despina555

My fiance and I are trying to plan a honeymoon for mid-July 2010. We like the sound of the Riviera Maya area because of the Mayan ruins, the forests and the biospheres. We have heard though that July is rainy season in Mexico. Does this apply to this area of the island? Do mosquitoes and excessive heat make life intolerable? Your experiences would be greatly appreciated. Any advice on the best beaches or moderately priced AI resorts or condos in this area would be helpful.

colokid

July is very hot and humid. There has not been much rain in the past year and I've spent the past three Julys in PDC and seen very little rain. Mosquitoes are not intolerable unless you're in the jungle. Best beaches in my opinion are in the Tulum area which is a very quiet and laid back sort of place. Condos can be found in many different price ranges and locations as are the AI's. Think about whether you want to be in town, in a more isolated location, close to the beach, on the beach, small town or larger, snorkeling close by or further away. Happy to give suggestions.

despina555

We would like to be on the beach as long as it is a nice beach. We don't want to be on a beach just for the sake of being on the beach if it is rocky or something. Near small town places would be nice.

colokid

If nightlife is not important than I would look at either Akumal or Tulum. Beaches aren't usually rocky in the Riviera Maya at all so that shouldn't be a great concern. There are a great many condos for rent in Akumal and you can look at a lot of them on www.locogringo.com. There is great snorkeling in Akumal and a small town feel but very quiet at night. Puerto Aventuras has an all inclusive (Omni) many condo complexes and it more of a self contained environment as it is gated at the highway. There is a marina there, beach, golf course, restaurants and generally caters to an english speaking crowd. Not much on the authentic realm. Then there is Tulum which is the furthest south of the towns The beach road has many cabanas and hotels that are directly on the beach. The beach is gorgeous and very quiet. The town itself is a taxi ride of about 5 minutes. You can find more about Tulum on www.tulum.info. Another choice would be Playa del Carmen. This is a larger town with a pedestrian avenue, lots of restaurants and clubs, many AI's and condos and lots of info on this town can be found at www.playa.info. Playacar is adjacent to Playa del Carmen and is gated with the majority of AI's in PDC inside of Playacar. There is also a golf course there (I've played on that one and had a great time), small shopping area and cobblestone streets. You can take a tai (5 min ride) into Playa del Carmen or walk (about 20 minutes). The ferry to Cozumel is in Playa del Carmen. There is a smaller town to the north of PDC called Puerto Morelos which is also very quiet and laid back. I know folks who stay there every year and love it but I've only had dinner there and walked around town. There are also many AI's on the coast that are not in towns but spread out the length of the Riviera Maya. If you can, visit a travel agent and look at the brochures some of the major tour companies put out that will give you some pics and info. There are a lot of new AI's in the area including Mayakoba which are also amazing.

welch

We've been in the Riviera Maya past two years and loved the weather. Perhaps it's us, but compared to Florida where we lived years ago we didn't find it particularly humid. Always a nice breeze. Perhaps that made the difference.
I love the beach at Xpu Ha. I think it's perhaps the prettiest I've seen in the area.
We stayed a few nights at the Banyan Tree Mayakoba and didn't care for that beach at all. I wouldn't swim in the ocean there.
You might check the reviews for Catalonia Royal Tulum on Tripadvisor. It's a moderatly priced AI, adults only, south of Playa on Xpu Ha beach.

colokid

Xpu Ha is a beautiful area and the beach is outstanding.

Christina

I live in Wash DC which is very humid, and I thought PDC was extremely humid when I've been there in the Fall. It was bearable, but it definitely was very humid. I can't even imagine July.

Having said that, July is NOT the rainy season in this area. That would be Aug through Oct. Sure, it's not as dry as Feb-March, but July is not one of the rainiest months. Nothing is true for all of Mexico, it is a huge country with vastly different climates in different areas.

dcorey

July is hot and humid! Inland at Chicen Itza is hotter! I would not stay in Puerto Morelos. It just isn't all that nice and the restaurants are very limited. Stay in Playa Del Carmen, Playacar, Akumal or any resort along the corridor from the airport to Tulum! Some beaches are rocky! Some are not. Tulum has great beaches! Don't stay in your resort, get out and visit Tulum, the dolphin's in Puerto Adventuras, Coba is 40 minutes from Tulum. Vist Akuchen and the underground lake. Vist Casa Cenote, stop in at any cenote you see, most are beautiful. Hidden worlds is great too. Look them all up on line! Have fun.
A visit to Play Del Carmen's 5th avenue at night for dinner is a great thing to do. I suggest Ajua Restaurant on 4th street just off of 5th avenue. They get rolling around 8. Large menu. The owners, Brenda and Jorge are lots of fun. She is an American and he is Mexican ( married).

colokid

That's why personal opinions are so good and not so good to have. Everyone has their favorites and they may not be anyone elses. I've eaten in Ajua once and that was more than enough. But, only my personal opinion. There are so many restaurants in Playa it can make your head spin. Both on and off 5th avenue you can find amazing food at great prices and vastly overrated food at exorbidant prices. I rarely eat on 5th Ave anymore just because I spend so much time in Playa that I like to branch out. But, for honeymooners, 5th Ave would be a great place. There is a beautiful restaurant at the north end of Playa with chairs imported from Italy that is just stunning. Can't remember the name but I'll look in a couple of weeks. People stop just to take pics of the chairs. I know sounds silly but true. The breeze in July will be for the most part on the beach and it is just fine there. July is also more crowded as it is when the Europeans and Mexican nationals have their summer vacation. I would again suggest going to a few travel agents and getting some background info before making a decision.

thebestpuppeteer

Last July I stayed at the Royal at Playa del Carmen and it was great. When your on the beach and in the water you really don't feel the heat. But we also went to Chiten Itza and it was brutal. It was so hot and muggy. It only rained for maybe 10 minutes which at that point was a relief. But as soon as it stopped raining it became a steam bath. If you are going in July I suggest staying on the beach.