The Riviera Maya is a 180-kilometer stretch located along the coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The region offers a diversity of attractions from solitary beaches to modern architectural complexes, including hotels, marinas, sports facilities and restaurants. Playa del Carmen, the main town in the Riviera Maya, for example, which used to be a small fishermen's village, is now the site of prestigious international hotels, numerous restaurants and shopping. Nearby is the area's principal ecological reserve, Sian Ka'an.

The Riviera Maya's principal quality is its diversity. Here one can choose everything from adventure sports, golf and tennis to jungle tours on foot or horseback, water and nautical sports, and touring the indescribable cultural and archaeological treasures of the Maya world. One of the favorite activities for visitors is scuba diving on the Great Maya Reef, the second-largest in the world, located along the Riviera Maya's coastline and experiencing cavern diving in the region�s ubderground rivers. The spectacular tropical marine life here is unique and unforgettable.

Few places are as perfect as the Riviera Maya for enjoying water sports. Naturally, there's the unique and captivating fascination of the Mexican Caribbean itself, which in the Riviera Maya is paired with the subterranean world of Maya territory. Here underground rivers wind gently beneath the surface creating thousands of "cenotes" (Sinkholes) in which visitors can explore the region's unique cavern systems.

The turquoise waters which bathe the beach at Playa del Carmen - on the west coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico - invite magical moods and awaken excitement in the presence of its natural beauty, framed by the tropical jungle which characterizes this zone. Only 60 kilometers from Cancun, halfway to Tulum, the ancient village known as Xaman Ha in the Maya language, has developed thanks to the many investments over the past few years which have stimulated growth here. A place once known for is tranquil simplicity, nothing more than a dock from which ferries departed for Cozumel, has now become one of the most important and sophisticated tourism centers on the Riviera Maya.

Playa del Carmen offers everything you might look for in a Caribbean location, such as powdery white sand beaches bathed by transparent waters, luxurious hotels providing all the comforts required by international travelers, and also smaller lodgings with personalized service. Numerous bars and dicotheques, two shopping malls, restaurants offering traditional and international cuisine, cultural and recreation centers, water sports and golf are also options, with a level of excellence to satisfy the most demanding first-class travelers. La Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue), the zone's main artery, is filled with gastronomic and entertainment options, together with numerous shops and boutiques, all of which make this an obligatory meeting-place after several hours spent on the beach or on an excursion trip, prolonging the activity in Playa until dawn.

Today, Playa del Carmen attracts sun worshippers, beach- and sea-lovers as well as those in search of the marvelous combination of ecological and archaeological tourism. The unique conjunction of culture plus nature, and the tranquility which chracaterizes this spot, are still the distinctive attractions to be found here, intelligently preserved by well- planned development which sought to conserve the original magic - and succeeded!

In the heart of Riviera Maya, an emerging example of the zone's growth and development, Playa del Carmen is a must-see destination for those who desire a taste of Mexican Caribbean magic and want to enjoy all of nature's charms - but with the infrastructure required by world-class travelers.