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Beyond Mayakoba—If You Must!
I easily could have spent my entire stay simply enjoying the activities of Mayakoba, or relaxing on my villa's terrace watching for glimpses of water birds through the vegetation. However, if you've never been to the Yucatan Peninsula before, I highly recommend you check out some of its many attractions.
- Xcaret (www.xcaret.com): This massive eco-archeological adventure park has something for everyone. You easily could spend a full day here snorkeling off Barracuda Reef, floating along the park’s freshwater lagoons, enjoying folkloric shows, exploring the unique Coral Reef Aquarium, swimming with dolphins, and watching an authentic Mayan ball game dating back to pre-Hispanic times. Believe me, the list of activities goes on and on. A basic one-day ticket runs US$79.
- Playa del Carmen: It once was the home of the ancient Mayans and, after that, a small fishing village, but now Playa del Carmen—or "Playa," as the locals call it—is a bustling, tourist-oriented town with trendy restaurants, beach bars, cute boutiques and downright kitschy souvenir stores, and nightclubs and roof-top lounges that spill out the sounds of everything from live rock ‘n’ roll to Cuban salsa. The main tourist thoroughfare is Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue), a lively cobblestone pedestrian street lined with shops and cafés.
- Chichen Itza: This is the second most visited archaeological site in Mexico today, evidence of an ancient Mayan city dating back to 750 A.D. A number of day tours can be arranged to this UNESCO World Heritage site, which lies in the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula about a three-hour drive from Mayakoba. Chichen Itza’s most famous step pyramid is named El Castillo, or The Castle, built to honor the Mayan deity Kukulkan. Be prepared for huge crowds, unless you visit in the very early morning or late afternoon. If you drive yourself, that’s easier to do, and you can hire a local guide on site to show you around. Valladolid, a quaint colonial town along the way, makes a good lunch stop.
- Tulum: This is the only major Mayan ruin to be found along Mexico’s Caribbean coastline—a truly impressive sight as it sits perched on a limestone bluff facing the rising sun. The site has evidence of the ancient wall that once enclosed the city (“Tulum” means “wall”) as well as temples and watchtowers. Bring along a bathing suit when you visit, since there’s an easily accessible little stretch of white-sand beach adjacent to the site that’s perfect for a refreshing swim.
- Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve: Just south of Tulum, this is the largest protected area in the Mexican Caribbean—1.3 million acres of UNESCO World Heritage site! You can explore the wetlands by boat with an experienced guide who will maneuver your craft through the narrow, mangrove-lined channels for close-up glimpses of reptiles, mammals, and migratory birds. The catch-and-release fly-fishing here is considered some of the best in the world, with Tarpon, Bonefish, and Snook the most abundant species to challenge fishermen.
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Each time I’ve visited since, I’ve been amazed at the changes that have occurred over the years. That two-lane road is now a four-lane divided highway, lined with commercial properties and punctuated with stoplights. Playa del Carmen is packed with tourists and T-shirt shops. But there’s no sense lamenting the past. Cancun and the Riviera Maya are all grown up now, a virtual playground for every type of traveler: honeymooners to families, the budget-minded and the well-to-do. Somehow, it all seems to work.
With this in mind, I wasn’t sure what to expect as I made my way to the Riviera Maya last fall. Mayakoba is the area’s newest resort development, about 35 miles from Cancun to the north and a hop-skip-and-a-jump from Playa del Carmen to the south. I had heard so much about the development of this one-square-mile playground—set amid a protected nature preserve and bordering a stretch of the Caribbean with the second-largest barrier reef in the world—that I wanted to see for myself if it stood up to all the hype. I’m pleased to report it did, and then some!
Begun in 2000, this resort community encompasses three luxury hotels and the El Camaleón Golf Club, with its Greg Norman-designed golf course, which hosts a PGA Tour event, the Mayakoba Classic. A fourth luxury resort, Andaz Mayakoba, is due to open in 2015. The area also offers ecological tours through a six-mile-long system of freshwater canals, lagoons, and cenotes (freshwater underground rivers).
What makes Mayakoba so special is the mangrove jungle itself, bordering the shores of the Caribbean Sea, and the developer's commitment to the environment by choosing to define the protected areas first. Teams of biologists worked in tandem with designers and architects to develop a plan to preserve the wildlife living within the lagoon system, well before the first hotel was begun. The overall concept was to create an environment where the natural and man-made elements complement one another. To see the end result in person is to realize how successful their plan was.
Prior to my departure, I had done quite a bit of research, reading reviews and studying websites to determine which of the three hotels would be the best fit for Hideaways Aficionado® Club members and, quite honestly, just right for me as well. But the more research I did, the more I realized there was no good information comparing key aspects of the different hotels. I had to go with my instinct, and I couldn't have made a better choice—Banyan Tree MayakobaTHC.
It’s always exciting to catch that first glimpse of white sand and surreal turquoise sea from the air as you approach Cancun International Airport. Once we reached Mayakoba, my airport shuttle made a loop through all three hotels, stopping first at Fairmont Mayakoba. It has a sophisticated, open-air lobby overlooking five freshwater pools that meander between whitewashed casitas on either side. This hotel would be a good choice for families, since those five pools connect to create a lazy river for the kids to float down while still staying close enough to their parents for comfort. Equally enticing for kids are the Discovery Club and Adventure Camp.
The Fairmont offers 401 rooms and suites, beachfront and spread along the lagoons, with pool, ocean, and water views. Its Willow Tree Spa offers open-air treatment rooms overlooking the mangroves, with the surrounding forest providing a sort of natural private canopy. The Fairmont also has four restaurants on-site, capped off by El Puerto, the hotel’s AAA Four Diamond steakhouse and seafood grill. Rates start at US$249/night.
Our second stop was at Rosewood Mayakoba. I was struck by its very contemporary, almost futuristic design, with sleek walls of glass and bold metal beams. The use of natural indigenous materials, however, softens the effect and allows the property to blend with its surroundings. Each of the 128 individual suites is very private and spacious, and includes a stunning bathroom (some with an outdoor garden shower), rooftop deck, and private dip-pool. The services of a personal butler are available for unpacking, serving an intimate terrace dinner, or coordinating a day trip to one of the many nearby attractions (see sidebar).
Rosewood’s Agave Azul Sushi & Tequila Bar is a fun place to become "educated” in the intricacies of Mexican tequila. Casa del Lago is their highly touted restaurant serving Rosewood’s signature Mediterranean fare, and their beachside restaurant, Punta Bonita, offers light lunch "tapas" and pizzas plus regional specialties for dinner. In keeping with Rosewood style, the service when I visited was top-notch. Rates start at US$575/night.
Last stop, Banyan Tree Mayakoba. I stepped out of the van and was immediately awe-struck by the two-story courtyard enclosing a canal with the hotel group’s signature banyan tree rising like a pagoda in the middle. At the top level is the entrance itself, reception, a bar, and many attractive decks and sitting areas. The lower level has some shops, two restaurants, and the Banyan Tree Spa. Everywhere I looked, there was the perfect mix of Mexican colors and textures blended with elements of Asian tranquility.
There’s so much I love about this hotel, I don't even know where to begin! Built in 2009, it's the newest of the three Mayakoba hotels (Fairmont opened in 2006, Rosewood in 2007). It also is the first Banyan Tree-brand hotel built in the Americas. Tucked among the trees and along the canals are 125 villas featuring up to three bedrooms. My 3,000-square-foot (both indoor and outdoor space) Garden Pool Villa—the lowest category!—blew me away. The cathedral-ceilinged bedroom was surrounded by sliding-glass doors on two sides, which brought the green outdoors inside. A full-sized (not dip, mind you), L-shaped swimming pool wrapped around the bedroom, and my grassed and walled courtyard—my very own secret garden—included a covered lounging area, hammock, separate dining table, and sun chaises for two.
The pièce de résistance—the bathroom! It was huge, with a separate WC and shower and a central island with Mexican-tiled his-and-hers sinks. The basket of amenities for use during my stay totally surpassed the usual shampoo and body lotion. There was a wooden hairbrush, mosquito spray, flashlight, and more. Most romantic was the outdoor garden bathtub surrounded by stone walls, one of which had carved niches holding small candles that can be lit for a romantic interlude. A simple call is all it takes to have a staff member draw a tub scented with oils of your choice, from relaxing to invigorating.
Everywhere in my villa, I discovered thoughtful little touches to make my stay more comfortable: an array of flip-flops in all sizes to borrow for the beach, a beach bag and beach towels, umbrellas and rain ponchos, a selection of cutlery and dishes, and a full range of office supplies at the desk. Someone put an amazing amount of effort into making sure guests would have everything they could possibly need to make their stay perfect.
Each night, I looked forward to returning to my room to discover my pillow-top “chocolate”—and yes, the first night it was a sampling of Mexican dulce-de-leche candies. Then the stakes grew higher! The next night it was a wooden box carved in the shape of a star, and then a tiny Banyan Tree incense burner. Another night it was a painted ceramic container. One night I came home and found nothing. How could that be? I looked around the room, and there was my treat—a full bottle of Mexican tequila! Try that for sweet dreams!
The service was impeccable, and the breakfast staff knew my name by the second day. Did I mention the breakfast buffet? Local specialties (candied sweet potatoes, yum!), omelettes, pastries and pretzels, fruit and cereals, even “Grandma's hot cocoa” (secret ingredient: anise)—it was one of the more extensive buffets I've ever experienced. Saffron is their fine-dining venue serving contemporary Thai specialties like Yam Seafood and Phad Thai Goong. The ultimate romantic experience, however, would be to share a private “drifting” dinner aboard Ixchel, Banyan Tree’s traditional thatch-canopied boat, while plying the tranquil lagoons.
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