Fairmont Mayakoba

The longest-established hotel in the ultra-luxurious, gated Mayakoba beach complex a few kilometres north of Playa del Carmen, the Fairmont is super-sized, beachside and offers back-to-nature stays with full urban comfort.

Stays are all about secluded setting and upmarket amenities. Rooms and villas are dotted around 45 acres of jungle, lagoon and beach.

Villas come in all shapes and one size – huge; from the super-luxurious (with butlers and a rooftop pool) to jungle villas nestled in the trees. All are well-appointed, decorated in modern creams, offset with blocks of warm Mexican colour and have en-suites with vast mirrors and his-and-hers granite basins.

There’s a PGA Greg Norman-designed 18-hole golf course, kayak lagoons, a plush spa and a suite of restaurants. It’s nearly two kilometres from the main reception building to the shore, but complimentary golf carts whisk guests everywhere in a wink.

Should you wish to leave, Playa del Carmen’s bars are a ten-minute cab ride.

With golf courses, lagoons, miles of beach, spas, suites of restaurants and a purpose-built tourist village, Mayakoba aims to give guests at the Fairmont and its four neighbouring luxury resorts, no reason to leave.

But with Playa del Carmen within cycling distance along the sand, it’s easy to dip into the town’s nightlife or restaurant scene should you choose, or book a cheaper but identical reef, ruins or jungle tour to those sold at the hotel, with one of the local tour operators.

Playa del Carmen itself, with pristine beaches to the north and south and a lively urban centre, offers the intimate back-to-nature feel of Tulum and Puerto Morelos and Cancun’s urban amenities and nightlife – albeit on a smaller scale. The town is close to Cozumel island (for reef dives) and the big Xcaret and Xel-Ha adventure parks.

Fairmont Mayakoba

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Destination guides

Mayan Riviera