I am traveling to Riviera Maya in the middle of April - where should I stay? I am looking for a great long beach with great water and good snorkeling. I am looking for a great AI with an ocean view room. Please give me some advice. Things I want to do while I am there is snorkel, day trip to Cozomel, Mayan Ruin trip, eco park trip and trip to Cancun, so resort location should be withing good proximity to all this. Please help if you can and give as much detail about resorts as possible! There are so many to choose from!<BR><BR>I looked into the Adventura Spa but there doesn't really seem to be a real beach in which you can go out and swim directly in the water - it looks like it is a protected beach - anyway please help if you can!<BR>

Are you staying alone? Are you interested in a quiet, laid back resort or something more active?

No I am not staying alone it is actually for my honeymoon - I want to surprise my soon to be wife by taking her somewhere that she would love. We have never been to Mexico. I know she wants to see the ruins and she absolutely loves snorkeling! We like great food and decent nightlife. Shopping isn't too important to her. Really she wants a honeymoon that is relaxing but with activities. I know we want an ocean view room! A great beach, snorkeling and great food with land or sea activities near by!

Shane i if this is your honeymoon go for the best and do Royal Hideaway if you want an AI or Maroma - if you don't. These are the 2 best in that area.

The Royal Hideaway is probably one of the best if not the best AI in Playa del Carmen. It's romantic, great food, service, etc. It is very quiet at the resort, days and evenings, so if you're looking for on-site action you may be disappointed. You are, however, only minutes from town by taxi where you can find night life and shopping. <BR><BR>I haven't been to PDC in a few years and I know many new resorts have been built since so I'm sure my fellow fodorites who have been there recently may be of more help.<BR><BR>I will say if you're interested in the ruins and other areas of interest, stay in PDC rather than Cancun. You're much closer. We didn't see any authentic ruins when we were there but the highlight of our trip was Xcaret. If you do go, be sure to stay for the night show. Check out their website if you're interested. PDC is also where you want to be if you want to ferry it over to Coz. <BR><BR>Congratulations! I'm sure your wife to be and you will be pleasantly surprised with PDC and Cozumel.<BR><BR>I wish we could have spent more time in Coz and hope to go back someday. I heard a great thing to do there is rent mopeds and explore the island. People are there wanting to rent them as soon as you get off the ferry. I guess there are some quaint beach bars on the opposite side of the island which I also hear is safe since crime is low there. I believe you can drink the tap water on Coz as well, unlike the PDC/Cancun area.

Another tip Shane, do some research about snorkeling trips. I've heard some aren't that great and include a great deal of travel (like ours) while others are much better and include better areas to view. I will say, however, that Cozumel is world reknown for diving and I believe it's very good for snorkeling too. You may want to research and post that on this and/or the Latin America board since it sounds like that's very important to you and you fiance.

I HAVE BEEN TO THE RIVIERA MAYA SEVERAL TIMES. LAST TRIP WAS JUNE 2002. I LOVE IT. SUNNY EVERY DAY 80 - 85 DEGREES<BR>STAYED AT THE IBEROSTAR TUCAN/ PLAYA DEL CARMEN IT HAS A FANTASTIC BEACH (NEAR THE ROYAL HIDEAWAY AND RUI PALACE AND GALA)<BR>FURTHER UP YOU HAVE THE GRAND PORTO REAL<BR>WHICH IS A BEAUTIFUL HOTEL BUT IT HAS A ROCKY BEACH. IBEROSTAR TUCAN IS ALL<BR>INCLUSIVE. FOOD WAS DELICIOUS. THERE WAS AN ALL YOU CAN EAT LOBSTER TAIL NIGHT. A HUGH BUFFET EVERY DAY AND ALSO SEVERAL RESTAURANTS THAT YOU CAN MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR. ASK FOR A JUNIOR SUITE RIGHT ON THE OCEAN FRONT. <BR>THE HOTEL IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A RAIN FOREST . TO GET TO THE RESTAURANTS YOU FOLLOW A PATHWAY. THERE ARE PEACOCKS WALKING AROUND AND WILD MONKEYS UP IN THE TREES. ALL OPEN AIR BUFFET REST. AND OPEN LOBBY. SHOWS EVERY NIGHT AND THEIR OWN DISCO . THE OCEAN IS BLUE /GREEN. VERY CLEAN . GREAT POOL.<BR>COZUMEL IS ABOUT A 1/2 HOUR BOAT RIDE<BR>FROM THE PIER IN TOWN (NEXT TO THE CONTINENTAL HOTEL) YOU CAN SNORKEL AT CHANKANAAB AND SWIM WITH THE DOLPHINS.<BR>GO TO XEL-HA. YOU CAN ALSO SNORKEL THERE<BR>XCARET IS ALSO A GOOD PLACE / THEY HAVE AN UNDERGROUND RIVER THAT WAS FUN. YOU PUT ON A LIFE VEST AND JUST FLOAT THROUGH. VERY SAFE THERE ARE OTHER CATAMARAN SNORKELING TRIPS IN THE AREA <BR>THE HOTEL WILL INFORM YOU. THE RUINS<BR>(TULUM) ARE ABOUT 1/2 HOUR AWAY. YOU CAN JUMP RIGHT IN THE OCEAN THERE IF YOU GET TOO HOT. TAXI CABS COST ABOUT $5.00 TO GET INTO TOWN . YOU CAN BARGAIN. THE TOWN IS FILLED WITH SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS. VERY FRIENDLY PEOPLE<BR>IN MEXICO / ALWAYS TRYING TO PLEASE YOU <BR>I TOOK THE BUS OVER TO CANCUN (1 HOUR)<BR>IT COST ABOUT $8.00 CANCUN WAS A LOT MORE CROWDED . PLAYA IS MUCH BETTER.<BR>ALL THE HOTELS HAVE TOP SECURITY. <BR>A GUARD AT THE GATE. AIRPORT SECURITY<BR>WAS TIGHT / THEY SEARCHED INSIDE EVERY SUITCASE. <BR>THE IBEROSTAR IS IN THE PLAYACAR SECTION. IT HAS A GREAT BEACH AREA .<BR>THE HOTELS ON THAT STRIP ARE VIVA MAYA<BR>VIVA AZTECA ROYAL HIDEWAY RUI PALACE<BR>RUI YUCATAN GALA REEF CLUB<BR>SOME OF THE OTHER HOTELS ARE LOCATED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TOWN \<BR>GRAND PORTO REAL SHANG RI LA <BR>IBEROSTAR PARADISO IS FARTHER DOWN BUT I HEARD IT IS BEAUTIFUL .<BR>YOU CAN DRINK THE WATER AT ANY OF THE MAJOR HOTELS / IT IS ALL BOTTLED WATER<BR>WE HAVE NEVER GOTTEN SICK ON THE FOOD<BR>I BOOKED MY TRIPS WITH LIBERTY TRAVEL <BR>EXPECT TO PAY $1000 TO $1400 EACH FOR <BR>ABOUT 8 DAYS. THAT INCLUDES AIRFARE<BR>FOOD HOTEL. THE KAYAKS ARE FREE<BR>BUT THE JET SKI'S ARE NOT / ABOUT $40.00 AN HOUR THE DOLPHIN SWIM WAS $150.00 BUT WORTH EVERY PENNY .<BR>HAVE FUN. <BR><BR><BR>