Anyone familiar with Cancun/Beach holiday Mexico?

[BlackberryBeret]

I'd like to go to Cancun or similar area (not too long a flight). I'd be going alone.

I hate 'big' cheesey resort hotels. I'd prefer somewhere smaller (I don't mean 10 rooms but more a couple of hundred and not than 500+ with all inclusive cavernous restaurants) with a good pool - preferably one you can properly swim in rather than an amusingly shaped paddling pool.

I've done my google research but not really getting a feeling for where is good or would fit what I'm looking for.

In my head, I want to go on Carrie's "honeymoon" in Sex in the City first film - but I know that was filmed in Malibu!

Anyone been?

Playa del Carmen might be better for you than Cancun.

Ooh or Tulum

We are going to Playa Del Carmel in February. Going to Sandos Caracol which is an eco resort with lots of animals if that floats your boat!

Thanks Flower - any particular hotels or recommedations?

Following! We're thinking of going next year.

Im staying in palladium in a few weeks time the one in quintana. They’ve got a brsnd new one in costa mujeres as well.

Check Catalonia royal Tulum if you want a nice cosy adults only hotel. My friends love it

We went to akumal bay. Lovely restaurants, only 2 storey and turtles were laying eggs on the beach and hatching. Blissful place

I would recommend Rivera Maya rather than Cancun itself.
There is a nice set of resorts, The Banyan Tree, The fairmont and I think Rosewood.
They are in different parts of the same large grounds and you can move around.
Without kids I would stay at the Banyan Tree I think.

We went to the Viceroy riviera maya. Look it up.. it's truly fab. Loved it!
It's big enough to be relatively anonymous and there are always people in the bar/pool. But nothing like some of the huge hotels in that area.
We were all inclusive a couple of years ago but possibly food/drink is expensive there if you have to pay each time. It was all really good though.

Though I'd normally really recommend Cancun/Riviera Maya having had a fab holiday there in 2016, check the seaweed situation before you book, there's a plague of it there at the moment and you can't use the beaches.

I would look at tulum/riveria maya- can't recommend a hotel though sorry as not been.

Have been to cancun, not my favourite of places and it's full of built up massive hotels.

Have been to cancun, not my favourite of places and it's full of built up massive hotels.

Yes - I kind of have that impression and as I said that is my idea of hell.

Thanks for the seaweed tip. Where do you get seaweed info?

I've been around the Yukatan peninsula, and most of the big resorts are what you've described as a "not want". It's a very popular "spring break" destination for US young adults as it's close, cheap and has a drinking age of 18. There are a lot of very beautiful, expensive, upscale hotels and resorts, but they somehow seem very clinical, but it's personal opinion, and they offer a lot of excellent facilities. Have you looked at the logistics of a beach holiday in Belize? Cay Caulker is fabulous - laid back, no huge resorts, mixed nationalities etc.. Might be a pain with transfers, tho.

I’d rather do Tulum or Cabo than Cancun. We stayed in Playacar in a Riu Palace but didn’t rate our hotel.

I'm just back from staying at Occidental Xcaret just outside of Playa. Amazing hotel but sounds like it would be too big for you.

The seaweed situation changes day by day. Some days good, some days bad. They spend a lot of time bulldozing it up. We only went to Playa beach one day and there were giant piles of it everywhere and the beach honked. I'm not much of a beach person and our hotel had a small private beach with no seaweed as they had netted the inlet.

We went to Tulum one day and looked down from the ruins onto the beach and I didn't see any seaweed. And generally I think the seaweed is meant to be bad at Tulum. Cozumel island is meant to be fine for seaweed. If the seaweed is bad you can always swim in a Cenote which are amazing,

This hotel in Tulum is supposed to be amazing.

here

There are various seaweed forecast websites

seas-forecast.com/Page%20Forecast/Tuluma.jpg

and this website has a map of beaches which aren't affected by seaweed.

seas-forecast.com/Page%20Forecast/Tuluma.jpg

We are just back from Cancun stayed in rui palace was lovely but not what you’re looking for no seaweed either. Lots of young ones from America arriving once we were leaving too so glad to avoid them.

Sargassum was an issue when I was there- I second Tulum over Cancun

Are there any areas or beaches that are seaweed free round there?

Sorry - thanks Viva- missed your second post on seaweed.

What are the rough differences between Tulum and Playa del Carmen please?

Tulum is smaller, has more of a hippy vibe. Has a reputation for being expensive. We didn't explore Tulum shops so not sure what it's like from that point of view. It does have a Starbucks though, saw one near the ruins!

Playa del Carmen was bigger than I thought it was going to be. Lots and lots of shops including big name stuff. So a Sephora, ihop, bath and body works, big Walmart.

El dorado royale is lovely. Been twice and highly recommend

Lived in Mexico for several years, thought Playa del Carmen was the most unpleasant part of it.
Cheap tourism set up primarily for Americans.
Got hassled there walking down the street by hawkers which is very unusual for the country.
Around spring break the whole area is full of young USA students looking to get totally smashed.
But the Yucatán area has lots of lovely places although dc were sure we had flown to USA.

I did, Riviera Maya, RUI playa carmen hotel. Was brilliant, not huge like some RUI hotels.

We stayed in the El Dorado seaside suites - truly amazing resort. It is big but there are lots of different areas to it and each accommodation has its own area so it feels a lot smaller and personal. The restaurants are amazing too. It's in Riveria maya - I would quite happily go back on my own.