DESTINATIONS

In the Mexican Caribbean otherwise known as the Mayan Riviera and the Costa Maya or the state of Quintana Roo you have many beautiful sites to see. The Mayan Riviera includes hot spots like Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Akumal. The Costa Maya includes Mahahual, Xcalak, and Bacalar. The Sian Ka'an Biosphere reserve lies in between the two regions. These are the destinations that we have chosen to focus our attention on, although we will gladly explore other areas with you. Below we have provided a brief description of each area in our eyes.

Playa del Carmen: What was once a small fishing village is now a world class city on the Mexican Caribbean. This cosmopolitan hot spot still offers a unique beach vibe that is not offered anywhere else in this area. You can spend your days relaxing on beautiful white sand beaches with travelers and locals from all over the world. Embracing the chilled out vibe of Playa del Carmen beaches you will forget that the city is 1 block away. You can also stroll down the famous Quinta Avenida for  a unique shopping experience while sampling hand crafted tequilas and eating at one of the many well known restaurants. The culinary options here are enormous, from 5 star Mayan fusion to street food opportunities and everything in between. Even the most jaded foodies will be in heaven. After dark "Playa" turns into a night lovers paradise with clubs and bars bumping until the break of dawn. Playa del Carmen is a great jumping off point for any vacationer or traveler in the Maya Riviera. Its a great central location to hidden beaches, cenotes, ruins and much more. This city is the perfect location for a young spirit or families looking to relocate providing community activities, schools, grocery stores, and a huge foreign population. Playa del Carmen is a nice city with lots of action.

Akumal: Akumal is a beautiful beach side community offering a quaint small town feel with hotels, houses, and bungalows for rent, offering every amenity you would need. Akumal means "land of the turtle" in Mayan and is a great spot for snorkeling with the beautiful and powerful sea turtles. Long time residents of Akumal have worked hard at protecting these turtles and are fortunately determined to hold on to the genuine small town charm this Carribbean paradise has to offer. This is a  great location for family gatherings of all kinds.There a few small grocery stores and a couple of really good restaurants. The accommodations are pretty much endless. 

Tulum: One of the jewels    of the Mexican Caribbean, Tulum offers some of the most beautiful white sand crystal blue water beaches you'll ever see. With its rustic eco traveler charm you can experience a true Caribbean beach vacation.  With all the rustic charm, Tulum is also known for its upscale 5 star eco cabanas that lie softly along the coastline leaving no room for high rise hotels or over bearing resorts.  This is one of the prime locations to sit back, relax, and enjoy the Mexican beaches of Quintana Roo. You can also choose to embrace the super spirit of this unique town with all its natural holistic healing energy, offering great natural therapies such as yoga retreats, spiritual ceremonies, and spas that offer massage, Reiki and more. In the town itself separate from the beach you can find shopping, cultural cuisine, cheaper accommodations, and small town Mexican culture. Tulum Ruins are located just north of the town and are a must visit for a complete Tulum experience. Coba Ruins are also 45 minutes away.

Mahahual: Mahahual is a unique little town lying on the southern coast of the Mexican Caribbean, right south of the Sa'an Kahn Biosphere and "as the crow flies" about 45 miles north of the border of Belize. Mahahual used to be a large coconut grove and has now become a scuba divers dream, with the Meso America Coral reef being the second largest reef system in the world under the Great Barrier, lying right off the coast. Scuba diving and snorkeling in this area can be an amazing experience with the coral atoll of Chinchorro a boat ride away. Mahahual was hit by hurricane Dean in August of 2007 devastating the town. Now local business owners are successfully rebuilding a new and improved vacationers paradise. There is also the Costa Maya cruise ship port that is a host to many of the large cruise ships that cruise the Mexican Caribbean. This port offers all that you need inside it gates but if you want a true experience of Mexico break out and visit the Malecon de Mahahual. Here you will find the white sand beaches with beach front cabana restaurants offering top notch margaritas, cold beer, and fresh sea food.This area gives you a true Caribbean blue Mexican experience. Its one of our favorite spots.

Xcalak: Xcalak is a tiny little fishing village 45 miles south of Mahahual on the very tip of the Mexican Caribbean coast with only the Bay of Chetumal separating it from the northern coast of Belize. The Meso America Reef lies
off the coast of Xcalak making this raw fishing village a great attraction for scuba divers, snorkelers, and fishermen.  The XTC dive center, on the north side of town, can hook you up with whatever your choice of ocean adventure. They have reasonably priced fishing trips and scuba and snorkeling tours. Our favorite part of this village are the locals, these guys are great! There are some but not many restaurants and a few more accommodations than restaurants. You will find limited services here in a good way. Xcalak is a great place for the heart of an adventurer.

Bacalar: Bacalar is in our opinion is absolutely one of the most intriguing towns in southern Quintana Roo. Bacalar is the home of Laguna Bacalar "Lagoon of 7 colors" being one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. This
fresh water lagoon is something like 37 miles long and holds water that will blow your mind. The lake looks like the Caribbean ocean if not more more beautiful. On the south side of town is Cenote Azul which is supposidly the deepest and largest cenote in the Yucatan, this has not been proven but we believe it. There is a nice restaurant that sits on the edge of the cenote allowing you to embrace a full day or afternoon eating fresh sea food and swimming in the cold fresh water of Cenote Azul. The town of Bacalar itself is very thick in Mexican and Mayan culture offering some real true Mexican food, they have the best pollo asado and carnitas you can find. Accommodations are not hard to find and the central plaza is a good place to start to get the feel for the town, although most of the food is on the highway or the lake road. Laguna Bacalar is a must for anyone in the area. Also the biggest city in southern Quintana Roo, Chetumal is 20 minutes away.

Explore the whole coast line and enjoy every moment for its unique beauty.

Check our Food/Lodging page for more detailed information on good food

and our recommended places to stay. Peace!