Playa del Carmen,
Mayan Sun Coast, the Mayan Riviera; call it whatever you want but, I'll
just call it affordable paradise. Less than one hour south of the Cancun
airport and a world away from the high rises, clubs and hustle and bustle
of Cancun lies a string of shallow bays and beautiful hotels. Mexican
tourism officials have dubbed the area between Playa del Secreto and Punta
Allen the Riviera Maya. The region also includes the 1.3 million-acre Sian
Ka'an Biosphere Reserve.
My husband and I traveled to Playa del Carmen at the end of June. This may
seem like a bad time to go but, those of us who live in the Houston area
know that the weather at the shore in Mexico is often better than that at
home. We boarded an early morning flight from Houston and were at our
hotel before lunch. Once there we fell into a relaxed routine of sunning,
walking on the beach, snacking and napping. We will return to explore more
of this 72 mile wonderland of white sand beaches, archeological sites and
lush jungle.
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History
The Riviera Maya's recent development is not the only
time this area was inhabited. During the Post Classic Period (1000-1550
A.D.) the area was a commercial and religious center for the Mayans. Many
historical sites have been discovered and more are no doubt waiting to be
uncovered from the jungle. The most well known of these sites is Tulum,
the Mayan fortress on the coast. Inland are the ruins of Coba, a Mayan
city of 50,000 during the Classic Period (300-1000 A.D.) There are also
sites on the nearby island of Cozumel. After the Spanish arrived and the
great Mayan cities were abandoned the lack of roads in the area led to a
steady decline in population. This area did not graduate from territory to
state status until 1974 when state of Yucatan was formed. The areas
popularity grew after the development of Cancun. First this was through
day trips to archeological sites and snorkeling at Xel-Ha and Xcaret in
the 1980's. Later in the early 1990's the first of the modern mega-resorts
were constructed. A law passed in 1994 regulates resort construction with
the goal at fostering environmentally friendly development. By the end of
2000 nearly 12,500 units were available and the state of Yucatan had been
divided into three; Yucatan, Campache and Quintana Roo, the state that
encompasses the Mayan Riviera. Playa del Carmen is now the fastest growing
city in Mexico. Continued
Playa Del Carmen Photos
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From the beach at the Barcelo Maya Beach Resort
Barcelo is a chain that is gaining a
strong foothold in North America and the Caribbean. They have both
All-Inclusive and European plan hotels. |
