Top places to go · Mexico
Maya ruins on the cliffs, cenotes inland, and the second largest reef system offshore
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Open the offersThe Riviera Maya is the Caribbean coast of Quintana Roo running south from Cancun through Playa del Carmen to Tulum. Offshore is the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second largest reef system in the world; inland are thousands of cenotes and the Maya sites of Tulum and Coba.
A walled Postclassic Maya city on a clifftop above the sea, the only major Maya site built on the coast, and the southern end of the Riviera Maya.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 (established 1986) south of Tulum, with lagoons, mangroves, reef and wildlife including manatees, crocodiles and jaguars.
A jungle Maya city covering more than 70 square km; its Nohoch Mul pyramid at about 42 m is the tallest Maya structure in the northern Yucatan. Climbing rules have changed repeatedly, check before going.
A cavern cenote about 5 km from Tulum on the Coba road, used for snorkeling among stalactites; one of roughly 400 cenotes around Tulum.
A bay whose name means place of the turtles in Maya; green and loggerhead turtles feed on its seagrass, and snorkeling with them now requires a guide, life jacket and set hours.
A protected stretch of the Mesoamerican reef unusually close to shore; snorkeling is by licensed boat only.
The main town on the coast, with the pedestrian Fifth Avenue and the ferry pier to Cozumel.
A privately owned eco-archaeological park 6.5 km south of Playa del Carmen, opened in December 1990 on land bought by architect Miguel Quintana Pali, with underground rivers and an evening show.
Stay nearby: Hotel Xcaret ArteA partly flooded cave river near Playa del Carmen, explored on foot and by swimming with helmets and wetsuits; mapped passages exceed 12 km.
A large reef on Cozumel’s southwest coast inside Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, with dive sections from about 15 to 34 m.
Planning the days? Top things to do in the Riviera Maya →
Booked through us as a Virtuoso advisor: the same rate as booking direct, with the Virtuoso amenities confirmed in writing.
Best months are December to April (dry season). Tell us your dates and we will say honestly whether they work.
CUN, Cancun International Airport (Tulum TQO is an alternative for the south). We arrange transfers to the hotel as part of the booking.
It depends on the trip. The hotels listed above are the top tier; we match the property to your dates, group and style and confirm the Virtuoso amenities in writing.
