Itineraries

MEXICO’S CARIBBEAN COAST SHAKES THINGS UP (NOT JUST COCKTAILS) MAKING THEIR WHITE SANDY BEACHES AN EXQUISITE (and socially distanced) ESCAPE FOR ALL.

Just over an hour after clearing customs, we were settled in poolside, sipping tequila and gazing out over calm Caribbean waters and white sands that stretched as far as the eye could see.

It was easy to wonder why people even bother at all with Florida, when the only hassle of this easy escape is packing a passport. The benefits of stunning, oversized rooms with private pools, superior service and true serenity was completely at odds with the area’s reputation for raucous spring breakers.

Riviera Maya, the vast area that starts south of Cancun and stretches all the way down to Tulum, is a hotbed of luxury activity along Mexico’s Caribbean coast.

Just a four-hour flight from NYC, you’ll find a simple weekend away, a no-fuss holiday getaway or a streamlined spring break that lets you do everything you wish... or nothing at all.

HAUTE HOTELS

Much like its Mexican rival, Los Cabos, Riviera Maya boasts its fair share of high- end hotels, each tailored to a unique demo- graphic. Depending on the occasion there are a stunning array of options.

COMPLIMENTARY AMENITIES FOR LPL GUESTS AT Nizuc:

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability

• Daily Full breakfast, for two guests per bedroom served in Restaurant

• One-way airport transfer (valid on arrivals only)

• Hydrotherapy session for two, once during stay

• Welcome Amenity in suite: a bottle of tequila and dried fruit

• Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability

• Complimentary Wi-Fi

For the weekend getaway, choose Nizuc. The 274-room resort offers the amenities of a larger property with the privacy and serenity you’ll usually find reserved for small boutique hotels, thanks to its unique design as a complex of villas and generous rooms (starting from 700 square feet) nestled on 29 acres of protected mangroves. You’d never know it was just 15 minutes from the airport.

Opt for the 2,430-square foot Garden Villa, which offers an oversized private pool, out- door living area and butler service. It’s a worth-it splurge. No matter how short your stay, it’s easy to fill your days or do nothing at all, thanks to six restaurants, two bars, three pools and two beaches, one of which is adults-only. Nizuc also features an ES- PA-branded spa with the best hydrotherapy circuit we’ve tried in years, complete with gratis hand, scalp and arm massage. Use of the facility comes complimentary with treatments of 50 minutes or more.

For dining, Asian-fusion Indochine is one of our favorite restaurants in the area, with a mouth-watering miso-marinated sea bass and seriously good sushi. There’s also fine Mexican at Ramona.

You can’t go wrong with Mayakoba, also just 35 minutes from the airport. It’s a unique 1,600-acre complex of four luxury resorts, a replica Mexican village El Pueblito, and a Greg Norman-designed golf course all connected by a series of man-made lagoons and cenotes. It’s perfect for families, couples and multi-generational groups alike.

COMPLIMENTARY AMENITIES FOR LPL GUESTS AT rosewood, andaz and banyan tree mayakoba:

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability

• Daily Full breakfast, for two guests per bedroom

• $100 credit

• Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability

• Complimentary Wi-Fi

Perhaps the most luxe option is the Rosewood Mayakoba with its impeccable attention to detail and newly-refreshed rooms. However, we slightly prefer the sexy-for- couples-but-welcoming-for-families Banyan Tree Mayakoba, offering an Asian-inspired twist on Mexico. Rooms start at over 2,700 square feet and boast private pools so large that you may consider never leaving your room. Couples will want private living casitas at the Serenity Pool Villas while families will love the two- and three-bedrooms which offer rooftop pools. New villas will be completed in 2020 to add beachfront one- bedroom options as well. Don’t miss Banyan Tree’s Saffron, a delicious Thai standout that draws guests from as much as a 30-minute radius of the resort. Get the yellow curry; you won’t regret it. Rosewood also offers a well-attended beach barbecue on Thursdays that’s also worth the reservation. We love the street food fare at Aqui Me Quedo, which translates to “here I stay,” an apt name for the adults-only poolside spot at Rosewood where we easily spent a few afternoons noshing on tacos and spicy mezcal margaritas.

Another standout experience at Rosewood are regular Ceiba dinners, held weekly in slower seasons and more regularly when the hotel is full. Hosted by the resort’s managing director, guests are invited to gather, family- style, under the resort’s large Ceiba tree in the garden for a communal dinner of fresh and local fare. Limited to about 30 per night and attended by select resort staff as well as guests, it’s a great way to mingle a bit with other travelers in a relaxed atmosphere.

Both resorts offer perks like gratis bikes for guests – conveniently labeled with your room number and left outside your door – and stellar five-star spas. The Banyan Tree’s Rainforest Indulgence is a must-try. The 150-minute experience is true decadence, starting with a completely private journey through the spa’s expansive rain showers, saunas and steam room with an eight-step process that involves everything from mud applications to ice baths and hair masks, before ending with a body scrub, Vichy shower and relaxing massage in one of 16 private spa bungalows. Therapists for the spa come from the resort’s other properties in Thailand and Bali, offering an exceptionally authentic taste of Banyan Tree’s Asian heritage.

Families may also want to consider the Fairmont and Andaz properties onsite, which offer top-notch stays at a slightly more forgiving price point. For lunch, we loved

Sotavento at Andaz, an easy beachfront spot that offers a break from Mexican with fresh, simple Mediterranean fare.

Don’t miss the complimentary boat tours, dubbed the Mayakoba Connection. They leave regularly from each resort’s main lobby and connect guests between resorts, as well as impress you with the wildlife and natural surroundings of the complex. You’ll learn from knowledgeable guides about the more than 100 species of birds, dozens of animals and more than a dozen crocodiles that live on property, as well as get a sneak peek of the more than 20 onsite dining options. If you want to visit El Pueblito, the village with shops and snack spots, play a round of tennis, or learn to make ceviche at the cooking school, you can also ask for a golf cart or evening SUV shuttle between resorts; the boats only run during daylight hours. There’s also a small chapel perfect for weddings or vow renewals.

COMPLIMENTARY AMENITIES FOR LPL GUESTS AT Belmond maroma, hotel escencia, chable maroma and viceroy riviera maya:

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability

• Daily Full breakfast, for two guests per bedroom

• $100 credit

• Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability

• Complimentary Wi-Fi

There are a few other standouts in the area. For those who wish for a true “old Mexico” feel, opt for the private Hotel Esencia, an intimate escape that was once the private home of an Italian Duchess. Esencia also features a Michelin-starred chef formerly of Spain’s famed El Bulli. At a more accessible price, there’s Viceroy Riviera Maya, where each of the 41 rooms is an individual casita with private plunge pool. For a beachfront get- away, the Belmond Maroma is located on the best beach in the area and offers many rooms with gorgeous ocean views – a rarity along this stretch of Mexican coast as so many hotels specialize in lagoon or jungle view. Both Viceroy and Belmond regularly offer dining plans to make them more cost- inclusive.

We love all three of these properties. Esencia can easily be the most expensive in the area, but it’s quite remote, so it’s best for a couple’s escape where you don’t wish to leave the resort. Both Viceroy and Belmond offer a more “authentic Mexican” vibe, while still blending high-touch service and exceptional dining and spa offerings as well.

Speaking of all-inclusive, if you’ re traveling with a large family or friends, Grand Velas is an excellent option.

For a girlfriend getaway or wellness escape, we’d opt for the new Chablé Maroma, opened this spring. It’s the second property from the brand – the first is inland near Merida. Think of it as wellness lite; you can still enjoy plenty of tequila but also try a temazcal (a Mexican sweat lodge) or meditate under an

Alamo tree, a plant considered sacred to the Maya. Or, keep it simple with a familiar deep tissue massage and private yoga class. To get truly in touch with your inner hippie, head onward to Tulum, about 90 minutes from the Cancun airport, where options like Nomade or Be Tulum are as Insta-worthy as they are luxe. While here, try creative smoothie bowls at Matcha Mama, mezcal cocktails at Gitano (yes, the same one that’s in NYC) and farm-to-table fare at El Zorro Plateado.

SARGASSUM – IT (LITERALLY) STINKS

We’ d suggest checking the sargassum situation before booking. The unattractive and malodorous seaweed has been plaguing the Mexican and Caribbean coasts for years now. But don’t pass on the destination entirely. Resorts are doing their best to keep up but watching for live cams, checking with your travel advisor or calling the resort directly can keep you from disappointment. The sea- weed comes and goes, so you may see some one day and virtually none the next.

WORTH LEAVING THE RESORT

Truthfully, Riviera Maya makes for an easy fly n’ flop destination – and sometimes, that’s exactly what we need. For a long weekend, we’d suggest picking a complex with a few options for activities, like Mayakoba. New this season is a 55’ Van Dutch charter yacht, perfect for a full- or half-day trip out to Cozumel or a sightseeing tour for those who simply want to get off campus.

But if you wish to get out into the local culture, plan a day or half-day to sightsee with a driver/guide; every resort can arrange boat days or tours to major sites. If you’re visiting for a week or longer, resort hopping can also offer a nice change of scenery. We’d suggest mixing something like the new Chablé Maroma, which is geared toward wellness, with something a bit more foodie, like Nizuc, or pairing the remote Hotel Esencia with Rose- wood Mayakoba or Belmond Maroma.

Other attractions worth trying are Chicen Itza, the 1,200-year-old complex of pyramid- like Mayan Ruins, a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World; try to go early to avoid the worst of the crowds. Prepare for a long day as it’s about a two-hour trip each way. Lesser ruins, like the Coba near Tulum, are slightly closer.

Another option is an early morning dip in one of the many local cenotes, natural underground water sources that create crystal clear pools teeming with wildlife.

We’d pass on the big clubs in Cancun – pretty much anything in the hotel district feels tourist – or venturing beyond the main drag of 5th Avenue in Playa Del Carmen. After all, who needs shopping or nightlife when white sand and clear water await?

WHEN TO VISIT

Riviera Maya is warm and sunny year-round, although, like any Caribbean climate, it’s prone to an occasional rainstorm. There’s no “bad” time to visit, but we usually skip travel from late June through October, when the chance of hurricanes is the highest, and the humidity and bugs put a damper on the fun.

THE PACKING LIST

Flowy caftans by Camilla, a stunning suit by Norma Kamali and a Eugenia Kim sun hat fit in nicely; for men, shorts + Swims by day and linen slacks and a button up (no need for a jacket) by night work just fine.

GETTING HERE

Daily nonstops are available from most destinations on the East Coast, with regular offerings from the West Coast and Midwest.

SAFETY FIRST

We often hear rumblings about safety concerns in Mexico. It’s a personal choice, of course, where you wish to travel, but we turned to the experts at Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report for a little extra insight:

Although travel alerts have been issued recently for the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, and specifically the resort city of Playa del Carmen, there is little immediate cause for alarm. There are no restrictions placed on U.S. government employees in the region, and travelers are urged only to “Exercise Increased Caution.” The incidents that have attracted attention have primarily been a result of turf war- fare between rival gangs.

In a post-COVID world, safety is a matter of both healthcare and preference, but we find Riviera Maya to be ideal given the large room spaces, ample outdoor dining, and sprawling resorts that make it easy to socially distance.

This story originally appeared and has since been updated from the Fall 2019 issue of Woodbury Magazine, where McLean writes quarterly travel journals.