Riviera Maya, Yucatan
For traveling divers, the Yucatan is the gateway to Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, the Riviera Maya, and little known Holbox island. Its easiest to fly to Cancun, pick up a rental car, and explore. Two of the best Mayan archeological sites in the world are located in this area: Chitzen Itza and Uxmal. These should be considered no-miss destinations when traveling here.
Merida, in the northwest part of the state, is the capital and the largest city on the Yucatan peninsula. It’s a beautiful colonial city with a rich history and culture. We enjoyed the central market while shopping for handicrafts and eating at the food stalls.
At the north end of the peninsula, is the city of Chiquila where you can take a ferry to Holbox island. The main reason to come here is to swim with whale sharks. It is in the migration path and your chances of seeing the world's largest fish are excellent. This is a natural paradise with giant flocks of flamingos, an island that serves as a bird sanctuary, and a small island with a natural freshwater spring in the middle, which forms a pool for swimming. We saw whale sharks, breaching mantas, and thousands of migrating golden rays. It’s a very small island with golf carts used as the primary form of transportation. We stayed in a beautiful small boutique hotel near town and walked everywhere. If you’re able to visit here, it should also be considered a no-miss. We have traveled here many times and never get tired of this wonderful destination.
I've visited the Riviera Maya many times. We've always based ourselves in Playa del Carmen and ventured out from there. Playa del Carmen is an easy drive from Cancun and a rental car is essential. Each time, we have rented a beachfront private villa within walking distance of town. Fifth Avenue is the main street in town and is pedestrian only. This is where you will find a great number of restaurants, bars, and shops. Many dive shops are scattered around town. This is the main embarkation point for the ferry to Cozumel.
The main reason divers come to this area is to dive in the cenotes. These are ancient limestone caves, now filled with water, and making up the largest underwater cave system in the world. You can dive the cenotes without special training because they are considered cavern dives where you never lose sight of the entrance. Any further exploration requires cave diving training. The dive shops in Playa del Carmen will all arrange guided cenote dives led by certified cave divers. Some will also arrange high-speed boats to Cozumel for a two tank dive on the world-famous walls.
As you continue south of Playa del Carmen, you'll come to the town of Puerto Aventuras, Tulum, and Akumal. Cenotes are scattered throughout this entire area. Akumal has a wonderful, calm bay perfect for snorkeling and is usually occupied by a large number of sea turtles, including green, hawksbill, and loggerheads. There is also a beautiful white sand beach. Tulum has an ancient Mayan archeological site that’s quite extensive and certainly worth a visit. Coba, another Mayan site, is only a short drive from Tulum and is also an excellent side trip. Some of my favorite cenotes are Dos Ojos, Angelita, Dream Gate, and Gran Cenote.
Bottom line: The Riviera Maya & Yucatan are an outstanding area to experience world-class diving, fantastic Mayan ruins and cultural sites, incredible nature sites, and large marine animals, cenote diving, authentic Mexican food, beautiful beaches and a welcoming and warm local population. It's family-friendly, with plenty of things to do for both adults and children.
