Riviera Maya, running down the Caribbean coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, is a holiday maker’s paradise, a heritage area, and a goldmine for the lover of nature, history, and culture. This region is rich in pristine sandy beaches, beautiful sea gardens and mysterious Mayan Empire ruins, giving everyone a perfect balance between an active and a passive vacation. While Playa del Carmen, with its vibrant nightlife and the spirit of a modern world’s metropolis, is an excellent choice for tourists keen on discovering Riviera Maya’s gorgeous face, the calm and peaceful sea inhabited by turtles is a must-see for Akumal lovers.
Here are some of the most notable sites to visit:
Tulum
Tulum is unique in its synergy as one of Riviera Mayan’s most famous sites, with stunning natural and high history value. The town is known for its old but preserved site of the Mayan port city, located at Clippers Point, consisting of a cliff by the shimmering Caribbean Sea. First, the Tulum Archaeological Zone is a must-go place that offers a view of ancient times with temples, walls, and El Castillo.
Akumal
Akumal translates to the place of the turtles in Mayan. This small, calm town doubled as the home to various aquatic animals. Perhaps one of the biggest features of Akumal is the bay, which was declared a natural reserve, and it attracts many scuba-diving tourists because the underwater inhabitants here include the green sea turtles that feed on the seagrass. There are also beautiful white sand, crystal clear water, various corals, and friendly tropical fish in Akumal Bay; thus, recreational activities like snorkeling and scuba diving are highly recommended. More to the underwater experience, Akumal has a resort on the Mexican beach where one can take a break to sun tan and view the wonderful world down the sea.
Cozumel
Cozumel is a beautiful island near the Riviera Maya’s southern end; it boasts ‘clear waters and colorful coral gardens are perfect for snorkeling, diving, and exploring.’ Thanks to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, one of the second-largest coral reefs in the world, any sort of sea life you can imagine, from colorful fish to turtles and rays, is easy to find just off the shores of Cozumel. Aside from its underwater touristy destinations, Cozumel holds an array of beaches, Playa Palancar and Playa Mia, where tourists can swim or do some water activities.
Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen, a windward coastal city, has everything a tourist requires – attractions, arts, good foods and wines, nightlife, and a beautiful coastal landscape. The main commercial area is the Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue), which, as the name implies, is an even-numbered avenue containing shops, restaurants, bars, and clubs. If it was designed so that visitors could go shopping, eat food, or watch people moving around, then this area could be the best place for such a thing. Apart from being a modern city of art and business, Playa del Carmen has wonderful, nice, sandy, and clear water beaches where tourists can swim, lay in the sun, and enjoy the water and sports.
Xcaret Park
Xcaret Park is an archaeological theme park that constructs themes for the Mexican culture and the area’s ecosystems. Unlike other parks in the region, this one is very big, is located near Playa del Carmen, and offers countless opportunities for C Sterling adventures. Other attractions for tourists include scuba diving in underwater caves and rivers, having a bath in some of the caves, which are termed cenotes, and last but not least, swimming in the Caribbean Sea. This place also includes sights like the butterfly pavilion, the coral reef aquarium, and the lodging for the biomedical and fauna, such as jaguars, flamingos, sea turtles, and others.
Coba
Coba City is one of the oldest Mayan cities that tourists can visit to learn about the ancients. Similarly to the famous ruins of Tulum and Chichen Itza, the Coba ruins area is not as tourist-friendly, with multitudes of shops, cafes, and souvenirs, but it is still wilder and more exotic. Structures are built spaciously over a huge jungle expanse called Chetumal Bay, and the site is supported by a complex of stone-paved causeways known as Sacbes. Another attraction is the Nohoch Mul, the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan Peninsula and Coba, and nowadays, individuals are allowed to go up the steps of the pyramid to have stunning views of the jungle.
Final Thoughts
Investigating Riviera Maya, this paradise is located near the Caribbean Sea, lodged between cliffs and jungles, and has ancient cities of the Mayan civilization. The natural treasures of the region range from the active sports of fishing, diving, or kayaking in the ecological Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve to the relaxing boating of the underwater museum in Cozumel reefs for meditation cruises.
Image: Unsplash, Laura BjAco
