Maya Riviera

The Riviera Maya is a stretch of Caribbean coastline on Mexico’s northeastern Yucatán Peninsula. It's known for its numerous all-inclusive resorts, such as those in the town of Playa del Carmen, and its long beaches. To the south, Tulum is home to yoga retreats and the preserved ruins of an ancient Mayan port city, perched on an outcrop above a white-sand beach.

Yucatán Peninsula

The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea, encompassing 3 Mexican states, plus portions of Belize and Guatemala. On the Caribbean Sea, Mexico's Riviera Maya resort strip is bookended by 2 popular destinations: Cancún, with its high-rise hotels and nightlife, and, down the coast, quieter Tulum, a rare seaside example of the Mayan ruins found throughout the peninsula's interior. separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea, encompassing 3 Mexican states, plus portions of Belize and Guatemala. On the Caribbean, Mexico's Riviera Maya resort strip is bookended by 2 popular destinations: Cancún, with its high-rise hotels and nightlife, and, down the coast, quieter Tulum, a rare seaside example of the Mayan ruins found throughout the peninsula's interior.

Yucatán, the Mexican state, is known for its Gulf of Mexico beaches and Mayan ruins. Famed Chichén Itzá encompasses a massive pyramid, ball court and stone temples. Other Mayan sites include Ek Balam, noted for well preserved sculptures, and Uxmal, with its intricate carved facades. Yucatán’s capital and largest city, Mérida, has a Spanish colonial history reflected in buildings such as 16th-century Mérida Cathedral.

Open Water Swimming

The 32 km stretch of sea between Cozumel and the Maya Riviera in the Gulf of Mexico is known as the Mexican English Channel where crossings (solo swims, tandem swims and relays) are organized and coordinated by International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Honor Swimmer Nora Toledano and the Mexican Open Water Association.

External links

• James Crabb Sets Mayan Channel Swim Record
• Bojan Marić To Attempt a Mayan Channel Swim First, 54 km El Cruce Doble
• The New Mayan Channel Swim, A Crossing of the Cozumel Channel
• Nora Toledano Honored As 2025 Poseidon Award Winner
• Prieto Family To Attempt The Mexican English Channel
• The First Family Of The Cozumel Channel
• Asociación Mexicana de Aguas Abiertas
• Asociación Mexicana de Aguas Abiertas
• Open Water Swimming