Cancun, Mexico

Riviera Maya Map

Summary of approximate driving/ferry distances

• From Cancun airport to Playa del Carmen: About 1 hr by car
• From Playa del Carmen to Tulum : About 1 hr by car
• From Playa del carmen to Cozumel : About 1 hr ferryride 1 way
• From Cancun hotel Zone to Isla Mujeres: About 30 mins by ferry 1 way
• From Cancun or Playa to Chichen Itzna: About 3 hrs drive 1 way.
• From Playa to Xcaret: About 10-15 mins by car
• From Playa to Xel-ha: About 40 mins

Cenotes/Caves/Zip Lining/ATVs/Biking/Eco Parks/etc

Click on this link to get a Map Location for each of the below activities.

• Hidden Worlds Cenotes Park. About 45 drive from Playa down south. Dos Ojos cenote is located in this Par. 
• Rio Secreto. About 10 mins drive from Playa down south. Only a cenote/cave tour.I don't have the name of the cenote
• Boca del Puma Eco Park, This boca del Puma cenote is located here and tours include a zip line, bicycle riding, and a swim in a cenote. 
•  Selvatica Eco Park, offers zip lines, horseback riding, cenotes, and snorkeling. Cenote Verde Lucero cenote is located here.
• Xplor:  Here you'll have the chance to drive amphibious vehicles, go zip-lining, and raft through caves filled with stalactites. 
• Xcaret: Has more activities: various animals (avairy, butterfly pavilion, and giant sea turtles), water-based (beach and fun underground river), and an amazing cultural show at night.Swim with dolphins, snuba, etc is extra and not included in the ticket price. The cenote here is Sistema Xcaret
• Xelha : Is more water-based, go here for snorkeling. There's a lazy river you can float down, cenotes, and cliffs to jump from. Swim with dolphins, snuba, etc is extra.Cenote Paraiso and Cenote Aventura are located here.
• Canopy Aktun Chen offers a cenote, cave tour, as well as zip lines.  Name of cenote is Aktun Chen

Cenote Info & Map
Cenotes are sinkholes and there are four different types.

• The first are the underground cenotes which are completely underground, like small lakes inside a cave. Examples: Hidden worlds Cenote, Xplor, Rio Secreto, Aktun Chen
• The other are underground cenotes which have a hole in their roof, where sunlight can come inside. 
• Third there are the ones that doesn't have a roof at all Just side walks. Examples: Dzitnup ceneto near Valladolid, ikil near chichen itza.
• And the last are completely open, almost as lakes. Example: Cenotes in Xelha, Xcaret

 Mayan Ruins
2 of them that are worth seeing: Tulum and Chichen Itza. Tulum is near the water while chichen is about a 2-3 hr drive 1 way.


Chichen Itza by Car

• Chichén Itzá opens at 8:00 am, try to be there before 9:00 at least. Going early allows you to see most of the area before it gets too hot (there is very little shade) and also lets you beat the majority of the huge tour buses from Cancun that spill out hundreds of noisy tourists out on the site by around noon.
• Take water if you can and wear a big silly hat to protect your head from the sun.
•  Fill your tank in Cancun and again in Valladolid if necessary. There is only one gas station along the toll road and it’s a long way away. In an emergency gas can be purchased at the toll booths, but there are only two of those along the whole road to Chichén Itzá. In 2010 the tolls for a car were $214.00 pesos(toll1) and $53(toll2) pesos each way. You will not have to pay the $53 pesos on the way back if you take the free road to Valladolid.
• Wear good shoes. You will be doing plenty of walking and the steps on the pyramid are smooth, slippery and irregular.
• Admission to the Chichén Itzá is around 111 pesos for adults and 10 pesos to park.
• After you have finished at Chichén Itzá  (usually 3-4 hours) take the libre (free) road to Valladolid. It’s a right turn as you exit the ruins.
• Guides usually wait at the entrance and charge around 450 pesos for one to six people.  

Swim with Dolphins

• Wet 'n' Wild near airport.http://dolphinaris.com/ in wet n wild
• Delphinus in Xcaret,
• Delphinus in Xel-Ha
• Delphinus Riviera Maya
• Dolphin discovery in cancun downtown
• Dolphin discovery in Isle Mujeres
• La Isla Mall in cancun hotel zone: Interactive Aquarium (tel. 998/883-0411, -0436, -0413; www.aquariumcancun.com.mx). Can bring your own water proof camera

Night Clubs

• Coco Bongo: In Cancun hotel zone and Playa del carmen
• Señor Frogs: In Cancun hotel zone and Playa del carmen

 Massage Places in Playa

• Many massage places on 5th Avenue that are not as expensive as compared to the spas in the hotels.

Car Rentals
If staying in hotel zone, public transportation is awesome, so car is not really needed. But could be needed to go down south for activities. Best to book in advance as rates are less then 1/2 of what is offered in store. If staying in Riviera Maya and plan on doing activities, then I would highly suggest renting one. Ask your hotel for overnight parking cost.

• www.kayak.com
• http://www.cancunmexicocarrental.com/
• www.CarRentals.com

HOTELS
I always check tripadvisor.com for ratings before I book any hotel


Cancun Hotel Zone Map

Riverra Maya Hotel Map (Does not include hotels in Playa)

Map of Playa Hotels

Numerical 1    The Reef Coco Beach 2    Shangri La Caribe 3    Real Playa Carmen 4    Las Palapas 5    Fiesta Banana 6    Riviera Caribe Maya 7    Quinto Sol 8    Riviera del Sol 9    El Patio 10    Coco Rio 11    Posada Mariposa 12    Villa Amanecer 13    Tierra Maya 14    Aventura Mexicana 15    Carmen Inn 16    Caribbean Paradise 17    Royal Porto Real 18    Las Golondrinas 19    Gran Porto Real 20    El Tukan Condotel 21    Acanto Suites Lounge 22    Blue Beach 23    La Tortuga Hotel and Spa 24    Mosquito Blue Hotel Spa 25    Cohiba 26    Blue Parrot 27    Deseo 28    Costa del Mar 29    El Campanario 30    Hacienda Maria Bonita 31    Colibri 32    Kinbe Hotel 33    Posada Freud 34    Alhambra Hotel 35    Illusions 36    Treetops 37    Albatros 38    Lunata 39    Los Itzaes Hotel 40    Pelicano Inn 41    Fusion 42    All Riviera 43    Mimi del Mar 44    Hacienda del Caribe 45    Don Emilione 46    Molcas 47    Plaza Marina