Riviera Maya

Ancient culture, cutting-edge hotels and did we mention the pristine beaches?
With its warm sea a palette of blues from aquamarine to high-res turquoise, powdery white sand and the sort of benevolent climate (hurricanes aside) of which millions dream, the Caribbean coast of Mexicos Yucatn peninsula is one of the worlds most beautiful holiday spots. Its green, tropical and bustling with plants and flowers on land, with a similarly multicoloured universe just below the waters surface, where the worlds second largest coral reef runs alongside the beach all the way to Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, attracting scuba divers and snorkelists from far and wide. Almost as colourful and teeming with life, Cancn, the areas main point of arrival and a tourist magnet since its late-1960s evolution from a sleepy and unsuspecting coastal village, has earned a reputation as a gaudy, cocktail-fuelled holiday destination from hell. And yet there are good reasons why Cancn draws two and a half million visitors every year. Yes, it has a slick tourism infrastructure that includes the sweep of the Zona Hotelera a slim, 22 kilometre-long spit of sand, actually an island, on which a legion of grand hotels and all-inclusive resorts cram shoulder to shoulder, facing the sea. Yes, it has an abundance of noisy, beery bars and restaurants catering to US holidaymakers, most of them on a main drag festooned with haiku-like banners that take a moment to process: Girls no cover; Ladies drink free; Crazy tattoos. But walk around a little, duck into the hotels, stroll the paths between their lavish, navy-blue pools, and the people youll see will be happy, relaxed and delighted to be basking in the bounty of Cancn. South of Cancn is the Riviera Maya, a 200 kilometre stretch of coastline in the process of becoming a key holiday destination in its own right. The Riviera Maya tag is as much a tourism industry gimmick as the two-for-one margaritas at Cancns Hooters bar, but from the simultaneously hip and tacky fabulousness of Playa del Carmens coast resorts some of them exceptionally luxurious to the exquisite cabaas of Tulm and on into the wild Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve, all the beauty is real.

Best of Mexico
Soak up the sun in sight of the ruins at Tulm. See p233.
2 3 0 Time Out Mexico City

Riviera Maya

Cancn
With a population of more than a million all year round, Cancn has way more to offer than its most obvious assets though its obvious assets and its well-executed tourist industry make it a great place to enjoy a mass market holiday. If its unspoiled nature youre after then keep moving on down the coast, but if you have even a couple of days to spare or perhaps just a night on the way in or out then you could do worse than making a stop in Cancn. Theres little in the way of high culture here thats really not the point of Cancn but if you must, the Casa de Arte Popular Mexicano is brimming over with an excellent collection of folk art from across the country and is located right in the Zona Hotelera. First, though, head for a gaze at the big blue and the soft sand millennia worth of calcium deposits washed up from the coral reefs. The R1 bus will take you from the main terminal all the way along the Zona Hotelera for a flat fare of MX$6.50. Ride through spring break ground zero around the Forum by the Sea shopping mall and once you start passing dozens of hotels, their backs to you and their faces to the sea, pick a stop and hop off. Its unlikely youll have seen the sea by now to call the seafront built up would be an understatement but nip through a hotel lobby and out on to the beach to understand in an instant why Cancn is so popular Evening is a good time to visit downtown Cancn, where most of the action revolves around Avenida Yaxchiln; if its a weekend, dont miss a stroll in Parque la Palapas, where live music and dance on the large stage draw make other stops along the way whether you smartly dressed Cancunians, many of them like it or not). Best of all, you can rent a car (try grazing at the row of food stalls to one side. Hertz at Plaza Forum, Avenida Tulum 260, 800 405 7000), making an early start to beat the heat Casa de Arte Popular Mexicano El Embarcadero, Boulevard Kukulcn km 4 (998 849 and driving 217 kilometres (135 miles) inland 4332/www.museoartepopularmexicano.org). Open towards Mrida, taking the toll road for speed.
9am-6pm Mon-Fri; 11am-6pm Sat, Sun. Admission MX$50; MX$33 reductions. No credit cards.

Best of Mexico

Where to eat & drink

Right on Parque las Palapas, La Habichuela (Margaritas 25, 998 884 3158, mains MX$145$500) is a local institution with a beautiful terrace garden. Giant prawns in tamarind sauce are the way to go, with a little tequila first to whet the appetite accompanied by one of the best sangritas a tiny tomato-juice chaser in town. Louder, brasher and lots of fun, La Parrilla (Avenida Yaxchiln 51, 998 287 8118, mains MX$75-$600) has a Tex-Mex menu, roaming mariachis and a jolly atmosphere that local families adore. If youre in search of the real Cancn, head for the Zona and Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville
Time Out Mexico City 2 3 1

Excursions
Take the ferry from Puerto Jurez to tranquil Isla de Mujeres (MX$35), just four kilometres north of Cancn, or head for the astonishing Maya ruins at Chichn Itz. At its peak between AD 850 and 1150 the citys population reached around 50,000, and it became a place of pilgrimage before being abandoned for reasons unknown around 1200. Take the 9am Mayab Line bus from the terminal, returning at 4.30pm (998 884 5542, MX$150 each way); alternatively, you can join an excursion through a tour company (though be aware that most tours

(Boulevard Kukulcn km 11.5, 998 885 2376, mains MX$180-$350), or Ruths Chris Steakhouse (Boulevard Kukulcn km 13.5, 998 885 3301, mains MX$290-$500).

Where to stay
El Rey del Caribe (Avenida Uxmal 24, 998 884 2028, www.reycaribe.com, doubles from MX$835), despite an unpromising location on the far side of the downtown bus terminal, is a gem of a hotel thanks to the lush tropical garden around which it is set. Hostel Haina (Orqudeas 13, 998 898 2081, www.hainahostel. com, rates MX$390 double, MX$110 dorm bed) is a nice budget option near Parque las Palapas, while down among the hotel megaliths, the Gran Meli (Boulevard Kukulcn km 16.5, 998 193 0090, www.granmeliacancun.com, doubles from MX$1,400) is gorgeous, with a stunning ivy-draped lobby recalling the lush mangroves that once lined this shore.

Santanera (Calle 12 between 5ta Avenida and Calle 10, 984 803 2294), where you must never arrive before 1.30am if you want to fit in. When youre partied out, take the Ultramar Ferry (998 843 2011) to the island of Cozumel, from the pier at the southernmost end of 5ta Avenida.

Where to eat
Shrimp tacos by the pool read: immersion tanks at Hotel Bsico (see below) are a house speciality, and for good reason. Babes Noodles & Bar (10th Street, 984 120 2592, www.babesnoodlesandbar.com, mains MX$63$110), opposite Bsico, serves quality Pad Thai noodles along with ice-cold lemon and mint smoothies that are una delicia. Near the end of 5ta Avenida, La Cueva del Chango (Calle 38, 984 147 0271, mains MX$86-$136) does authentic Mexican food brilliantly.

Where to stay
Hotel Bsico (5ta Avenida & Calle 10, 984 879 4448, www.basico.com.mx, doubles from MX$2,000) is a hymn of praise to industrial chic. Its a great hotel in many ways, and a Habita hotel to the core (see p40 Habita forming), reflective of the groups willingness to experiment with delightfully theatrical styles. Exposed pipes and large hospital beds set the tone for the rooms, where you get the feeling your presence might be messing up the design; and since, in their stripped-down frenzy, the designers neglected to add furniture except for odd modernist tables and deep drawers beneath the beds, your cluttered piles of bags, clothes and books most certainly will. The rooms at Hotel Deseo (5ta Avenida & Calle 12, 984 879 3620, www.hoteldeseo.com, doubles from MX$2000), round the corner, are similarly minimalist but simpler and prettier. Hotel Lunata (5ta Avenida between Calles 6 & 8, 984 873 0884, www.lunata.com, doubles from MX$1,500) is at the other end of the scale: a tranquil, peaceful, classically lovely hotel in the colonial style.

Tourist information
Oficina de Turismo
Palacio Municipal, Avenida Tulm 5 (998 881 2800/ www.cancun.gob.mx). Open 9am-4pm Mon-Fri.

Getting there

Best of Mexico

By air
Aeromxico (998 287 1822, www.aero mexico.com) and Aviacsa (998 886 0093, www.aviacsa.com) are two of the airlines that serve the DF-Cancn route, flying into Cancn International Airport. From the airport, take the ADO bus into town (MX$35) buy a ticket at the booth inside the terminal or, at the same booth, a ticket for a taxi collective at MX$120. Private taxis cost around MX$500.

Playa del Carmen

Playa, as those in the know call it, isnt half so hip as it thinks it is. If you come expecting to find a chic and fashionable beach resort, youll be sorely disappointed at first glance. Looking a lot like Benidorm these days, much of the main drag, 5ta Avenida, is so crammed with shops, bars, restaurants and cafs that after a few blocks it becomes a bit of a visual blare. But if hipness matters, look a little closer and you will find what you seek: at Mamitas Beach Club on Playa Tukn near Calle 28 (www.mamitasbeachclub.com); with a cucumber martini by the pool at Hotel Deseo (see below); at Diablito Chachacha (1a Avenida near Calle 12, 984 803 3695); or at hot-as-hell bar
2 3 2 Time Out Mexico City

Tourist information
Playa del Carmen
Avenida Jurez at 15a Avenida (984 873 0242). Open 9am-9pm Mon-Sat; 9am-5pm Sun.

Getting there
By car
Highway 307 runs from Cancn all the way south along the Riviera Maya.

Riviera Maya

Hotel Bsico.

By bus
Take one of the frequent buses from Cancn bus terminal (MX$35); take a combi minibus (from MX$30) from Calle 2 near Calle 20 to continue south along the Riviera Maya.

Tulm Ruins
Carretera 307 km 232. Open Summer 8am-7pm daily. Winter 7am-6pm daily. Admission MX$45.

Where to eat, drink & stay

In town, try Posada Luna del Sur (Luna Sur 5, 984 871 2984, doubles from MX$700) for reasonably priced, clean and pleasant lodgings. At the beach, the cabaas at Diamante K (Carretera Ruinas Tulm km 2.5, near Carretera Boca Paila , 998 185 8300, www.diamantek.com, rates MX$500-$3000) are in an exquisite setting with their own tiny sand beach at this, the rockier end of the shoreline. Casa de Miel (Carretera Boca Paila km 5, 998 185 7428, www.casademiel.com, doubles from MX$1,900) offers eco-chic cabaas that are well located on a particularly wide and gorgeous stretch of beach between rickety Hemingways restaurant and the Posada Margherita resort, which also has an exceptional Italian restaurant (Carretera Tulm Boca Paila km 4.5, 984 801 8493, www.posada margherita.com, doubles from MX$1,785, mains MX$150-$250). Casa de Miels sister property, Amansala (Carretera Boca Paila km 8, 998 185 7428, www.amansala.com, rates from MX$1100), much further down the beach, is also home to Bikini Boot Camp, where squads of highachieving New York girls power-walk, practise yoga and glow healthily. In town, good restaurants include La Nave (Avenida Tulm 570, 984 87 12592, mains MX$45-$180) for excellent pizza and home-made bread, and El Pequeo Buenos Aires (Avenida Tulm and Calle Beta, 984 871 2708, mains MX$70$400) for great steaks. Friday night parties at the sophisticated Mezzanine (998 112 2845, www.mezzanine.com.mx) are legendary you can either pay MX$100 admission or try to wheedle passes from staff at your hotel.
Time Out Mexico City 2 3 3

Tulm
After the hustle and bustle of Cancn, Tulm is the tranquil jewel in the crown of the Riviera Maya. Its beautiful, with a chocolate-box set of Maya ruins and wider beaches than youll see further north. At Tulm, attractive couples walk hand-in-hand along the beach, and with no mains electricity along the beachfront, resorts and cabaas eke their way with generators, plus lots of solar- and wind-generated power. Which isnt to say that the area is cheap and undiscovered its not. Accommodation along the beach is expensive and theres little available these days for less than MX$1000. The area is particularly well endowed with cenotes (pronounced se-NO-tays), part of the enormous network of underground rivers and lakes that honeycomb the whole of the Yucatn peninsula (see p234 Cavediver). The Cenote Dive Center offers well-run cenote tours that can include snorkel or scuba diving, as well as ocean dives and various certification courses. The Tulm Maya Ruins, on a spectacular seaside setting above a charming little beach, make for a short, very pleasant excursion; and a trip into the magnificent Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve (984 871 2499, www.cesiak.org) is another very rewarding experience.

Best of Mexico

Cenote Dive Center

Carretera Cancn-Tulm, opposite HSBC bank (984 871 2232/www.cenotedive.com). Open Call or email ahead to make a booking. Rates MX$500-$16,000.