Mayan Riviera Windsurf and Kitesurf Guide.

Mayan Riviera is a district on the Caribbean coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Historically, this district starts at the city of Playa del Carmen and ends at the town of Tulum. (In recent years the region is being extended to include the region North to Puerto Morelos.) South of Tulum lies the large Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve and, beyond that, what is known as the Costa Maya, which designates the rest of the coast all the way down to Belize. The nearest airport is Cancun International airport.

Maya people are indigenous people who lived here before first Europeans stepped on this land in 1511. The largest group of modern Maya can be found on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. You will get a feel of Mayan culture as soon as you land here. There are too languages spoken at the peninsula: Mayan and Spanish. English is spoken at the most of the tourist sites and hotels.

The world's second-longest reef system, known as the Belize Barrier Reef, protects most of the shoreline. This barrier reef has created a snorkeling and scuba diving paradise. Where the reef breaks, you find soft white sand and turquoise water. This area is famous for it beaches!

Inland you'll find jungle with abundant wildlife, ecoparks, caverns, cenotes (limestone wells that lead to an underwater river), and the ancient ruins of the Maya religious temples. The remaines of the former glory of the great Mayan civilization are scatted all over the peninsula.

The annual temperature here is 24-25°C (77–79°F). Coastal waters range from 26-29 °C (79-84 °F). The climate is dominated by two seasons: a rainy season from May through November during which the area experiences a large number of tropical storms and hurricanes , and the dry season from December to May.

A piece of advice: The highway 307 goes right along the coast and has an excellent shuttle system. Shuttles go every 7-10 min from Playa del Carmen to Tulum and drop both tourists and locals at any requested stop. One way cost US$2 per person. You can visit most of the beaches and tourists attractions by yourself without having to pay for a car rental or take expensive tours.

The best time to go to kitesurf or windsurf is during the dry season which stars in December and ends in April. The end of November which is the very end of the rainy season can be good as well. The strongest and the most consistent winds usually occur in the months of January and February. The rest of the dry season time the winds are generally not as consistant. But don’t worry, if there is an occasional day with no wind you will have plenty to do and to see in the Mayan Riviera.

There is a variety of conditions depending on the beach, the location and the forecast of the day. You can get flat water, light surf or wave sailing. Most of the time you will get a light surf (1 m to 1½ m waves). The water is very warm but you might consider a short wet suit in January and February to protect yourself from the occasional cool day. The winds blow 15-20 knots in January and February and 12-18 knots the rest of the dry season.

Xpu-Ha bay (pronounced SH-PU-HA): The best beach to kite or windsurf from is Xpu-Ha bay. It is located only 3 km (2 ml) south of Puerto Aventuras. Xpu-Ha is a magnificent wide bay lined by a broad, beautiful sandy beach. Much of the bay is taken up by private houses and condos. There are a few all-inclusive resorts. The beach is big enough to accommodate the hotel guests, residents, and day-trippers without feeling crowded. There is a kitesufing shop and school right on the beach, as well as, a scuba store. The bay also has a few beach restaurants and washrooms.

Akumal: A bit farther south is Akumal another long and wide white sand beach. This area has a strong ecological orientation and is a prominent scuba and snorkeling center. The snorkeling with green turtles and brightly colored tropical fish can be experienced only a few meters away right on the public beach. Lots of snorkeling tours bring people here to Akumal’s beach. The entrance of the beach is a bit crowded but walk a little along the beach you will find enough space to set-up your kite and lines.

Barcelo Hotels Bay: Barcelo hotels complex in the Mayan Riviera is a massive resort consisting of 6 hotels. It is located right between Puerto Aventuras and Xpu-Ha bay. If you stay in one of the Barcelo hotels or ar Xpu-Ha Palace Resort you can kitesurf or windsurf in the bay. Barcelo bay is huge but the watersports area is where you will want to launch. When the wind is “too strong” for the “other resort guests”, you will have the whole left side of the bay for yourself enjoying kitesufing or windsurfing. (Bring your own equipment!)

Playa del Carmen is the major city in the Mayan Riviera. It is located about 50 min drive from Cancun airport. Playa del Carmen is big and very touristy and has hotels for every budget, lots of restaurants, shops and active nightlife. The Fifth Avenue is Playa's well-known promenade. The beaches in Playa are good but crowded. Some of them were badly damaged by the recent hurricanes and lost a lot of the sandy area.

Puerto Morelos is a little quiet fishing town at the very north of the Mayan Riviera. The beaches are wide, long and shallow. The town by itself is a little run down. A prominent reef offshore was recently declared a national park. There are a few big all-inclusive resorts just outside of Puerto Morelos.

Cozumel is an island about a half-hour away by ferry from Playa del Carmen. If you come here to sail, try to stay for a few days otherwise you will end up spending most of your day-trip traveling. On windy days the trip can be a little rough; you may experience some sea sickness. (Believe me, even the strongest, may have their portion of the “stomach storm” after that ferry ride!) Once there, get away from the crowded harbor front and hotel zone of San Miguel de Cozumel (cruise ships capital). There are many beaches suitable for kitesurfing and windsurfing in Cozumel but you will need to rent a car to get around the island. It is a big island! The most popular area for sailing is from Punta Molas which has a kitesurfing center to Punta Norte at the northern tip of the island. You can also explore the entire east coast for some virgin sailing spots.

Tulum is about 90 min drive from the Cancún airport. (Do not confuse it with “Tulum Archeologico” which is a famous Mayan archeological site that is located 5 min drive north from Tulum town.) The public beach in Tulum is suitable for sailors of every level. Beginners will have enough space to practice both at the beach and on the water. The easiest access is from El Paraíso Beach Club. You can windsurf or kitesurf from this wide beach all the way to Tulum arheological site and combine your sailing with a free tours of the Mayan Temples viewed from the water.

Punta Allen Peninsula: if you are adventurous and have a rental car you might want to take a trip down the Punta Allen Peninsula. It is the boarder area between Mayan Riviera and Costa Maya districts. The far end of the peninsula is about 50 km (30 miles) away. As soon as you enter the peninsula you will see a few small eco-hotels. Not far from the last hotel is one of the two entrances to the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. It is easy to get confused here thinking that now you are in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere. The actual entrance into the reserve is from this point by boat across a channel. Unless you have an arranged guide with a boat you can’t get into Sian Ka’an. Drive further down from this point of confusion. On your way you will see plenty of virgin beaches. They are beautiful, remote and quiet with plenty of space to set-up any gear. Remember that you are on your own here!

Halfway down the peninsula, at a small bridge, is Boca Paila lagoon. At this point, the peninsula is quite narrow. The lagoon is on one side and the sea is on the other. The sea side beach can be an option for sailing and the lagoon side with its channels and mangrove trees is excellent for a boat tour and wildlife watching. At the very tip of the peninsula is the village of Punta Allen. The village is run down along with its beach. Not recommended.

Muyil Lagoon: This area is approximately 25 km (16 miles) south of Tulum on Highway 307. The lagoon is vast and quite shallow. Unfortunately it does not have any good beach to launch from but once you are on the water the sailing is amazing. Because of the launching difficulties it is not recommended for beginners. Muyil Lagoon is the second entrances to the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. Boat tours to the reserve depart from here. The lagoon is connected by canals built by the Maya's in ancient times; which, in its turn connect to the Boca Paila lagoon. There is a nice hiking trail that goes inland from the lagoon’s little beach and leads to the Muyil Archeological site with the remains of the Mayan pyramid-like temples.

Tulum Archeological site famous for Mayan ruins located only 1 km (0.6 mile) north from Tulum town. The ruins are located on the cliffs and most of the people that come to the site take the stairs down to the beautiful beach. The beach is very nice but don’t bring your gear. Even if you manage to bring it down the cliff, one side of the beach will be closed during the windy season for the turtle hatching event. The other side has big sharp rocks that can be quite dangerous even for advanced sailors.

Puerto Aventuras is the first major town south of Playa del Carmen. It is a modern and quiet condo-marina development with a lovely broadwalk, several restaurants, and a few hotels. Unfortunately, the beach here, once magnificent and long, was lost completely after the recent hurricanes.

Sirenis Hotels Bay area is advertised as an area with at least 5 beaches. However, none of those beaches are good for windsurfing or kitesurfing.

Lots and lots of sharp coral hidden and scattered all over those waters. These sharp solid traps are like pirates waiting for their prey.