Playacar Holidays

Playacar is the jewel of Mexico’s Mayan Riviera. Just south of Playa del Carmen on the Yucatan peninsula, it’s an exclusive gated community of luxurious hotels and trendy condo complexes. The place comes with its very own 18-hole championship golf course. Plus you’ve got cotton-white beaches, top dive spots and a stylish shopping mall right on your doorstep.

This stretch of the Mexican coastline boasts some of the best beaches in the Caribbean – a skirt of hourglass-fine white sand runs alongside the turquoise blue sea, and lines of coconut palms provide some shady spots. And at most hotels, you can enjoy the view from your own private strip. There’s a nice breeze here, which is cooling for sunbathers and treats windsurfers to some helpfully choppy waves.

The glass-clear waters and abundant marine life here are a magnet for divers and snorkellers, and all the hotels offer tuition and kit hire. There are reefs just off-shore for beginners, and underwater caverns and wrecks for the more experienced. Plus, nearby Cozumel Island has the world’s second-largest coral reef, where you can hear sea turtles singing to ward off predators.

Mayan sites come thick and fast round these parts. Just 45 minutes away is the Mayan walled city of Tulum with its castillo and Temple of the Frescoes. Then, a little further on, you'll find the impressive pyramid and statues of Chichen Itza. Over at Xcaret Theme Park, meanwhile, there’s chance to explore Mexican history through reconstructions of Mayan arts and culture.