Riviera Maya Puts Tourist Promotion into Overdrive

Fancy new hotels, upgraded old towns, eco-experiences, new attractions and Tulum lure visitors

A few weeks ago, representatives of tourism industry came to Colorado with updates about the Riviera Maya, the Yucatan Peninsula's sun-kissed coastline Caribbean coastline. South of Cancun and all of its high-rise razzmatazz stretched along a 14-mile-long Tourist Zone, visitors to the Riviera Maya nevertheless benefit from the proximity (11 miles to the north end of the Riviera Maya) to a good-size international airport. It is anticipating building its own airport within a few years, but from my standpoint, why cut down ancient jungle and foul up the place with airplane noise, fumes and traffic when a perfectly good airport is not all that far -- except that Cancun and the Riviera Maya are in different states, and politics is doubtless involved.

The infrastructure of the 81-mile Riviera Maya has been greatly upgraded since I was last there nearly 20 years ago. My husband and I had been scuba diving on Cozumel, just offshore. Since we weren't able to dive within 24 hours before flying home, we boarded a hydrofoil to a dusty town called Playa del Carmen, wandered up the main street and hopped on the first Tulum-bound bus. A rattly old school bus drove the two-lane road with a lot of jungle views and dropped us off along the highway, perhaps a quarter of a mile from the entrance to these magnificent ocean-view ruins. The bus fare was about $1.35. We explored the ruins at our own pace, consulting our guidebook and occasionally eavesdropping on an English-speaking guide. Then, we wandered back to the main road, boarded the next Playa del Carmen-bound bus (another $1.35 fare), just missed one hydrofoil and had a couple of drinks and a some dockside nibbles before returnbing to Cozumel on the next one.

Tulum photo by Bruno Girin from Creative Commons

That was then and this is now: 362 hotels with a total of 37,300 hotel rooms available in different categories from small and charming hotels along the shore to modern "integrated tourism complexes made up of luxurious five star hotels, marinas and golf courses," in the tourist-speak now practiced in this enchanted, enchanting part of Mexico. I think there's even a four-lane highway. Now, luxury hotels, including all-inclusive properties, have sprung up on the Riviera Maya -- mercifully lower-rise and with less density than other coastal resorts. If you want swimming pools, palapas, fine dining and a family-friendly resort environment, the Riviera Maya has those in abundance.

There are also tourist developments that appear to be enlightened and enlightening. Xel-Ha is described as "open-sea aquarium offer[ing] a myriad of land and water activities, ecological attractions, world-class restaurants and countless more unimaginable experiences." I'm intrigued by the concept of a responsible attraction that protects wildlife, marinelife, birdlife and habitat while offering the kinds of safe experiences that many travelers, especially families, seek today. Another attraction that appears to combine gentle adventure, visitor education and resource protection is Xplor, which provides an opportunity to swim through a stalctatie river, hand-paddle an undrground raft and ride a zipline above the trees and water, all of which seem designed to protect the natural resources. The two-seat amphibious vehicles that "conquer all terrains between jungle, water, rocks and grottos" -- maybe not so much.

If you prefer a vibrant town with a lots of  amenities aimed at visitors, Plaza del Carmen is such a place. No longer a laid-back Mexican town, it has been developed a good culinary presence and an interesting art and music scene. It also has an abundance of tourist shops, tourist-trap bars, gringo-ized restaurants and even a WalMart. I wouldn't go back for those, but I would for the arts, the festivals and the chance for some of the nearby eco-opportunities, including cenote snorkeling or diving  -- and of course, to revisit the ruins at Tulum.

Clearly, presentations, like that given by the Riviera Maya representatives make everything look great, even facilities not normally of interest. What impressed me about this one was the range of accommodations now available, from backpacker-friendly to five-star luxury, presenting something for every type of Mexico-bound traveler. And from what I'm hearing, prices for the rest of 2010 (until Christmas) are rockbottom low, even at top properties. Summer is a season of high heat and low prices, but consider a deal at a complete resort with a great beach, a large pool and air conditioning, where the heat won't bother you.

Head to Playa del Carmen on Thursday evening, when it's cooler, for a weekly cultural and street festival starting at 8:00. 5ta. Avenida in Playa del Carmen, the main street, features painting , sculpture, dance, poetry, theatre, photography, performance art and video. Come fall, festival season kicks up again.