AAA Colorado ~ EnCompass Magazine

She was by far the most stylish of our tour group, putting the rest of us sneaker-clad day-trippers to shame. Unfortunately, designer shoes are not especially good for trekking damp jungle paths—or for rappelling, ziplining, kayaking, swimming or climbing the 122 dizzying stone steps of the nearly vertical Nohoc Mul pyramid.

Designer sandals weren't the only disconnect. The mostly excellent day tour, promoted as a “Mayan Encounter” experience, didn't quite live up to its name. Yes, we learned the word yuutbuotik, which will definitely be handy next time I have to thank a Mayan. But unless ziplining and rappelling are little-known Mayan sports, there was little authentic local culture in the experience.

The Riviera Maya is a place where what's advertised often doesn't tell the full story, doesn't speak to the small discoveries to be made—or all the changes to come.

Oddly, the region's geographical boundaries are unfixed. What everyone agrees is that it is a strip of coastline starting somewhere south of the Cancun airport, running about 120 km along the Caribbean Sea , and ending south of Tulum, possibly at Sian Ka'an Biosphere. Or Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Or Punta Allen. Its most famous sites include the ruins of Tulum and Coba, and a pair of eco-theme parks, Xcaret and Xel-Ha. All are worth seeing depending on your interests, but something else makes Riviera Maya a compelling destination—its easy access to both a major resort area and authentic Mexican culture.

Tiny Puerto Morelos, almost midway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, is the embodiment of this melding of visitor convenience and cultural opportunity.

It doesn't have glitzy shops or nightclubs, or the accompanying crowds. What Puerto Morelos does have is the quiet charm and friendliness of a Mexican town almost unaltered by tourism. On a Saturday night the small zocalo (square) is filled with families and couples, and just a handful of tourists who easily slip into the relaxed rhythm of the place. On one side a group of boys has turned the basketball court into a soccer field. Girls stroll by, intently ignoring the boys just as American girls do back home, and in the playground a mini-Mayan pyramid is under attack by a band of small children whose parents sit nearby talking under the stars. There's a stage in the middle of the square where a modern dance performance has ended, though the crowd seems in no hurry to leave. Above it all, a lighthouse beam makes its slow circles in the night.

Puerto Morelos is not the place to go if you're looking to spend much of your hard-earned cash. You can't run up the credit card, either—few places take plastic. There is an Internet café and a small bookstore on the square, but none of the typical tourist shops. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, all low-key and moderately priced—small discoveries that make Puerto Morelos memorable.

One night I wandered onto the pleasant patio of Bacab's Bar & Grill at the edge of the beach, joining an eclectic crowd of locals and tourists and a German shepherd lounging under one table. The patio grill sizzled with meats, sending smoky aromas curling around us as we lingered over dinner in a place where stress seemed to melt away. At El Viejo Pescador (The Old Fisherman) overlooking the zocalo, the ceviche with fresh fish and shrimp was perfecto.

Puerto Morelos does have some hotels and more on the way, mostly away from the central area. Ceiba del Mar is one of them, and it stands apart by celebrating the rich Mexican heritage of its surroundings. All of the hotel's artwork is by Mexican artists, including a graceful poolside sculpture by Alejandro Colunga and a bold, red Oaxacan tapestry on a lobby wall. Tiles, mirrors and vases in the rooms and around the property also are Mexican. Even the spa reflects the culture, its waiting area designed with a high, thatched ceiling and rattan furnishings and doors.

Yet the Riviera Maya's culture is only partially revealed in its Mexican heritage. Indigenous people have always been integral to the vibrant textures and cultural fabric of the country. In the Yucatan , that means Mayans, and even if connection to modern Mayan society is elusive, connection to the ancient Mayans is almost palpable in the enduring remains of their civilization.

Tulum, the only Mayan archaeological site by the sea and the easiest to reach, is worth exploring for its setting alone. It's also a perfect introduction to archaeology for families with young children. But Coba is more likely to stir the soul.

At its zenith, 100,000 people may have lived in Coba. Only a few of the estimated 6,500 structures are uncovered, but what can be seen tells a powerful story of the ancient Mayans—the life and death game played on the ball court, the temples, even the great ceiba trees believed to be living pathways for the soul from the underworld to the heavens.

Coba's mesmerizing centerpiece is Nohoc Mul, tallest pyramid in the Yucatan. All who can make the (slightly harrowing) climb to the top should do so—you'll be rewarded with an inspiring view out over the once-great city.

The one place on the previously mentioned tour where we gleaned something of contemporary Mayan culture was at a jungle cenote, one of thousands of limestone sinkholes across Mexico.

Standing at the edge of the glassy aqua pool, it was easy to understand why Mayans hold cenotes sacred, and impossible not to feel a reverence for the place, for the exquisite artistry of nature, for the utter clear stillness. Our day tour included a short “purification ceremony” by a Mayan shaman before we slip-slid down the cave to the pool. The ceremony had its hokey quality (unless shamans traditionally display tip buckets)—yet, authentic or not, a cleansing before entering the cave seemed right.

Although the jungle isn't the place for designer heels, Riviera Maya has trendy spots where they are entirely correct. Playa del Carmen, 30 kilometers south of Puerto Morelos, doesn't come close to Cancun on the glitz scale, but it is a city in transition. Alternately described as “bohemian” or “hip/upscale,” Playa is somewhere in between its laid-back past and the sophistication planned for its future. The hotel zone is already upscale, while the main shopping area, 5th Avenue, remains mostly tacky but with charm up and coming.

Strolling 5th Avenue's half-mile pedestrian walkway in the daytime is a little like running the gauntlet—in the company of thousands of your closest cruise ship passenger friends. Calls of “Lady, over here” mingle with the buzz of the throngs and ceaseless music blaring from restaurants. If you're looking for Burger King or Haagen-Dazs, they're here, but so are a couple of nice galleries, and bars in a scattering of trendy tropical boutique hotels offer a chic but laid-back alternative to Cancun nightlife. With its buildings painted bright colors and the sea just a block away, the street has a perennially festive air.

And then there's MayaKoba, a lavish resort rising north of Playa that cannot help but change Riviera Maya's low-key demeanor. Already open is a 401-room Fairmont Hotel and the first championship golf course in Mexico ever to be a stop on the PGA Tour. By 2009 there will be three more amenity-laden hotels overlooking the acres of manmade canals and meticulously lush landscaping.

Not far away, another change is in the works. Land has already been cleared within a few miles of Tulum for a new airport.

The Riviera Maya has shed some of its bohemian charm and come into its own as a destination of diverse offerings, a place where sacred cenotes, ziplines and immaculate golf courses can co-exist. So far it has grown without losing those pockets of local culture where visitors experience not just another international hotel or imported restaurant but a true sense of place and character. Today, Mexico can still be found on the Riviera Maya, and that alone is reason to visit.

Christine Loomis is a freelance writer and editor in Lafayette, and a frequent contributor to EnCompass.

AAA Connection

Exclusive member benefits on Mexican vacations are offered through preferred vendors such as Pleasant Holidays and Travel Impressions. See your AAA Travel agent or visit www.aaa.com.