Mayan Riviera attractions and other activities.

Please, be a compassionate traveler! Do NOT use the service of Shark and Dolphin Swims Programs. The capture and transportation process causes the death of thousands of these animals before they reach the aquariums and water parks. Also the average life span of a dolphin in the wild is 45 years; yet half of all captured dolphins die within their first two years of captivity. The survivors last an average of only 5 years in captivity Truth Behind The "Swim-With-Dolphins" Industry

Most of the Mayan Riviera's attractions mentioned can be easily reached by the local shuttle service that runs along highway 307 and costs $2 US one way. The shuttle is safe, clean and quite reliable. It runs every 10 min from Playa del Carmen to Tulum and stops and drops tourists by request.

Long before being discovered by Europeans, Mayan people built cities which included magnificent pyramid like temples, military fortifications, astronomy observatories, ball game rings and royal palaces. The remains of the ancient Mayan buildings can be still seen today. Archaeological sites worth visiting in Mayan Riviera’s are Ek-Balam, Muyil, Chichen-Itcha, Tulum and Coba. For those who like history and architecture or simply like to explore the local culture a trip to at least one Mayan site is must do trip.

The most accessible one is Tulum. Take a local shuttle or drive to the “Tulum Archaeological”. Admission is $4 US. This is an easy ½ day trip. There is also a nice beach downstairs from the site if you wish to take a refreshing dip. The most spectacular site is Chichen-Itcha where you will get a feel of how big and elaborate was the city once. You can drive or take the express bus from Playa del Carmen ($20 round trip). Admission fee is $7.5 US. This is definitely a whole day trip but it is well worth the time. If you can, try to stay for the evening light show which is absolutely fantastic and is included in your day ticket anyway.

Cenotes are sinkholes with exposed rocky edges formed by dissolution of rock; most of the time cenotes are linked to a cave system. The Ancient Mayas considered cenotes the entrance to the mystical underworld called Shibalba. The Mayan Riviera contains vast number of cenotes where you can swim, snorkel, scuba dive or do some cave explorations. The stalagmite and stalactite formations as well as the play of the light inside of the cenote is absolutely stunning. Cenotes are a unique natural phenomenon to the Yucatan Peninsula. A trip to a cenote is a must do once in the Mayan Riviera.

There are simply too many of cenotes in the area to list. The major ones are Cenote Grande, Dos Ojos, Hidden Worlds, Aktun Chen, Aktun Ha. If you have time only for one go to the Hidden Worlds Cenote Park. Take a local shuttle or drive. If booked online the admission to the park is only $19 US which includes swimming and a snorkelling tour in two magnificent cenotes and cave exploration. Or you can pay a bit higher fee at the gate. This trip will only take you half a day - a very memorable half a day!

On top of above mentioned fresh water snorkelling opportunities at the countless cenotes, there is of course beautiful ocean coves and bays to snorkel.

The must do ocean snorkelling while in the Mayan Riviera is Xel-Ha Park. The trip there can be anything from a couple of hours to the whole day depending how much you love snorkelling and hiking through prehistoric looking nature trails. It is a nice eco-adventure. Basic no-frills admission is $17 US. Local shuttles pass by Xel-Ha every few minutes.

There is also free snorkelling at Akumal's public beach. Take a shuttle to Akumal and from there take a short walk towards the beach. Fantastic snorkelling is just steps from the beach.

There are many green turtles in the bay and schools of colourful fish. Most commercial tours take tourist to the same spot by boat and charge about $60 US per person.

Many hotels in the area (like Barcelo hotels complex, Hotel Casa Cenote etc.) have some very nice snorkelling right on the beach they are located.

There are two type of scuba diving in the Mayan Riviera: fresh water cave/cavern diving and ocean coral reef diving. Cave diving can be booked at the gates of the major cenotes mentioned above or via any dive shop in the area. The majority of divers describe Dos Ojos and Bat Cave as one of the worlds must see dives. The play of light and colors at Dos Ojos (Two Eyes) combined with the awesome formations make this dive a truly unforgettable experience.

Akumal´s reefs belong to the second largest barrier reef on the planet. There are over 30 reef sites for diving in the Akumal area. Check with Akumal Dive Shop for gear rentals and dive schedules. Another spectacular diving reef with huge canyons and an amazing variety of sea life is in Cozumel , the offshore island of the Mayan Riviera is famous for dive sites. Diving at Cozumel's Marine Park is ranked as one of the most superb diving sites in the world. Deep Blue Dive Shop in Cozumel charges $73 US for one tank dive and 2 tanks - $142 US for 2 tanks dive.

Xcaret is a huge eco-adventure park. It has a bit of everything you can see and experience in the Mayan Riviera. (snorkelling opportunity, small Mayan ruins, orchids farm, jaguars and flamingos, turtles and stingray lagoons, aquarium, a small cenote, etc.) The most impressive is perhaps the Turtles Lagoon with enormous turtles.

There is also many performances during the day featuring Mayan culture. The Night Spectacular show is absolutely worth seeing. The show has amazing special effects and gives you a good highlight of the Mexican culture before and after arrival of Spanish conquistadors.

Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve is a massive nature reserve that has became an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Part of the reserve is on land and part is in the Caribbean Sea, including a section of coral reef.

The reserve includes archaeological sites of the Maya civilization, mangroves, coastal dune and savannas, cenotes, hummocks (isolated areas of forest surrounded by mangrove swamps; found only in Cuba, the Florida Everglades, and the Yucatan Peninsula/Myan Riviera), fresh water lagoons and tropical forest.

There are two enterances to the reserve via the Muyil Lagoon and via the Punta Allen Peninsula. The first way to get there is to drive to the Muyil Lagoon/Muyil Ruins (30 minutes drive south of Tulum) and take a boat tour at the lagoon.

The little local business located there charges $35 US per person for a half day tour. The second way is to call Sian Kaan Organization and book one of the many tours they offer: Bird Watching tour, Snorkelling/Kayaking tour, Sunset Canal tour, etc. They will pick you up at your hotel if you need a pick up. This way tours are more expensive but you have more variety. You can also simply rent a kayak and do the touring on your own, but again it has to be scheduled in advance.

This is the major city in the Mayan Riviera. It is connected by a pedestrian walk to Playa Car town. Playa Car has some Mayan ruins along the pedestrian walk and a small birds sanctuary. Both places have big all inclusive hotels, boutique shops, variety of restaurants and nightclubs. 5th avenue at Playa del Carmen makes a lovely pictures promenade. For those who love shopping this is one of the places to be.

The trip to the Cancun hotel strip will take you about an hour by car or about two hours by public shuttles. (make a transfer at Playa del Carmen). The Cancun strip is a Mexican Las Vegas. You will find world class shopping here. The malls on the strip feature Venetian channels with gondolas rides, Greek style statues, rock-climbing walls, roller coasters and many other entertainment. There is probably the biggest selection of bars, restaurants and night clubs in the entire Yucatan Peninsula. For those who love shopping this is the places to be.

Once in Cancun, take a short ferry ride to the small island called Isla Mujeras. The island has stunning beaches with some nice free offshore snorkelling, a turtle sanctuary, a ruin of a once retired pirate estate and Garrafon National Park which is a version of Xel-Ha Park with snorkelling and nature trails.