The Benson Preferred Guide to Playa Mujeres and the Riviera Maya, Mexico

Why Should You Visit Playa Mujeres and the Riviera Maya?

The Riviera Maya has given Diana and me some of our most unusual and memorable travel experiences anywhere in Mexico.

We have scuba dived deep into clear cenote water surrounded by ancient stalactites and stalagmites, then boarded a dive boat that afternoon and dropped into the Caribbean with bull sharks prowling below us and held on the ocean floor while they circled all around. We have eaten dinner inside a cave, explored Mayan ruins with a guide, floated through Xel-Há, laughed until our sides hurt while tiny fish nibbled our feet at Xcaret, and caught exactly one wahoo on our only fishing trip in the area.

Until now, most of our time has been spent farther south near Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Our next trip will feel different. We are excited to make Villa del Palmar Cancun in Playa Mujeres our home base and discover more of the coastline north of Cancun.

Villa del Palmar is located in the quieter Costa Mujeres area, across the water from Isla Mujeres. That gives us a new side of the region to explore while still leaving the adventures farther south within reach when we decide they are worth the drive.

Who Is Playa Mujeres and the Riviera Maya Perfect For?

This area is particularly well suited for:

• Couples who want adventure without giving up a relaxing resort.
• Families with children or teenagers who enjoy active trips.
• Scuba divers and snorkelers.
• Travelers interested in Maya culture and history.
• Anyone fascinated by cenotes and underground cave systems.
• Travelers who appreciate having many different experiences within one region.
• Friends or families who want a comfortable home base and room to explore.

It works especially well for people like us who enjoy a full day of adventure but still want somewhere beautiful and comfortable to return to afterward.

Where Should You Stay in Playa Mujeres?

Villa del Palmar Cancun is our Benson Preferred Property for this part of Mexico.

We have ownership and availability there that we are excited to share with our members and friends. We have not stayed at the property ourselves yet, so we will not pretend to offer firsthand impressions. What excites us is the opportunity to finally experience the resort together and use Playa Mujeres as a quieter home base for our next trip.

Its location near Punta Sam and directly across from Isla Mujeres should make island excursions particularly convenient while placing us away from some of Cancun’s busiest areas.

Our next guide update will include what we discover about the resort, the food, the beach, and the best ways to balance property time with day trips.

What Are the Best Things to Do in the Riviera Maya?

Based on what we have already experienced and what we are planning next, we would prioritize:

• Diving or swimming in a cenote.
• Scuba diving along the Caribbean coast.
• Touring Maya archaeological sites with a knowledgeable guide.
• Spending a day on Isla Mujeres.
• Exploring an underground river at Río Secreto.
• Swimming with whale sharks when the season and conditions align.
• Taking a private or small-group sailing trip.
• Deep sea fishing.
• Experiencing regional food beyond the resort.
• Leaving at least one day to enjoy Villa del Palmar and Playa Mujeres.

The challenge here is not finding something to do. It is resisting the temptation to drive the entire coastline and repeat every experience from your last trip.

What Is the Riviera Maya’s Signature Experience?

For us, it is the world beneath the limestone.

Our favorite day together began with a cenote dive at Dos Ojos. Swimming through clear water surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites felt like entering another world. Later that afternoon, we went out with Phantom Divers for a bull shark dive that is one of our all-time favorite dives ever.

Descending through open blue water and seeing the sharks moving below us was both intimidating and awe-inspiring. Once we reached depth and watched them glide past at close range, the experience shifted from nervous anticipation to complete fascination.

That combination—ancient freshwater caves in the morning and powerful marine life in the afternoon—captures what makes this region so different from an ordinary beach vacation.

What Cultural and Family Experiences Should You Consider?

We enjoyed visiting the Tulum ruins much more because we had a guide who explained Maya history, architecture, and the purpose of the different structures. Without that context, it would have been easy to walk through, take photographs, and miss most of the story.

Xel-Há gave us a completely different afternoon of floating, snorkeling, and trying the activities throughout the park. At Xcaret, the end-of-day cultural performance was a highlight, although the experience we still laugh about most was soaking our feet while little fish nibbled at them.

For a future trip, Chichén Itzá is high on our list. We would approach it the same way we approached Tulum: arrive early, use a private guide, and take the time to understand what we are seeing rather than rushing through it.

When Is the Best Time to Visit Playa Mujeres and the Riviera Maya?

Peak Season: December through April generally brings comfortable temperatures and drier weather, along with the largest crowds and highest pricing.

Shoulder Season: Late April through early June and November can offer a better balance of weather, crowds, and value.

Hotter and Wetter Season: Summer into early fall brings more heat, humidity, rain, and tropical-storm risk.

Best For

• Cenotes and cultural excursions: Year-round.
• Beaches and sailing: Winter through spring.
• Whale shark excursions: Generally summer, with exact regulated dates subject to annual confirmation.
• Bull shark diving near Playa del Carmen: Seasonal and operator dependent.
• Fewer crowds: Late spring and November.
• Resort-focused trips: Year-round, with weather tradeoffs considered.

Insider’s Secret

Do not try to treat Playa Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Chichén Itzá as though they are all in the same neighborhood.

They are not.

Choose a few experiences that justify the drive and let the rest wait for another trip. On our next visit, we plan to focus more heavily on Playa Mujeres, Isla Mujeres, and the northern part of the region instead of recreating our previous vacations farther south.

That approach gives us room to experience our property and discover something new.

What Is a Great 5-7 Night Itinerary for Our Next Trip?

• Day 1: Arrive at Villa del Palmar, explore the property, and enjoy a quiet evening near the water.
• Day 2: Take a catamaran or private boat to Isla Mujeres, snorkel, explore the island by golf cart, and return before dinner.
• Day 3: Enjoy the resort, beach, and pool without scheduling a major excursion, or find a new place to scuba.
• Day 4: Explore Río Secreto, walking and swimming through its underground river and limestone formations.
• Day 5: Swim with whale sharks if visiting during the regulated season; otherwise plan a fishing or sailing day.
• Day 6: Make an early private trip to Chichén Itzá with a guide, then add a cenote swim and local meal before returning.
• Day 7: Leave the final morning open for the resort, one last swim, or revisiting the experience we enjoyed most.

Founder Favorite

Our cenote and bull shark dive day is difficult to top.

We began beneath the Yucatán Peninsula, weaving through formations created over thousands of years. That afternoon, we descended into the Caribbean with bull sharks moving below us and around us.

The contrast between those two dives made the day extraordinary: enclosed freshwater caves followed by open ocean and some of the most impressive animals we have ever encountered underwater.

Member Tip

Do not build your itinerary solely around famous attractions.

Choose one major excursion, one water adventure, one cultural experience, and at least one day with no long drive. The distances add up quickly, and a trip can stop feeling like a vacation when every morning begins in a vehicle.

Our Favorite Riviera Maya Experiences

What keeps this part of Mexico interesting to us is how much remains undiscovered, even after several visits.

We have already experienced cenotes, sharks, Maya ruins, adventure parks, cave dining, and fishing. Now we are excited to approach the region from a new direction: staying at Villa del Palmar, spending time in Playa Mujeres, exploring Isla Mujeres, and finally trying some of the experiences we previously drove past or saved for later.

We are not returning to repeat the same vacation.

We are returning because there is still so much more to discover.