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You don't have to speak Spanish to enjoy the
superb attractions of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula - English
is welcome everywhere - and we know of few destinations
that offer more all-around pleasure. Whether your
definition of adventure is lying on the beach and sipping
margaritas, or hiking into the jungle to explore the
spectacular ruins of the lost Maya civilization, the Mayan
Riviera has you covered. We give you the absolute best
values in lodging, recommendations for meals and shopping.
 Sit and eat a
delicious fish dinner under the shade of a palapa
(Yucatan's equivalent to the palm tree) at a hard-to-find
seaside restaurant where only 'insiders' go. Stay in a
Spanish colonial hotel with 18-foot- high ceilings and
walls more than one foot thick. Sling a hammock in a 200-
year-old hacienda where time has stood still. Or sleep in
beachfront bungalows so close to the Caribbean that the
waves lap gently against the front porch. Enjoy white
sandy beaches and turquoise seas, or be thrilled by miles
of unbroken rainforest.
 It's a countryside
whose legacy is intricately involved with the past -
including magnificent ruined Maya cities with temples,
ballcourts and giant pyramids where humans were once
sacrificed. Follow us to deserted antiquarian sites and
climb above the jungle canopy with only the ghosts of
warrior kings to keep you company.  Visit colonial
buildings that housed the barons of the lucrative henequen
trade and Spanish forts built to keep away the likes of
Blackbeard the pirate. Walk around grand colonial churches
and monasteries in tiny towns or enjoy Spanish haciendas
and abandoned plantations. The Yucatan is also a nature
lover's paradise. Swim in an underground cenote - filled
with crystal- clear water - where the only natural light
filters through a hole in the roof of an immense
cavern.
 Float down a
forgotten stream past elegant blue herons, snowy egrets
and roseate spoonbills standing guard over a mangrove
savanna in one of the largest protected biospheres in the
Americas. Dive into the warm Lagoon of Seven Colors where
the Maya believed the rainbow began, or take a boat to an
ojo de aqua - an 'eye of water.' Get close to brilliant
pink flamingos by the millions, spider and howler monkeys
in the trees and iguanas sunning on the rocks of a
deserted beach.
Bike or hike for hours along a shell-
covered coastline without meeting another soul. Snorkel a
spectacular reef alive with exotic fish that are as
curious about you as you are of them. Dive to an
underwater cavern where schools of sharks 'sleep,'
suspended in the current, oblivious to your passing. Pilot
a boat to a deserted island to see the wild capybara or
sail to an island bird sanctuary with Captain Ricardo on
the last wooden boat built on Isla Mujeres.
 Wrestle a six-foot
crocodile into your boat for nighttime tagging and
identification by a biologist. Lie back and admire the
southern night sky - bright enough to read by and streaked
with the traces of falling stars. Shop in local mercados
and rub shoulders (if you're very short) with Maya women
in ancestral huipil dresses. Interested in traditional
crafts such as hammocks, wood carvings and pottery? See
them being made in villages off the beaten trail. Catch a
taxi ride in a Victorian horse-drawn hansom to a renowned
local restaurant that serves delicious authentic Yucatan
cuisine. All that and more you'll find here in the Mayan
Riviera, from Cancun to Tulum and everyplace in between.
We hope you enjoy it.
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