Mexican vacation help - Playa Del Carmen, Isla Mujeros, etc.???
 

Hello,
My wife (who will be 5 1/2 months pregnant) and I are flying into Cancun (5 days)in the middle of January, but DO NOT want to stay in Cancun.

Since she can't do too much physical activity we are looking for a place to go to the beach, eat great food and just plain relax. Any suggestions on the following: Puerto Morelos, Playa Del Carmen, Akumal, Isla Mujeros???

We get in around 12:30 p.m. (day 1) and leave at 2:30 p.m. (day 5) so we can take a little time to travel to our destination once we land in Cancun.
Thanks!!

hi nathans, my first suggestion is to take a look at www.locogringo.com
a font of info on everything that happens from cancun south to tulum.(and one of the most user friendly sites i've ever been to)
they can arrange booking a resort/hotel and hook you up with a van/driver to take you to what ever resort you decide on.
i would look at the area from playa south. there are a lot of resorts in the playa del carmen/playacar area. playa is pretty centrally located on the riviera maya, has tons of shopping, restaurants and the ferry to cozumel should you wish to go over.
you might consider a tour to tulum ruins. it takes maybe 60-90 mins to walk around, with a few places where mrs. nathan could sit in the shade for a bit. also i highly recommend yal-ku lagoon for snorkeling. make sure mrs. n minds the steps into the lagoon there, as they are known to be quite slippery. also xel-ha eco/water park is nearby and is wonderful!! you can buy the all-inclusive ticket for approx $60. this entitles you to all the food and drinks you want (including cocktails) from any of several restaurants. also all the dry towels you ask for. this is a beautiful park with lots of shady spots. i do not advise floating their river in the tube provided. it will hurt mrs. n's back. the fish are magnificient and huge!
i have friends who have stayed at the akumal beach resort and enjoyed it very much. not as large as some of the resorts but it is on a very nice stretch of beach and you can walk down to lol-ha restaurant and a little shopping in akumal.

A second vote for virginia's suggestion to check out Logo Gringo site. We have been to both Akumal and Isla Mujeres. In Akumal we like Hotel Akumal Caribe, but a lot of the LGrs seem to also like ABR if you are looking for AI (not my preference). In Isla we have stayed at both Hotel Media Luna and Cabinas Maria del Mar.

Here's a third vote for the Akumal area and locogringo website. We have been to Akumal 5 times - it is a great "jumping off" point for exploring the area - Tulum ruins are just 10 minutes away as well as Tulum Pueblo which is fun to walk and eat, Playa del Carmen for a day of shopping is just 30 minutes north, etc. We prefer to stay in Akumal because of the peace and quiet, and the snorkeling off the beach is wonderful. So it meets both of our requirements - relaxing beaches and beach bars for peace and quiet days, and close to other activities when we get restless.

Rent a car - it's the best way to explore the area at your own pace. Rent a condo on Half Moon Bay with a beach balcony. And enjoy the half a dozen great restaurants in Akumal as well as the rest of the area. Enjoy!

All of the answers are good ones, but you can also look into Tankah or the Tulum area which is just south of Akumal.

Carole
www.casatropical.com