jojo4t

I'm sooo confused! I want an upscale hotel in cancun with a beautiful beach. I'm reading a lot of posts that some of the hotels are gorgeous, but beach waters are too rough and not able to swim. Looked at a hotel in Riviera maya and too much seaweed. I want that turquoise water and swimming in the ocean - where to stay???

Gekko

It's very simple . . . Cancun is shaped like the number 7. The hotels on the top of the 7, with a beach to the north, offer calmer water, a more lagoon-like feel.

The hotels on the vertical portion of the 7 face the tradewinds (east); the water has bigger waves and can be "rough" by some standards (but still very swimmable, unless you really can't do waves).

BeachGirl247

Cancun is fine for swimming. We prefer the beach down the coast vs. the north side. Some choices are Le Meridian, Ritz and JW Marriott just to name a few.

Little_Man

The beach in front of hotels such as the JW Marriott, Marriott, Ritz, LeMeridien, Hilton, Fiesta Americana Aqua, etc. is MUCH more scenic than at the top of the 7, where the Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach is located.

You do have the chance of strong waves along the more scenic stretch - I've been there when waves were basically non existent, very gentle surf, and when waves were too rough for an average swimmer like me to swim.

MFNYC

where in the riviera maya is seaweedy? From my experience, the PDC and neighboring areas (akumal, puerto adventuras) have great beaches.

The area where the moon palace is, is where there's lots of seaweed.

jojo4t

I read that at the Paradisus Riviera Maya there is a coral reef that brings in the seaweed and that trucks have to clear it off the beach throughout the day!

Gekko

Personally, if beach/water was my primary deciding factor, I'd go with the calmer top of the 7, particularly if one likes to snorkel. I can suggest the Kin-Ha, for example.

TioGringo

My favorite beach in the area is Playa Norte on the tip of Isla Mujeres. Fabulously wide, white, soft, and with classic calm turqoise waters...

(Stay at Na Balam or Avalon Reef Club if you want to be *AT* this beach).

Have fun!
Mark
www.tiogringo.com

Ryberg

Don't know which hotel or area of the beach you happened to be looking at in the Riviera Maya, but I also don't know of any that have much seaweed at all.

Again it's crucial to note in general, however, that beach conditions constantly change and can in no reliable way be predicted in advance. So you could find that the beach you pick based on whatever current information you have looks much, much worse than the beach at the place you thought had too much seaweed when the time of your stay arrives. Beaches everywhere are greatly subject to the whims of Mother Nature and winds, currents, tides, the whole lot of it.

Steve

Little_Man

I've read reviews of Moon Palace having seaweed.

HappyCheesehead

I stayed at the Paraiso de la Bonita a few weeks ago (just north of Puerto Morelos), they had quite a bit of seaweed, and they did clean it up each morning with a tractor.

summer04

Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach is a beautiful resort and has a safe beach for swimming. The undercurrents on the rougher side of the island can be very dangerous.

SenoraH

One of the most beautiful, calm beaches in Cancun is on the north part of the "7" at the Riu Palace Las Americas and at the Riu Cancun next to it. There are calm, aqua waters since Isla Mujeres across the way blocks the wind.
Both hotels have infinity pools that with swim up bars and activities. Spectacular!!! You can snorkel right off the beach and see fish by the rocks.

arbegold

You won't be disappointed at the Marriott. We were there in January.

Tondi

It basically boils down to what you want to do in the water. If you want to float on your back, snorkel, take a leisurely swim or sit in the shallows then you will probably be much happier along the top of the seven. If you want to ride waves either on a float or on your own you will be happier on the side of the seven. You can swim on the side but only behind the breaker line which may not be something you would like to deal with. I have not noticed seaweed being a problem even on the roughest days. The water is beautiful on either side but I think the beach is better along the side of the seven.