Few places on earth cause as much amazement as the Riviera Maya. This is a 125-mile-Iong coastline that extends along the incredible turquoise blue waters of the Mexican Caribbean, on the eastern shores of the State of Quintana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula.

What makes the Riviera Maya so different from other coast­lines around the world? It has a large quantity of beaches with glistening white sand and mild surf. Near the shore, a low-ele­vation jungle, typical of the tropics, acts as a wall to the sea.

Practically impenetrable, it’s a habitat for a rich variety of flora and fauna and for geological formations. Here are the “cenotes”-deposits of capricious shapes and different sizes, produced by the subterranean rivers that emerged to the surface over the course of millions of years. Facing the Riviera Maya’s coast is the world’s second-largest coral reef, making it an ideal place for scuba diving and snorkeling.

The starting point of the Riviera Maya is Puerto Morelos. Just south is Playa Maroma, a 370-acre eco-park of tropical jungle, mangroves and cenotes, where travelers can enjoy biking, canoeing, kayaking, trekking and horseback riding. Playa del Carmen, the largest town in the Riviera Maya, offers the flavor of a small fishing village mixed with a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Shopping, restaurants and nightlife center around Playa del Carmen’s Fifth Avenue (Quinta Avenida).

The resort area of Playacar is home to a number of upscale and all-inclusive resorts, more than 100 small archeological sites, the Xaman-Ha Aviary (home to more than 200 bird species)and Cavernas Sacbe, a rock cavern.

Xcaret is an eco-archaeological park offering a unique glimpse into the region’s natural surroundings and inter­active activities like snorkeling in under­ground rivers, swimming with dolphins, horseback riding and scuba diving. There’s also a natural aquarium, museum, botanical garden, Mayan village and unique folkloric shows at night.

The small bay and beach of Paamul, where turtles come to leave their eggs, offers visitors another of the region’s best spots for diving and snorkeling and is a great place for a picnic.

The upscale resort area of Puerto Aventuras offers the ideal location for visitors looking to relax in comfort and tranquility. Best known for the annual fish­ing tournament held here each May, this town centers around the Riviera Maya’s only full-service marina. The Cultural and Poly-Religious Center, the only one of its kind in the Riviera Maya, is also here. The 5 star Aventura Spa Palace is located adjecent to puerto Aventuras.

Continuing south, visitors will note Xpu-Ha, a large beautiful bay and beach with calm waters and great visibility, as well as Kantenah, another secluded beach area. Xpu-Ha is home to the Cenote Manatee, one of the largest cenotes in the region, and the Xpu-Ha Lagoon. Kantun Chi is a remarkable eco-park in the heart of the Riviera Maya that is excellent for snorkel­ing in freshwater cenotes and exploring the underground caverns. Its name means “yellow stone mouth” in Mayan.

Aktun­Chen features three caves filled with stalac­tite and stalagmite rocks, cenotes and an opportunity to see the Riviera Maya’s diverse wildlife.

The small town of Akumal, known as “the place of turtles,” is a favorite place of the endangered marine turtles, as well as for divers. It’s also well known for its eco­logical center, Ukana-I, which is used for both research and as a community center. Just north of Akumal is YaIku Lagoon, ideal for swimming and snorkeling.

The beaches of Soliman Bay and Tankah are favorites for both locals and tourists. Further south is Xel-Ha (“the place where water was born”), a l50-acre eco-archeological park. An incredible nat­ural aquarium where the ocean combines with the freshwater springs and under­ground rivers, Xel-Ha is ideal for tubing, snorkeling and swimming. Xel-Ha is also home to macaws and is surrounded by a thick jungle, caves and cenotes. Archeological sites containing altars dedi­cated to Yum Chac are located nearby.

The archeological site of Tulum (“walled city”) offers some of the most impressive Mayan ruins anywhere. Built on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea, this site contains more than 60 well-pre­served structures. Tulum also offers beauti­ful beaches and cenotes, including the well known Calavera, the Grand cenote and the Car Wash. Located inland, Coba is one of the most important archeological sites in the Riviera Maya. The main pyramid, Nohuch Mul, is 138 feet tall, the highest on the west side of the Peninsula.

To the extreme south of the Riviera Maya on a small peninsula is Sian Ka’ an Biosphere Reserve, which offers an oppor­tunity to explore mangroves, ancient Mayan canals and the almost untouched wilderness of the jungle. Only a limited part of the reserve, a large protected area of 1.5 million acres with more than 62 miles of the Great Maya Reef, is open to tourists. Located within the Reserve are Boca Paila and Punta Allen, a village with only 600 inhabitants whose livelihood is dependent on spiny lobster fishing.

The southernmost point in the Riviera Maya is the town of Felipe Puerto Carillo, considered a central point for all Mayan communities of the area. It provides a glimpse into the past, as the town has pre­served much of its ancient Mayan culture. Its numerous historic and archaeological sites include The Temple de la Cruz Parlante (Temple of the Talking Cross) and a cultural center from the last century.

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	Xcaret is a great eco-park on the coast. Make it an all day affair to get the best value. The park is loaded with amusements: snorkel the underground river, an aquarium, butterfly exhibit, sea turtles, ruins, Mayan village, beach, dolphin swim & more. Then experience Xcaret at Night. A firelight Mayan ceremonial dance, Indiana Jones style dry cave, and fantastic amphitheater for regional music & dancing from around Mexico. Located just south of Playa Del Carmen.
	Xel-Ha; Explore a Natural Wonder. The waters of Xel-Ha are a combination of salt water from the seas and freshwater from the underground rivers. There is also a collection of Mayan ruins in the Xel-ha archaeological park This provides a habitat for a variety of fish, birds and other wild life. You can enjoy snorkeling, tubing, biking and just walking around this beautiful area.
	Aktun Chen Dry Cave and Jungle Tour- you won’t want to miss this cave, the sign is just south of Akumal along the highway. A walk through Aktun Chen is as close to “dry cave diving” as you’ll get. A great example of the extensive caves in the area. The variety and number of stalactites is staggering! Great monkeys too. Located just south of Akumal.
	Cenotes One of the most unique features of the Riviera Maya are its “cenotes” which are literally the liquid life of Quintana Roo. Cenotes are natural oasis pools in the jungle fed freshwater by the submerged caves which honeycomb the underground. Many of these cenotes can be visited on organized snorkel-swim tours while others with signs along the road simply require a fee to enter.
	Tres Rios Ecological Park- open daily from 9:00am to 6:00pm. Enjoy unlimited use of bicycles on jungle paths, canoe trips on the jungle rivers, Kayaks on the beach, snorkeling, diving and swimming in the cenotes (springs), rivers and beach. Beach chairs, hammocks and palapas available at the beach. Located just North of Playa del Carmen.
	Selvatura Adventure jungle tour 19K west of Puerto Morelos on the road to Central Vallarta (west side of highway 307). Enjoy a combination zip line (tyrolean traverse) jungle canopy tour, biking and cenote swim. Prices $40-60 usd depending on package purchased. Food and beverage, souveniers are available at the main lodge/outfitting center. Certified guides.
	Yaax Che Jardin Botanico- This is a great botanical 1/2 day trip to see tropical plants and trees native to the Yucatan peninsula, identified with tags in a natural setting. The gardens have paths which lead to varied environmental zones, a senic overlook, small Mayan ruins and an example of a traditional Maya “palapa home” and “chiclero” camp. Monkeys and birds are not uncommon to see. Located on hwy 307 just south of the entrance to Puerto Morelos.
	Xaman Ha Aviary- Xaman Ha Aviary is a wonderful natural habitat for some 60 species of tropical birds who populate the jungles of the Yucatan peninsula. Here you can see roughly 200 individual birds living in harmony with one another, all within an open-air sanctuary that has paths and trails leading to the birds’ preferred nesting areas. Xaman Ha Aviary is located in the heart of the Riviera Maya in Playacar, Playa del Carmen. Hours: daily 9am-5pm.

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Colin adores monkeys and this is the place to see monkeys and perhaps have an opportunity to interact with them!

If you want to spend some time with spider monkeys we highly suggest that you hang out in the jungle where these monkeys enjoy their habitat.

Here you will come face to face with these mischievious little guys and if they take a liking to something on your possession their kleptomaniac behavior may spirit it away, so beware!  Remember, monkeys have thumbs like we do and they know how to use them.  They can open a camera case in a flash, grab something and be up in a tree in an       instant.  Even the most tranquil monkey may bite if they are grabbed by a stranger, so keep your items safe and don’t try to steal things away from them.  You will have a marvelous, magical time if you listen to the suggestions of the owners of the reserve.

The monkeys at this reserve are very tame.  The Jungle Place has given these monkeys a natural habitat where they have an opportunity to interact with humans.  Generally they are loving and gentle, but monkeys don’t automatically like all people.  The owners usually observe the monkeys’ reactions to guests from outside the monkey’s natural environment before they allow people to go in.  The monkey’s safety is their priority and will not allow people to just jump right in.  People with ailments should not get too close to the monkeys.

Groups are limited to five people or less at $15 per person donation to the reserve.  This money goes to feed the monkeys and the toucans.  You will be able to stay up to one hour with the monkeys and includes a soft drink.

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Mexico holds a richly diverse Eco-system. Arid deserts, sultry tropical forests, and rugged snow-capped mountain peaks with plunging canyons and gorges make Mexico the ideal vacation spot for both Eco-tourists and adventure enthusiasts.

A blanket of semi-tropical rainforest covers the Yucatan Peninsula. The jungle as it is referred to is almost completely inaccessible in all areas except by roads or with a guide on trails. Paved roads cris-cross the entire region with main highways running along the coasts.

Most of the Peninsula’s interior is uninhabited save hunters who still live deep in the jungle in small communities only accessible by trail. Driving the inland roads you encounter small villages with electricity every so often. You know you are close to a village when you start hitting speed bumps [topes] on the road.

By and large the entire Peninsula is rugged terrain reminiscent of Northern Ontario or America’s Anarondac but mostly flat. There are a number of National Parks and of course commercial ventures most notably Xcaret and Xel-Ha. Criticized for combining the beauty of the natural coast with an Eco friendly park it must be said that they did do a fantastic job. It was bound to happen some day and the people who actually did the work did a magnificent job in making this area accessible to everyone and at the same time providing work for local residents. Many children get to experience something that before the development was not as accessible.

There are caves all over the Yucatan and numerous Tour Operators have trips to visit them. There are however many caves known only to local residents or people who live in a specific area. In fact if you know the right people you can go to sacred caves and waterfalls that were once used by Mayan Kings and Queens. There are sacred caves with terracotta clay where you can have a mud bath then wash off under a waterfall. This is truly an enchanting experience.

Cenotes dot the landscape and if you fly over the Yucatan you will see many but what is most striking is that you can see the faint outline of what was once a village around or next to every single cenote. It is absolutely astounding to imagine how populated the Peninsula once was compared to today. Getting to many of these cenotes is next to impossible however some are accessible. Some are privately owned and operated as businesses and some are hidden away in the dense jungle only accessible by guide and path.

There are a number of lagoons or small lakes most of which have no development on them except a few cabanas. Coba and Punta Laguna are two located in the Riviera Maya . Laguna Bakalar is a beautiful lake located near Chetumal. Misha Ha is close and less developed. Both lakes will remind you of any lake in Canada as far as cottages are concerned. Mexicans like cottages as well.

The state of Quintana Roo contains a large percentage of Mexico’s parks and reserves, 20% of its territory being covered by some sort of environmental protection.

Recently there have been a number of ecotourism developments in these protected areas. Some of the ecotourism projects, like the Sian Ka’an, make a solid effort to protect the natural resources and educate visitors. Other projects are primarily commercial. These projects are generally Eco friendly residential developments or theme parks.

Mexico’s Natural Park budget is small and private companies control many of the popular ecotourism destinations. It is a paradox that you will find the greatest zeal for environmental protection at developed Eco attractions.

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