Why the Mayan Riviera and Playa del Carmen are ideal for Mexico Family Vacations

Hotels are located along beautiful Playa del Carmen and just south in the new resort area of Puerto Aventuras. The waters are calmer than in Cancun where the surf can sometimes be intimidating for smaller chidren. Families will enjoy many hotels that offer all-inclusive fun. And when it’s time to explore, the Mayan ruins of Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza await.

The Riviera Maya is one of the regions of Mexico - and the world- which offers the richest variety of landscapes and archaeological treasures. It is also a place where the world's biological diversity seems to have been concentrated, so that a visit to one of its many parks - veritable habitats for many of the world's unique species of plants and animals - is a must. Outstanding among these is the Sian Ka'an reserve, an extensive area that provides an enormous geographical and climatic diversity, with an abundance of wild birds, reptiles, mammals and marine wildlife.

Snorkellers will love the reserve of Xcaret. Just six miles from Playa del Carmen, this 150-acre ecological park features snorkel lagoons, botanical gardens and a sea turtle nursery - all in a magnificent jungle setting. And if you ever feel like changing the pace of your Mexico family vacations, the shops and clubs of Cancun are an hour away.

This small town on the Yucatan coast and part of the Mayan Riviera is enjoyable for what it is, but perhaps more for what it's not. It's not Cancun, the major resort area that's about an hour north. For those who find Cancun too large and glossy and too lacking in local character, Playa is the cure: cosy, funky and quite Mexican. Windsurfing, jet skiing, or a full day of big-game fishing is available.

If golf is your game, the Playacar Club de golf offers a spectacular par 72 championship course designed by world-renowned Robert Von Hagge. Ferries to Cozumel Island, one of dive capitals of the world, leave from Playa del Carmen just about every hour and the town's centers proximity to some of the greatest ceremonial centers of the ancient Maya make 'ruin hopping' one of the town's chief attractions.

Find out more about Playa Del Carmen for your family Mexico vacations

Find out more about family vacations in Mexico in  Cancun,   Mexico family vacations in Cozumel,  Mexico vacations in Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo,  Mexico family vacations in Los Cabos,  Mexico family vacations in Mazatlan,  and family vacations in Puerto Vallarta

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