Riviera Maya Travel Guide: Playa del Carmen Culture, Cenotes and Cuisine Explore Mexico's Riviera Maya from Playa del Carmen, with Maya ruins, cenotes, Caribbean cuisine and wellness. Direct UK flights reach Cancún in about 45 minutes by transfer. Mexico's Riviera Maya stretches for 80 miles along the Caribbean coast, running south from Cancún's high-rises to the ancient Maya ruins of Tulum. At its heart is Playa del Carmen, once a sleepy fishing village and now a vibrant beach town. The area is known for palm-fringed white sand, turquoise waves, coastal towns, open-air cenotes and Maya archaeological sites. Playa del Carmen Food SceneA combination of Yucatán traditions, Caribbean seafood and inventive chefs has created a thriving food scene in Playa del Carmen. Street stalls serve zingy tacos, beach shacks grill freshly caught fish and high-end restaurants offer ambitious tasting menus. Local favourites include small, fried corn tortillas.These flavours can be found at the all-inclusive resort Paradisus Playa del Carmen, whose restaurant offering includes two traditional Mexican spots. At one, guests can tuck into tacos. Smoky mezcal, another local favourite, can be sampled nearby at one of the resort's bars.Nature and Cenotes Near Playa del CarmenBeyond Playa del Carmen, mangrove forests, lush jungle and freshwater cenotes create a patchwork of unique ecosystems teeming with wildlife. One way to delve deeper into this natural landscape is on a Paradisus Playa del Carmen tour of nearby Río Secreto, an underground river and semi-flooded limestone cave filled with dramatic stalactites and stalagmites.Another site is centred around a crystal-clear lagoon. Swimming and snorkelling are the main draw here, but its flora is just as captivating, with jungle trails winding past a nursery of native plants. The region also includes a Unesco World Heritage Site home to jaguars, pumas, West Indian manatees, spider monkeys and hundreds of bird species. Out at sea, the reefs off Playa del Carmen form part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef system, a kaleidoscope of colourful fish and coral.Visitors can head to an adventure theme park, or go snorkelling with green sea turtles in nearby Akumal. Another highlight for visitors young and old is exploring one of the region's cenotes. Thousands of these natural freshwater sinkholes are scattered across the Yucatán Peninsula, with hundreds around Playa del Carmen alone. Once believed to be sacred Maya portals to the underworld of Xibalba, they are now popular spots for swimming, snorkelling and diving.Along the coast, Playa del Carmen offers just as much adventure. Paddleboard at sunset, try kitesurfing or parasailing, or head out with a local captain. Activities range from swimming through underground rivers and snorkelling alongside stingrays to racing across the water on a speedboat and exploring the dedicated Children's World.Maya Heritage and Cultural ExperiencesThere is far more to the Riviera Maya than sun and sand, with Playa del Carmen offering plenty of opportunities to experience the region's culture. At Paradisus Playa del Carmen, guests can experience local traditions. The region's Maya heritage runs deeper still: cenotes hold significant cultural importance, having long been associated with Chaac, the god of rain, while archaeological sites dot the landscape.Playa del Carmen has a handful of small Maya ruins, but it is worth making the 50-minute drive to Tulum to see the only Maya city built on the coast. Its clifftop temple, El Castillo, teeters dramatically above the turquoise sea, while dozens of wild iguanas lounge on the ancient limestone walls. Close to the centre of town, Paradisus Playa del Carmen has a beachfront location and a wide choice of restaurants and pools.The Maya practised wellness long before it became a buzzword, developing a holistic approach to healing that is still practised throughout the Yucatán. Today, the Riviera Maya offers an idyllic setting in which to slow down and reconnect with nature. At the resort, the wellness designed by destination philosophy comes to life through treatments that blend ancient Maya heritage with modern spa rituals.Guests can choose from body and facial therapies using Mexican honey, essential oils and local botanicals, or unwind with a four-hand massage accompanied by pre-Hispanic music. Beyond the spa, the resort runs jungle yoga classes overlooking the clear waters of a cenote.Getting to Playa del CarmenDirect flights to Cancún International Airport operate from UK cities including London, Manchester and Birmingham. From Cancún, a private taxi or transfer takes 45 minutes to reach Paradisus Playa del Carmen. Once there, Playa del Carmen is easy to explore on foot or by bike. For trips further afield, local taxis are a convenient way to get around. Paradisus Playa del Carmen also offers its own programme of excursions and activities.This paid content article was created for Paradisus by Meliá. It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic.