Jim S. Says:
Where is the Riviera Maya in Mexico?
IL Mexico Correspondent Bel Woodhouse Says:
Hi Jim,
The Riviera Maya stretches from Cancún to Tulum on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
It’s one of the world’s premier beach destinations thanks to its white sands, blue Caribbean waters, and warm weather year round. Plus, thanks to the region’s prosperity and high level of investment from the government and the private sector, the feel is First World and modern when it comes to infrastructure, services, and amenities. And traditional Mexican culture, from music to food to cultural events, is still very much alive here.
Mexico’s Riviera Maya is on the country’s eastern Yucatán Peninsula and stretches from Cancún to Tulum.
There is something for everybody when it comes to a place to live on this coast, whether you want a seaside village, resort-style living, or a sophisticated city atmosphere. The Mexican government decided in the 1970s to make this region on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula a focal point of tourism. They subsidized the building of hotels on the island of Cancún, and that kicked off development up and down the coast, quickly turning it into a popular vacation spot for visitors from around the world. Soon after, retirees and other expats discovered the charms of living year round on the Riviera Maya.
Cancún, at the northernmost point of the Riviera, is home to a city of 400,000 on the mainland—the center of government and business in the region, as well as a “hotel zone” chock-full of all-inclusive resorts and shopping malls. Some expats live here, both in the hotel zone and in the mainland city. About 20 to 30 minutes south is Puerto Morelos, a working fishing village that has become a favorite among expats for its peace and quiet…as well as its beach lifestyle.
Playa del Carmen is a rapidly-growing seaside town well known for its vibrant nightlife, restaurant scene (everything from traditional Mexican to sushi to Italian gourmet favorites), and world-class shopping centered on the pedestrian-only La Avenida Quinta entertainment district. The cosmopolitan group of expats gives it a real international flavor.
Laidback Tulum is at the far south of the Riviera Maya. Once a stop on the backpacker’s trail through Central America, the town has “grown up” and become a haven for retirees and other expats seeking all the advantages of the Riviera Maya without the crowds and development of the communities to the north. The feel is still bohemian.
Scuba diving and snorkeling, boating, fishing, swimming in freshwater cenotes, exploring the Maya ruins that dot this region…there’s no shortage of things for the active expat to do on the Riviera Maya. And, of course, there are established expat communities you can join very easily and enjoy an active social life of dinner parties, happy hours by the beach, dinners out, and more. Plus, if you’re into volunteering and working in the community there’s plenty of opportunity for that, too.
Discover more about life on the Riviera Maya on our newly-revamped website.
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