Dreamy white sandy beaches lined with palm trees, colourful and vibrant cities, ancient Mayan ruins, and mouth-watering dishes that make your taste buds dance: these were all the things we expected before our holiday on the Riviera Maya in Mexico. In my experience report after two weeks at TUI BLUE El Dorado Seaside Palms, you’ll discover whether our expectations were met, what you can experience both in the hotel and beyond, and I’ll share tips for getting there and planning the perfect Riviera Maya getaway.
Table of contents
1. Where is the Riviera Maya?
Not too far from the Caribbean Islands, you’ll find the coastal stretch of Riviera Maya in the northeast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, along the Caribbean Sea. This region, primarily known as a holiday destination, revolves around the metropolis of Cancún with its international airport, as well as the tourist hotspots of Playa del Carmen and Tulum, plus the offshore island of Cozumel.
2. Important: Before You Travel
To enter Mexico, you’ll need a passport that’s valid for at least six months after your return date; no visa is required for stays under 180 days. As always, it’s wise to check the Foreign Office’s travel and security advice, as requirements can change at any time!
From Germany, Cancún is currently accessible via direct flights from Frankfurt, with a flight time of approximately 10 hours. Given the lengthy journey, you should plan for at least a week’s holiday; I needed nearly two days to recover from the jet lag caused by the six-hour time difference between Cancún and Germany…
There are no mandatory vaccinations for the Riviera Maya, but a travel health consultation with your GP certainly won’t hurt. Absolutely essential – as with virtually any holiday – is travel health insurance.
3. TUI BLUE El Dorado Seaside Palms
3.1 About the Hotel
Nestled between Playa del Carmen and Puerto Aventuras, the 5-star TUI BLUE El Dorado Seaside Palms sits right on a pristine white beach, perfectly positioned for exploring the region’s many attractions. After an 80-minute drive from Cancún International Airport, we arrived at the hotel and were immediately handed a refreshing drink whilst checking in at the lobby – coffee and small snacks are also available.
The hotel complex appears vast at first glance – yet it’s anything but uncomfortable or confusing, as all areas for the various room categories, restaurants and facilities are scattered throughout beautifully landscaped exotic gardens that invite daily strolls. For those with mobility challenges, there’s always a large fleet of golf carts available, making it easy to get from A to B. And these rides come with wonderfully warm staff who always have a cheerful quip ready – the friendliness of the team is an absolute highlight.
We stayed in a stylish Junior Premium Suite with a sea-facing balcony, but if you fancy treating yourself, you can also book swim-up rooms (with direct access to the swim-up bar for your next cocktail) or even suites with private hot tubs. However, we preferred spending time at one of the numerous pools or, naturally, right by the sea; there’s an abundance of sun loungers and daybeds, so we never had trouble finding a free spot, even in the afternoon. The hotel offers all-inclusive indulgence at its finest, and the total of eleven restaurants and eleven bars are truly impressive – more on that later!
Throughout the entire resort, you can feel the influence of Mexican culture; for instance, behind the BLUE® Spa, there’s a little walk that feels as though you’ve suddenly landed deep in the jungle – with tropical plants, small altars and stone figures, and numerous signs explaining and illustrating ancient legends. Elsewhere in the hotel, you’ll find a small shrine for the Aluxes, little protective spirits, where offerings such as food, money, or even cigarettes are placed in their little house as thanks for protecting the hotel grounds and warding off misfortune.
If you’re afraid of reptiles, however, you should exercise caution: many iguanas live on the property in all colours, shapes and sizes, and they also like to pop by the pool to sunbathe just like us. Once darkness falls, fluffy visitors also appear: coatis, raccoons and cats wander the pathways without any fear of humans.
3.2 What Can I Do and Experience at the Hotel?
When you’re holidaying on the Riviera Maya, you absolutely should explore the area – but you’ll never be bored at TUI BLUE El Dorado Seaside Palms either, as there’s quite a programme on offer! One of our highlights was the Walk on the Beach with BLUE® Guide Luis, where we learnt about the hotel’s history, its sustainability initiatives (such as protecting nesting sea turtles), and the region’s flora and fauna. We didn’t participate in the coconut painting ourselves, but we admired the results on the beach – where these colourful creations end up, helping to nurture new palm trees.
The hotel has several pools catering to different needs: there’s a relaxation pool for those seeking peace, but also an activity pool where various activities take place every afternoon – such as bingo, a film quiz, aqua fit and more. The infinity pool regularly hosts foam parties and karaoke, and the music here is turned up a notch from the start (only during daytime, of course!) – so everyone can find their ideal holiday spot.
Entertainment is also guaranteed in the evenings: almost every night you can enjoy live music from incredibly talented singers, hone your vocal skills at karaoke, or try your luck at music bingo. We also witnessed several utterly spectacular fire shows and acrobatics in the evenings.
Mexican culture weaves through the activities too: whether you’re learning to make guacamole or delicious cocktails, picking up the basics of Spanish, trying your hand at Mayan incense sticks, or even participating in a traditional Mayan ritual – the possibilities are endless.
If you’ve forgotten your reading material at home or finished it too quickly, do pop into the BLUE Guide® office right next to the lobby, which is open 24/7: there’s a book exchange shelf with a wonderful selection of literature in many different languages; you’ll also find magazines there. In the spirit of sustainability, guests often leave behind other useful items they no longer need at home but which can still be used, such as insect repellent, sunscreen, or even inflatable swim rings. A brilliant idea!
3.3 Dining: All-Inclusive Indulgence
With all-inclusive indulgence, you can choose from a total of eleven different restaurants and try something new every day!
You might enjoy breakfast at Arrecifes – The Restaurant with its sea views on the beachfront terrace. Here – alongside the Seaside Market – you’ll find an extensive international buffet selection. The Culinarium offers a fantastic à la carte breakfast, where I’d especially recommend the French toast and pancakes. Add a mimosa and your day can only be wonderful! In the evenings, you can also choose from an exquisite menu at Culinarium and enjoy dishes like duck breast – we really were happy regulars here.
For lunch and afternoon dining, there’s also plenty of choice: at Driftwood Restaurant, you can choose between seafood dishes (such as ceviche and prawn cocktails), as well as burgers and salads. The Sandwicherie near the activity pool offers self-service pizza, freshly grilled burgers and more, which you can customise to your taste; for dessert, there’s a small stand with ice cream and crêpes right next door. Our absolute afternoon favourite, though, was Barbeque Frontera, almost a hidden gem at the outer edge of the hotel grounds and therefore much quieter – here you can grab a daybed and feast on freshly grilled steaks, Mexican sausages, ribs and nachos with guacamole. Another highlight is the vegan restaurant Kaab right on the beach, which offers a small but superb menu of creative plant-based dishes – and a fabulous drinks selection!
At the buffet restaurant Seaside Market, there are changing theme nights focusing on Caribbean cuisine, Oriental buffet, or Italian evening; we were there for Thanksgiving, and accordingly, were treated to delicious grilled turkey with all the traditional accompaniments. On Tuesdays and Fridays, the buffet (and several other restaurants) is closed due to outdoor theme evenings, with little street food trucks right in front of the lobby and impressive fire and acrobatics shows.
Cosy and rustic is The Gourmet Pub with dishes like ribs, fish & chips and other classics; thanks to the open kitchen, you can watch your food being prepared. Mexican specialities are served at La Carreta – unfortunately, this restaurant was closed for renovation during our stay, so we’ll just have to come back… ?
You only need to book a table in advance at two restaurants: the Italian speciality restaurant Mia Casa and the Asian à la carte restaurant Klay Talay – the latter for an additional charge of $25, which in our opinion is completely justified for the fantastic food. There’s also the option to book a romantic dinner on the beach (and you can actually get married at TUI BLUE El Dorado Seaside Palms too!).
The eleven bars – some of which are swim-up bars right in the pool – offer a huge array of drinks, including alcohol-free options. The bartenders also accommodate special requests or let their creativity flow freely. Personally, I rediscovered my love for strawberry daiquiris and can only recommend them to everyone! At the Mezcalito Bar, the focus is on traditional Mexican spirits, and naturally, tequila tastings also take place regularly.
And if you’ve had a few too many drinks in the evening, you can have room service deliver all sorts of treats around the clock – from breakfast dishes like scrambled eggs with chorizo, to burgers, burritos and quesadillas.
3.4 BLUEf!t and BLUE® Spa
To avoid gaining too many pounds from all that all-inclusive indulgence, you can burn it off straight after your feast with the BLUEf!t programme: we participated in aqua fit several times and visited the small gym, which is adequately equipped (and air-conditioned!) for basic training with dumbbells, barbells, a cable tower and various machines. You can also get active with various classes like HIIT, Pilates or yoga overlooking the sea – or take part in mini tournaments of table tennis or beach volleyball. Once a week, there’s also a morning 5km run around the hotel grounds that both staff and guests can join.
Wellness and relaxation are naturally the perfect finale: at the BLUE® Spa right by the sea, you can treat yourself to a soothing treatment or massage to the gentle sound of lapping waves.
4. Excursions and Attractions: What Can I Experience on the Riviera Maya?
Whilst we took part in many activities (including cultural ones) at the hotel, we also discovered plenty beyond the resort – and there are various ways to do this. For one, you can consult with the BLUE® Guides and book a guided coach tour in a small or larger group. But exploring independently is also possible – for example, with a hire car (which can be delivered directly to the hotel and collected again).
If you’d rather not be behind the wheel given the somewhat unconventional driving style, you can take a taxi or – much cheaper – a so-called colectivo. Colectivos are a type of shared taxi, usually white minivans, which run daily in large numbers along the Riviera Maya and very cheaply take you from A to B, stopping virtually anywhere along the road for pick-ups and drop-offs.
We tried a mixture of all the above options to explore the Riviera Maya!
4.1 Mayan Temples and Ancient Sites: Cobá and Tulum
In the region, the Mayan ruins at Tulum, perched right on the Caribbean Sea, are the most famous and largest – accordingly, they’re also very crowded with tourists during the day. They’re definitely worth a visit, but I’d recommend arriving as early as possible (between 8 and 9 am) so you can wander through the site undisturbed and take everything in peacefully. If you’re interested in the background of the temple, you can book a guide who’ll tell you more about the history of this Mayan site, which was an important trading centre for the Maya due to its prime seaside location.
Important tip, if you’re not already on a guided tour: on your way to the entrance, people will try several times to sell you tickets – the genuine tickets are only available directly at the entrance, including transport between the various stations, as the walking distances are otherwise very long. With this ticket, you can also head down to the beach after your visit and then take a leisurely ride back to the entrance.
Not quite as famous as Tulum, but equally impressive and absolutely worth a visit, is the ancient city of Cobá, deep in the Yucatán jungle. The tallest temple pyramid at the site is 42 metres high and ranks among the highest Mayan temples, with steep steps that visitors are (no longer) allowed to climb. On a guided tour, we learnt all about the original life of the Maya and their constructions – including, for instance, an ancient ball game (recognisable by the large stone rings attached to the buildings) and impressive stelae with deities and warriors carved in stone.
The site is enormous, and because it’s not (yet) as well-known as other temple complexes, you can explore much more peacefully here without the crowds. If you don’t fancy walking the nearly 2km back to the entrance after your stroll to the pyramid, you can get a “Maya taxi” to cycle you back for a small fee. We – typically German ? – naturally took the footpath and managed to spot some monkeys in the jungle.
4.2 Swimming in a Cenote and Shaman Rituals
Our guided tour took us not only to the ruins of Cobá but also to a cenote where we could bathe. Cenotes are natural freshwater caves that exist in this form only in Mexico and have become visible through the collapse of cave ceilings, creating pools where you can swim. Because the openings are sometimes very small with limited daylight penetrating, they have an incredibly mystical atmosphere. There are hundreds of small and larger cenotes along the Riviera Maya, all interconnected through an underwater system.
Our cenote had a very small opening and steep stairs; there was so little sunlight that an additional lamp had to provide illumination. The water was rather cool, but swimming in the cave was a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
In another cenote, hidden deep in the jungle, we were also privileged to participate in a ritual Mayan ceremony designed to free us from the stress of everyday life. Cenotes are still considered by the Maya today as gateways to the underworld, where offerings are left and which are filled with sacred water. The mystical atmosphere deep within the cenote and the shaman’s peaceful prayers certainly left us with an uplifted, deeply relaxed feeling. ?
4.3 Akumal: Street Art, Beach and Snorkelling with Turtles
Akumal, about 15 minutes’ drive from TUI BLUE El Dorado Seaside Palms, is mainly known for its beautiful beach in a small bay and the opportunity to snorkel alongside sea turtles. However, you need to register on-site and enter the sea as part of a guided tour – as turtles are endangered, they’re under strict species protection and there are rules for diving and observing. Even aside from the turtles, there’s plenty to discover underwater there, such as colourful reefs and parrotfish.
If you don’t want to go into the sea but just relax on the beach, you can absolutely do that too: the lagoon – originally a natural Mayan harbour – offers dreamy white beaches, sun loungers and restaurants for drinks and snacks.
We found the other side of Akumal far more fascinating, though, where the locals live and where tourists rarely venture. Because there, a multitude of walls are lined with enormous, stunning murals, with colourful street art in all shapes and forms. A stroll through the area is absolutely worthwhile, as there’s something new to discover in every street!
4.4 Shopping in Playa del Carmen and Cancún
Playa del Carmen, reachable in about 25 minutes by car from the hotel, blends typically Mexican flair with a hint of international big-city vibes. The town’s main shopping strip, Quinta Avenida, is also called 5th Avenue, and there you’ll find practically everything – sensory overload included! Shopping malls with American brand stores alternate with little shops selling traditional handicrafts, and the numerous restaurants are just as enticing as small street food carts with local delicacies.
5th Avenue flows into Parque los Fundadores, right on the beach, with the town’s landmark and most photographed sight: the Portal Maya. Performances by costumed artists often take place in the square, and you can have your photo taken with them. We saw lots of advertising for but didn’t personally visit the 3D Museum of Wonders for all kinds of optical illusions.
If you haven’t shopped enough in Playa del Carmen, you can continue in Cancún. Especially popular with tourists is the Zona Hotelera, the hotel zone, a 23-kilometre stretch of sandy beach lined with hotels, shopping districts and party venues. There’s always action on the beautiful, endless beach, and if you want to be photographed in front of the iconic Cancún sign with a sea view, you’ll need to queue with influencers.
Amidst all the noise, there are also quiet corners in the hotel zone: we visited the archaeological zone El Rey, a small Mayan ruin with a temple that’s relatively unknown. Whilst the stone structures aren’t as grand as those at other famous Mayan ruins, it was still a brilliant experience wandering through the site. If you’re afraid of iguanas, though, you should avoid it – we saw more here than anywhere else…
Other Attractions
Sadly, time was too short to explore all the sights – there’s still plenty to discover, such as:
- Rio Secreto: The “secret river”, not far from TUI BLUE El Dorado Seaside Palms, is an underground cave labyrinth of waterways where you can even swim
- Chichén Itzá: One of the most famous and important Mayan ruin sites, counted among the 7 Wonders of the World
- Isla Mujeres: A paradisiacal island right off Cancún with dreamy beaches, ideal for snorkelling and relaxing
- Valladolid: A beautifully colourful town where you can discover art and culture
5. Verdict: Dream Holiday on the Riviera Maya
After two weeks, a wonderful holiday came to an end, one we’ll remember fondly for a long time. From the stunning resort and enchanting beach, to the warm hospitality of the local people, the delicious food, and the exciting excursions to the Mayan ruins, we collected unforgettable memories and find ourselves longing (especially during cold winter temperatures) to return to the sunny Riviera Maya. A clear holiday recommendation!
6. Questions and Answers about the Riviera Maya
Climate and Best Time to Visit the Riviera Maya
The climate on the Riviera Maya is consistently tropical and warm; from November to April/May it’s the dry season and therefore the ideal time to visit, with pleasant temperatures of 25-30°C. From June to October, there’s not only a risk of more rain and humidity, but also hurricanes.
Where is the Loveliest Spot on the Riviera Maya?
That depends on whether you prefer peace and quiet or hustle and bustle. ? In Cancún there’s a hotel strip along a gorgeous sandy beach – perfect for water sports enthusiasts. Shopping and party lovers favour the vibrant Playa del Carmen, whilst Tulum is more laid-back. TUI BLUE El Dorado Seaside Palms is located in a very peaceful spot between Tulum and Playa del Carmen – so you can combine everything there.
How Much Time on the Riviera Maya?
For us, two weeks was pretty much perfect (though a bonus day might have helped with the jet lag…). We had sufficient time for excursions in the area, could try out many different activities at the hotel, and relax wonderfully.
What Sort of Catering on the Riviera Maya?
TUI BLUE El Dorado Seaside Palms is an all-inclusive hotel, so you needn’t worry about food and will never go hungry. On excursions, though, you absolutely must try local Mexican dishes, such as tortillas with all sorts of different fillings and, of course, guacamole!
Who is the Riviera Maya Suitable For?
For anyone wanting to escape to a warm destination with dreamy, palm-fringed beaches during the cold winter months – for water sports lovers – for culture enthusiasts who want to explore Mayan ruins and experience jungle adventures – for party-goers. In short: practically everyone. ? TUI BLUE El Dorado Seaside Palms itself is especially suitable for couples seeking a romantic getaway or even wanting to get married in an exotic destination.
What Should You Definitely Pack?
Sun protection: Definitely a large bottle of sunscreen, head coverings like a sun hat, light and long clothing – the sun can be quite merciless at times
Insect repellent: Useful for jungle excursions but also for long evenings at the hotel
Footwear: Sturdy shoes for exploring ruins, water shoes to protect against little stones in shallow water
Tips: The staff appreciate small tips for chauffeuring you around the grounds or when you’re particularly pleased with the service (both US dollars and Mexican pesos are fine) – it’s not obligatory, of course