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Visit the Other Side of Mexico - the Riviera Maya Come see where lush natural landscape and clear Caribbean waters live in harmony with world-renowned spas and golf courses. Jan/Feb 2007 , Page 38
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Come see where lush natural landscape and clear Caribbean waters live in harmony with world-renowned spas and golf courses. Tipping your wings over the Caribbean to Riviera Maya, you see an expanse of nearly transparent sea that gives way to the Yucatán peninsula, a mass of flat limestone, covered in thick mangrove jungles and punctuated by water-filled caves. The ancient Mayans believed these caves, or cenotes, held spiritual power. In an area so rich in natural beauty, fascinating culture, and modern luxury, I find this easy to believe. Riviera Maya includes 80 miles of coastline stretching south from Cancún on the eastern edge of the Yucatán. Flying your plane or chartering one into the Cancún airport provides the best access to the region, although the new airport scheduled to open in a few years in Tulum, at the other end of Riviera Maya, promises an even closer trip to sites on the southernmost end of the peninsula. The area is part of Quintana Roo, the youngest state in Mexico and the fastest growing area in Latin America, and luckily the leaders and developers in this region are forward-thinkers who have established tough restrictions on land development. For instance, new properties can develop only 15 percent of their land, leaving 85 percent untouched. Planners have also taken steps to guide new construction in Playa del Carmen (the locals just call it Playa), the proverbial capital of Riviera Maya, where the population has doubled in the past five years. This sandy-feet kind of town became a haven for hippies in the 1970s and ’80s, and it still maintains a relaxed vibe. City planners recently have realized that with growth inevitably comes a change in attitude, so they’re making strides to guide the development in a manner that appeals to upscale travelers who are happy with Playa’s penchant for respite and true Mexican culture. Where To Stay Luxury is the word of choice for the Riviera Maya. The coastline here has been splashed delicately with upscale accommodations of all kinds from larger all-inclusive resorts to small boutique hotels in Playa. Paraiso de la Bonita (Paradise of the Beautiful) stands out. This boutique resort offers the best of the region—stunning architecture, culinary masterpieces, a fantastic spa, impeccable service on land and water (the resort has its own fleet), and access to the region’s natural and archaeological wonders and most famous golf courses. A Paraiso staff member gladly picks you up at the Cancún airport’s private terminal, about 20 minutes away, in a white Lincoln Navigator stocked with chilled towels, ice water, and your own predetermined choice of music. The resort also has its own helipad on-site for those inclined to fly in on their own helicopter or one chartered in Cancún.
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