I am thinking of the next winter trip to Yucatan and have been reading the forum, but still have a pretty vague idea about beaches around Cancun and Rivera Maya.
What are the areas with the nicer sandy beaches with moderate waves where one could swim?
Is it in Cancun hotel zone, Playa, Tulum or anywhere else around? Thank you in advance

Oops! How did I miss it? I have just come across some great info about beaches posted by cocontom and KVR. That's what I am concerned about- rocky beaches, corals, strong current etc all those things that make swimming hardly enjoyable. One poster wrote that they stayed at Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda resort and they could not swim there. They had to take a bus to Cancun to go swimmimg. That makes me thinking why Cancun? Playa is much closer. Is the beach in Playa worse than in the hotel zone? Blue Bay Esmeralda does not seem to be far from Playa when I look at the map.
Please advise!

needsun, I don't know the specifics, but I know Playa just had an entire beach-cleanup done by the city...saw some pictures and since I was there last May, it's a world of difference. It was still great when I was there, but they just made it look more immaculate. I will suggest the beaches in Tulum were by far the best, most stunning, and most relaxing...more remote feeling.

Even check out the beaches in Akumal (between Playa and Tulum)...there's an area with very calm swimming where you can snorkel and see lots of turtles...

We also liked Akumal, but it was three years ago:

http://www.fodors.com/community/mexi...mel-mexico.cfm

- Larry

Ch is correct on all counts! Playa's beaches are relly nice right now, we'll see how long nature allows the changes. Tulum has by far the most beautiful beaches anywhere I've been and that includes Hawaii and other parts of the Caribbean.

There is also a stretch of beach, Xpu Ha between Playa and Tulum that is darn near as good as Tulum and not as far south. There is just one AI there and I think only one other full accomodation place. Usually I just go for the day, Xpu Ha beach club is really a fun but still pretty secluded place.

You can find a beach guide at http://www.locogringo.com/research/beaches/ the Playa del Carmen beaches have been restored and they are very nice, busy, and of course with the music, restaurants and bars certain spots may be more noisy than others.

Thanks for the info and the links. I am leaning towards Playa or places further south of it since the beach is good, and it's more convenient to travel to ruins from there.

Any bus station there in Playa? Is Tulum and Akumal on the bus route? I am not planning on renting a car.

Jette, do you know the names for that AI and other place that you mentioned between Playa and Tulum? Do they have any other rental properties?

http://www.alcielohotel.com/

Fabulous.


or bigger and more amenities:

http://www.palaceresorts.com/resorts...lace/index.asp

There are a couple backpacker type places but these arethe only 2 reservation type places which is what makes Xpu Ha beach so amazing.

Oh and yes, there is a large and very busy bus station in Playa right downtown on 5th. ADO goes all the way from Cancun to Playa and from Playa to Tulum. I've done both legs. Very easy, very cheap and very comfortable.

Thank you, jette! Great info and links!

If you end up at Cielo, let me know. Russell the owner does a lot of great things for Angel Heart. If you could bring as may low dose asprin as possible and get them to him or any of the staff, they will go to heart patients in Mexico that have no access to the meds they need to live. 1 bottle of lo dose asprin costs about 3 dollars at Sams Club and contains enough doses to keep one patient alive for a year.
I usually take 15-20 bottles, they take up very little room in your suitcase.


Opps, way off topic but something to think about as you plan your vacation.

All right. I'll keep this in mind

I think I gave you some bad info, It's not Xpu Ha palace. It's this:

Catalonia Royal Tulum Beach & Spa resort - All inclusive resort on Xpu Ha beach, Mexico

The Catalonia Royal Tulum is an adults only all inclusive on a fantastic beach. It is a small quiet resort. Not much night life there.

Hello, hope you don't mind me adding more stuff for you to think about. According to the travel channel the best beach i the world right now is Playa Maroma. Al beaches here in Mexico are public, but they become semi private when blocked by private access, as it is the case in Playa Maroma. I think there is a Dreams back in there or a Secrets. If you google resorts Playa Maroma, you will find them.

The three major cities in the riviera ara Cancun PDC and Tulum. The beaches in Tulum are nice, and usually rather calm. Close to the city they mostly have "cabanas" which are cabins on the beach. There is no running water or electricity on the beach in Tulum, so they work with generators, out houses, etc. It is an incredible place to relax and get in tune with nature. You won't find huge resorts here, or anything like that.

If you are looking for a resort, then you have plenty of options between PDC and Tulum. These resorts are somewhat secluded. If you wanted to go out to regular restaurants or shops, you would have to make it over to one of the bigger cities.

Traveling between PDC and Tulum (and in between) is relatively easy, specially for small groups. Once at the main highway, you can quickly flag down a colectivo or a Mayab bus, to take you up and down la riviera.

Visiting the different archeological sites via bus could be done, but I wouldn't advice it.

I am not looking for a resort. I would rather be in some small, inexpensive place right in the middle, or very close to a city like PDC so we could experience local food, shops, galleries etc.

The reason I am asking about the nice beeach is because my daughter and I like to swim. So nice beach w/t waves or with small waves and nice sandy bottom is a must. We got our last vacation to Maui pretty much ruined by the shorebreak. There were red flags posted by lifeguards because they had some Big Island wind that caused very rough ocean and the waves broke very close to the shore. It made it dangerous to walk in and out of the ocean. I was swept off my feet a couple of times when I entered the ocean and got hit on the ocean floor.

I just read on locogringo.com that "In areas of the coast where there is no outer reef the waves come in directly, sometimes crashing on a hard limestone shore or a sandy beach. Playa del Carmen and Tulum are good examples of beaches with no outer reef break but plenty of sand."
This is my main concern. I would rather be on the beach that is protected by some coral reef like Waikiki. Any recommendations?

Then you want to go to Puerto Morelos. It is a small town, bit enough to have a few shops and restaurants. If you want to venture out, both Cancun and PDC are about 20 minutes away via colectivo.

Cancunwithme, thank you for your input.
I have found a great resource. It's aerial photos of the beach areas anywhere south from Cancun to Tulum http://www.locogringo.com/maps/

It gives me a good idea of the areas and beaches.

Playa del Carmen sits about 40 miles south of Cancun. It's an eclectic resort town www.travelfront.com where European influences meld with the traditional Mexican culture to create a busy, vibrant town featuring great restaurants, boutique and large hotels, and a nightlife that almost rivals that of Cancun. In addition to having its own Caribbean shoreline, the city is also central to all that the Riviera Maya offers

Akumal Bay and Puerto Morelos have very calm water and sandy beaches. Akumal is more of a quiet enclave of condos, Puerto Morelos still feels like a fishing village. Playa beaches are also fairly calm - the north end typically has wider beaches. Tulum beaches are wide and empty, but there is a surf. 80% of the beaches from Cancun to Tulum are sugar-like white sand, the rest are rocky outcroppings.