East facing onto the Caribbean Sea gives Mexico’s Riviera Maya some beautiful sunrises over pristine fine sand beaches. Located on the Yucatan Peninsula, it extends for 70 miles south from Cancun, where the international airport is located to Tulum, made famous by its Myan ruins. It’s a holiday playground par excellence for the gay and lesbian traveller with a superb climate that means winter nights rarely drop below 20degsC and the sun shines year round.
Cancun developed in the 1970’s and has the high rise developments so typical of that era. Many hotels offer all-inclusive options that enable you to make the most of the beach life and activities by day and enjoy the nightlife after dark. If you are a party animal, then Cancun is for you – all the clubs are gay welcoming and there are a few exclusively gay/lesbian clubs and bars also.
The first major resort town as you head south is Playa del Carmen. Here there is a very different atmosphere. No building is taller than the a palm tree and a Mexican character is more evident. Playa is famous for its Fifth Avenue, mainly pedestrian street, where there is an eclectic mix of bars, clubs and restaurants and a variety of shopping from T-shorts through Mayan Handicrafts to high end brands. Just sip a tequila in a 5th Avenue café and you’ll be amazed quite how many same sex couples you’ll see strolling past and that is before you hit the Mimaste Beach Club where they all hang out by day. Playa 69 is the local gay bar and makes a great place to start and finish your evening out.
Continue south another 40 minutes and the character changes again as you approach Tulum. Here there is a strong Mayan influence dominated by the famous ruins which are well worth visiting. Tulum enjoys two gay popular nudist beaches – both just a few minutes from our resort.
The Riviera Maya is more than just a beach holiday with all varieties of water activity on offer. Many more Mayan ruins can be visited in day trips including Chichen Itza as well as the famous cenote sinkholes which are great for a cooling swim. If you fancy quad bikes, zip wires or snorkelling through caves, guided tours are also available to see the fascinating land of underground rivers that lie below the surface.
Or why not explore the Yucatan further with our 14 night Yucatan Explorer tour and stay in some traditional planatation Haciendas - now operating a luxury boutique hotels. Visit Merida - the state capital with its imposing architecture built on the wealth from sisal or "green gold". Learn more about how the Mayans ruled this part of Mexico for nearly a thousand years before the Spanish conquest. Enjoy a day on the Gulf Coast and see the majestic pink flamigoes and petrified forest.