch of sizzle and flash, Cancun is of course very close.

>Tulum: Down the coast from Cancun and right next door to the famous seaside Maya ruins also called Tulum (and just a half hour from another great site, Cobá), there's a town and a stretch of small beach hotels. One cute choice is Zamas (www.Zamas.com), a collection of cabañas with thatch roofs that starts at $100 (and again, given current circumstances you might even be able to do better). If for a change of pace you want a spot of shopping, dining, or partying, the town of Playa del Carmen is a fairly easy drive back up the coast.

>Puerto Morelos: Least expensive of these three options is this quiet village between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, and a good choice here is Rancho Sak-Ol (www.ranchosakol.com), which is a cozy beachfront charmer where doubles start at $65 this summer (you can get a junior suite from $85!)

[Kirsten Hadzicki]

I'm not usually a fan of all inclusive resorts, but we recently stayed (July) at the Grand Palladium in Riviera Maya (near Puerto Adventuras). It is a great option for families. Our stay cost less than $1200 for one week for two adults, one teen and one child. So for about $40 per person per day, we had a beautiful hotel room, all meals, drinks, entertainment and non-motorized water activities (took a catamaran out every day). It was so inexpensive that we didn't feel bad leaving the resort to go snorkeling at Yal-Ku or taking day trips to Chichen-Itza and Tulum. Had we stayed overnight in Chichen Itza, we would have stayed at Mayaland, which looks even better than it did when we last visited fifteen years ago. Prices seemed very reasonable there as well. The problem for many families is that hotel rooms at the smaller hotels generally charge for more than two guests; by time we added the extra costs, we decided it was a better value for us to stay on a resort property. Occupancy seems low; we never had any trouble getting a palapa or lounge chairs. Service was excellent everywhere. They really need tourists to return.

[John Lamkin]

Hi All, I will be traveling to Cancun, Riviera Maya and Laguna Bacalar in December-then to Cuenca, Ecuador for a month, then back to the Yucatan Peninsula for awhile. I would appreciate any story ideas, contacts, properties to look at, etc. My email is: john(at)TravelWritingAndPhotography(dot)com Thanks for your help, John

[John Lamkin]

You need to have the cojones to stay in the US! (or anywhere)

David Paul Appell said:

Deals in Cancun these days! Caught this in an AP story on swine flu's effect on Mexican tourism:

"Businesses are doing everything they can to woo tourists, he said: Restaurants are offering two-for-one dinners and bars two-for-one drinks, while handicraft stores have $1 specials on dolls and necklaces."

That's assuming you have the cojones, of course...

[David Paul Appell]

Good point, John! But surely I jest, no? :-)

John Lamkin said:

You need to have the cojones to stay in the US! (or anywhere)

David Paul Appell said:

Deals in Cancun these days! Caught this in an AP story on swine flu's effect on Mexican tourism:

"Businesses are doing everything they can to woo tourists, he said: Restaurants are offering two-for-one dinners and bars two-for-one drinks, while handicraft stores have $1 specials on dolls and necklaces."

That's assuming you have the cojones, of course...

[Michele Kinnon]

If you are planning to be on the Mayan Riviera in the Fall of 2010, don't miss Taste of Playa 2010!! Taste of Playa is an annual culinary event in Playa del Carmen that celebrates the creativity and cultural influences of chefs throughout the Riviera Maya. The event promotes the unique culinary perspectives of local chefs, highlights new event venues and coordinates the efforts of local businesses and municipal governments.

This year's event is scheduled for November 21, 2010 in the Parque Fundadores from 3 pm to 9 pm. Admission to Taste of Playa is free to the public with "Taste of Playa Pesos" available for sale which are used to purchase the signature dishes offered. Samples will have a value of 1 or 2 Taste of Playa Pesos (10 to 20 pesos in value). All-inclusive VIP Passes and Taste of Playa Pesos may be purchased at the event, ordered in advance or purchased online.

Each year, Taste of Playa will donate proceeds from the event to a local non-profit food or clean water program. The beneficiary for Taste of Playa 2010 is the Rotary Club, Playa del Carmen district. This organization brings together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the cities and areas where we live. This year’s donation will go to a new food education program implemented by the Rotarians of Playa del Carmen, in an effort to educate local children and families about the importance of nutrition, nutritional balance and the use of local produce and resources to maintain a healthy diet.

For more information, visit http://www.TasteofPlaya.com.

[John Lamkin]

Hi Michelle, I would like to be there for Taste of Playa 2010, but I probably won't be arriving that soon.
Cheers, John

[John Lamkin]

Re my comment: "Comment by John Lamkin on April 12, 2010 at 10:12pm
Delete Comment Hola, I'm writing a book on the undiscovered Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Any ideas, suggestions, PR & lodging contacts, etc will be appreciated. Saludos, John" One trip/place I'm interested in is the old land and water sacbe route from Muyil out to the Caribbean. I'd appreciate any information about that. Thanks! John

[John Lamkin]

I'm not sure how the word "delete" crept in above, but this post is still accurate--any info on the above appreciated. Saludos! John

[John Lamkin]

I just won 5 day/4 night Cancun hotel stay!! - 30 Sept ends the giveaways - You can sign up here:
http://themexicoreport.com/2010/08/27/mexicobicentennialgiveaway/