“Old man winter” is tying up his snow boots and getting ready to dust the ground with frost and chill the air with his breath. For many of us from the colder neck of the woods, this time of year our thoughts turn to the tropical beaches of the Riviera Maya to warm our cold bones!
The Riviera Maya is one of the fastest growing areas in the world and is currently booming due to the fact it offers so many inspiring cultural attractions along with nature reserves, eco-parks, white sandy beaches, jungles, lagoons and the list goes on!
So take a peek at the list of reasons you should dust off your passport for a trip to the sunny Riviera Maya this winter!
Great Weather & Pristine Beaches! While many parts of the world have been experiencing nasty weather, the Riviera Maya continues to offer sub-tropical weather which means it’s warm all year round! Sunny with a chance of fun!!
Condé Naste Magazine and Trip Advisor both named the Riviera Maya as having the most beautiful beaches in the world. Tulum (1 hour from Cancun) with its beautiful white sandy beaches was voted third best beach in the world by Trip Advisor.
Ancient Mayan Ruins: The crown jewel of ancient ruins is Chichén Itza, and during its golden years it was the most important political, economic and religious center for the Mayan civilization. It has been voted one of the seven new wonders of the world! A must see!
Underground Rivers, Cenotes & Lagoons: The region is dotted with natural freshwater sinkholes called cenotes. Take a day trip and rappel into a cenote, swim in the breathtaking underground pools or zip-line into the mouth of a cave filled with water! Don’t miss a chance to snorkel in the blue clear water of Yal-Ku Lagoon in Akumal!
Scuba Diving & Snorkelling: The Riviera Maya has the second biggest coral reef in the world and it is an amazing place to scuba dive which is one of the main reasons my husband can’t wait to pack suitcase to visit this magical paradise. You haven’t lived till you’ve snorkelled with turtles in their natural habitat!
Ecological Parks & Adventure Tours: a trip to the Riviera Maya without a visit to the eco-theme parks or partaking in an adventure tour is almost an act of treason! The ecological and archaeological parks of Xcaret, Xel-Ha & X-Plor offers natural activities and cultural attractions, white sand beaches, cenotes, botanical gardens, aquariums, aviaries, exotic wildlife, turtle conservation programs, and even on-site Mayan ruins. Zip-lining, rappelling, horse back riding, ATV & speedboat tours, parasailing are also a few of the many adventures you can enjoy!
Dining & Shopping: Like home, you can dig into any type of food you like here, from Mexican (of course), to Italian, to Spanish, to Japanese (sushi). Each restaurant, food cart or little diner puts its own culinary stamp on it food. Many restaurants serve up the fresh catch of the day, which is absolutely distinctive as it is delicious. For a quick meal, our favourite is a pulled-pork on a bun with pickled onions from the pushcarts!
Shopping is something you just can’t miss in the Riviera Maya. There are many shops and galleries that show off local and regional handcrafts in amazing colors and imaginative shapes. The semiprecious stones like amethyst, onyx, opal, turquoise, are abundant here. You can also find souvenirs like sombreros, sarongs, hammocks, hanging lights, and much more. Be sure to take a walk down the pedestrian-only promenade in Quinta Avanida (5th Avenue) in Playa del Carmen!
Welcoming Friendly People! One of my TOP reasons to visit the Riviera Maya (Playa del Carmen in particular), is the welcoming & friendly people. In particular the warm embracing staff at Luna Encantada Condos (Alberto, Edith, Gloria, Christina, Leo, in particular) who welcome us like we’re family!
Good-bye winter, hello Riviera Maya!
“PLAYA Gal” (a very satisfied client working to promote Playa Beach Getaways!) 
salgal@playabeachcondo.com ~~~ PS Catch us on Facebook & Pinterest