When you visit Yucatán you must visit both archeological sites and some small Maya villages. At Tulum, el Castillo feels like stepping back a thousand years. When explorer Juan de Grijalva first spied Tulum, the great Maya civilization was already 700 years past its peak. At sprawling Cobá, inland from Tulum, lies an impressive 138-foot temple, the tallest ancient structure on the Yucatan. Besides providing freshwater, hundreds of cool cenotes( sinkholes) were homes to Chaacs (rain gods) and portals to Xibalba (the underworld).
Get off the beaten track, rent a car and visit the small towns. The people are friendly. Eat a taco at the market in Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Buy some honey in Francisco Uhmay. Try the delicious food in Valladolid. At the northern tip of Riviera Maya, Puerto Morelos, a quaint hamlet centered around a charming zócalo or town square fronting the Caribbean Sea, has the slow sleepy feeling of long ago. Take a peek at the village´s maritime museum, known for its displays of ship wreckage found off the coast.
Further south, Playa del Carmen is a chic swath of upper-end boutiques, international eateries, and bars, but the town, the largest in Riviera Maya, hasn´t lost its Yucatan charm. Really, it´s amazing!!