Playa del Carmen The coast of the state of Quintana Roo is dotted with some of the most incredible islands in the world: Isla Mujeres, Isla Cozumel, and Isla Holbox. Beaches of fine white sand bathed by the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea; flamingos, dolphins, sea turtles, and whale sharks; exuberant ecosystems of life and underwater museums, steps from ancient Mayan ruins.

Get to know the islands of the Riviera Maya at your own pace: swimming with snorkeling, diving, boating, kayaking, cycling or golf carts, or, why not, relaxing in the shade of a coconut tree, with an icy chela, or a margarita, in your hand.

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Island Mujeres

Just 20 minutes by ferry from Cancun, you will find Isla Mujeres, one of the most popular islands in Riviera Maya, famous for its perfect beaches, especially Playa Norte (the most beautiful) and Playa Lancheros (the best to go and try the traditional Tiki Xic fish), and for its proximity to the Mesoamerican Reef System (SAM), the second barrier of most giant coral in the world, making it one of the best snorkeling and diving spots on the continent. But Isla Mujeres is much more than just a natural paradise.

About 1,500 years ago, the island was considered a sanctuary by the Mayan civilization of the region. According to tradition, girls traveled to the island to leave offerings to Ixchel, the goddess of the moon, abundance, and fertility, to get her favor. The feminine form of these offerings inspired the Spanish conquistadors, who found them as soon as they set foot on the island in 1517 to call the island Isla Mujeres.

Today, on the southern tip of the island, in Punta Sur, the first place in Mexico to receive sunlight every day, are the ruins of the Ixchel Temple. The most popular way to get around the island is by renting bicycles or golf carts. In the same area of the island is the Garrafón National Underwater Park, ideal for visiting with the family, where you can do hiking and diving activities, swimming with dolphins, kayaking, or cycling.

Once on the island, you can snorkel or dive, taking advantage of the clarity of the water and the abundance of corals and fish and, depending on the time of year, whale sharks (especially between May and August). In addition, you can visit the Underwater Museum of Art (MUSA), a set of sculptures arranged on the seabed around which reefs are formed in a way that serves to counteract the deterioration caused by climate change.

Cozumel Island

Just 40 minutes by ferry from Playa del Carmen is Cozumel Island, formerly known as Kuzamil, land of swallows, by the Mayan inhabitants of the region, named for the abundance of these birds. As in Isla Mujeres, in Cozumel, the goddess Ixchel of fertility was revered, and the presence of human civilizations can be traced up to 2,000 years in the past. Proof of these remote times are the archaeological sites of El Cedral in the southwest, and El Caracol and San Gervasio, in San Miguel de Cozumel.

In addition to its archaeological importance, Cozumel is the largest of the islands in the Riviera Maya and the third largest island in Mexico, meaning you have many more beaches to choose from. The best are Punta Morena, Punta Chiqueros and Playa Bonita, on the east coast; Playa Punta Sur on the south end; and Playa Palancar and El Cielo, on the west coast.

Thanks to underwater visibility that can reach 30 meters, it is another of the best places in the world for snorkeling, especially in the Punta Sur Reserve (where you can also go kayaking and experience the exuberant fauna of the island: flamingos, herons, island coatis, and even crocodiles), in Playa San Francisco and the Parque de Chankanaab Adventure; and for diving, especially in the Palancar Reef, in the Paraiso Reef, in the Santa Rosa Wall and in the Colombia Reef.

Holbox Island

In front of the port of Chiquilá, in the north of the Riviera Maya, is Isla Holbox, a black hole in the Mayan language, a slight stretch of paradise without roads in which there are practically no cars (the traffic is bicycles and golf carts), and where you can find some of the best beaches in Mexico: Punta Cocos, where there are plenty of coconut palms; Punta Mosquito, where you can spot flamingos (in summer), pelicans and horseshoe crabs; and Playa Holbox, one of the most beautiful on the island.

In addition, depending on the time of year, you can go snorkeling with whale sharks (between July and August) or enjoy the spectacular nocturnal phenomenon of bioluminescence (between June and September).

But what differentiates Holbox from Isla Mujeres and Cozumel is its relaxed, slow-paced vibe. If you're looking for a place where you can slow down your revs and forget about the fast pace of the world, Holbox is ideal for you.

The islands of Riviera Maya offer endless possibilities. Whether you are looking for the tranquility of its beaches or the underwater adrenaline of its coasts, you are sure to find a place where you can spend some of the best moments of your vacation.

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