Activities in Riviera Maya

Between the international pier and Punta Langosta, this good-looking bar (with a crowd to match) sits right on the waterfront and is named for the num

Get your fix of Mayan criollo chocolate—bitter and complex, with hints of fruit, smoke, and vanilla, a “food of the gods” that’s

Run by a group of Playa del Carmen adventurers dedicated to sustainable tourism, this company works with Mayan communities to preserve their heritage.

Snap up beach reads, bestsellers, classics, tomes on Maya culture, and local guidebooks and maps—the largest selection of (mostly used) English-langua

Bargoers here, a short taxi ride from Mexico’s Playa del Carmen, descend by candle-lined stairs into a subterranean lounge, trying to recall the littl

Divers shouldn’t miss an excursion to see the first phase of artist Jason de Caires Taylor’s underwater sculptures series, a collection of 400 sunken

The Blue Parrot dates to 1984, making the club one of Playa del Carmen’s elder statesmen. What started as a casual hotel and bar now includes the 5th

Many cenotes—sinkholes in the subterranean rivers that riddle the Yucatán—are either limited to divers or overrun with crowds, but not this 15-by-130-

Once the most powerful Mayan city-state in the northeastern Yucatán, this 26-square-mile site, crisscrossed by raised limestone roads called sacbéob

On an unassuming side street, this little shop run by two sisters—owner Beatriz Urtuzuastegui and Victoria Lemus, the attentive but unobtrusive manage

Tangle with a snake, feed a peccary, walk through a crocodile den, and be accosted by an affectionate spider monkey at this 150-acre nature reserve, h

Special Booking: A couple requesting a fun adventure were chauffeured to the top of Haleakala at dawn, and then coasted down on bicycles that had been

Cozumel's new "culture park" provides an intriguing window into the Mexican Republic. In the screening room of the eye-catching modern building, you c

Where It Is: The limestone bedrock that underlies Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is pocked with freshwater-filled sinkholes called cenotes. For divers, on

Modest compared with those on the Yucatán peninsula, Cozumel's Mayan ruins are still distinct. San Gervasio, in the interior, was occupied by the Maya

A mix of guided jungle and water activities are offered at this park in an up-close, jungle environment. Water activities are focused on snorkeling an

Working with CEOs, multi-generational families, and vacation seekers since 2005, Julia Kostenko of Altour Travel specializes in creating unique travel

A series of mini-shops in a restored colonial building, this market has the highest quality artisan crafts, clothing, tabletop goods, ceramics, and to

Sure, you could book shiatsu, but this spa’s specialty is heavenly Mayan-inspired treatments. Everyone’s visit begins with an outdoor steam-cleansing

The tour takes small groups on snorkeling trips to lesser-known underground rivers like the recently opened Kin-ha.

This ever-popular thatched-roof beach bar is located on the less-frequented eastern half of the island. Take note: it's only open in daylight hours (t

Four compact galleries chronicle the island's Mayan history, Spanish conquest, Caribbean pirates, and ecological diversity (with a focus on the coral

Cozumel is a duty-free shopping zone. The collection of luxury products found in this enormous store runs the gamut from perfumes and Baume & Mercier

Modest compared with those on the

Yucatán peninsula, Cozumel's Mayan ruins are still distinct. San Gervasio, in the in