Links, Parkland, Desert, Clifftop: The Landscapes of Resort Golf
How links, parkland, desert and clifftop courses play, how wind and turf change the game, what to pack and which landscape suits which golfer.
20.63° N · 87.07° W · Mexico
Riviera Maya
Families, couples and golfers who want an easy beach base with reefs, cenotes and Maya sites nearby.
Local time
The Riviera Maya runs south from Cancún along the Caribbean coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, past Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen to Tulum and the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Just offshore lies the long Mesoamerican reef. Inland, the limestone is riddled with cenotes, freshwater sinkholes once sacred to the Maya, where you can swim in clear, cool water among tree roots and stalactites.
The coast suits almost any kind of trip. Families have large resorts with pools and shallow beaches, couples have adults-only hotels and jungle villas near Tulum, and golfers have several courses between Playa del Carmen and Puerto Aventuras. The Maya sites of Tulum, Cobá and Chichén Itzá, the turtles of Akumal and the reefs off Cozumel add days away from the sun lounger.
When to go
The year in the Riviera Maya
December to April is the best time: dry, sunny and warm, with air around 28 to 31 °C and comfortable humidity. May grows hotter but is still good, and November is a good, quieter month. From June to October the rainy season brings humidity, heavy afternoon showers and the Atlantic hurricane risk, which peaks from August to October. In many recent years sargassum seaweed has also washed ashore in spring and summer, varying widely by year and beach.
Typical long term values, indicative. Weather in any single year can differ.
Where to stay
Resort styles here
Around Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen, large beach resorts and golf estates line the coast, with the reef close to shore. Further south, between Puerto Aventuras, Akumal and Xpu-Ha, smaller resorts sit on coves and lagoons. Tulum has a strip of low-key eco hotels and boutique villas along the beach road and in the jungle behind it, while the Sian Ka’an reserve to the south has a few remote lodges. Isla Mujeres and Cozumel are island alternatives.
Getting there
Cancún has nonstop flights from many European cities, around 12 hours, and connections through the United States. From the airport the drive takes about 45 minutes to Playa del Carmen and up to two hours to Tulum, where a newer airport can shorten the transfer if your routing allows.
Guides that mention the Riviera Maya
Read before you go
All-Inclusive, Half Board or Breakfast Only: Choosing a Board Basis
What breakfast only, half board and all-inclusive really cover at luxury resorts, where the small print bites and how to work out which plan pays.
Winter Golf: Where the Fairways Stay Green from November to March
The Algarve, southern Spain, Morocco, the Gulf, Mauritius and the Caribbean compared for winter golf: temperature, rain, daylight and wind.
Sunrise or Sunset Side: How Orientation Shapes a Resort Stay
East or west facing changes the light, the heat on your terrace and the water in front of it. How to choose a side and ask for it.
Adults-Only Resorts: Quiet by Design or Just a Label
Whole resort or one pool, sixteen or eighteen, lively or tranquil: how to tell a truly adults-only resort from a marketing label.
Golf Resorts: How to Choose One When Not Everyone Plays
How to pick a golf resort that works for the golfer and the companion who does not play: courses, tee times, coaching, daylight and the days off.
