My travel agent mentioned a place in Mexico called "Riveria Mia" (not sure of spelling)and indicated it was south of Cancun. Can anyone tell me about this place and whether you would recommend it as a place to stay. Trying to put together plans for a May trip next year for 5 ladies (all over 35)and would like some feedback from people who know. Thanks!

Hello,<BR>It's Riviera Maya and covers the area south of Cancun including Playa del Carmen, Akumal, etc.<BR>Perfect place for y'all.<BR>We leave next Tues. for 3 weeks there.<BR>Benn going for 10 years and love it.<BR>What do you like to do/see? <BR>What type of vacation are you looking for?<BR>You could get a great villa on the beach with a pool and a cook in Akumal.<BR>Check out locogringo.com

We're going in a week and a half, and can't wait!! I've only heard good things about it...the town in the area is called Playa del Carmen and has restaurants, shops, bars on one street, and it's right beside the ocean. <BR><BR>I'll write a report when I get back, in the meantime you can check out this website for info:<BR><BR>www.playadelcarmeninfo.com

We were there in December at a resort called Aventura Spa Palace, absolutely loved it. You need to check out www.mytravelboard.com, there is a very active posting board for Playa del Carmen that answers everything (maybe too much) you would ever want to know about the area

I've been 4 times. Once we stayed at the Reef Club Playacar, once at the Viva Azteca (which are both All-Inclusive) and once at a non AI in town called Playa Maya Hotel. We also stayed at the Moon Palace once but that was over two years ago, whereas the other trips are more recent. If you have any questions about these resorts or the hotel, just let me know. Playa Del Carmen is great fun. Personally, I like Isla Mujeres better (little island off the coast of Cancun) as it's more quiet and laid back. Depends on what you're looking for!

Ally - Thinking about going to Isla Mujeres - any good advice on where to stay or good info about it?

the BEST source of information about the Maya Riveria is Kay at www.locogringo.com it is the most wonderful resource for the area. Fantastic web site.

Riveria Maya covers a lot of area and is much more than Playa Del Carmen. A more laid back experience can be found around Akumal, but I think the best is at Tulum. Tulum is not for everyone. The &quot;hotels&quot; of Tulum lie along the beach a couple of miles east of the town if Tulum. They are made up of cabanas, mostly on the primitive side.
To me, this place is a little bit of heaven, but, as I said,it is not for everyone. Those who can handle only a five star all inclusive hotel will not like it. Cabana living is only a few steps up from camping. Most places have no electricity (which means no air conditioning) and many have sand floors.
Other places are more upscale, and expensive, but again, electricity is rare. If you have a cabana that is near to, and faces the sea, you'll get a great sea breeze all the time. You won't miss a/c much. The beaches of Tulum are absolutely beautiful and, except for the beach right at the ruins, are not nearly as crowded as the beaches of Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Some of the beaches at Tulum are down right secluded and are great if one is seeking privacy for whatever reason.
A very nice, middle line cabana place is Cabanas Copal. Their website is
www.cabanascopal (dot) com. This site (Fodor's) doesn't allow web addresses so hopefully you'll get the idea.
Check them out before you book.

Tara,
We like Hotel Secreto for a 'romantic' feel. Clean and quiet with only 9 rooms and a stunning view. The hotel next door, Media Luna is also very popular, as is Maria Del Mar...lots of places, really. For information on Isla Mujeres, look at
www.isla-mujeres.net

Golden: Last November a group of 7 of us ladies descended upon Playa del Carmen for an extended weekend and we had the time of our lives. You will love this place.

We are leaving for our honeymoon in a few short weeks and are looking for the perfect place to relax and enjoy being newlyweds. We are very interested in the Tulum area.

We took Rover's advice and visited the web site of Cabanas Copal. It looked like the perfect place...except we are not sure about the nudity issue.

Does anyone know of another spot that is much like Copal but without the &quot;clothing optional&quot; policy?

Honeymooners, please don't confuse Copal with a nude resort. It is not at all like Hedo or other nude places that promote and encourage nudity. It is far from it. All beaches at Tulum are unofficially topless, or clothing optional. Copal added that item to their website just to let people know that their secluded beach is ideal for someone who wants to get an all-over tan. Most likely anywhere you go in the area, you'll see this. Have no fear that everyone runs around nekkid at Copal. It's not like that at all, based on previous visits. If you are concerned about this, e-mail Holly, the owner, via Copal's web site. She'll assuage your concerns. Don't pass up this wonderful place based on this issue. It's really not an issue at all.
If you were to do an internet search on Copal, you'll find lots of posts but I'll doubt you find any mention of this new &quot;policy&quot; at all.

Thanks Rover, just what we were hoping to hear! We certainly don't mind a bit of all overtanning but were not sure about a nudist community.

If you do not mind could you share abit about the area. Can we walk to any nearby cool little beach restaurants and bars in the area? or is Copal really stand alone. We understand no frills and simple just maybe looking for some variety nearby..probably will not rent a car. Food at Copal? Good? bad?

Any other thoughts?

Thanks a bunch.

We are also interested in Cabanas Copal and were wondering if anyone could tell us the app. cost per day for food? It looks like it is fairly secluded so I imagine we would be having all of our meals at their restaurant.
Thanks,
louceea

Copal has an excellent restaurant. Their complete menu is posted on their web site. It's also within walking distance to several others.
Nearby, maybe half a mile at most, you'll find the great restaurant at Zamas. Zamas has a varied restaurant. They have great pizzas cooked in a wood burning oven. There is another nearby that I think is called Piedras Escondidas. I have never eaten there. And there is a little grocery store right there, also. To the north of Copal, maybe a 15 minute walk is Gringo Dave's. I highly recommend an evening at Dave's!
It is also easy to flag down a taxi on the road in front of Copal and go into town for a meal. The taxi is about 30 pesos each way. Don Cafetos is a very good, all around restaurant. For a fantastic Italian meal in a very nice setting, try Toni y Simones. You should also check out the Weary Traveller (backpacker place) for a good cheap breakfast. They also sometimes have cookouts on Sunday afternoons. They are located across the street from the bus station and taxi stand.
Honeymooners and Louceea, when are you going?

We aren't going till mid-March of next year. (this will be my first Mexico trip so am trying to do as much research ahead of time as I can) Your Copal reports are helping us alot Rover!
I will go back to their website and go over it more carefully. In the meantime I would like to hear more about your time there. Like you, we enjoy secluded beaches and a relaxing, quiet vacation. We aren't looking for an upscale, all inclusive thing where there is lots of &quot;nightlife&quot;. On the other hand, just sitting on a beach and doing nothing else for 5 days would get boring. I know they have the ruins in Talum, we would like to see those. We enjoy outdoor activites, lots of walking, seeing historic/natural sites, things like that. Please tell me more about what there is to do in Talum. (what time of year were you there, how do you think the weather will be in March?) Thanks again!
louceea

Louceea, Besides the great ruins at Tulum, you are fairly close to Coba. I have not been there yet but I hear they are fantastic. What makes them extra special is that they are still being excavated out of the jungle. There are many cenotes very near Tulum that offer great swimming and snorkling in cool, fresh water. There is the Sian Kahn (sp?) bio-nature reserve down the road from Copal that offers some great exploring. It's also kinda fun to just walk up or down the beach and check out the other cabana places and their bars and restaurants. About 300 or so yards off the beach you can find great snorkling along the reef there. There are also bicycles for rent very near Copal, and I believe Copal also rents sea kayaks. They did last year. If you do all this stuff, you'll NEED some of that 'boring' beach time just to rest up! There's plenty to do. You're gonna love it.