Are you planning to travel to Riviera Maya in Mexico, but are not quite sure where to stay and which area to choose? Not sure what the differences between Tulum, Puerto Morelos, Akumal and the other areas are? Looking for the best beaches in Riviera Maya or, perhaps, interested in the best areas to stay with kids? Or, perhaps, you’re a digital nomad and are wondering where exactly there is good internet and what’s the best place for working remotely in Riviera Maya? I will try to answer all these and even more questions in this post about the best areas to stay in Riviera Maya!

If you’re new to Tripsget, hi, we are Liza and Jose, a couple of Millennials who call London their home now. However, as Jose has family in Mexico, we try to return to this beautiful country every year! We’ve got loads of articles about travelling in Mexico – feel free to check out the Mexico travel category here!

Without further ado, let’s get started! 

The best areas to stay in Riviera Maya: from Akumal to Tulum:

Best place to stay in Riviera Maya for an ultimate luxury all-inclusive stay

If an all-inclusive luxury holiday is what you’re looking for, I recommend checking Iberostar Hotels in Riviera Maya – they are always great and have amazing all-inclusive options. They have 7 hotels in Riviera Maya, located all around the coast, so you can just pick the one you like most.

Area-wise, Mayakoba is known for its luxury properties – it’s a closed area with a huge mangrove, plenty of golf fields and private villas. There are 4 amazing luxury hotels there as well. Another luxury area in Riviera Maya is Punta Maroma! You can even find overwater villas there. 

Finally, there’s Tulum’s zone Hotelera – although it has a different vibe and most properties are not all-inclusive. 

Best area to stay in Riviera Maya on a budget

If you’re visiting Riviera Maya on a tight budget, the best places to stay would be the cities Playa del Carmen and Tulum. You can find a lot of affordable hotels and apartments there. Food wouldn’t break the bank as long as you stick to affordable restaurants (which there are plenty). In my opinion, Playa del Carmen would be much cheaper than Tulum (even getting there from the airport would be more affordable). 

Check my article about visiting Playa del Carmen on a budget >

Best place to stay in Riviera Maya for spotting wildlife 

If you like wildlife, I recommend picking a large resort somewhere close to Akumal, as you will be able to see a lot of amazing animals living there, from huge turtles to iguanas around every corner. The larger the territory of the resort, the more animals you might be able to spot there. Out of all the resorts we have visited so far, the ones in Akumal had the best wildlife! 

Best place in Riviera Maya for families with kids

If you have kids, I recommend booking one of the large resorts not too far from large parks like Xcaret, Xel-Ha and Xochimilco. These parks are amazing to visit with kids, but a long commute might be tiring for kids, so it’s better to stay somewhere close, within 10-15 minutes of driving from one of these parks.  

Best places in Riviera Maya for digital nomads

Finally, if you’re a digital nomad, you will probably like being in Playa del Carmen or Tulum as you can rent a modern apartment with pool access. There are no issues with the internet in Playa del Carmen, however, in Tulum you need to be careful and pick a property with good internet speed. However, in Tulum, there are a few coworking spaces for digital nomads as well. While Tulum is developing very fast, I would still probably pick Playa del Carmen for a remote month in Mexico. Read my article about working remotely from Playa del Carmen

The best beaches in Riviera Maya

If you’re wondering where the best beaches in Riviera Maya are, to be fair, a lot of beaches are amazing. My favourite would probably be the beach in Tulum. My next favourite would be Akumal! Mayakoba and Playacar have amazing beaches as well. Beaches in Playa del Carmen are okay, but not really great! Overall, it depends on the resort – some resorts have amazing beaches, while some other ones don’t – it’s always worth checking reviews before choosing a resort! 

Summary of the guide to Riviera Maya: different areas to stay – from Puerto Morelos to Tulum

I hope you know a bit more about different areas of Riviera Maya and have a better understanding of what to book and where. Should you have any questions, send me a message on Instagram (@lizatripsget)