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Every one of the Riviera’s beaches has the same wonderful fine white sand, which stays deliciously cool to the touch, but Cancún’s is unquestionably the finest, stretching the whole 23 km (14 miles) of Cancún Island. Along it, in the Hotel Zone, are resort hotels, shopping and entertainment centers, snorkeling and fun parks, plus the Mayan ruins of El Rey (see Cancún).

Señor Frog, Cancún

On the mainland at the north end of Cancún Island, Ciudad Cancún, also known as “Downtown,” was created at the same time as the Hotel Zone in the 1970s. It’s developed an atmosphere of its own, though, and the main drag of Avenida Tulum and the nearby squares and avenues are enjoyable places to explore, with plenty of shopping and great restaurants offering traditional Mexican cooking at low prices (see Cancún).

Although it’s only a short ferry ride away from Cancún, this 8-km (5-mile) long island, the first place where Spaniards landed in Mexico in 1517, has a very different atmosphere, with few big hotels, one small town, a good choice of cheap places to stay, and a very easy-going, unhurried beach-village feel. Isla is also a great diving, snorkeling, and fishing center, with an exciting range of reefs offshore.

The Riviera’s most vibrant street life, by day and night, and its hippest crowds can be found in its fastest-growing resort town. Playa’s long-established cool bars and backpackers’ haunts now mix with modern hotels ranging from big resorts to cosy guest houses. As well as having wonderful beaches, it’s great for diving and snorkeling.

Playa’s main town beach is the place to go to survey other sun worshippers, and to showcase your skills at beach volleyball and other seaside pursuits.