Are there any smaller airlines that fly from Cancun to other spots on the Riviera Maya, such as Playa del Carmen or Tulum? I'm aware of one that goes to various ruins sites, but that's not what we're looking for.

Not to my knowledge. Why on nearth would anyone want to fly when you be almost anywhere in that region with a 2hr. bus ride. Exmp: Cancun/PDC 1hr

no. agree with z the drive to pdc is only 45 mins. no point.
have to say when i saw/HEARD a flightseeing helicopter hovering off tulum ruins I found it to be extraordinarily disturbing.
do you need transportation to somewhere? if so there are various companies that will transport you besides the bus.

I believe this guy will do a charter, if that's what you are looking for:
http://www.aerosaab.com/

Some people just don't like sitting on buses for 2 hours.

We're looking for the kind of atmosphere that we like without having to spend a lot of time getting there, especially when closing our business for the season forces us to stay up all night the night before we leave. One of these places is half an hour south of Playa del Carmen. I know the drive is not a big deal, but we'd like to get there faster if possible.

Thanks for the aerosaab link.

What hotel are you thinking about? We always go to Tulum and it's a 90 minute drive in a rental.

Have you though about a private, direct transfer? Try cancunvalet.com. They meet you outside of the airport terminal and wisk you away to your hotel.

We're looking at Hidden Beach resort. It's between Xpu-ha and Akumal. I got an email from the resort saying it's a 45-minute drive from Cancun, but that doesn't sound right given everything else I've read. However, if Tulum is 90 minutes, it's less than I thought, and if a private car is waiting for us, it's worth considering, because small planes always involve extra time for the transfer, because once you get to the airport, you still have to drive to the resort. So you got me thinking. Thanks again, I'll look into cancunvalet, too.

I'm interested to see the answer, if there are small charter planes doing this?

While I understand not wanting to sit on a bus for 2 hours, I would imagine getting thru small local airports in Mexico (if they exist) would take more time, not less, for such a short distance.

KeyGal, if the resort is close to Akumal I would have no doubt that is is no more than an hour drive from the airport. The only time we've ever had a ride from the airport take any longer would be if we were on a shuttle with people from other resorts and we had to make stops to drop them off. We have stayed in the Akumal area and it has taken us less than an hour by the hotel shuttle to get to our destination.

I would look into a private shuttle rather than the hassles of a private charter. I actually think you will end up spending less time because this will be door to door service.

Have a great vacation!

Well, this is all pretty good news to me, because the resort is just north of Akumal. I didn't realize that one of the factors making the trips longer were all the drop-offs if you're taking a group transfer. So a private car, or even renting our own, sounds good. We're not going till next Labor Day, which gives me time to research private car companies. I'l l report anything I find out. Thanks again to everybody for your help -- this is really why this forum is great.