Sport & Action	Family	Art & Culture	Chill out and relax!!
Scuba-Diving	In water	Maya Ruins in QR	SPA
ATV Jungle tours	Eco Park	Maya Ruins near QR	Catamaran tour
Deep sea fishing	A Zoo	Spanish school	Bird watching
Flats fishing	Riding around	Lounge
Horse Riding	Mayan Ruins
Golf
Sky Diving
Windsurfing		QR=Quintana Roo

RIVIERA MAYA/ACTIVITIES

Riviera Maya is situated in the Mexican Caribbean of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. From south of Cancun, the Riviera Maya extends to Felipe Carrillo Puerto, a small town near the Sian Ka'an Biosphère Reserve. The region features the tranquillity of un-crowded beaches, caressed by calm, turquoise waters, a vast network of underground rivers, the action of eco-adventure sports including kayaking, world class scuba diving, snorkelling, bird watching, deep sea fishing ; Also, the Riviera Maya offers many of Mexico's most beautiful and significant archeological sites like Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza, the varied activities of the eco-archeological parks, golf courses, shopping and gourmet dining.

Whichever you feel having active or static holidays, adventurous or cultural experiences, as a dilettante or expert, in family or individual you will get numerous opportunities to find your way and make all your dreams come true.

Sport & Action

Scuba-Diving

The southeastern coast of Mexico offers some of the best diving in the world. Beginning in Cozumel the barrier reef is the second longest barrier reef in the world.
In Playa del Carmen you can see wonderful sea life on the reefs up and down the coast from the town.
Cozumel Island (40 min ferry ride from Playa del Carmen) is legendary among divers and snorkelers. The sea life, the corals and the deep ocean walls are impressive. This is a full day of adventure and a wonderful way to spend a Mexican Caribbean day.
Cenotes : (a wide underground river system like nowhere else on earth). As an unique dive experience, on a cavern tour, diving in the calm crystal clear water makes it feel like you are flying through the air. The water is either fresh or mixed with salt water, depending on how close you are to the ocean.. and for a unique thrill, try a snorkeling trip through a cenote cavern.

ATV Jungle tours

Trip out of time through the wild Mayan Jungle. Trips are safe learning experiences and have been designed for anyone who wants to have fun exploring and enjoying all that the local natural and cultural environment has to offer.

Deep sea fishing

The Caribbean waters off Mexico are home to dorado (mahi mahi), sailfish, white and blue marlin, snapper, slammer dolphins, blackfin, yellowfin tuna, kingfish and wahoo, depending on the time of year. There are charter boats available for year round.

Flats fishing

Saltwater flats fishing has become a year-round pursuit for light-tackle anglers across the world. If you haven't felt the searing run of a bonefish as it peels off 100 yards of line in a single run, the brute strength of the permit, or the acrobatic flight of a tarpon, your angling experience is simply not complete. Mexico has world class flats fishing of all types.

Mayan Ruins

There are plenty of places that offer horseback riding. (El Rancho Grande, between Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morelos, is a good operation). Well kept horses and rides through the jungle down to the beach.

Golf

Playa del Carmen has a public golf course designed by Robert Von Hagge ; This 72 par championship golf course with a distance of 7144 yards is carved out of the lush Mayan jungle. It features narrow fairways and undulating greens that are protected by very large white sand bunkers.

Sky Diving

Experience an 8 minute canopy ride while you're actually attached to your jumpmaster. This is an unique way to experience your first skydive and one that you will never forget. Training, jumping, advanded free fall program, every one can find his fun.

Kitesurfing

You may opt to a kitesurfing experience ; you will find in Playa del Carmen instructors who are first and foremost competent kitesurfers and will gladly share with you tips and tricks that they have learned "the hard way" so that you can spend more time enjoying the ride.

Family

In water

Any child who can swim will love snorkeling on the ocean reef or in a freshwater cenotes, and parents will enjoy it too ; you can go out for a tour in Cozumel Island. For more action, try out jet skis or banana boat rides on the ocean.

Eco Park

Many of the natural lagoons on the coast have been turned into eco-parks. You should try to visit at least one when you are in the area.
X'caret is the unique and friendliest all-in-one eco-archaeological park of the world. You will find there: archaeological ruins, dolphins show, horses, a farm with tropical birds, butterfly caves, bat caves, beach and snorkeling in its famous crystal caves and the well known underground river. Xcaret is an experience for all your senses. Named for the ancient Maya world for little inlet, Xcaret was one of the cultures most important ports and a revered ceremonial center. Immerse yourself in tradition, nature, wonder, adventure and beauty. In particular we recommend to see the evening show "Xcaret at Night", an event where you will be brought to the roots of traditions, finished with a colorful show of dances from various regions of Mexico.
Xel Ha Eco-park is actually a Mexican national park, marketed as "the worlds largest aquarium". Xel Ha has organized and commercialized 22 acres of lagoons and cenotes for snorkeling. It has become one of the states largest tourist attractions and the most well known snorkel site in Mexico. It is a good place to learn to snorkel since the lagoon is sheltered from the ocean's waves.
Tres Rios eco-park focuses on the jungle paths and three rivers in the park with canoeing, horseback riding, and bicycling.
National Parks and reserves
Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve is an official UNESCO World Heritage property ; Sian Ka'an means "Where the Sky is Born" in Mayan and is a 1.3 million acre stretch of land south of Tulum. It is the third largest protected area in Mexico and represents one of the most important coastal ecosystems in the southern part of Quintana Roo.
Rio Lagartos is north of Valladolid on 116,090 acres of mangroves, salt marshes and coastal lagoons, home to flamingos and white pelicans. You can combine a trip here with a tour of the Chichen Itza ruins.
Isla Contoy near Isla Mujeres is a the perfect habitat for more than 90 species of birds and the marine turtle. Private companies from Cancun and Isla Mujeres run tours to the island to view the natural assets of the reserve.
Holbox Island is also a good place to go for flamingo and other birdwatching.

A Zoo

Crococun, near Puerto Morelos is still a great place to see the local wildlife. Get a guide at the entrance (tip him at the end) and you can hold crocodiles, monkeys, boas, baby deer, and parrots.

Riding around

There are plenty of places that offer horseback riding. (El Rancho Grande, between Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morelos, is a good operation). Well kept horses and rides through the jungle down to the beach. If your kids are over 8 or so, take them on the ATV Explorer Jungle Tour. You ride ATVs on paths through the jungle, see some Mayan ruins and swim in a truly beautiful cenote.You can rent bikes to ride around, but be careful about the traffic.

Mayan Ruins

Learn something while on vacation by visiting Mayan ruins. There are several major sites near Playa del Carmen and all are worth seeing : Chichen Itza (since July 2007 one of the new seven wonders of the world), Coba and Tulum.

Art & Culture

The five Maya nations [Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico] have created an ambitious regional tourism plan called the Mundo Maya which promotes environmentally sensitive tourism and sustainable development, creating employment opportunities, particularly in rural areas, and stimulating regional development. In Mexico, the plan covers five states : Tabasco, Campeche, Chiapas, Yucatan and Quintana Roo.
Punta Laguna is a small Mayan community of about 50 farmers who have left the door open for visitors to stop in and learn about traditional Mayan agricultural methods and life.
Aktun Chen where you will learn about the use that the ancient Mayans gave to the caves as well as the formation process of the stalactites stalagmites and the cave itself giving you an interesting and pleasant learning experience.

Maya Ruins in QR

There are hundreds of Mayan ruins in the Yucatan, most of them very small. There aren't any natural hills in the Eastern Yucatan, so most high points are Mayan ruins overgrown with trees and vines; These are the major sites:
Coba ruins are hidden away in the jungle. Coba was a large ancient Mayan city and much of it is unrestored. The ruins that are restored include the ball court and a large pyramid. The pyramid in Coba is the highest in the region and offers a spectacular view of the surrounding jungle. Unspoiled, easy to get to, and uncrowded.
Tulum ruins are very impressive and are situated on a cliff overlooking the ocean.
Chitzen Itza ruins are the most famous of the Mexican Mayan ruins and since July 2007 one of the new seven wonders of the world. Chichen-Itza, is the capital of the ancient Mayan imperial. Follow the steps into the past and discover the most important cultural center of the Mayan civilization, considered one of the most advanced in America. The mysterious city of Chichen-Itza was an important ceremonial center and you can still see the magnificent pyramid of Kukulkan (75 feet high), the Temple of the Warriors, the Ball Court, the Observatory and the Sacred Well where countless victims were sacrificed to ancient gods.

Maya Ruins near QR

Palenque ruins in Chiapas (also good to see Agua Azul while you are there) are on a forested plateau. Major ruins there are the Temple of the Inscriptions and the Palace, which towers four levels. The ruins are surrounded by a magnificent rain forest, noisy with birds, including the toucan.
Uxmal ruins are in Yucatan south of Merida on the coast opposite Cancun. They are large and impressively carved. You can also see flamingos at the Celestun Reserve while you are there, as well as several important ruin sites nearby. You can do the trip in a day and it is also from to take a 2 day trip and see colonial Merida on the way.

Spanish school

There are plenty of places to get Spanish language training in Playa del Carmen and Spanish School in Playa del Carmen offer small classes for all levels at excellent prices.

Chill out and relax!!

Allow you a beautiful day SPA treatment selected among various deluxe massage and beauty treatments.

Catamaran tour

Catamaran Tour to a tranquil Mayan cove with its ancient ruin, you will swim and snorkel in the crystal clear waters with tropical fish and explore the deserted beach.

Bird watching

Bird-watching trips into unspoiled tropical jungle at Sian Ka´an Reserve.

Lounge

Lounge on Playa del Carmen's white sand Caribbean shore all day and take a pick of international restaurants and bars all night.