Next Stop: Paradise

January/February
Riviera Maya
Average temperatures:
January: 67–81 degrees
February: 68–82 degrees

We’ve all heard the news flash: Thanks to posh resorts and a souped-up international airport, Cancún is no longer just for spring breakers. The real news, though, lies 35 miles south, around the Riviera Maya town of Playa del Carmen. The area has all the natural beauty of Cancún—minus the college kids and strip-mall hotels. It’s rich in history, culture, and, most importantly, secluded beaches. Those looking to loll around in the sun can do so while sipping margaritas. Adventure-seekers can snorkel in underground freshwater cenotes (limestone caves) or climb the ruins of Chichen Itza, Tulum, or Cobá. More motivated honeymooners can book eco-tours to zipline through the jungle. The late winter months bring humidity-free warm temperatures, so while your wedding guests are deciding how to shovel out their cars, your burning dilemma will be: Lie on the beach or sit by the pool?

Sweet suites: There’s exclusive, and then there’s hidden-entrance exclusive. Guests get what they pay (a lot) for at the 64-room Maroma Resort and Spa, where every conceivable luxury—think plunge pool, fitness alcove, and spa area—comes inside each oceanfront Sian Nah suite. At night, hundreds of flickering candles line landscaped walkways that weave throughout the property’s three pools, private beach, and restaurants (866-454-9351, maromahotel.com).

Brand new and spa-centric, the 128-room Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya is centered around a turquoise cenote. Nesting turtles burrow near its private white-sand beach, while honeymooners get rubbed down in the spa’s VIP couples’ suite or stretch their limbs in private yoga classes. Those who spring for the Villa Presidencial get their own butler and chef (866-526-6567, mandarinoriental.com).

One memorable meal: Rustic taco stands and “Mexican” eateries line Playa del Carmen’s crowded Quinta Avenida, but much of the authentic Mayan food—cactus, poblano mole—comes from the area hotels, surprisingly. At Maroma, special occasions can be celebrated right on the beach, where lovers sit at private tables-for-two attended to by personal waiters (866-454-9351, maromahotel.com).

Compatibility Test
Best for: Hotel snobs, beach bums, spa fanatics, water lovers, romantics, naturalists, millionaires.
Not for: Partiers, gourmands, those looking to mingle or make friends, anyone on any sort of budget.

-Sascha de Gersdorff

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