Vacationing in Mexico - Where Should I Stay?

Updated: Jan 2, 2022

Mexico is a hot destination right now (literally and figuratively), and there are many wonderful resorts to choose from, but I also get a lot of questions about the resort areas - how they differ from one another, and where the "best" vacation spot is. So here is a brief overview of the Cancun and Riviera Maya area.

Are Cancun and the Riviera Maya the same thing?

Short answer - no, but they are next to each other. Cancun is a city situated in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The area known as the Hotel Zone is a tourism specific destination developed in the mid 1970's. It sits on the Northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula with the Nichupte Lagoon on one side and the Caribbean on the other.

The area known as the Riviera Maya also entirely within the state of Quintana Roo, sits just below Cancun, and runs along the Caribbean Coastline on the Northeastern Yucatan Peninsula. It runs through Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras, Xpu-Ha, Akumal, Soliman’s Bay, Tank Ha Bay, Tulum, and finally ends at the the Sian Ka’an Biosphere. This stretch of land covers around 100 miles of beach coastline.

What are the Major Differences Between Cancun and the Riviera Maya and which one should I visit?

Cancun is a city with a large residential population. The main tourist area is separated from the residential area on a peninsula. Therefore it's not as easy as a tourist to leave the tourist zone and experience local Mexican culture, and it does have more of a party atmosphere. Cancun is also the closest resort area to Cancun International Airport (CUN) so if you're looking for a shorter weekend getaway - this could be the right destination for that reason. If you're looking for a party atmosphere, and you're happy staying on the resort property - this could also be where you decide to stay.

The Riviera Maya has been developing at a slower pace, and the resorts are centered more around the beach areas with residential areas close by. The main highway, Highway 307, runs along the coast, and the Riviera Maya cities are stops along the way. It's a bit easier from these resorts to get outside of the resort and experience more authentic Mexican and Mayan culture.

For example, if you stay in Playa del Carmen, you'll be about 45 minutes South of Cancun and 1 hour North of Tulum. This puts you in a great area to venture out to Playa's popular 5th Avenue for shopping and eating, and you can explore the Mayan ruins of Chichen-Itza - located about half an hour South of this area. Playa del Carmen was originally a fishing village and for years it was mostly a place tourists passed through on their way to Cozumel (this is where you would go to take the ferry). However, in recent years it has developed into a beach destination all its own.

Located within Playa del Carmen is Playacar - an upscale gated community where you'll find resorts with great beaches.

Everyone is talking about Tulum, and now I want to go too!

Tulum is a small area in the Southern part of the Riviera Maya with a beach area, town, and jungle areas - and it has close to 100 small hotels - most of them VERY small. Tulum is gorgeous, and if you're looking for exploration style travel this could potentially be a great destination for you. However, what many American tourists don't realize is that the hotels in Tulum are not what you might be picturing from more traditional tourist areas. Tulum is literally off the grid - it is actually not on Mexico's grid and is run on generators. Most hotels have no air conditioning, many do not have pools on property, and many have beach clubs that are open to outside guests - which are changes from the all-inclusive type of resorts you may have in mind when you picture a Mexico vacation. Cell access and WiFi can be spotty, and you often can't use high voltage appliances such as hair dryers. Tulum can be an amazing place to visit - but you have to know what you want and what you're getting! (And watch out for the MANY hotels who list themselves as in Tulum - but they're really not - we can discuss this).