Lonely Planet Pocket Cancun & the Riviera Maya

By Ray Bartlett, Ashley Harrell and John Hecht

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher

Lonely Planet's Pocket Cancun & the Riviera Maya is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Chill on the soft sands of the beach of your choice, dive, snorkel or fish to your heart's content, and peruse Maya artifacts at the Museo Maya de Cancún - all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Cancun & the Riviera Maya and begin your journey now!

Inside Lonely Planet's Pocket Cancun & the Riviera Maya:

• Full-colour maps and images throughout
• Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests
• Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots
• Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices
• Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss
• Free, convenient pull-out map (included in print version), plus over 19 color neighborhood maps
• User-friendly layout with helpful icons, and organized by neighborhood to help you pick the best spots to spend your time
• Covers El Centro, Zona Hotelera, Puerto Morelos, Tres Ríos, Playa del Carmen, Xcaret, Paamul, Puerto Aventuras, Xpu Há, Akumal, Xel-Há, Bahía de Punta Soliman, Tankah, Tulum.

The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Pocket Cancun & the Riviera Maya is our colorful, easy to use and handy guide that literally fits in your pocket, providing on-the-go assistance for those seeking the best sights and experiences on a short visit or weekend away.

Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Lonely Planet's Mexico guide for an in-depth look at all the country has to offer.

About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travelers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more.

'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times

'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Release date: Jul 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781788685542

Book preview

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Cancún & the Riviera Maya

Top Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Diving & Snorkeling

History

Shopping

Beaches

For Kids

LGBTIQ

Four Perfect Days

Need to Know

Cancún & the Riviera Maya Regions

Explore Cancún & the Riviera Maya

Cancún Centro

Zona Hotelera

Isla Mujeres

Playa del Carmen

Tulum

Isla Cozumel

Worth a Trip

Chichén Itzá

Laguna Bacalar

Cobá

Reserva de la Biosfera Sian Ka’an

Survival Guide

Survival Guide

Before You Go

Arriving in Cancún & the Riviera Maya

Getting Around

Essential Information

Language

Behind the Scenes

Our Writers

Welcome to Cancún & the Riviera Maya

With white-sand beaches, scenic ruins and fun-filled cenotes, this spectacular tourist corridor stretches 135km south from Cancún all the way down to Tulum. Whether traveling by car or bus, getting from one town to the next is a breeze – you can watch the sun rise over Isla Blanca, go diving in Parque Dos Ojos in the afternoon and still have time for a candlelit dinner in Tulum.

Paradise Beach, Tulum | SIMON DANNHAUERI/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Cancún & the Rivera Maya

Top Sights

1 Tulum Ruins

Maya ruins with astonishing views. Tulum

PATRYK KOSMIDER/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Cancún & the Rivera Maya Top Sights

1 Isla Blanca

One of Cancún’s great secrets. Cancún Centro

IREN KEY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Cancún & the Rivera Maya Top Sights

1 Parque de las Palapas & Around

The heart of downtown Cancún. Cancún Centro

ROSAIRENEBETANCOURT 9/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Cancún & the Rivera Maya Top Sights

1 Museo Maya de Cancún & San Miguelito

Intriguing Maya ruins and artifacts. Zona Hotelera

EQROY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Cancún & the Rivera Maya Top Sights

1 Museo Subacuático de Arte

A unique underwater museum. Zona Hotelera

IMAGE BY THE STILLS. USED BY COURTESY OF MUSA MUSAMEXICO.ORG ©

Cancún & the Rivera Maya Top Sights

1 Isla Mujeres Turtle Farm

Saving turtles one by one. Isla Mujeres

TAKAKI NAKAJIMA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Cancún & the Rivera Maya Top Sights

1 Playa Norte

An unforgettable Caribbean seascape. Isla Mujeres

SWEDISHNOMAD.COM - ALEX W/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Cancún & the Rivera Maya Top Sights

1 Riviera Maya’s Cenotes

Discover the Riviera’s underground natural pools (cenotes). Playa del Carmen

ULLSTEIN BILD/CONTRIBUTOR/GETTY IMAGES ©

Cancún & the Rivera Maya Top Sights

1 Diving Isla Cozumel

Diving and snorkeling island escape. Isla Cozumel

IMAGEN RAFAEL COSME DAZA WWW.RAFAELCOSME.COM/GETTY IMAGES ©

Cancún & the Rivera Maya Top Sights

1 Chichén Itzá

The Yucatán’s best Maya site.

JOHN_WALKER/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Cancún & the Rivera Maya Top Sights

1 Laguna Bacalar

Secluded and wondrous crystal-clear lagoon.

SAM CAMP/GETTY IMAGES ©

Cancún & the Rivera Maya Top Sights

1 Cobá

Home to the tallest pyramid in Quintana Roo.

MADRUGADA VERDE/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Cancún & the Rivera Maya Top Sights

1 Reserva de la Biosfera Sian Ka’an

Unesco-recognized and thriving biosphere.

INSPIRED BY MAPS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Eating

Seafood is king along the coast, from fresh ceviche to fried whole fish and seasonal lobster. Yucatecan cuisine figures big on menus as well, including classics such as cochinita pibil (slow-cooked pork), salbutes (delightful fried tortilla snacks) and relleno negro (shredded-turkey stew). You’ll also find Caribbean-inspired dishes.

TONO BALAGUER/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Mother of Mexican Cuisine

Josefina Velázquez de León (1899–1968) is considered the mother of Mexican cuisine. She ran a successful culinary school and wrote more than 140 cookbooks, the most ambitious being Platillos regionales de la República Mexicana, considered the first book to collect Mexico’s regional cuisine in one volume.

Chocolate

Archaeologists in the Yucatán have detected chocolate residue on plate fragments believed to be about 2500 years old, meaning the ancient Maya may have used it as a spice or cacao sauce similar to mole.

Frijol con Puerco

A regular weekly dish in many Yucatecan homes is frijol con puerco, a local version of pork and beans. Pork cooked with black beans is served with rice and garnished with radish, cilantro and onion.

Best Restaurants

Tempo Gourmet Basque cuisine created by 8-Michelin-star chef Martin Berasategui. Enough said.

Benazuza A tasting extravaganza of Mexican-inspired dishes.

Nixtamal Laguna Bacalar’s slooow-food experience.

Hartwood Tulum’s most popular restaurant blends fresh and local ingredients with international flavors and techniques.

Passion The French-Basque-inspired menu here was created by 8-Michelin-starred chef Martín Berasategui.

Best Seafood

Crab House Excellent stone crab, but fantastic shrimp dishes as well.

Javi’s Cantina Serves seafood, choice beef cuts, chicken and various veggie options.

Puerto Santo Wood-fired whole fish is the specialty at this hidden oceanfront restaurant.

Best Tacos

Taquería Honorio Began as a hit street stall and features delicious tacos and tortas.

Best Cheap Eats in Cancún

Rooster Café Sunyaxchen Good little downtown breakfast spot to get some waffles and eggs Benedict.

Best Regional Restaurants in Cancún

Lonchería El Pocito Homestyle Yucatecan cooking with great regional snacks.

La Habichuela Yucatecan tamales and main dishes drawing on ancient Maya recipes.

Where to Eat

Markets Produce; good, cheap eats.

Taquerías Tacos, tortas (sandwiches) and greasy delights.

Fondas Affordable, home-style meals.

Drinking & Nightlife

If you like to party you can get yourself into late-night mischief in Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. The islands of Isla Mujeres, Holbox and Cozumel have more of a subdued nightlife scene but you can always find cool drinking establishments that stay open past midnight. In some of the smaller towns it’s pretty much last call at around 9pm.

SUNSHINE PICS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Alcoholic Drinks

As elsewhere in Mexico, on the peninsula you will find the popular tequila and its cousin mezcal. Both spirits are distilled from the agave plant; one difference is that tequila comes from blue agave in the central state of Jalisco and is protected with Denomination of Origin status.

Cerveza (beer) is also widely available; the most popular mass-produced brew is Montejo. There is a growing number of breweries producing craft beers, such as Tulum, which makes a fine IPA, and Ceiba.

Balché is a Maya spirit that was offered to the gods during special ceremonies. It is fermented inside the hollow trunk of the balché tree with water and honey. Balché is not commercially available, but another Maya spirit, xtabentún, is easy to find in the region. Xtabentún is an anise-flavored liqueur that, when authentic, is made by fermenting honey.

Nightlife

People come to the region – with good reason – to enjoy incredible nightlife; the Yucatán can more than hold its own against Cabo, Vegas or anywhere else in the world. The big cities have just about everything: from clubs so loud the music pumps your heart for you to ritzy rooftop lounges to drag shows to funky dives. Outside of the biggest cities things are mellow. Rural nightlife is non-existent, unless you count cats, dogs, roosters and the occasional marauding coati.

Best Nightlife

Amarula con Acento Tropical Somewhat hidden cocktail bar with DJs spinning house and tropical sounds.

Grand Mambocafé Downtown dance club featuring mostly Cuban salsa acts.

Nomads Cocina & Barra Artsy bar serving creative drinks and innovative Mexican cuisine.

Fusion Playa del Carmen’s spot for live music, belly dancing and fire dancing.

Best Clubs

The City Latin America’s largest nightclub features world-famous DJs and musicians.

Coco Bongo A Cancún institution with wild parties and acrobatic shows.

Papaya Playa Project Beachside Tulum club that hosts fabulous monthly full-moon parties and Saturday DJ nights.

Best Cocktail Bars

Amarula con Acento Tropical Trendy cocktail bar set in an old downtown Cancún house.

Nomads Cocina & Barra Creative drinks and innovative cuisine draw the ‘in crowd.’

Bar del Mar Zona Hotelera beach bar known for its habanero-infused Bloody Mary.

Best Local Bars

Las de Guanatos Locals dig the cool beers and spicy-hot sandwiches at this Guadalajara-themed bar.

Marakame Café Live bands jam at this pleasant open-air bar in a residential area.

Route 666 Bikers Bar Middle-class bikers and die-hard rockers bang their heads here.

Diving & Snorkeling

The Mexican Caribbean is world famous for its colorful coral reefs and translucent waters full of tropical fish so, not surprisingly, diving and snorkeling are the area’s top activity draw. Add cenote (limestone sinkhole) dives to the mix and you truly have one of the most intriguing dive destinations on the planet.

J.S. LAMY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Where to Snorkel

Many spots on the Yucatán’s Caribbean side make for some fine snorkeling. The best sites