Puerto Aventuras

Puerto Aventuras is a coastal resort area in Quintana Roo on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. It began life in the late 1990s as developers built luxury beach resorts and golf courses in an area 20 km south of Playa del Carmen. As the resorts were built on the oceanfront property on one side of Highway 307, a local community to support the resorts and tourism industry evolved on the inland side of the highway.

Miles of powdery white sand beaches meet the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Caribbean sea along the entire Puerto Aventura coast. Resorts offer a range of recreational activities includig: golf, swimming, tennis, deep sea fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Tours are available to Mayan sites in the region, natural attractions like cenotes, and nearby beach cities like Playa del Carmen and Cancun.

Understand
Puerto Aventuras is the Caribbean version of suburban over-development gone wild. It is a newly built community that's already showing signs of decay and poor breeding.

Get in
Puerto Aventuras is in the Coata Maya part of Quintana Roo--the stretch of coast between Playa del Carmen and Chetumal. The easiest way to get there is by car. From Cancun or Playa del Carmen, drive south on MEX 307 and you'll eventually drive right through town. From Chetumal, drive north on MEX 307. Puerto Aventuras is 20 km south of Playa del Carmen or 42 km north of Tulum.

Get around
Buses go up and down the Quintana Roo coast every few minutes. There are designated stops for the local buses, but most buses will pick you up if you wave your hat.

See

 * Xel Ha is an eco-archaeological water park 20 km south of Puerto Aventuras

Do

 * in a land full of cenotes, this one still stands out.
 * Puerto Aventuras Golf and Racquet Club - 9-hole jungle course was the first to be developed in the Costa Maya area, the scenery's beautiful and the prices are lower than any of the newer, bigger courses. It's also open to the public, unlike some of the area's snotty resorts that only let guests at their overpriced hotels play on their overpriced courses.

Buy

 * Mexican Market - tourist trap souvenir marketplace on Hwy. 307 at Calz. Puerto Maya. Mostly mass market souvenirs, but they do a chocolate demo and have a glass blowing area where you can buy handmade glass objects.

A better selection of quality souvenirs and artesanias can be found in Playa del Carmen and Cozumel.

Eat
Most restaurants in Puerto Aventuras are in all-inclusive resorts. Their quality is often dubious and their food never reflects regional cuisine. A wider range of local restaurants with quality food and international cuisines can be found in Playa del Carmen. The following restaurants are all on the "local" side of Puerta Aventuras. None are expensive.

Go next

 * Playa del Carmen is 20 km north
 * Tulum is 40 km south