Riviera Maya
Turquoise Caribbean coast, ancient Maya ruins and cenote jungle pools stretching south from Cancún
Deals from £871ppBest Deal of Riviera Maya
Overview
Things To Do
Deals
Travel Guide
The Riviera Maya stretches 130km south along Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula Caribbean coast from Cancún to Tulum, within the state of Quintana Roo. Flights from the UK land at Cancún International Airport — approximately 10 hours from London — served by TUI, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and easyJet among others. The region is defined by three things: white-sand Caribbean beaches sheltered by the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (the world's second largest), a network of over 6,000 freshwater cenotes (natural sinkholes) fed by an underground river system, and the Maya archaeological legacy — Chichén Itzá, Tulum and Cobá all within day-trip range. The climate is tropical, with year-round warmth of 26–32°C, a wet season from June to October and a dry, cooler winter season from November to May that aligns almost perfectly with UK school-holiday demand. Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Akumal are the principal resort towns; Cancún anchors the northern hotel zone. All-inclusive holidays dominate the British market here, with the resort corridor from Puerto Morelos to Playa del Carmen offering the highest concentration of large beachfront properties.
✨ Why Visit Riviera Maya
- The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef at your doorstep — the world's second-largest coral reef system runs the full length of the coast, putting world-class snorkelling and diving within swimming distance of most beach hotels.
- 6,000+ cenotes within the Yucatán Peninsula — freshwater sinkholes connected by underground rivers, ranging from open jungle pools to cathedral-like cave systems; nowhere else on earth offers this combination of swimming and speleology in one destination.
- Two of the world's most significant Maya sites within 180km — Chichén Itzá (UNESCO, one of the New Seven Wonders) and Tulum (the only coastal Maya city) are both reachable as day trips from any Riviera Maya resort.
- All-inclusive value that rivals the Caribbean at lower flight costs — comparable resort standards to Jamaica or Barbados, at 10-hour flying time against 8–9 hours and typically £200–300pp cheaper in shoulder season.
- Year-round warm water and consistent beach weather — the Caribbean coast averages 27°C sea temperature year-round; even the wet season delivers primarily afternoon rain rather than all-day overcast.
- Tulum's bohemian alternative to the hotel strip — the jungle-and-beach aesthetic of Tulum town, with its cenote clubs, eco-boutique hotels and clifftop ruins, offers an entirely different character from the Cancún resort corridor 130km north.
🌴 What Makes It Special
Unlike Cuba or the Dominican Republic, Riviera Maya combines serious archaeological tourism with beach-resort infrastructure — you can spend the morning at a UNESCO Maya site and be back at your all-inclusive pool by afternoon. Unlike Jamaica or Barbados, it is reachable without a transatlantic crossing at comparable cost. Unlike Cancún's hotel zone, the stretch from Puerto Morelos to Tulum retains genuine ecological character — the reef, the cenotes and the jungle are not backdrop decoration but active parts of the holiday experience. And unlike anywhere else in the Caribbean basin, the combination of Maya ruins, underground rivers and Caribbean reef within a single 130km coastal strip is unique on earth.
📍 Key Areas to Explore
- Cancún Hotel Zone — the 26km barrier island strip with the highest concentration of large all-inclusive resorts and the main international airport gateway.
- Puerto Morelos — a quiet fishing village between Cancún and Playa del Carmen, sitting directly on the reef with some of the coast's best snorkelling directly offshore.
- Playa del Carmen — the region's main town, with the pedestrian Quinta Avenida shopping and restaurant street, a ferry to Cozumel island and the widest range of independent hotels.
- Akumal — a small bay village famous for year-round snorkelling with sea turtles in its shallow lagoon; one of Mexico's most accessible turtle encounters.
- Tulum — the southern anchor of the Riviera Maya, with clifftop Maya ruins, a bohemian hotel zone on the beach and the greatest concentration of cenotes within cycling distance of any single town.
- Cozumel Island (ferry from Playa del Carmen, 45 min) — a Caribbean island with some of the Western Hemisphere's finest wall diving along the Palancar Reef system; day trips or overnight stays.
- Isla Mujeres (ferry from Cancún, 20 min) — a small car-free island with calm west-facing beaches, a relaxed atmosphere and whale shark tours departing June to September.
A 130km coastal strip where Caribbean reef, jungle cenotes and Maya archaeology sit within the same day-trip radius.
🏞️ Nature & Outdoor Activities
- Dive the MUSA Underwater Museum off Cancún — 500 life-size sculptures installed on the seabed at 4–8m depth, colonised by coral; guided dive tours from €60pp or snorkel tours from €35pp.
- Kayak the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (Tulum) — a UNESCO-protected wetland of lagoons and mangrove channels south of Tulum; guided kayak tours from €45pp, half-day.
- Zip-line and rappel at Selvatica (Puerto Morelos) — 10 zip-lines through jungle canopy plus cenote swimming; €90pp full day.
- Snorkel with sea turtles at Akumal Bay — wade directly from the public beach into the bay where green turtles feed on seagrass year-round; snorkel hire on the beach from €10.
🏖️ Beaches
- Playa Paraíso (Tulum) — consistently ranked among Mexico's finest beaches; a 3km arc of white sand with clear shallow water backed by jungle rather than hotels.
- Playa Norte (Isla Mujeres) — a calm, shallow-water beach on the island's northern tip with Caribbean-blue water and no significant wave action; ideal for families with young children.
- Playa Delfines (Cancún) — the only free public beach on Cancún's hotel zone, with open Atlantic-facing surf, a large car park and a giant Cancún sign for the obligatory photo.
- Xpu-Ha Beach (between Playa del Carmen and Tulum) — an almost entirely undeveloped 2km beach with reef-sheltered calm water and a handful of independent beach clubs.
🍽️ Food & Drink
- Order Cochinita Pibil (ko-chee-NEE-tah PEE-beel) — slow-roasted pork marinated in achiote and sour orange juice, wrapped in banana leaves and baked underground; the defining Yucatecan dish, served in tacos for €3–5 at any local taqueria.
- Try Ceviche de Mariscos — fresh mixed seafood cured in lime juice with tomato, coriander and chilli; at beachfront cevicherías in Playa del Carmen, €8–12 a serving.
- Drink Michelada — Mexican beer served over ice in a salt-rimmed glass with lime, Worcestershire sauce and chilli; the coastal beach drink, €3–5 at any beach bar.
- Visit Mercado 28 (Cancún) — the local market away from the hotel zone where Yucatecan home cooking, fresh juice and handmade tortillas cost a fraction of resort prices.
🎉 Nightlife & Entertainment
- Quinta Avenida bar strip (Playa del Carmen) — the pedestrian avenue from Calle 1 to Calle 38 has the highest concentration of bars, live music venues and open-air clubs on the Riviera Maya.
- Coco Bongo (Cancún Hotel Zone) — the Riviera Maya's most famous entertainment venue, a theatrical club with acrobatic performances, live acts and DJ sets; entry from €50pp including open bar.
- La Mezcalería (Tulum Town) — a mezcal and craft cocktail bar in Tulum's town centre, representing the more low-key, bohemian end of the nightlife spectrum; no cover charge.
- Kool Beach Club (Playa del Carmen) — one of the original Playa del Carmen beach clubs, with day beds, a pool and regular DJ events on the sand from 10:00 to 22:00.
📸 Instagram-Worthy Spots
- Gran Cenote (Tulum) — an open-air cenote with crystal-clear turquoise water, stalactite formations and resident turtles; entry €12pp, best photographed in the morning before the light moves off the water.
- The Tulum ruins from the cliff top (Tulum) — the El Castillo temple photographed from the northern wall with the Caribbean framed behind is Mexico's most reproduced coastal image.
- Laguna Bacalar (Bacalar, 160km South) — the Lake of Seven Colours, a freshwater lagoon whose extraordinary colour gradations from emerald to deep indigo are visible from the old Spanish fort above the town.
- Flamingo colonies at Celestún (Yucatán, 300km Northwest) — a UNESCO biosphere reserve where flocks of 20,000 flamingos feed in the estuary shallows; boat tours from €15pp.
Best Value Deals
🌟 All-Inclusive Holidays
The Riviera Maya is one of the UK's strongest all-inclusive markets outside the Canary Islands. The resort corridor from Cancún to Playa del Carmen is dominated by large beachfront all-inclusive properties — Excellence Playa Mujeres, Iberostar Selection Paraíso and the Barceló Maya Grand Resort complex (2,000+ rooms across five hotels on a private beach) are among the best-known. Expect from €899pp including flights in shoulder season (May or November), rising to €1,400–1,800pp in peak Christmas and February half-term.
👨👩👧👦 Family Holidays
The Riviera Maya is outstanding for families. Xcaret and Xel-Há eco-parks provide full-day activity programmes; the calm, shallow waters of Akumal Bay and Playa Norte on Isla Mujeres are safe for young swimmers; and the large all-inclusive resorts around Playa del Carmen — particularly the Barceló Maya and the Iberostar Paraíso complexes — have dedicated kids' clubs and teen programmes. The Chichén Itzá day trip engages children aged 8 and above reliably.
💎 Luxury Holidays
The Riviera Maya's luxury tier is centred on the Riviera Maya's exclusive resort enclave between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Rosewood Mayakoba sits within a 620-acre ecological reserve with overwater villas and a private stretch of beach; Banyan Tree Mayakoba and the Fairmont Mayakoba share the same protected lagoon reserve. In Tulum, Azulik — an eco-resort of treehouse villas set in the jungle above the beach — represents the destination's bohemian luxury alternative; rates from £800 per villa per night.
⏰ Last-Minute Deals
The Riviera Maya's transatlantic flight market means genuine last-minute deals are less common than for European destinations — UK tour operators typically lock in long-haul capacity early. That said, November and early May offer the best late-availability pricing, with 15–20% savings on the brochure rate realistic within 4 weeks of departure. Christmas, February half-term and Easter are booked out months in advance and should never be left to chance for long-haul travel.
Why Book with us:
- 💰 Low deposits from £49pp
- 📅 Flexible payment plans with balance due 6 weeks before travel
- 🛡️ ATOL Protected — your money and flights are fully safeguarded
- ✏️ Free amendment window on selected packages
- 📞 UK-based customer support, 8am–11pm every day
📅 Best Time to Visit Riviera Maya
December to April is the dry season — the best time to visit Riviera Maya for UK travellers, with average highs of 26–29°C, low humidity and virtually no rain. January and February are the coolest and least humid months. May and November are excellent shoulder months — still dry, cheaper than peak and less crowded. June to October is hurricane season and the wet season; rain typically arrives as afternoon downpours rather than all-day overcast, and the coast sees occasional tropical storms, though direct hurricane strikes are infrequent. Whale shark season (June–September) and turtle nesting season (May–October) are wet-season bonuses. Avoid the Christmas–New Year and Easter periods if budget is a priority — prices peak sharply and the resort corridor is extremely busy.
🏨 Where to Stay
- Families: Barceló Maya Grand Resort (Playa del Carmen), Iberostar Selection Paraíso (Puerto Morelos)
- Couples: Excellence Playa Mujeres, Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya
- Luxury seekers: Rosewood Mayakoba, Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Azulik (Tulum)
- First-timers: Playa del Carmen — best transport links, widest restaurant choice, ferry to Cozumel
- Eco & adventure: Tulum hotel zone, Sian Ka'an buffer zone properties
🚗 Getting Around
Cancún International Airport is the main gateway; a private transfer to Playa del Carmen costs €40–55 (45 minutes) and to Tulum €80–100 (90 minutes). ADO coaches are the practical budget option — Cancún to Playa del Carmen costs €5pp (1 hour); Playa del Carmen to Tulum €6pp (1 hour). Colectivo shared minibuses run the coastal highway between Playa del Carmen and Tulum for €3pp. Car hire from Cancún Airport starts at €30/day; useful for cenote and ruin day trips into the interior but unnecessary along the main resort corridor. Ferries to Cozumel depart Playa del Carmen every 60 minutes (€15pp return, 45 minutes); ferries to Isla Mujeres depart Cancún Puerto Juárez every 30 minutes (€8pp return, 20 minutes).
💡 Travel Tips
- Plug type: Mexico uses Type A and B (two flat pins, 127V) — the same as the USA. UK adaptors required; check that your devices support 110–240V dual voltage before travel.
- Currency: Mexican Peso (MXN). As of 2025, £1 buys approximately MXN 24. USD is accepted in most resort areas but at poor exchange rates; withdraw Pesos from airport ATMs on arrival.
- Tipping: Expected and important — hotel staff, restaurant servers and tour guides rely on tips. Budget US$1–2 per drink at an all-inclusive bar, US$5–10 for a restaurant meal and US$10–20 for a full-day tour guide.
- Tap water: Do not drink tap water anywhere in Mexico. Use bottled or purified water exclusively, including for brushing teeth; all-inclusive resorts provide purified water dispensers.
- Mosquitoes: The Yucatán carries dengue and Zika risk; DEET-based repellent is essential for cenote and jungle excursions, particularly in the wet season.
- Sargassum seaweed: Floating sargassum seaweed affects some Riviera Maya beaches between April and September; check current beach conditions at your specific resort before booking, as some stretches are significantly more affected than others.
Map Of Riviera Maya
Top Experiences
Swim in Dos Ojos Cenote
vast underwater caves with clear water, snorkelling and diving access.
Visit Chichen Itza early
iconic pyramid, fewer crowds, cooler temperatures and better photos.
Explore Tulum Ruins at sunrise
cliff-top views over turquoise Caribbean waters.
Snorkel with whale sharks near Isla Holbox
seasonal encounters with the world’s largest fish.
Spend a day at Xcaret Park
rivers, wildlife, snorkelling and evening cultural performances.
Climb Nohoch Mul at Coba Ruins
jungle setting, bike access and panoramic views from summit.
Travel Information
Everything You Need To Know Before You Jet Off To Riviera Maya.