Almost Eco-Touring the Mayan Riviera

If you want to stay up on the It List of hot travel destinations, be sure to jot down the Mayan Riviera. On my last visit, I couldn't help but notice the surge of humanity (most speaking American English) that populated the beaches and dotted the landscape everywhere I turned. And according to the U.S. Tour Operators Association, Mexico is second only to Europe as the most popular destination visited by Americans, with the Cancun/Mayan Riviera region ranking up there for one of the most popular of all vacation spots south of the border.

While the title, Mayan Riviera, is certainly artificial (the Maya never settled here), you'll find authentic Mexico all along the Caribbean coast of Quintana Roo. Stretching some 225 miles, it runs all the way from Cancun on the north to Chetumal in the south. And it's all white, sandy beaches, blankets of jungle, and lagoons full of colorful fish. While the latest buzzword in travel is "eco-tourism," only Xcaret seems to fit the bill--although the developers of innumerable other resorts along the coast would have you believe they actually have the environment's best interest at heart while they build, build, build.

Coastal Towns, an Eco-Park and Ancient Ruins

Even though the two famous offshore islands, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, are part of the Mayan Riviera, I won't be touching on those here. Instead, I suggest you look for a few beautiful resorts along the coast, and visit the sleepy town of Puerto Morelos when you want to see a town that development has passed by.

Further down the coast is Playa del Carmen, undergoing rapid development, but boasting one of the best beaches along the entire coast. Young people love this part of the Riviera, as do visitors from Europe. As it relates to the entire coastline, Playa del Carmen is more conveniently located in the middle than Cancun at the far northern end. This is a good place to consider taking a ferry to Cozumel if you wish to see that island paradise, and it's very close to Xcaret.

Don't miss Tulum and Xel-Ha, the latter for snorkeling and swimming, one of the world's best places, in fact, for both. Tulum is the home of a great archeological site, with a castle (castillo) above the beach, and a Temple of the Frescoes, just in front of the castle. You can forget about Chetumal, the capital of Quintana Roo state, unless you are planning to visit Belize, just across the border from the city, practically a stone's throw.

You must visit Xcaret (meaning "little inlet" and pronounced Ish-ka-ret), a marvelous theme park which features an underground river for swimming, a Mayan village river for gliding, and about two dozen other attractions included in the entrance ticket. Standouts include a manatee lagoon, coral reef aquarium, an apiary, an aviary, and an orchid house. You can also tour jungles, visit a mushroom farm or simply head to the beach. There are daily museum shows and theater presentations, as well as an equestrian show and the Xcaret Spectacular Night Show (it is!). It's an easy 35-mile drive from Cancun, or you can take the colorful, air-conditioned bus from the Xcaret Tour Center in Cancun in front of Plaza Caracol with daily departures at 9 & 10am and 3pm. Entrance fees vary, starting at $49 for the just the park and can range up to $69 to include the dinner show. Tours from Cancun start at $89, from Playa del Carmen $75 and from the Mayan Riviera $79. Contact the tour center in Cancun at 883-3143, or go online to the equally colorful www.xcaret.net.

A fair distance from the coastline--and 105 miles southwest of Cancun--are the ruins of Coba, an impressive Mayan grouping deep in the jungle. The path is primitive, and you have to hike in or bicycle, as no cars are allowed. If you don't want to drive yourself, take one of the regular bus tours from Cancun or the regular rooster-and-kids buses from Tulum or Playa del Carmen. Fair Warning: Coba is an incredibly poor village, and you will come face-to-face with the effects of extreme poverty in the world

Coba is a 42-square-mile site, much of it still unexcavated. The town of Coba was at its height of grandeur around 632 A.D., but lost its importance after the founding of Chichen Itza, to the north, around 800. This is a good place to view butterflies and birds, but hard going because of the heat, the humidity and the mosquitoes. Look for the Temple of the Church (La Iglesia), the ball court (juego de pelota), and the Castle (El Castillo), the second-tallest pyramid in the Yucatan, even higher than the castle at Chichen-Itza. Admission is about $2, free on Sundays and holidays. Open daily 8 to 5. Be sure to take plenty of drinking water, wear comfortable shoes and try to visit in the morning or after the heat of the day has passed in early evening. You'll need mosquito repellent, too.

Where to Lay Your Head

The Ceiba del Mar Hotel & Spa in Puerto Morelos is a pleasant spot, not too pricey at $230 for a double room in low season, $285 in high. You can get a Modified American Plan (breakfast and dinner included) from $290 low season and $345 high season. There are 120 rooms in eight separate three-floor buildings, each with its own sunroof terrace and whirlpool, bar and concierge service. The hotel is quite new, and attractively decorated, centering around a manmade pool and an impressive Spa. (The latter features a temascal, a type of steam bath dating back to the Aztecs and not unlike North American Indian sweat lodges.) Facilities include 2 pools, tennis court, sandy beach, dive and water sports shop, jogging path, biking and nature tours. For reservations, phone 877/545-6221 or in Mexico 872-8060. Their Web site is www.ceibadelmar.com.

Another lovely spot is the Paradisus Riviera Cancun, with rooms starting at $220 per person per night, all-inclusive. Kids aged 5 to 12 get 50% off. There are 496 rooms, each opening onto a terrace surrounded by tropical gardens. Each room has TV, three phones, marble bathrooms and hair dryers. A palapa village sits on the shore, but there's also vast, lake-like swimming pool. This is a Sol Melia hotel, reachable from the U.S. at 800/33-MELIA, or at the Web site www.solmelia.com.

A big tourist and package spot is the Moon Palace, an all-inclusive with a beach and other outdoor facilities. Although all meals are included in the price, it's best to eat only the breakfast--unless you're a fan of mediocre food. Beverages, non-motorized water toys, miniature golf, tennis, health club and tips are all included in the bill. To serve as your ID, they tag you with a plastic bracelet reminiscent of hospital stays, so you really feel like an inmate. Facilities include a business center, small gym and a Kids Club. Packages start at about $2165 a week, or some $310 per room per night.

Further down the beach is the Aventura Spa Palace, run by the same chain as the Moon Palace. Similar rooms, all-inclusive prices. The big feature here is their spa, which charges, $44 for a 25-minute back massage, $98 for a 50-minute sea marine facial or seaweed wrap, or just $27 for a 25-minute pedicure. Room prices are about the same as for Moon Palace. Every one of the 475 rooms here is furnished with a TV, phone, individually controlled air conditioner, a safe, coffee maker, purified water, minibar and hair dryer. (I'd still recommend drinking only bottled water anywhere in Mexico, however.) Reservations and inquiries can be made in the U.S. at 800/635-1836, or go online to www.palaceresorts.com.

Where to Eat

If you are staying in an all-inclusive place, you'll no doubt want to take your dinners there, and possibly lunches, though some restaurants and menus are better than others. Should you want to eat outside the hotels, here are a few places that I can safely recommend.

In Puerto Morelos, try Los Pelicanos, right off the zocalo (town plaza) on the ocean side. It's an unprepossessing place, where you can eat outside on the patio or inside under the palapa roof. Seafood is the specialty here; try the ceviche or conch. There's grilled chicken and steak for landlubbers. Main courses cost run from $5 to $20. Phone 871-0014.

In Playa del Carmen, the most popular restaurant in town is La Parrilla, where Mexican food is the specialty, with fajitas, tortillas, enchiladas, but also lobster. Main courses from $7 to $25. Corner of Av. 5 at Calle 8. Phone 873-0687.

Additional Info

The country code for Mexico is 52, the area code for the Mayan Riviera is 998. To reach an international line, dial 011 from the states

The rate of exchange used at time of writing was 9.5 pesos to the U.S. dollar.