RIVIERA MAYA

What you need to know about Riviera Maya

  • The Riviera Maya spans about 87 mi (140 km) of coastline from Puerto Morelos, which is south of Cancun, until Punta Allen, inside the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve.
  • It’s in front of an extensive area of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is the second largest coral barrier reef in the world. Within this region, there are four undersea national parks and numerous protected areas.
  • The Riviera Maya has many natural and cultural places: underground rivers, dozens of bays, and hundreds of cenotes framed by the jungle, plus majestic archaeological sites.
  • It’s home to the most renowned parks in the Caribbean area, such as Xcaret, Xel-Há, Xplor, Xplor Fuego, Xenses, and Xoximilco.
  • With white-sand beaches and turquoise waters, this astonishing destination offers hundreds of options to stay in, from beachfront bungalows to upscale resorts.
  • Every year you will find important cultural and sporting events, such as the Sacred Journey, the Festival of Life and Death Traditions, the Xel-Há Triathlon, or the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival.

Visit the picturesque towns located along the Riviera Maya. Discover its people, its natural beauties, and immerse yourself into its freshwater cenotes and lagoons or calm beaches. The Riviera Maya is a beach destination that has it all for an unforgettable vacation.

What to do in Riviera Maya?


At Riviera Maya there are many amazing places and this is a good opportunity to find the best Riviera Maya tours to enjoy your vacations. There are options to visit by yourself, your couple or with the entire family, for example visiting one of the closest island to the Riviera Maya, Cozumel, where the Sacred Journey is celebrated once a year, and it consist of keeping an ancient traditions through the recreation of a ritual to Ixchel, goddess of the fertility from Xcaret to Cozumel by a demanding a canoe voyage. Another close island is Isla Mujeres, the starting point to swimm with whale sharks. You can find more Riviera Maya excursions for the type of adventure that you want to live.

Akumal is a place in Riviera Maya where you must do beach activities; its named means “Lands of turtles” because of the abundance of turtles in the reef. You can also find the Yal-Ku lagoon where you’re going to enjoy a combination of fresh and salt water which makes possible an abundant variety of tropical fish; if you love snorkeling there is another close option, Xel-Há, which is an all-inclusive park with unlimited snorkel, drinks and food.

Close to Riviera Maya are different heavenly places like Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. There is also Bacalar, called the lake of seven colors because the effect of having so many shades of blue in their waters. With these incredible landscapes you’re going to enjoy your vacations in Riviera Maya.

You can have the option to learn more about an ancient pre-Columbian culture with the archaeological site Muyil or even go from Riviera Maya to Tulum to admire the only city built in atop a cliff, facing the Caribbean Sea.

Riviera Maya Tours


The best Riviera Maya tours to archaeological sites are with Xcaret. For example the tour that takes you from Riviera Maya to Chichén Itza, Xichén Clásico is an accessible tour to live a wonderful experience that includes a visit to the Xcajum Cenote Ik Kil to swim, a buffet lunch at the restaurant in the cenote’s premises, and a stop at the magic town Valladolid. If you’re looking for a luxury tour you can choose Xichén Deluxe where you can visit the astounding Santuario Tsukán Cenote for swimming and a buffet lunch with beverages included at La Casona de Valladolid restaurant.

The Riviera Maya excursions can be complemented with a visit from Riviera Maya to Tulum. This archaeological site is the most photographed spot in the delightful destination. We also have a tour from Riviera Maya to Cobá to climb the tallest pyramid in Riviera Maya to appreciate an incredible view of the surrounding jungle, all this with Xichén Tours by Xcaret.