The Riviera Maya is a stretch of Caribbean coastline on Mexico’s northeastern Yucatán Peninsula.TheRiviera Mayais atourismandresortdistrict inMexico. It straddles the coastalHighway 307along the Caribbean coastline of the state of Quintana Roo, located on the eastern portion of theYucatán Peninsula. Historically started at the city ofPlaya del Carmen andended at the village ofTulum, the Riviera Maya was originally called the "Cancun–Tulum corridor", but in 1999 it was renamed as the Riviera Maya with the aid ofLic.
The Riviera Maya is famous for its large scaleall-inclusive resortsand a historical tourism base of smaller boutique hotels as well as the many fine-dining restaurants available along the highway 307 and on or near the beaches. Luxury travel entities have been instrumental in increasing luxury villa rentals and yacht charters in the area however these only represent a small fraction of the total tourism accommodation available.
A major attraction throughout the Riviera Maya are coastal and reef aquatic activities dependent on the coastal water and theMesoamerican Barrier Reef System(also known as theBelize Barrier Reef) which begins near Cancun and continues along the whole length of the Riviera Maya continuing southward to Guatemala. This barrier reef system is the second longest in the world.Activities at the most visited locations includejet-skiing,snorkeling,scuba diving, swimming in cenotes, swimming with dolphins,zip-lining,horseriding, sailing, and guided jungle tours.