A HEMI SPHERES PROMOT ION
Whatareyou lookingfor inavacationdestination?
History?Nature?Outdoor adventures?Beaches?
Whatever it is, there’s agood chanceyou’ll find it
alongMexico’sRivieraMaya, an 81-mile stretchof
coastline that extends from the southern jungle
part ofPuertoMorelos, to the townofPuntaAllen,
in theSianKa’anBiosphereReserve.
Turtle-spotting inAkumal
Akumal—literally ‘PlaceofTurtles’ inMayan—is
home to theendangeredgreen sea turtle,which
uses thearea’sbeachesasnestinggrounds. Thebay
itself isprotected,while freshwater currentsflow
through the region’s cavesandunderground rivers,
creatinganecosystem teemingwithmarine life.
As such, theareahasbecomepopularamongdivers
andwildlifeenthusiastsalike.
InOctober, locals celebrate theFestival de la
TortugaMarina, which recognizes thehatchof the
baby turtles as theymake theirway to the
ocean—it’s a fantastic experience, especially if
you’re travelingwith littleones.
World-famousarchaeological sites
RivieraMayawas an important religious and
commercial center for theAncientMayans.
Fast-forward to today, andmore than 10major
archeological sites related to the civilizationhave
beenuncoveredhere—notably the sites ofTulum,
Muyil andCoba.
Tulum is themostpopularof these, nodoubt in
partdue to its scenic se ingonacliffabove the
CaribbeanSea. Buildings suchas thecastleand
templeof frescoesareexceptionallypreserved, and
feature spectacularmuralsacross their interiors—
they’renot tobemissed. Coba,meanwhile, is located
deepwithin theMayan jungle. Itsmain temple is
thehighest in the region, and is still climbable for
tourists.Onceyou reach the top, you’reafforded
panoramicviewsover theMayan jungle. Finally,
Muyil, located in theSianKa’anBiosphereReserve,
is further from thebeaten track, butwasonceone
of earliest and longest-inhabitedMayan sites,with
artifacts foundheredatingback to350B.C. A trip to
anyof theseprovidesaneye-opening lookat the
culture thatdefineda fascinatingcivilization.
Thenaturalworld
If history isn’t your thing,Mexico’sRivieraMaya is
alsoahaven fornaturalwonders, suchas theGreat
MesoamericanBarrierReef. This incredible
formation is the longest barrier reef in the
northernhemisphereand second largest in the
world. Located just off the coast ofQuintanaRoo,
it stretches all thewaydown to the coast of
Honduras and ishome toawealthofmarine life
and coral formations,making it an ideal place togo
divingor snorkeling.
Theareaalsohas anunderground river system.
Thanks to thepositioningof theYucatan
peninsula, which sits just 50mabove sea level and
is, essentially, a large cavernous limestone shelf,
rainwater soaks into theporous surface, forming
underground rivers. For visitors, evidenceof this
canbe founddottedaround thearea in the form in
cenotes—natural freshwater pools. TheMayan
people considered them sacred, believing them to
beportals to theunderworld—today they’reused
for cavedivingand snorkeling.
+529842063150, rivieramaya.com
@RivieraMaya, facebook.com/RivieraMaya
Topandabove:
The
Mayansites thatdot
the landscape in
RivieraMayadateback
to350B.C.; Thenatural
cenotes (freshwater
pools) offerastunning
location forcavediving
