The Riviera Maya - Cozumel, Puerto Morelos, Puerto Aventuras, Akumal, Tulum

By Vivien Lougheed

The 240-mile (380-km) strip of land south of Cancún is called the Riviera Maya. This includes tourist draws such as Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Xcaret, Cozumel, Puerto Aventuras, Akumal, Xel-Há and finally Tulum. There are numerous hotels, resorts a

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hunter Publishing
• Release date: Mar 22, 2010
• ISBN: 9781588437334

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Travel Adventures

Yucatan - The Riviera Maya

Vivien Lougheed

Hunter Publishing, Inc.

www.hunterpublishing.com

[e-mail]

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© 2010 Hunter Publishing, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activities contain elements of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim any responsibility for any injury, harm, or illness that may occur to anyone through, or by use of, the information in this book. Every effort was made to insure the accuracy of information in this book, but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any liability or any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.

Riviera Maya

Getting Here

Puerto Morelos

What to See & Do

On Horseback

On Water

Snorkeling & Diving

Tour Operators

Nightlife

Shopping

Hotels

Restaurants

Punta Brava

Playa del Carmen

History

Getting Here & Around

What to See & Do

Nightlife

Shopping

Hotels

Playa del Secret

Punta Maroma

Tres Rios

Punta Bete

Xcalacoco

Restaurants

Cozumel

Getting Here & Around

History

Getting Here & Around

Festivals

What to See & Do

Beaches

Dive/Snorkel Sites

On the Links

On Wheels

Tour Operators

Nightlife

Shopping

Hotels

Restaurants

Puerto Aventuras

What to See & Do

On Horseback

In the Air

On Water

On Foot

Tour Operators

Nightlife

Shopping

Hotels

Restaurants

Xpu-Há

Hotels

Restaurant

Tulum

Getting Here & Around

What to See & Do

Cenotes

Adventures on Water

Theme Park

Nightlife

Shopping

Hotels

Restaurants

Riviera Maya

The 240-mile (380-km) strip of land south of Cancún is called the Riviera Maya. This includes tourist draws such as Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Xcaret, Cozumel, Pureto Aventuras, Akumal, Xel-Há and finally Tulum. There are numerous hotels, resorts and spas of every class from grass shacks and see-through huts on the beach to six-star, luxury spas that cost over $500 a day. Playa del Carmen is a bustle while Cozumel, when the cruise ships are gone, is calm. Tulum is buzzing in the day and quiet at night. For the visitor, there are beaches, archaeological sites, caves and cenotes to visit. There is great fishing, snorkeling, diving and swimming anywhere along the coast. Eating and drinking yourself into a heart attack would be easy, given the gourmet restaurants and eateries. The Riviera Maya is enjoyed by every culture in the world.

Getting Here

If arriving at the CancúnInternationalAirport, after passing customs, you can rent a car, hop on a local bus or take a tour.

If arriving by bus from Belize, you will find Mexican customs will give most visitors a three-month visa and some a six-month one.It's Belize customs that are often unpleasant, especially if you are just passing through on your way to Tikal. Belize charges everyone a $30 Conservation Fee every time they leave the country. Belize customs officers have been known to refuse to issue a 30-day visa (to which you are entitled) and the only way to get a full visa is to pay another $25 in Belmopan.

There are no Mexican buses running into Belize so your first point of access to transportation is at Chetumal, where buses leave every hour for Cancún from 6 am until about 7 pm.

Puerto Morelos

This tiny fishing village, just 18 miles (30 km) south of Cancún, is still a quiet getaway. How it has escaped the hustle of Cancún is a miracle; its main draw is the car ferry to Cozumel that departs daily.

What to See & Do

Crococun Zoo, Km 31 south of Cancún, three km before Puerto Morelos, tel. [phone], www.crococunzoo.com, $18 for adults, $12 for children, open 8 am to 5 pm daily, is a sophisticated petting zoo where guests can feed monkeys, hold snakes, pat deer and walk near crocodiles.

Dr Alfredo Barrera Marin Botanical Garden, Km 36, Cancún-Chetumal Highway, south of Puerto Morelos, open 8 am to 4 pm, entry fee $7, can be reached by taxi from the port. The 150 acres have a lookout tower from which you can observe some of the 200 species of birds said to inhabit the area. While walking along the two-three miles (three-four km) of trails to the Chiclero camp where chewing gum was once produced, you can visit Maya ruins, with some artifacts, and see butterflies, spider monkeys, lizards, snakes, squirrels and iguanas. Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marin, a botanist, believes there are 250 species of animals living in the surrounding vegetation. The plant life, some of it labeled in English, Spanish and Latin, consists of numerous species of trees, shrubs, and flowering and medicinal plants. There is a remarkable orchid, bromeliad and fern