10 Things to Do Off the Beaten Track in Riviera Maya

Ruta de los Cenotes is exactly what it sounds like, a route you can travel to explore dozens of different cenotes of every variety: pit, cylinder, basin, and cave. Here you can go swimming, spelunking, and snorkeling to explore some of nature's most mysterious wonders: natural swimming holes created by limestone sinkholes over millions of years while surrounded by lush, undisturbed jungle canopies.

The Ruta de los Cenotes offers hiking, swimming, biking, outdoor exploration, and adventure of all types. Many resorts and hotels can make arrangements for you, you can take a tour, or you can just rent a car and drive yourself. It's in Puerto Morelos and is about 30 minutes inland from central Riviera Maya.

Bacalar Lagoon, or Laguna de los Siete Colores, is a vast expanse of soft white sand and shallow waters that sparkles due to the presence of crystals. Due to the lack of surf and clear, shallow waters, many lagoon areas here are ideal for swimming, kayaking, and a wide range of water sports. This is the place to come if you want to be surrounded by the staggering beauty of nature, and escape from the hustle, bustle, and noise of the crowds at other local beaches or human-made attractions.

Bacalar is part of a 35-mile expanse of lagoons fed by rivers, estuaries, and the Chetumal Bay. It's a day trip, about 3 hours south of central Riviera Maya.

Reserva de al Biósefera Sian Ka'an is a nature reserve that dates to the Mayan civilization with unspoiled natural surroundings, wildlife viewing, and stunning landscapes. Here you can hear and possibly see howler monkeys swinging through the trees and possibly get the chance to see many endangered species of animals. It's among the largest protected areas on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. Most intriguing of all, you can float down a canal that was hand-dug by the Mayans without any of the technology we use today, but which is still there.

This locale offers an escape from nightclubs and resorts to see the natural beauty of the Yucatan. It's a 2-hour day trip south of central Riviera Maya.

Cenote Siete Bocas is a natural pool created by a sinkhole underground, which offers 7 different entrances offering natural light from above. You can access the cenote by taking a ladder down into the cavern or performing a cliff dive. The waters are a stunning dark blue with astounding rock formations all around. Facilities here include restrooms onsite as well as parking and life jackets. Bring your own snacks because this isn't a place where you'll find restaurants or shops. Avoid sunblock in the cenote because the ecology here is very delicate, and the lotion can harm it.

The cenote is a destination for diving, snorkeling, swimming, and social media photographs. It's about an hour north of central Riviera Maya.

Laguna Chunyaxché is a hidden paradise to the south of Quintana Roo, offering unspoiled natural beauty and crystal clear waters backed by ancient Mayan ruins. You can explore a local community, go swimming, diving, or kayaking in the waters, and learn all about Mayan culture in a tranquil and peaceful surrounding that's full of history and legacy. You can see an underground cenote with stalactites and stalagmites and rare flowers and animals. Onsite amenities include restrooms, a parking lot, and a restaurant to grab a bite to eat.

Please respect the history of this area and don't leave trash behind. Bring cash, as some local expenses don't accept plastic. It's about an hour south of Riviera Maya.

Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park offers the chance to go snorkeling and diving along the second largest reef in the world with vast biodiversity of flora and fauna. This reef is known as the Great Western Atlantic reef and the Great Mayan Reef. Here you can see hawksbill, loggerhead, white and green turtles, hedgehogs, starfish, toadfish, and other land and sea creatures. If you're lucky, you might, during December through March, encounter a giant manta ray, which is a magnificent sight you'll never forget.

This is a place for hiking, exploration, outdoor adventure, and underwater adventures galore. Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park is on an island just over 2 hours from Riviera Maya.

Coba Ruins are an ancient Mayan site offering a chance to see a vast, ancient step pyramid in the heart of the Yucatan jungle that's largely devoid of crowds. Because it's less well-known than some of the other Mayan ruins in the area, it's less touristy, and you can even climb on some of the structures to get an entirely different perspective on the area. It's perhaps best known for the vast network of stone causeways known as sacbeob, or white roads. You can explore 16 of these roads connecting clusters of houses to the pyramid and local small lakes.

Entering the ruins carries a nominal fee. They can be found about 1.5 hours inland from central Riviera Maya.

Puerto Morelos is an authentic and traditional fishing village offering a bohemian and relaxed atmosphere that lets you connect to a simpler way of life with tons of natural attractions. Here you can explore thick mangrove forests, swim in natural cenotes, and lose yourself in lush, verdant jungle surroundings. The town also has a scenic beach with white sand and clear, turquoise waters with gentle waves due to the proximity of a picturesque reef just offshore. Not far away, exclusive resorts offer full pampering treatments.

Puerto Morelos is a full-featured adventure paradise along the Caribbean shores. It's just an easy 43-minute drive north of central Riviera Maya.

Cenote Manatee, also called Casa Cenote, is in Tankah Bay and offers a chance to swim or snorkel in crystal clear water surrounded by mangrove trees. Here you can see saltwater and freshwater fish, go kayaking and paddleboarding, snorkeling, diving, and swimming, or head just across the road to grab a bite to eat at a delicious restaurant. The shoreline for the Caribbean Sea with endless white-sand beaches is just minutes away. The Cenote is named for the fact that manatees used to live here. The manatees may be gone, but the pure tropical paradise remains.

Cenote Manatee is a tropical escape in the heart of paradise. It's just an hour and 15 minutes north of central Riviera Maya.