Thursday, 06/08/2009

Mexico’s Riviera Maya is thriving with new hotels, events, real estate developments, attractions and other novelties to enjoy. The latest of them is Xplor, a theme park located next to Xcaret, which opened its doors just this month and which offers four activities to lovers of nature and adventure: ziplining, cavern rafting, jungle exploration and underground river navigation.

Azul Fives Hotel (www.azulhotel.com) by Karisma, set to open in late summer 2009 in Playa del Carmen, will offer 360 luxuriously designed one-, two- and three-bedroom suites (1,125 to 1,900 square feet), each with private marble bathrooms featuring rainforest showers and oversized balconies or terraces. 

Capella Bahia Maroma Riviera Maya (www.capellabahiamaroma.com) from Capella Hotels & Resorts will feature individual villas opening out directly to the Caribbean, an Auriga Spa, a beach club, gourmet restaurants and luxurious residences as well as the only private, championship 18-hole golf course by renowned golf architect Rees Jones in the Yucatan.

Grupo Grand Coral, a developer backed by prestigious Spanish financial houses including Bancaja and Banco de Valencia, has broken ground on the Grand Coral Riviera Maya, a $2.5 billion retail, hotel and real estate development located five minutes from Playa del Carmen, spanning 561 lush oceanfront acres and combining hotels, expansive resorts, entertainment and retail/restaurant outposts.

Kanai, an eco-conscious development situated on the 302-km marker of the Chetumal-Cancun highway, will span 966 acres and 1.1 miles of seacoast and include 847 hotel rooms, two golf courses (36 holes) and a residential area.

Marriott International has announced that in the next five years it will nearly triple its presence in Mexico, including the Riviera Maya, investing more than $1 billion. The luxurious 450-room JW Marriott Milla de Oro Resort & Spa and the upscale 150-room Renaissance Milla de Oro Resort are expected to open in the Riviera Maya in 2011. Xcaret, an eco-archeological park located in Playa del Carmen, announced several new and upcoming attractions: Vino de Mexico is a wine cellar that opened in June 2008 for the purpose of showcasing Mexican wines.

The adventure tour company Alltournative offers a new half-day tour called Rio Secreto, or Secret River. Equipped with helmets, flashlights, wetsuits and life jackets, a small group descends into an underground river to explore hidden caverns, stalactites, stalagmites, corals and other natural treasures.

Hidden Worlds Cenotes Park, which offers exclusive access to some of the Riviera Maya’s finest cenotes (sinkholes), offers a new and unique attraction called SkyCycle, a cable bicycle suspended at the treetop level of the rainforest, allowing visitors to pedal leisurely through the air while they take in the overwhelming beauty of the jungle.

Aktunchen Park, which features cave and cenote tours and wildlife encounters, just launched Canopy Adventure, offering a unique view of the jungle canopy from 10 ziplines and two suspended bridges. Bahia Principe Riviera Maya Residential Golf Resort will feature a 27-hole, 717-acre golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones II. There will also be a 9-hole, par three world-class golf course, practice course and golf academy, all constructed while preserving the wildlife and nature around them.

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