Mexico's Riviera 🌮
About Riviera Maya…
1. The Yucutan Peninsula is also known as the Mayan Riviera (Riviera Maya in Mexican) and this is because of its famous stunning beaches with crystal clear waters and is Mexico’s main attraction point for tourists.
2. The Mexican currency is Mexican Pesos. Most places along the Yucutan peninsula will accept card or cash and atms are very accessible. Bare in mind tipping is part of the lifestyle here, particularly in the very touristic areas so perhaps carry cash on you to avoid offending the locals!
3. The Yucutan Peninsula is safe! It’s as safe as any other major tourist area / city in the world is. You just need to have your wits about you along with some common sense and you will be fine. I found staying in hostels very safe and I met a good group of people who I felt safe around.
There was one incident where my friends had belongings stolen from a locked car and to prevent this from happening, I would take minimal belongings with you but always carry them on you and if you are swimming, use some lockers provided (despite the small fee) or stay close by.
4. There are about 7,000 of the famous “Cenotes” scattered around the Yucutan Peninsula. The word “Cenote” comes from the Mayan word “d’zonot” which means “sinkhole”. Each cenote is connected to form the world’s largest underground river network!
There are many interesting beliefs as to how they formed such as forming due to the limestone they are made from collapsing due to excessive rain, or forming from the meteorite Chicxulub Impactor (the same one that killed the dinosaurs) that hit the Yucutan Peninsula 66 million years ago, or the Mayan belief is that they were the entrances to the Mayan underworld!
