How are the beaches? (RM/PDC area)

[JC0721]

Hola everybody,

 

This might be a silly question but some reviews I've read elsewhere made me wonder (and start to worry). We are planning a small DW in Mexico and was wondering if anyone who's traveled/gotten married there recently could let me know how the beaches are. My understanding is Cancun's beaches are washed up thanks to hurricanes - just would like "real" feedback if PDC/Cozumel area has those problems too. The whole point of our DW is to be married in a Catholic ceremony but really close to the beach (and if you know Michigan that's hard to come by!).

 

Muchas gracias for any feedback! )

 

Your Business is Freedom!

[TATrisha]

It definitely depends on WHERE you're going. There are parts of the beach which are very rough because of hurricanes, but there are parts where it is powder soft and beautiful.

Are you looking for a beach at a resort or at a different reception location?

[TATrisha]

Sorry, double post.

[KHarrod]

The beach is the best in the Playa del Carmen area I really enjoyed it much better than Cancun.

[MarieSam]

I have stayed in Cancun twice, and the Riviera Maya twice ~ and during all these visits, we've found ourselves drawn to the beaches further south near Playa del Carmen and Tulum.

 

I can say coming from a family of islanders from the Philippines, our vacations revolve around spending endless hours every day at the beach. So staying somewhere that has nice beaches, great water for snorkeling and diving is a definite must for us.

 

The beaches in Cancun that are the best in my opinion are those facing Isla Mujeres ~ nice calm water, clear and beautiful. Suprisingly shallow, but in some areas there are patches of seaweed about 50 to 75 feet out. The more you travel south from Cancun you will definitely come across some fantastic beaches....Paamuul, is a hidden treasure not many know about and you can snorkel or swim so far with little worry about waves and there are also not many visitors. There is also only one open air restaurant there and it has great seafood, along with wonderful desserts, drinks and ice cream.

 

During our second visit we also found a glorious beach at Xpu-Ha although now I think there are hotels/resorts there so there is easy entry for public access -- but do note that all beaches in Mexico are owned by the government and therefore are not considered private.

 

Beaches in Playa del Carmen are wonderful too, but expect lots of crowds. Now one of most favorite beach towns is Akumal, located between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Our love for this place is overwhelming, hence the reason why we are having our wedding there. Akumal's main bay is fantastic for swimming, snorkeling, and often swimming with the turtles. The beach is calm and absolutely gorgeous. If you move one bay over to the left, you'll find Half-Moon Bay, another beautiful stretch of beach that you can swim and snorkel at although most of the beachfront is taken up by condos and hotels. One more bay over from there you will find Yal-Ku Lagoon, another great spot for snorkeling (ocean water mixes with fresh water and it is much like a small scale version of Xel-Ha = amazing!)

 

Although I haven't been to Tulum, I heard the beaches there are beautiful as well. During our 3rd visit we hooked up with a tour driver who took my entire family of 20+ on a beach hopping excursion for the day. Our first stop was at the Tulum ruins, and then he drove us about 2 hours out toward Belize and took us to the most amazing beach we've ever seen....Boca Paila. But he did warn us there was nothing here but beach, no restrooms, no restaurants, etc. but of course that's what we wanted and it was so worth it! I will have to post pics when I get the chance, there were miniwaves, the water was a crystal aqua tone and it was heaven.

 

I wouldn't worry about others saying the beaches in the area aren't worth it. If you limit yourself to the beach at your resort, of course you won't be content. But if you're willing to explore the area, you will find some heavenly places. True some beaches have endured damage to their reefs from the last huge batch of hurricanes (I know this happened in Puerto Morales), but there are so many other spectacular spots that are so worth visiting. Sometimes, it's a matter of finding the hidden gems -- and always ask "where do the locals go?" Plenty of times as tourist you end up where all the crowds are and end up missing the truly beautiful, nearly untouched places.

 

Definitely check out Akumal, Paamuul, and Boca Paila if you're really adventurous. I promise you, these places definitely embody the characteristics of a "beautiful beach".

[JC0721]

Mariesam,

 

Wow, that is quite a wealth of information! Salamat! ) What part of the PI are you from?

 

Thanks again for the info - it helps a lot!

[JC0721]

Oh, I should probably mention to all that I was looking to get married at the Capilla Nuestra Senora del Carmen on 5th Ave. in PDC, which I understand has A/C, is English-speaking and right by the beach, which is why I was wondering about the beaches on PDC. As Mariesam mentioned, I guess it depends on where on the beach you go. Perhaps I should contact wedding photographers as well and get some input from them?

[tylersgirl]

I am getting married at the RIU Palace Riviera Maya and from the pics and what I have heard the beach there is fine. I know that they do have a beach area and that they do have sand whales in the water that help protect the beach against erosion...You can see the sand whales in the water, but from the pics they blend it like rocks....I know there are places in PDC that have good beaches and some hotels have bad beaches, but RIU has protected their beaches