5 Amazing Beaches in Riviera Maya

Riviera Maya is more than Cancun or Playa del Carmen and is so vast and rich in nature that frankly, it takes many summers to get to know it and live it thoroughly, however, we hope that this guide to our 5 favorite beaches in Riviera Maya helps you better plan your next visit.

Akumal is actually divided into two parts, the town, and the bay area. Access to the bay costs around $ 80 pesos ($ 4 USD) and if you have your own equipment there is a public area where you can dive a few meters and admire the main attraction of this beach: the sighting of turtles (and sometimes eagle rays too) in their natural habitat. Swimming next to sea turtles is something you cannot do in every country for sure. On the other side of the road, you can go shop around and meet the locals committed to the conservation and care of this area. Here you will find one of the best-known restaurants called Madre Tierra, where visitors have assured that several seafood dishes served here could easily be considered the best in the area. Visiting Akumal is an impressive experience, and you can learn more about the life and care of turtles so when you return home, you can raise awareness to your friends & family about the importance of taking care of the environment and, why not? invite them to discover this part of Quintana Roo.

Untainted beauty. This is a place you don’t hear about from your tour agent or travel brochure they give at the airport. We talk about a beach next to a wild jungle, with no big resorts, no bars, or any human trail whatsoever. This place, just like Akumal, is a very important place for environmental awareness efforts, especially for turtles that go nest their eggs in the spring season. Also, on the right side on the beach, if you follow a path in the mangroves and lush vegetation you will find a cute little cenote call “Xcacelito” hiding in the vegetation. As in any other place, we suggest you should go on a weekday if you wish to have the cenote all for you. The access cost is $ 60 pesos ($ 3 USD) and it is used by the Flora, Fauna y Cultura de Mexico private institution to finance the conservation and maintenance work of the area.

3.- Punta Maroma

Punta Maroma beach is one of those dreamy beaches that Riviera Maya has. Named one of the most beautiful beaches in the world by The Travel Channel, this beach 10-minutes-north of Playa del Carmen is a small paradise hidden from other popular destinations of Riviera Maya and visited by only a few.

To enjoy Punta Maroma beach it is not necessary to stay in a hotel, you just have to pay a fee that goes around $ 100 pesos ($ 5 USD), preferably you should try to enter by car from the highway. It has a long beautiful section where you will witness the tranquility of the Caribbean Sea while walking on soft-like-talcum-powder white sand. As for the activities that you can find here, be sure to swim in its crystal-clear waters or enjoy snorkeling, diving, kayaking, horseback riding, and others. Practicing underwater activities in this place is one of the most recommended activities that you can do due to the large number of multicolored species that inhabit the barrier reef that passes through this place since the reefs of this area are part of the Mesoamerican Reef System (second largest in the world).

Located in the little town of Tulum (one hour south from the Cancun airport) is the heavenly Playa Paraiso beach. Surrounded by one of the most important Mayan settlements of this area, as well as an iconic make-a-postcard spot, Playa Paraiso certainly has a very close relationship with the energy that emanates from the archaeological zone of Tulum and its ruins. People around the world are putting more and more attention to this magnificent town, starting by the beauty of its waters, in a wonderful gradation of the blue color, which passes from the clear to the turquoise and to darker shades in a short distance, turning it into an incomparable symphony. Secondly, because of its wide smooth and white sandy beach, where sunbathing is to give the body the caress of the sand. And lastly, because of the temperature of the clear waters, a pleasant freshness that encourages the fearful of the water to embrace the feeling of that first dip. Once you arrive at Playa Paraiso, we recommend you approach one of the tourism modules that offer snorkeling tours in the reef area off the coast. The experience of swimming over the second largest barrier reef in the world is incomparable.

And now, the absolute winner…(drumroll)...

1.- Xpu-Ha