Riviera Maya: Playtime at the Playa

Area Attractions

Just because you choose to stay at an all-inclusive hotel does not mean you should never leave the resort. Within easy reach of Playa del Carmen and the hotel strip are three must-see attractions on or near the waterfront: the Mayan ruins at Tulum and the eco-parks at Xel-Há (pronounced shell-ha) and Xcaret (pronounced ish-ka-ret).

Tulum. This is the only Mayan fortress built on the sea, so the breezes off the water keep it bearably cool. Our Lomas Travel guide proved to be a font of knowledge and left all of us in awe of Mayan culture. Bring a hat and slather on the sunscreen; there isn’t much shade. The ruins are right on the beach, so feel free to bring your suits for a cooling dip in the sea. Just plan to ride home in salty clothes—there’s no shower or changing facility on-site. [Get more tips in our Tulum article.]

• Cliff climbing along the trail in Xel-Há.
• Brett Patrick

Xel-Há. This excursion worked better for my husband and me than for our two kids, then ages 9 and 11. A key feature is the chance to snorkel with fish—not a popular option for our fish-phobic kids. They sat on the shore and got sunburned while we floated around. We swam with dolphins, always a magical thing to do, although be sure to book one of the earlier sessions. We arrived at the end of the day and, like recalcitrant children, the dolphins were tired of being ordered about and no longer interested in obeying. After the exertion, we collapsed, exhausted, into the hammocks at Hammock Island and snoozed away the final 30 minutes of our visit.

Xcaret. This eco-archeological park is worth a full day of exploring; highlights include opportunities to pet a stingray and take a cooling float down an underground river (Note: It can be dark in the underground passages and some of the kids found it scary). When you need a break from the heat, duck into the Coral Reef Aquarium. It’s educational and a cool place to get a short break from the intense Caribbean sun.

• A Mexican rider at Xcaret during the horse show.
• Lisamarie Babik

At the end of the day, there’s a traditional horse show (included with regular admission) and a Mayan dinner theater ($45 for adults and $22.50 for kids). The food is surprisingly good, and the show is an entertaining and impressive display of Mayan culture and pre-Hispanic ceremonies, including a demonstration of a traditional Mayan ball game and death-defying Mayan pole dance. To snorkel here, you’ll need biodegradable sunscreen, which burned when it touched our skin. We bought ours at Tulum, where it was much cheaper.

All three spots can be reached by bus from Playa del Carmen (about $4 per person), via tours or by taxi or rental car.