During the BF and I's recent vacation to Mexico we opted to stay at the Riu Tequila. Located just…read moreunder a half mile from the beach (via private shaded walkway) getting there was a bit of a journey, but Playa Playacar was most def worth it once we arrived! ++ Gorgeous white sands. The sand is actually crushed coral and doesn't get too hot to walk on. Loved that! ++ Blue waters as far as the eye can see! ++ Tons of lounge chairs to relax on and palms for shade. ++ Scuba Caribe on hand to offer up free (non motorized) water sports to guests of the Riu Resorts. Motorized water sports and other activities were available such as parasailing, jet skis, etc... We opted to kayak two times during our trip. So much fun! ++ Resort employees would come by to take away empty cups. Though they did not serve drinks on the beach, you could def bring your own! So glad we chose this part of the Yucatan Peninsula for our Mexico vacation! Would def recommend it!

ENTRY IS FREE BABY!!! A very secret getaway, not so "touristy" area, which I like. More space…read moreindeed to just run away. My family has kept a condo here for years and we would have it ready in case we fly out of the country. This is a magical area, with 0 hotels and mostly small huts, full houses, condos, beach houses as well, and really just yourself and your towel. How cool is that??? It's not crowded. We were here in the summer of 2015, kept the grand trip alive, mostly out fishing, petting sea turtles and watching fish swim by. The sun is literally in your face, so it's normal and obvious to have that sunscreen in your face!!! What's really nice is that this beach also small stands to rent our some few equipment like snorkel gear, chairs, tables, and umbrellas. Very nice beach, I'm so happy to share this review with y'all

Pricey! I booked the camel riding experience with a separate vendor (see my review for Maroma…read moreAdventures) and got admission to Maroma Beach. It's a little over an hour from mid hotel zone Cancun. At the entrance were signs stating daily admission was $120US. Cameras, cell phone photography is forbidden. When you enter, you queue up at desks and are wrist banded for your activity (me, camels for $164) and you can spend the day on the property. BUT literally everything there has a fee and workers ask for tips. Beach chairs were a fee. (I think chairs were included with the camels). Towels were a fee. Bali beds were a few. Paddle boards were supposedly included, but, didn't see any. The beach was huge and super clean & inviting. Sadly on my visit, winds were gusting in the 30mph range & sand was blowing, so I wasn't going to spend time lounging. The restrooms had an attendant continuously cleaning & were abundant & very clean. At first, I thought this would be a great destination for a day, but with all the additional fees and constant reminders to tip for literally everything, I would not recommend unless you are prepared to drop serious money. My visit, with the camel ride, was in excess of $309US.

Booked the camel riding experience via the hotel I stayed and the only issue was transportation…read moreforgot to pick me up at my slotted time. I contacted customer service who offered to either have a cab pick me up and drop me off on their bill or I wait two hours for the next scheduled tour time. I opted for the latter. Transportation was included in cost and tip suggested. I was greeted and checked in immediately. After signing waivers, I rented a locker for a refundable ten dollars. The staff were all friendly and polite. No mask required. The camel back excursion was fanatic !! What an experience riding on the beach. The guides were so gentle with the animals!!! I used my ten dollars voucher to go towards a lunch at the on site restaurant which was delicious. I had fajitas! Everything was smooth. I traveled solo but this place is for everyone !!!

Most of the waiters speak English . The food is wonderful and when you rent a lounger or cabana you…read moreget more than half the rental price back in food credit. They have large beach towels also so no need to bring anything with you. Toilets, showers, massage. You won't be disappointed .

I've been coming to Encanto for about 2 years. So many good changes have been made to better this…read morebeach club since the first time I came here in 2022.  The service here has remained consistently great, but the layout of the beach club has changed a lot. Great changes were made.  I usually come here when I want a relaxing day to soak up the sun. If you come on the weekends it can get very busy. Please be patient with the employees. They work really hard..they're running around in the hot sun trying their best to get to all the customers. Please be patient with them!!! They are wonderful!!!  I've gone to a couple beach clubs in Playa and Encanto is on the cheaper side. You pay for your daybed or cabana and part of that goes towards your food and drinks and at the end of the day you just pay the difference. Come to Encanto if you want a chill and relaxing day!!!

Akumal beach is such a great beach for exploring the sea turtles and snorkeling! Not great if you…read moreare looking for white sands and no shells though. Weather is always amazing and so many things to do with the little town and dive shop there. Also several restaurants to eat.

Beautiful white sand beach, turtles in the water, minimal seaweed, what more could you ask for!…read more I understand why people make this beach their home base for their Quintana Roo vacation.! I'm not entirely sure one must pay for the guided tour to get in the water and see the turtles. I want to support the local economy, but perhaps there's a trick to enjoying this beach without paying for guided tour, think life jackets, and locker rooms. There is a restaurant on site, and my friend and I just gave a really big tip to the waiter so he would let us leave our bags at the table for 15 minutes while we snorkeled with our own gear to see the turtles. kind of hush hush, we did it very discreetly and quietly and quickly. I attached the screenshot I showed to the taxi driver upon arrival to get us to the restaurant without going through the Disneyland style entrance line and fee. I'm not sure I recommend this method, however, as I can imagine multiple ways this theory could have gone wrong. Side note, perhaps we were off season in late may, but we actually saw no turtles. maybe we should have paid for the guided tour after all.

The cenote itself was very beautiful with lots of opportunities and places to take pictures. Only…read moredownside of this cenote: THE FISH. Be prepared for them to nibble on your feet the entire time you're in the water!!

This cenote's admission (MX200) included an optional life vest. The cenote sprawls so there are…read moremultiple access points and multiple little areas to find your own little sunny or shady spot to float around. Be aware of jutting rocks under you as you swim around. There is a small area roped off to jump from the ledge above if you dare!

As spectacular as Tulum itself is the pristine beach preserved below it. On a good day during the…read moreright time of year, expect warm, crystal blue waters and decent swimming in the shadow of the ancient man made wonders above. Just in terms of beaches and beauty, this is well-worth the price of admission all on its own. I have paid two visits to this park and, depending on the season, had two different experiences. One was the aforementioned slice of paradise when the beach was nothing but picture-perfect beauty. The other was during a summer tropical storm where the water was brown from all the kicked up sand, full of seawood and the waves were high and dangerous. Pick the time of year carefully to visit (the fall or early in the winter is better) and you'll be fine.

It's a very natural beach and not overcrowded while we were there…read more Lots of good food and drinks available in the beach area. We got a small boat excursion with snorkeling for $40.

Playa del Carmen is a city that is on the Yucatán Peninsula near the Caribbean Sea and is a short…read moreferry ride from Cozumel cruise port. My husband and I vacationed in Playa del Carmen two times--once many years ago and once in 2026, both on cruises. We had to take a ferry from Cozumel port to Playa del Carmen. We enjoyed both vacations. The city has a good number of beaches, restaurants, stores, and fun outdoor activities, and the sunny, hot weather is a nice escape from our hometown weather. We did notice many police and/or military people patrolling the area to ensure safety.

Playa Del Carmen when you walk on the outskirts of 5th Ave you find the amazing street food vendors…read moreand cheaper souvenirs. You can find tacos for 15 pesos each of the most delicious food. There is no people harassing you to sell their merchandise. What you will find is Taxi, Taxi. We have walked 5th Ave and we enjoy walking on the other Avenues way better. It's those little street venues we enjoyed the best. If you want the big name restaurant then stay on 5th Ave. We will definitely coming back for more delicious tacos for sure!!

This place is really pretty and the kids loved it. The pier with the swings is a really nice touch…read more The pool is huge and heated. It's very clean and well maintained. The bathrooms are immaculate and always being cleaned. The food that we got was very good and my kids couldn't get enough of the quesadillas. The staff is friendly and helpful however, if you change from the beach to the pool you have to switch servers and they want you to tip twice. Which is fine, however, after paying for all an inclusive experience, they give you a very inflated check (that's zeroed out) with tip percentage recommendations. They're very high so be careful. I do wish they had a few hammocks on the property to relax in. All and all it was a great experience.

Paradise Beach review: 5 stars. LOVE IT! My daughter showed up on crutches, and they didn't even…read moreblink--immediately set us up near a set of stairs so she could roll into the pool like the queen she is. Talk about VIP service! Oscar and Ronny? Absolute legends. I don't know if they're employees or drink-delivering superheroes, but they kept the food and beverages flowing so seamlessly that I was ready to adopt them by the end of the trip. The inflatables in the water? An absolute hit. My pre-teen son was living his best life--part gladiator, part dolphin. I was half expecting him to demand we install a floating obstacle course at home. The beach? Chef's kiss. The pool? So much fun it practically parented my kids for me. 10/10 would crutch our way back here again!