Playa del Carmen

A pedestrian street one block back from the beach, stretching several kilometres north from near the ferry pier. Souvenir shops and touts crowd the south end; further north, neighbourhood restaurants mix in. Busy until late, it is the town's evening stroll.

A beach plaza right by the ferry pier where the big bronze Portal Maya, shaped as two entwined figures, stands. From a pole in the square the voladores spin down upside down on ropes in their ritual. A hat goes round for money once they land.

A beach at the northern limit of Playa where cenote water wells up behind the sand and runs to the sea through a shallow pool. With few hotels, local families come in numbers at weekends. Fresh water mingling with the sea makes it feel cold.

The beach at the end of 28th Street, where beach clubs cluster and music plays even by day. Club loungers come with a minimum spend, while the sand in front is open to anyone. In seaweed season staff rake the sand clear each morning.

Off Cozumel, under an hour by ferry from the pier, divers drift with the current past celebrated coral walls. Entering the water inside this protected marine park needs a wristband. On some days the afternoon crossing turns rough, so pack seasickness pills.

A private theme park down the coast where you float in a life jacket through underground river channels in caves. Evenings bring a big show of regional Mexican dances and the Maya ball game. A visit fills the whole day, so be there as the gates open.

An underground river flowing through limestone caves beneath the jungle, waded at waist depth or swum behind a guide. To protect the cave, personal cameras and phones cannot be taken in. Photos are taken and sold by a photographer who comes along.

An open-topped cenote in the forest beside the highway south, clear enough that small fish swim to your feet. On one rock people wait their turn to jump in. Sunscreen is banned in the water, so rinse off at the entrance.

Modest Maya remains within the Playacar estate to the south, said to be where pilgrims once set off for Cozumel. A few stone buildings lie scattered between houses and the golf course. Tell the estate gate guards you want the ruins and walk in.

A fishing village 30 minutes north, with the reef so close to shore that a small boat reaches the snorkel spot in no time. Beside the pier the lighthouse tilted by a 1967 hurricane is still standing. It is a marine national park, so you go in with a guide.

Fast boats run all day from Playa's pier to Cozumel island, taking about 40 minutes. Two companies stagger their departures, so buy for whichever leaves first. On windy days the crossing is rough, and the open deck at the stern is easiest on queasy stomachs.

A Maya site deep in Cozumel's interior woods, once a shrine to Ixchel, goddess of fertility. Maya women are said to have paddled canoes across the sea to worship here. The buildings are small, but white roads thread pleasantly through the trees.

A reserve at Cozumel's southern tip; climb the Celarain lighthouse and the island's end lies spread below. Crocodiles and water birds live in the inner lagoon, and the reef off the beach suits snorkelling. It is a long ride from town, so rent a scooter or car.

A national park on Cozumel's west coast with a lagoon linked underground to the open sea. Statues and coral lie close to the beach, so snorkelling stays in shallow water. It is about 15 minutes by taxi from the ferry pier.

A broad open cenote in the woods near Xpu-Ha on the southern Riviera, deep and so clear that fish and the rocky bottom show plainly. Many leap in from a ledge on one side, and cave divers enter here too. Life jackets are for hire.

A beach a 20-minute drive down the coast from Playa del Carmen, where an offshore reef keeps the water calm. It is far less crowded than the town beaches, with finer sand. Several access points cross private land, so look for a public entrance.

A cave cenote on Playa's western outskirts, with shafts of sunlight dropping through roof holes into its two caverns. A guide leads you down the stairs to swim among the stalactites. So near the centre, a half-day plan covers it.