Most people go to the Mayan Riviera for sun, sand and surf… for those who wish for unspoiled beaches, beautiful lagoons with great snorkelling, Mayan ruins, small and large resorts with excellent accommodations – but – I (we) came for a different reason as well/
So, there I was, having just finished my classroom and practical diving instruction in a pool back in Montreal, rocking in a 20 ft boat, in three-foot swells, half a mile off the coast of Akumal, in the Mayan Riviera, on the second largest coral reef system in the world, getting ready for the first of my three compulsory dives to get my Open Water Diver Certificate, and I was petrified. (I know, a run-on sentence, never mind.) I was going to have to go through the same set of safety exercises that I had practised in the pool back home, but this was the in middle, so to speak, of the ocean (OK, sea) with 20 ft of water above me and another 30 ft below me to the top of the reef.
The first part was doing a back flip off the boat, and my stomach was not happy…not happy at all… happily my dive master/judge/guide was patient… he had done this before.
OK, so I calmed down (sort of), back-flipped in, did the necessary routines and I was off into a wonderland of gorgeous fish, waving sea fans, coral canyons, and it was exhilarating, and has been a wonder to me ever since. My air ran out too fast, and by the time we got back into the boat I wanted to do the whole thing again – an experience never to be forgotten. Since then, I have had hundreds of dives, but never, not yet, the special dives that the Yucatan is famous for – cenote cave diving. There is cave diving, and then there is Cave Diving…I am never doing the later.
This is for the truly adventurous and experienced diver – who has completed the cave diver training course. Cenotes, plenty in the Yucatan, are the entrances to extensive underwater cave systems formed tens of thousands of years ago when sea levels were much lower than at present. Rainwater seeping through the porous limestone carved out giant caverns connected by narrow passages. Subsequently sea levels rose, drowning much of these cavern systems. Cave diving can be described as scuba diving through enormous water-filled rooms with stalagmites and stalactites, sparkling columns, flow-stones, cave pearls of pure white limestone and azure passages leading off in multiple directions. Not for the faint of heart, cave diving is truly one of the last frontiers of discovery.
Two miles south of Akumal in the lower part of the Riviera is the Dos Ojos cavern complex. Take in the Mil Columnas dry cave, open on both ends, filled with columns floor to ceiling with drip-stone formations. You can snorkel along the surface of semi-submerged caves well illuminated with underwater lights. The water is so clear (and cold) that you can see hundreds of feet into the heart of the cavern.
But I digress, yet again. Sun and sand are what most people come for and the Riviera does not disappoint. Thirty years ago, when I was there for my certification, there was Cancun in the north, the fishing village of Playa del Carmen a bit south, and the Mayan ceremonial city of Tulum in the south, just before the enormous Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, 60 Km south of Akumal, which sits about the middle of the stretch..
We stayed at the Hotel Club Akumal Caribe, at that time the ONLY resort between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, with two dive shops, two restaurants, and several stalls selling local handicrafts. And that was it. Today, the strip is chuck full of high-end developments to take advantage of the abundance of beaches along the 100 Km stretch of coast. The highway has been upgraded to a divided 4-lane, from the small to-fro (with pot holes) it used to be. Akumal has lost its unique feel.
One mile north from Akumal, walking distance along the coast is Yal-ku Lagoon. This peaceful inlet, a natural aquarium for tropical fish, though no corals, is perfect for a day of swimming, snorkeling and exploring. Keep a look out though for any crocs.
Ten miles south of Akumal is the nature preserve of Xcacel, an almost deserted patch of beach, backed by coconut palms, a palapa-style bar/restaurant serves cold drinks and seafood snacks. Thousands of turtles come here to bury their eggs, If you are lucky, on summer nights, you may glimpse one - the whole beach area is a protected site.
Further north is Playa Kantenah, accessible via dirt road from the road – worth the detour.
Just south of Playa del Carmen is Xcaret nature park, which, over the years has bloomed into a Disneyesque attraction with scary underground rivers to float down to a lagoon, a zoo, a botanical garden (of sorts), plenty of eateries, evening dinner shows, wine tasting, dolphin show and swim. A playground ‘for kids of all ages’ its nice, but I liked it better back when there was just the underground river, the lagoon to snorkel in, one restaurant, and some small Maya ruins…sigh.
Another few miles south are the ruins of the Maya city of Tulum, the smallest of the three cities of the Maya in the area. A fortified small city right on the beach, it served as a trading center and port for the much larger city of Coba, inland. Perched atop craggy cliffs, surrounded by thick, though ruined walls on three sides and the Caribbean on the fourth, this outpost of Mayan civilization commands a great view. Down below, the surf meets a broken coastline with crescent-shaped coves and tranquil sands. Tulum was settled in the post-classical period between 900 and 1500 AD, when Maya culture was already in decline. It is believed to have still been inhabited when the Spaniards arrived in 1518. Goods, including the much-prized obsidian, flint, ceramics, copper, jade and gold came from all over the Maya world on sea-going canoes. At one time the city had extensive defensive walls, now three structures remain, the small pyramid of El Castillo, the Temple of the God of the Winds, and the Temple of the Frescoes. Worth a visit.
Some 50 Kms inland are the ruins of the Maya city of Coba, established about 2000 years ago and was estimated to have at least 50,000 inhabitants at its peak, 800 years later. A sprawling place, it was built over 80 square kilometers, and connected to other cities by well-built roads. This site is the nexus of the largest network of stone causeways of the ancient Maya world. A power center for centuries because of its location, easy access to the sea, to good agricultural lands, and most importantly, fresh water (two small lakes), it entered into a power struggle with upstart Chichen Itza further to the west, which it slowly lost. By 1550, it was abandoned. Towering above the treetops is the Mohoch Mul pyramid (which can still be climbed) and with its 120 steps is thus, the tallest Maya structure in northern Yucatan. Climb to the top and stand where once priests offered human sacrifice to the gods. Unlike its larger and better-known rival, Chichen Itza, this site is not yet over-run by tourists, but it’s getting there.
Ecotourism is taking off in this part of the Yucatan. In Sian Ka’an it means floating down lazy rivers and observing wildlife for a day. For adventure travellers, it is a chance to live out wilderness fantasies without the risk – to venture into a jungle, perhaps to glimpse endangered species like jaguar (probably not), ocelots (maybe). manatees, jabiru storks, and no less than four species of turtles.
The coast road ends in Sian Ka'an, having turned into a dusty, rutted, bone-jarring track for the last ten miles at the small village of Punta Allen, one hundred miles from Cancun. I cannot think of a better way to end a hot day of exploration than sitting beneath a palm tree on a rattan chair, sipping a margarita, and watching the sun set orange into the sea.
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