The buzzing and increasingly over-subscribed resort of Cancun is just one of the options on Mexico’s Caribbean coast.
If you send clients south, they will find more relaxed resorts that are focusing their efforts on sustainable tourism, and are hotly tipped to be Mexico’s boom locations for 2010.
The Riviera Maya, a highway-backed 81-mile stretch of beach towns and resorts, offers more than 37,000 hotel rooms and has grown significantly by attracting tourists seeking a little more specialisation in their holiday escape.
To cope with the region’s rapid rise in popularity, the Mesoamerican Tourism Reef Initiative (MARTI) is working to ensure it continues to grow in a sustainable manner by developing a culture of environmental sustainability among business owners, hotel operators and guests that will help protect the beautiful region around the northern hemisphere’s largest coral reef.
MARTI representative Adriana Del Angel says: “The Riviera Maya’s array of landscapes captivate visitors. There are white-sand beaches and clear waters, well-preserved jungles and eco-parks.
“This alliance represents another example of the region’s commitment not only to tourism development and growth, but also to a cultural and environmental awareness.”
After the recent World Travel Market in London, Riviera Maya revealed that Thomson and First Choice are forecasting a 17% recovery in sales to that area of Mexico for the UK market in 2010, but what do the smaller resorts have to prise visitors away from Cancun itself?
All-inclusive relaxation: Xpu-Ha
This beautiful resort region offers a bright white and uncrowded beach lapped by crystalline waters and backed by lush tropical landscapes with two all-inclusive resorts at each end.
The resort’s central location in the Riviera Maya puts it within reach of a range of activities for those who want to go beyond the beach, including the Xel-Ha ‘natural aquarium’ snorkelling area and the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve.
Sample product: The Barcelo Maya Beach Resort has recently been awarded gold in the Green Globe programme for sustainability in travel and tourism. Recently re-opened, it has two kids’ clubs, a 16,000sq ft spa and a variety of sports activities.
Airtours offers a seven-day all-inclusive trip from £799 per person including flights. thomascookworld.com, 0871 230 2399
Family fun: Xcaret and Xplor
Families are well catered for in the Riviera Maya with several hotels specialising in children’s clubs as well as two family-orientated theme parks, Xcaret (pronounced ish-ka-ret) and Xplor.
The Xcaret eco-park offers the chance to visit a traditional Mayan village, snorkel with stingrays, nurse sharks and dolphins, taste wines, explore forests, and see the México Spectacular show.
The new Xplor theme park, opened next door, provides a more active adventure with cavern rafting, ziplining, jungle treks and underground river navigation.
Sample product: The Occidental Grand Flamenco Xcaret is a four-star 769-room hotel on the edge of the park. An underground river forms canals in the resort and there are five free-form pools, a children’s club, spa and 11 restaurants.
Kuoni offers seven nights at the all-inclusive Occidental Grand Flamenco Xcaret including flights from Heathrow and transfers. Prices for 2010 lead in at £1,257 per person, based on two sharing a deluxe room. kuoni.co.uk, 01306 747 008
Nightlife: Playa del Carmen
The gentle Riviera Maya coastline comes alive in Playa del Carmen, now known simply as ‘Playa’.
Its roots as a fishermen’s village are all but gone but, this resort town is still a much more natural alternative to the high-rise buildings of Cancun.
It has a pleasant beach backed by a good choice of dining and shopping establishments in the buzzing La Quinta Avenida walkway. The best nightlife is located on and around 12th street, with the Blue Parrot, Kartabar and Los Danzantes all popular spots with the locals.
In-town hotels are mainly small and boutique, so most options are found in the nearby Playacar complex.
Sample product: The Gran Porto Real Resort and Spa is one of the few big hotels actually in Playa del Carmen. The four-star-plus beachfront hotel has 272 rooms and is available through Cosmos.
A seven-night all-inclusive trip including flights and transfers is priced from £989 per person. cosmos-holidays.co.uk, 0871 423 8518
Mexican culture: Tulum
At the stunning Mayan ruins at Tulum, the only archaeological site on the Caribbean coast, visitors can discover the Mayan culture through more than 60 well-preserved structures, and at night the ruins are illuminated.
This ancient wonder is just a stone’s throw from some of the most chic hotels on the Riviera Maya, which all lie along Tulum’s other wonder, a long white-sand beach – one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Most hotels are elite boutique residences that cannot be booked by UK agents, but there is one larger resort close to the area.
Sample product: Dreams Tulum is just north of the ruins and within easy access to the hotel zone and glorious beach south of Tulum. It also has one of the best kids’ clubs on the Riviera Maya.
A seven-night all-inclusive stay in March 2010 with Thomas Cook, costs about £1,350 per person including flights and transfers. thomascookworld.com 01733 417100
Luxury: Akumal
The silky beaches lining the coast of Akumal, which means ‘place of the turtles’, offer a pristine place for ultimate relaxation.
Its two bays are protected by close-to-shore reefs, and the clear waters make it a haven for divers and snorkellers. Turtles can be seen nesting and hatching on the beach from June through to September.
Still a traditional town, the relaxed location is backed by dense forest and has the greatest concentration of Mexico’s famous ‘cenote’ sinkhole formations. Luxury abounds with an array of spas and good restaurants.
Sample product: At the heart of Esencia at Xpu-Ha Beach is the Casa Grande, which has a Catalan dome roof overlooking a beachfront pool area.
There are about 25 suites, cottages and rooms, a rustic cuisine restaurant, and an organic Aroma Spa. Bookable through Abercrombie and Kent, prices start at £1,998 per person for a seven-day trip including flights, transfers and breakfast. abercrombiekent.co.uk, 0845 070 0610
- Agents can learn more on the Riviera Maya region’s e-learning programme
