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Riviera Maya Fact Sheet

Travel Trailers LOCATION: The 75-mile stretch, known as the Riviera Maya is situated along the coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The Riviera Maya begins 18 miles south of Cancun International Airport in Playa del Secreto and ends at Punta Allen, a fishing village located on a small peninsula within the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. The largest towns are Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras, Akumal and Tulum.

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Travel Agency POPULATION/LANGUAGE: The official language of Riviera Maya's 70,000 residents is Spanish. The local language, Mayan, and English are also spoken.

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Last Minute Travel CLIMATE: The average annual temperature of the Riviera Maya ranges from 25 to 30 degrees Celsius (77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit).

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Aloha Airlines ENVIRONMENT: The Riviera Maya has demonstrated a strong commitment to protecting and preserving the environment. This dedication to conserve and respect the natural surroundings has helped maintain the incredible beauty of the area.

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Travel Agent AIRPORT: Cancun International Airport is located 18 miles north of the Riviera Maya. An airport in Playa del Carmen can accommodate smaller planes.

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Travel Agents AIRLINES: A number of carriers including Mexicana, AeroMexico, the regional airline AeroCaribe, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Northwest and USAirways fly from North America to Cancun. Apple Vacations, Friendly Holidays, GoGo Vacations and Travel Impressions are among the many tour companies that offer charter flights to Cancun.

Discount Airfares BRIEF HISTORY: The region known as the Riviera Maya was an important commercial and religious center for the ancient Mayans during the Post-Classic Period (1000-1550 A.D.). Tulum, a Mayan fortress set on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea, is the most impressive site from this era, but there were other important towns such as Xaman-Ha (today called Playa del Carmen), Xcaret (known by the Mayans as the port of Pole) and Xel-Ha, which was the first European settlement in the peninsula. Further inland is Coba, a city that had 50,000 inhabitants during the Classic Period (300-1000 A.D.).

Travel Deals The Riviera Maya was still a busy trade route when the Spaniards arrived in the 16^th century. During the next three hundred years, under Spanish colonial rule, the lack of adequate roads deterred any significant demographic growth in this region. In 1902, Quintana Roo became a territory and was declared a state in 1974.

Air Fares TOURING & SCENIC ATTRACTIONS: The starting point of the Riviera Maya is the tranquil uncrowded beach of Playa del Secreto. Tres Rios, a 370-acre eco-park of tropical jungle, mangroves and cenotes, with biking, canoeing, kayaking, trekking and horseback riding. Playa del Carmen, the largest town in the Riviera Maya, offers the flavor of a small fishing village mixed with a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Shopping, restaurants and nightlife center around Playa del Carmen's Fifth Avenue (Quinta Avenida). The resort area of Playacar, home to a number of upscale and all-inclusive resorts and over 100 small archeological sites, Xaman-Há Aviary where over 200 birds can be seen, and Cavernas Sacbe, a cavern filled with stalactites and stalagmites.

Travel Insurance Xcaret is an eco-archaeological park offering a unique glimpse into the region's natural surroundings and interactive activities like snorkeling in underground rivers, swimming with dolphins, horseback riding, scuba diving, 2000 year old Ball Game called Pok-ta-pok, plus an archeological site, natural aquarium, museum, botanical garden, Mayan village and unique folkloric shows at night. The small bay and beach of Paamul, where turtles come to leave their eggs, offers visitors one the region's best spots for diving and snorkeling, and a great place for a picnic.

Travel State Gov The upscale resort area of Puerto Aventuras offers the ideal location for visitors looking to relax in comfort and tranquility. Best known for the annual fishing tournament held here each May, this town centers around the Riviera Maya's only full-service marina. The Cultural and Poly-religious Center, the only one of its kind in the Riviera Maya, and the CEDAM Nautical Museum are also located here.

Travel Trailer Continuing south visitors will find Xpu-Há, a large beautiful bay and beach with calm waters and great visibility and Kantenah another secluded beach area. Xpu-Há is home to the Cenote Manatee, one of the largest cenotes in the region and Xpu-Ha Lagoon. Aktun-Chen features three caves filled with stalactites and stalagmites, cenotes, and the opportunity to see the Riviera Maya's diverse wildlife.

Ata Airlines The small town of Akumal, known as "The Place of Turtles," is a favored place of the endangered marine turtles and for divers and snorkelers. It is also well known for its ecological center, Ukana-I, which is used for both research and as a community center. Just north of Akumal is Yalku Lagoon, ideal for swimming and snorkeling.

Travel Agencies The beaches of Soliman Bay and Tankah are favorites for both locals and tourists. Further south is Xel-Há ("the place where water was born"), a 150-acre eco-archeological park. An incredible natural aquarium where the ocean combines with the freshwater springs and underground rivers, Xel-Há is ideal for tubing, snorkeling and swimming. Xel-Há is also home to macaws and is surrounded by a thick jungle, caves and cenotes. Archeological sites containing altars dedicated to Yum Chac are located nearby.

Travel Guide The archeological site of Tulum ("walled city") offers some of the most impressive ruins in the Mayan World. Built on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea, this site contains over 60 well-preserved structures. Tulum also offers beautiful beaches and cenotes, including the famous Calavera, the Grand cenote and the Car Wash. Located inland, Cobá is one of the most important archeological sites in the Riviera Maya. The main pyramid, Nohuch Mul is 138 feet tall, the highest in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Time Travel In the extreme south of the Riviera Maya on a small peninsula is Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, which offers an opportunity to explore mangroves, ancient Mayan canals and walk through the jungle to observe an almost untouched wilderness. Only a limited part of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, a large protected area of 1.5 million acres and more than 62 miles of the Great Maya Reef, is open to tourists. Located within the Reserve are Boca Paila and Punta Allen, a village with only 600 inhabitants dependant on spiny lobster fishing and the southernmost point in the Riviera Maya.

Travel Lodge ARCHEOLOGICAL RUINS: Archeological Mayan sites can be found throughout the Riviera Maya in Tulum, Cobá, Xcaret, Playacar, Xel-Há and Muyil with the sites in Tulum and Cobá the most important and complete.

Lowest Airfares DIVING/SNORKELING: The Great Maya Reef is the second largest reef system in the world and offers many options for diving and snorkeling. Along the coastline divers can find cenotes, sink holes created when pieces of land above the subterranean rivers collapsed millions of years ago. Filled with clear, tranquil water the cenotes were considered sacred by the Mayans. The entrance and exit of the Riviera Maya's underground rivers often lead to caverns, an underwater world filled with stalactites and stalagmites and waters with no current and great visibility.

China Airlines ECO-ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES: Nature tours, mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, jungle trekking, bird watching, deep sea fishing, horseback riding, boat trips and sailing. The area of Aktun-Chen is especially ideal for eco-adventurers offering many caves to explore.

Travel Com GOLF: The resort area of Playacar offers Playacar Club de Golf, an 18-hole Robert Von Hagge championship golf course. Puerto Aventuras offers a 9-hole course.

Us Airlines HOTELS: Hotels and resorts offer something for every lifestyle and budget. Accommodations range from small, quiet inns to full-service all-inclusive resorts. There are over 210 hotels in the Riviera Maya with approximately 170 of them having 30 rooms or less.

Travel Sites GOVERNMENT: Democratic.

Discount Airfare DRINKING WATER: Bottled water is recommended.

Travel Packages CURRENCY: The official currency of Mexico is the Peso ($1.00 USD = 9.54 MXP), but U.S. Dollars and travelers checks are accepted; credit cards are often not accepted in small establishments.

Discounted Airfares GETTING AROUND: Two main highways run through the Riviera Maya - one, parallels the coast to Tulum and then turns inland, the other runs from Tulum to Coba. Along the coastal highway, there are roads that turn towards the beach or into the jungle. Transportation between towns and beaches in the Riviera Maya is easy - buses run regularly from Cancun to Tulum, stopping at points of interest on the way. There are bus terminals in Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Taxis and tours buses are also plentiful. For longer trips, small planes leave from Playa del Carmen and there are ferries from Playa del Carmen and Calica to Cozumel.

Cheap Airline CAR RENTALS: Cars, jeeps and vans are available from a number of local and international car rental agencies.

International Travel PHONE SERVICE: International telephone service is available in many of the towns. To place a call from the U.S. to the Riviera Maya dial 011-52-987 plus the local phone number.

Go Airlines VISITOR REQUIREMENTS: U.S. and Canadian citizens must prove citizenship with a valid passport or original birth certificate accompanied by a photo I.D. issued by a government office, and a return ticket.

Cheapest Airfares TIME: Central Standard Time

Allegiant Airlines ELECTRIC CURRENT: 110 volts, 60 cycles, the same as in the U.S.

Indian Airlines TOURIST OFFICE:
Calle 28 s/n Lote 1 Mza 4
Colonia Ejidal entra carr. Fdral y Ave 50 Nte
Local #201 - 204
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
C.P. 77710 Mexico
Phone: (011) 52-984-87-31260
Phone/Fax: (011) 52-984-87-30003
Toll-Free in the U.S. 1-888-604-6044

Skybus Airlines WEBSITE: www.rivieramaya.com

Mexicana Airlines EMAIL: info@rivieramaya.com

Sun Country Airlines Posted online 03/10/04.

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