Riviera Maya, Cancún & Tulum, from Punta Nizuc to Sian Ka'an
The Mexican Caribbean runs south from Cancún's Hotel Zone – past the lagoons of Mayakoba and the mangroves of Kanai, past Playa del Carmen and the coves of Xcaret and Xpu-Ha, to Tulum and the edge of the Sian Ka'an biosphere – and the hotels along it range from a duchess's old estate to an all-inclusive with a park attached.
The collection
20 hotels
The Mexican Caribbean runs south from Cancún's Hotel Zone – past the lagoons of Mayakoba and the mangroves of Kanai, past Playa del Carmen and the coves of Xcaret and Xpu-Ha, to Tulum and the edge of the Sian Ka'an biosphere – and the hotels along it range from a duchess's old estate to an all-inclusive with a park attached. Five hold five-star standing, Cancún's only one among them; the other fifteen are four-star hotels, several of them all-inclusive, listed at exactly the tier they hold and kept for their villas, their lagoons, their cenotes and the way they are run. We looked at every serious address from Playa Mujeres to the biosphere and kept only those whose service holds up to the water. Twenty made the cut.
Cancún & Playa Mujeres
The north end of the coast – the Hotel Zone's long beach between the Caribbean and the Nichupté lagoon, Punta Nizuc at its southern tip, and the quieter shore of Playa Mujeres north of the city, all within easy reach of the airport.
The neighborhoods
Cancún & Playa Mujeres
The north end of the coast – the Hotel Zone's long beach between the Caribbean and the Nichupté lagoon, Punta Nizuc at its southern tip, and the quieter shore of Playa Mujeres north of the city, all within easy reach of the airport.
Kanai & Punta Maroma
Mangrove country half an hour south of Cancún's airport – Punta Maroma's old hideaway on the point and the newer resorts of Kanai raised among the mangroves, with a quiet beach in front of them all and Puerto Morelos up the road.
Playa del Carmen & Mayakoba
The coast's busiest stretch – the lagoons, golf course and villas of the Mayakoba reserve just north of town, jungle resorts behind the beach, and Playa del Carmen's Fifth Avenue and the Cozumel ferry a short drive south.
Xpu-Ha, Xcaret & Tulum
The south – the Xcaret parks and their coves, Xpu-Ha's long beach, the cenotes of the Tulum jungle and, past the Tulum ruins, the edge of the Sian Ka'an biosphere, the farthest and wildest end of the coast.
Good to know
Which part of the coast should I stay in?
Cancún and Playa Mujeres are the north end – the Hotel Zone's long beach with the city's one five-star at Punta Nizuc, and the quieter shore of Playa Mujeres north of town, both the closest to the airport. Kanai and Punta Maroma, half an hour south of the airport, are mangrove country: a Belmond hideaway on the point and three newer resorts raised among the mangroves behind a quiet beach. Playa del Carmen and Mayakoba hold the most hotels – lagoons, a golf course and villas inside the Mayakoba reserve, jungle resorts behind the beach, and the town's Fifth Avenue and the Cozumel ferry a short drive away. Xpu-Ha, Xcaret and Tulum are the south – the Xcaret parks and their hotels, a duchess's old estate on Xpu-Ha beach, a cenote in the Tulum jungle and eight casitas inside the Sian Ka'an biosphere, the farthest of all from the airport and the wildest.
When is the best season for the Riviera Maya?
December through April – dry days in the eighties, the sea at its clearest and the coast's social calendar in full swing, so book early around Christmas, New Year and the spring holidays. May through October runs hotter and wetter, with short afternoon storms and the coast at its quietest; the Atlantic hurricane season peaks from August into October, and sargassum seaweed can reach some beaches in the warmer months, so it is worth asking the concierge how a particular shore is doing before you settle on it. Whale sharks gather in the open water off Isla Mujeres and Holbox from June into September – one of the better reasons to come in summer.
Are these hotels all-inclusive?
Seven of the twenty are; the rest are not. La Casa de la Playa is the only all-inclusive on the Riviera Maya to hold five-star standing – adults only, sixty-three suites beside Xcaret. Grand Velas Riviera Maya, Hotel Xcaret Arte, Hotel Xcaret México, Palmaïa, ATELIER Playa Mujeres and Le Blanc Spa Resort Cancun are all-inclusive four-stars, three of them adults only and two with the Xcaret parks included in the stay. The other thirteen – Hotel Esencia, Rosewood Mayakoba, Maroma, NIZUC and the rest – are conventional hotels where you pay for what you order, and the concierge will say plainly which model suits your stay before you book.
How do I reserve a stay?
Search your dates on any hotel's page to see rates and what is available, then book the room – or the villa, or the casita – you want. A concierge is on hand throughout – to weigh Cancún against Mayakoba or Tulum before you book, and to arrange airport transfers, a day at the cenotes, a table in Playa del Carmen and the rest of the stay once you have.
