Getting Oriented

The Riviera Maya, in the state of Quintana Roo, is where Mexico meets the Caribbean Sea. It's bordered on the northwest by the state of Yucatán, on the west by Campeche, and on the south by the country of Belize. This region is all about the beaches—powdery white sands that curve to embrace frothy turquoise waves or clear bottle-green lagoons and the vibrant marine life beneath. Inland landscapes, which range from scrub to jungle, are punctuated with Mayan ruins.