Riviera Maya Holidays

The Riviera Maya stretches south from Cancun along Mexico's Caribbean coast and it feels like it was designed for a holiday. Incredible Mayan ruins overlook turquoise water, jungle cenotes you can swim in before lunch, and all-inclusive resorts so good they make it hard to leave and see that stuff.

Highlights of your Holidays to Riviera Maya 2026 / 2027

• The beaches really are that colour. White sand, shallow turquoise water, and palm trees waving at you.

• Cenotes are the headline act you won't find anywhere else. Natural sinkholes filled with crystal-clear freshwater, some open to the sky, some inside caves with light pouring through the ceiling.

• The Mayan ruins at Tulum sit on a cliff above the Caribbean. You can see them from the beach, swim underneath them, and still be back at your resort for dinner.

• All-inclusive is the way most people do it here, and the resorts take it seriously. Multiple restaurants, swim-up bars, kids' clubs, spa credits, the lot.

• Playa del Carmen puts a proper town within reach. Fifth Avenue runs parallel to the beach with independent restaurants, bars and shops that feel nothing like a resort strip.

• You're close enough to Cancun for the airport and the nightlife, far enough away that peace and quiet is also avaliable if desired.

Good to Know

• ☀️ Temperatures sit between 28 and 33 degrees year-round, so you're guaranteed warmth whenever you go. The dry season (November to April) is the most popular window. Hurricane season runs June to November, but most days are still sunny with short afternoon downpours rather than week-long storms.

• 💶 The Mexican Peso is the local currency (£1 buys roughly 23 pesos, €1 around 20). Your money goes a long way here: street tacos from around £1 / €1.20 each, a cold beer for £2-£3 / €2.50-€3.50, and a sit-down dinner for two from about £25 / €30. Most resorts are all-inclusive, so you may not need much spending money at all. Tipping is customary and US dollars are the standard tipping currency in tourist areas.

• 🐢 The coast around Akumal is one of the best places in the world to snorkel with wild sea turtles. The name literally means "place of the turtles" in Mayan, and the turtles have been turning up on schedule for thousands of years.

Riviera Maya is perfect for you if...

• You want all-inclusive done properly, with multiple restaurants and enough pool bars to lose count

• You've had "swim in a cenote" on the bucket list for years and need an excuse to finally book it

• You're after a Caribbean beach holiday with ruins, jungle and actual things to do beyond the resort gates

• You like the idea of Cancun but want something calmer, with the nightlife still within day-trip distance

🏨 Hotels

The Riviera Maya has one of the strongest all-inclusive line-ups anywhere in the Caribbean, and the range runs from family mega-resorts with waterparks to sleek adults-only boutiques with swim-up suites. Most properties sit right on the beach. See all Riviera Maya hotels or browse our top picks below...

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What are the best family hotels in the Riviera Maya?

• Dreams Natura Resort & Spa. An all-inclusive resort in Puerto Morelos with a waterpark, nine restaurants and a kids' club that genuinely keeps them busy. The nature-themed grounds back onto mangroves, so older kids get wildlife spotting alongside the pool time.

• Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach. A five-star beachfront resort at Playa Paraiso with a dedicated kids' activity programme, a beach bar for the adults, and the kind of pool complex that means nobody asks to leave the resort.

• Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa. Sits on the coast between Cancun and Playa del Carmen with an infinity pool, a proper kids' club and a beachfront that's sheltered enough for younger swimmers.

💑 What are the best hotels in the Riviera Maya for couples?

• Secrets The Vine Cancun. Adults-only, five-star, with two infinity pools and eight restaurants. The wine-themed concept runs through the spa and the dining, and the rooftop pool has views along the coast that earn the room upgrade.

• El Dorado Royale. A luxury adults-only resort in Puerto Morelos with swim-up suites, twelve restaurants and an excursion desk that organises cenote trips and ruin visits. The grounds are big enough to feel private even at full occupancy.

• Wyndham Alltra Playa del Carmen. Adults-only and beachfront in Playa del Carmen, with the town's restaurants and nightlife on Fifth Avenue a short walk from the front gate. A solid pick for couples who want the all-inclusive safety net but don't want to be marooned in a resort.

✨ What are the best luxury hotels in the Riviera Maya?

• The Fives Oceanfront. A five-star beachfront property in Puerto Morelos with an infinity pool, a private beach club and suites with full kitchens. The kind of resort where you could stay a fortnight and not repeat a restaurant.

• Paradisus Playa del Carmen. Fourteen restaurants, nine bars, a family zone and an adults-only Royal Service section that operates almost as a separate hotel within the hotel. Walking distance to Playa del Carmen town.

• El Dorado Seaside Suites. Adults-only with twelve restaurants, thirteen bars and five pools, which tells you everything about the scale. The swim-up suites are the headline, but the overwater bungalows are what most guests come back for.

🎉 What are the best hotels in the Riviera Maya for groups?

• Grand Oasis Cancun. Nine restaurants, a pool complex big enough for everyone to find their own corner, and an entertainment programme that runs from daytime activities to evening shows. Works for mixed groups because there's always something on for every mood.

• The Pyramid at Grand Oasis. Five-star and beachfront with regular live entertainment, themed nights and enough going on that a group of ten can split up after breakfast and all have a story to tell at dinner.

• Bluebay Grand Esmeralda. A five-star beachfront resort with a kids' pool, a kids' club, and the space for multi-generational groups where some want the beach, some want the pool and some want to be left alone with a book.

👉 All hotels in Riviera Maya

All-inclusive holidays in the Riviera Maya

The Riviera Maya does all-inclusive properly. The resorts here don't treat it as a cost-cutting exercise; they treat it as the entire proposition. Multiple a la carte restaurants (not just a buffet and a pool bar), premium drinks packages, spa credits, kids' clubs, waterparks, and excursion desks that book your cenote trip and your Tulum ruins visit without you reaching for your wallet again. The competition between resorts along this stretch of coast has pushed the standard up over the years, and what you get included now would have been the premium upgrade a decade ago.

It also just works logistically. Cancun airport is the gateway, the transfer to most Riviera Maya resorts is under an hour, and once you're checked in there's genuinely no reason to leave unless you want to. The beach is right there. The restaurants rotate through Mexican, Italian, Japanese, steakhouse. The bars are open. The entertainment runs every night. For a long-haul holiday where you want to switch off completely, it's hard to beat.

For families especially, all-inclusive here removes the daily maths that makes other destinations more stressful. No working out how much the kids' ice creams are costing, no currency conversions at restaurant doors, no "can we afford another round?" at the pool bar. One price, everything in, two weeks of not thinking about it.

What are the best all-inclusive hotels in the Riviera Maya for families?

• Dreams Natura Resort & Spa. Nine restaurants included, a waterpark the kids won't want to leave, and a nature reserve on the grounds where older children can spot iguanas and tropical birds between pool sessions.

• Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach. All-inclusive with a dedicated family activity programme and a beach bar setup that means the adults can see the pool from their sun lounger. Five-star without the stuffiness.

What are the best all-inclusive hotels in the Riviera Maya for couples?

• El Dorado Royale. Adults-only, all-inclusive, with swim-up suites and twelve restaurants. The kind of place where you dress up for dinner because you want to, not because you have to.

• Secrets The Vine Cancun. Eight restaurants, two infinity pools, a wine-curated spa concept and an adults-only policy that keeps the atmosphere exactly where you want it. The all-inclusive package here covers premium drinks, so the cocktail list is worth exploring.

What are the best all-inclusive hotels in the Riviera Maya for groups?

• The Pyramid at Grand Oasis. The entertainment programme is the selling point for groups. Live shows, themed party nights, and enough restaurant variety that everyone in the group finds something they're happy with every night.

• Grand Oasis Cancun. Nine restaurants, a sprawling pool complex, and a daily activity schedule that means even the most indecisive group has options. The all-inclusive package covers everything from the buffet breakfast to the late-night bar.

Travel Guide - Riviera Maya Holidays

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What are the best things to do on a Riviera Maya family holiday?

• The cenotes are the must-do, and several along the coast are set up for families with wooden platforms, life jackets, and guides who make it feel safe rather than adventurous. Gran Cenote near Tulum is the most popular, with clear water, resident turtles and enough space that it doesn't feel crowded.

• Xcaret Park runs a full-day programme of snorkelling, an underground river float, a butterfly pavilion, a jaguar island, and an evening show with traditional Mexican music and dance. It's one of those places that sounds like it's trying too hard until you actually go.

• Xel-Ha is the water-focused alternative: an all-inclusive eco-park where the kids can snorkel in a natural inlet, float down a lazy river, and jump off cliff platforms while you watch from a hammock. Everything (food, drinks, lockers, snorkel gear) is included in the entry.

• The Mayan ruins at Tulum are the most photogenic archaeological site most people will ever visit. The main temple sits on a cliff above the Caribbean, and there's a beach at the base you can swim at afterwards.

• Akumal Bay is where the turtle snorkelling happens. Guided tours run from the beach, and the strike rate on seeing turtles is genuinely high. The bay is calm and shallow enough for older children.

💑 What are the best things to do for couples in the Riviera Maya?

• A day trip to Cozumel by ferry from Playa del Carmen puts you on one of the best diving and snorkelling islands in the Caribbean. The reef system here is world-class, and the visibility is something else entirely.

• The cenotes work differently as a couple. The underground ones (Dos Ojos, Cenote Suytun) are quieter, darker, and more atmospheric, with light shafts cutting through cave ceilings into impossibly clear water. Swim in one at midday when the light is directly overhead.

• Playa del Carmen's Fifth Avenue comes alive in the evening. Independent restaurants, mezcal bars, live music, and enough variety that you could eat somewhere different every night for a fortnight and not run out of options.

• The Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, south of Tulum, is a UNESCO-protected expanse of jungle, lagoons and mangroves. Boat tours through the reserve are quiet, unhurried, and a world away from the resort strip.

• A sunset catamaran cruise along the coast is the kind of thing that sounds like a cliche until you're actually on it with a drink in your hand watching the sky change colour over the Caribbean.

🎉 What are the top things to do for groups on a Riviera Maya holiday?

• Xplor Park is the adventure one. Zip lines across the jungle canopy, amphibious vehicles through underground caves, and a rafting course through stalactite caverns. It's built for groups because everyone comes out with the same story.

• A day in Playa del Carmen works for mixed groups. Some people shop on Fifth Avenue, some sit on the beach, some eat tacos from the street stalls, and you all meet up for cocktails at sunset. The town is compact enough that splitting up and regrouping is easy.

• The Ruta de los Cenotes near Puerto Morelos strings half a dozen cenotes along a jungle road, with zip lines, ATVs and kayaks between them. A group can spend a full day working down the route and nobody gets bored.

• A boat party to Isla Mujeres runs from the Cancun Hotel Zone and includes an open bar, snorkelling stop, beach time on the island, and enough group energy to get everyone on the same page early. Day trips run regularly and are easy to book from any Riviera Maya resort.

• Chichen Itza is the big cultural day trip. The drive is around two and a half hours each way, but the scale of the pyramid and the site makes it worth the early start. Most tours include a cenote stop and lunch on the way back.

Local Lingo

• Hola oh-lah Hello

• Gracias grah-see-ass Thank you

• Por favor por fah-vor Please

• La cuenta, por favor la kwen-tah por fah-vor The bill, please

• Cuanto cuesta? kwan-toh kwes-tah How much does it cost?

• Cerveza ser-veh-sah Beer

• Playa ply-ah Beach

• Cenote seh-noh-teh Natural sinkhole (the word comes from the Mayan "dzonot" and you'll hear it everywhere along this coast)

More Destinations

• Cancun The Riviera Maya's louder, flashier neighbour. Mega all-inclusive resorts on a 14-mile sandbar, a nightlife strip that goes until sunrise, and the same turquoise Caribbean water with more energy around it. Cancun airport serves both destinations, so it's the same flight.

• Playa del Carmen A proper town on the Riviera Maya coast with its own character: Fifth Avenue's independent restaurants, beach clubs, live music, and a ferry to Cozumel. Walkable, sociable, and a different pace from the big resort compounds.

• Mexico City One of the world's great cities, and increasingly popular as a twin-interest add-on with a beach holiday. Ancient Aztec ruins, world-class museums, a food scene that could fill a fortnight on its own, and rooftop bars overlooking the chaos.

• Cozumel An island off the coast of Playa del Carmen with some of the best diving in the Caribbean. The reef system here is world-class, the leeward beaches stay clear of sargassum, and the pace is genuinely sleepy.

• Tulum Clifftop Mayan ruins overlooking the Caribbean, a boho-chic town with design hotels and farm-to-table restaurants, and beaches that are wilder and less developed than the Riviera Maya's resort strips. The southern end of the coast with its own personality.