Riviera Maya, Mexico
With its fascinating Aztec, Maya and Spanish colonial history, its amazingly varied landscape (jungle, forests, vast plains and deserts), its wonderful tropical climate, fabulous beaches and warm, welcoming people, it’s little wonder that Mexico rates very highly when choosing a long haul destination with a difference.
We’ve chosen, as the centre for our 2019/20 programme, the Mayan Riviera on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, with its unique blend of history, culture and beach life. There’s so much to see and do it’s difficult to know where to start but the absolute ‘musts’ are the dramatic Mayan pyramids and temples at Chichen Itza and Uxmal, the beautiful colonial cities of Merida and Valladolid, the only oceanside Mayan site in Mexico at Tulum and the huge array of diving and snorkelling opportunities along the reef which runs parallel to the coastline.
Everywhere, it’s difficult to escape the stunning
colours Mexico is famous for, be they villagers’ clothes, the bougainvillea, hibiscus and frangipani you see everywhere,
birds of every brilliant hue and, of course, the unbelievably blue Caribbean.