The Riviera Maya has a diverse range of attractions and places to visit, including aquatic sports to it practices of the goal or tennis, the strolls by the aquatic forest on foot or to horse, sports and navigations, and the cultural and archaeological wealth of the Mayan world.

ECOTOURISM

The Riviera Maya has premier ecological attractions: Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Sian Ka’an is a 1.3-million-acre- ecological park of forests, lagoons, wetlands, ruins, and exotic marine habitats. The area has been declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. There are over 350 species of birds and over 30 little-visited Mayan archaeological sites. It is located a few kilometers south of Tulum, and accessed via a coastal road.

Once inside the reserve, there are the villages of Boca Paila and Punta Allen (about 160 kilometers south of Cancún). Several small inns, including some deluxe fishing resorts, and a few excellent campgrounds are available. A private non-profit organization, Amigos de Sian Ka’an, operates tours to this wild and exotic region. In Cancún, tel. 84-95-83 for information.

Countless treasures await those willing to abandon poolside comforts and head out to explore he hiddes beaches and ancient Mayan mysteries of the Yucatan’s eastern coast. Most travelers experience this region through a popular day tour to Tulum and Xel-Há

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

In the Riviera Maya you can see ruins from each of the different historical epochs of the Mayans. Within the hidden city of Coba or the walled city of Tulum lie enormous archaeological wealth - the temples and ceremonial centers, the secluded roads in the forest, the many buildings for astronomic observation, the fields for the old ball game and the numerous pyramids are mute monuments of this ancient yet most important of cultures.

Ruins Near the Riviera Maya:

COBÁ
Period.......Classic
Culture......Mayan
Lifespan....600-900 A.D.

This once-great city, now being extensively studied for the first time, is a jungle-bound site measuring nearly 50 sq. Km.in size! The site thrived between 500-900 A.D. before being abandoned and swallowed by the ever-encroanching jungle. Much of the site is still unexcavated, giving visitors an erie "Indiana Jones "-type feeling. It is suroundeb by dense jungle and five fresh water lakes (some of the only lakes in the entire Yucatán región). Excavations have unearthed Nochuc Mul, a 138-foot tall pyramid (talles in the Yucatán), a ninetierd castle, and a ball court. The site has more sacbe (wide limestone-paved ancient roads) than any site yet discovered.

TULUM

Period…Post Classic
Culture… Mayan
Lifespan… 1200-1500 A.D.

This modest-sized coastal city is one of the loveliest archaeological sites in México. It is a popular day excursion from Cancún, and is usually combined with Xel-Há in the same trip (see Riviera Maya chapter). It is the only Mayan port city ever discovered, and one of the few to still have been occupied when the Spaniards arrived in the 16^th century. Overlooking the turquoise Caribbean Sea, Tulum is a gleaming white walled city that invites visitors to roam its small temples and buildings. The site exhibitis strong Toltec-Mayan influences. The Temple of the Frescoes contains faded interior wall murals, and the Temple of the Frescoes contains faded interior wall murals, and the Temple of the Descending God portrays a god tumbling frof the heavens. This is a major destination for Cancún daytrippers arriving on tour buses. Its best explored later in the afternoon, when the masses have departed. Admission is colected, and several English-speaking guides are available for hire.

SPORTS & OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Within the Riviera Maya lies a region rich in diving locations.
The Riviera Maya has many interesting destinations, each with its own distinctive attractions. Playa Secreto, Paradise Beach, Punta Maroma, Punta Bete, Xcalacoco, Playa del Carmen, Xcaret, Calica, Paamul, Puerto Aventuras, Xpu Há, Kantenah, Akumal, Xel Há, Tulum, Cobá, Boca Paila and Punta Allen.