Paradise Found ...in Mexico's Maya Riviera

Plunge into an underwater paradise, get close to nature, unveil an amazing culture, enjoy this fabulous land, and live a worldy unique Mexican celebration.

Many travelers have been to the “mini-Miami Beaches” of Acapulco and Cancun, but there is a new world of travel delight now in full swing along the “Maya Riviera,” the hundred mile stretch of gorgeous beaches south of old Cancun. Also in the
Mexican State with the marvelous name of Quintana Roo, this new stretch reaches from the international airport down to the ancient but impressive Mayan pyramidal ruins of Tulum, one of the very few cities the Maya ever built.
 

Getting there is a snap. It’s an 80 minute flight from Ft. Lauderdale via Spirit Airlines and the same from Miami. The Cancun
Airport is a glorious, cool modern terminal with acres of shops and restaurants. Lomas Travel whisked us away in a stretch limo with music playing and champagne chilling. So we knew we were in for a special holiday. After an hour we arrived at our first of two luxurious accommodations, El Dorado Seaside Suites, by Karisma.
 

Rather than mimicking the older resorts, the several dozen new hotel and pleasure palaces have built low rise buildings a
five minute drive off the highway right down to the beach with sparkling blue-green water. The term “low key” applies to the experiences we felt, more attune to unpretentious weddings, quiet honeymoons, restful anniversaries and testing grounds for future families.

Our five-day trip allowed us to be swallowed up in the courtesy and graciousness of two fine hotel complexes, the 280 unit El Dorado Seaside Suites and the El Dorado Maroma, with 72 suites, both owned and operated by the same company,
Karisma. The latter boutique hotel provided us with an Infinity Pool Jacuzzi Suite, a dramatic love-nest if ever there were one.
 

The Houston Chronicle wrote about this vacation paradise: “Enjoy a sushi dinner while soaking in a hot tub for two. Splurge for a Swim-Up Suite and sunbathe privately in a hammock, then arrange a couples massage and a champagne sleepover in a four-poster bed on the beach.”
 

In addition to the height of luxury at these all-inclusive spots, the outstanding remembrances were the always smiling, helpful staff from the General Manager to the on-their-knees grass trimmers. The word, HOLA! was the constant greeting.
 

You can tell so much about a resort when you actually speak to their executives. That was certainly true at the El Dorado Seaside Suites, where we spent some time with Nanda vanZwam, a beautiful woman from Holland who is Sales Manager for the El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels. She was very enthused about how their resorts are perfect for weddings and honeymoons and explained all of their amenities. From the Dominican Republic, Paul, the General Manager for Seaside
Suites, shared his love for his position in the company and his personality attests to his admiration for everything around him. He should go into politics, but he feels at home here at the resort and spends t ime making sure his staff and the
guests are treated like royalty. And we cannot forget Moreno, Chief Concierge at the Seaside Suites for his personal
service to make each moment there a special surprise. Never have we received such handson care and attention to every detail.

The “All-inclusive” really meant “everything,” with the best of all services, food, alcohol, towels at the beach, entertainment, a la first class! There were several restaurants, Italian, Mexican, Asian, International, where the gourmet food was presented
as though it was part of an artist’s palette, and each dining experience was enhanced by the floral arrangements, the furnishings, wall and lighting treatment. Everywhere you turned there was another open bar, swings for two, with lots of laughter from the guests and attendants. And 24-hour room service was always available!

A perfect example of what the resort thought was important to their guests was our hot, bubbly bath with hibiscus petals floating in the tub greeting us after dinner. That set us up for quite a romantic first evening. Another night, we returned
to our room and many fragrant candles had been lighted and hibiscus petals were carefully placed trailing to and on our bed. The other amenities were turn-down and concierge treatment, complete butler service, flowing champagne, unlimited wines and liquors, in-room safety deposit box, kayaks, snorkel gear and daily and evening entertainment. During the day, you can learn Spanish, painting and join in the other planned activities. This is not Las Vegas or Atlantic City, thank goodness, it’s quiet luxury for people who like each other! and need to relax, read, rejuvenate. (No small children allowed!)

Spotless is an adjective that applies to every square inch of these resorts. The gardeners can hear a flower drop. On your patio or on the beach or in the mild surf, floating bed platforms await an intimate conversation, a good book or a snooze.
At night you can have dinner served on the outside beds with candles on the beach with the glow of moonlight. For those who prefer to sun or nap or cruise up to the bar sans clothes, next door to the El Dorado Seaside Suites is Hidden Beach
Resort, an Au Naturel Club, with its luxurious accommodations, spa and private beach. No extra charge for a tan all over or what you might like to see among the b i k i n i - l e s s guests. And you c a n u s e t h e swim-up bar and a disco for decadently enjoyable dancing in the nude. The guests can also use the dining and other amenities at the “mother” resort  with their clothes on).

One could spend weeks at their special spas and never have the same treatment. Their enormous array of services are quite impressive. How about the “Delicious Chocolate” body treatment. And there’s the “Sunrise Couple Massage” out on the beach in an elaborate Chickee listening to the lapping waves as two massage therapists deliver massages of your dreams. From body treatments, to facials, to massages, and beauty salon services, you will be pampered, spoiled and satisfied.

The developer of these two hotels and their other businesses, Jose Louis Martinez and his wife, Dolores Lopez Lira, are most ingenious. They live, breathe and share much enthusiasm for the resorts, whether when hiring staff, architects, interior designers and making sure that each and every guest is totally satisfied. One of Jose’s personal staff members told us that he especially loves his coconut palm trees, which is evident by walking in the gardens of the resorts. He continues to plant new trees as the coconuts fall off. His cleverness extends to the beaches and ocean where he is in the process of creating sand mound islands out a few hundred feet from the shore so one can wade or paddle out to a mini-private isle and luxuriate in sun and gentle surf.

El Dorado Seaside Suites Has It All!

When people vacation, food is probably the second most important expectation. So here is what we discovered at these lovely vacation spots. Vida, one of the many elegant restaurants, is glass-enclosed and surrounded by a garden, not only presented the finest cuisine, but even the descriptions made your mouth water. For breakfast to start, I loved the Papaya shavings with citrus marinade accompanied by cottage cheese and honey infused with peppermint. Then I had the Eggs Benedict on banana bread covered with béarnaise sauce and served with asparagus with ajillo. And Anita enjoyed the
Golden egg poached at low temperature with asparagus Julianne and brie cheese served in a zucchini flower sauce perfumed with truffle.

Lunches and dinners were consistently as romantically presented in script and then each morsel was displayed as a piece of artwork. The portions were small where delicate sauces roamed like a river touching each specialty making it tasty using fragrances and aromas that confused the senses. Each course, and you could have as many as you desired, was a surprising addition to the entire meal. The finest of wines were served but above all was the total, and complete service. I heard that there is a rule that if a server didn’t fill your glass of water once it was 1/4 empty, he/she would be...!

Now I just have to explain some of the desserts to really get your taste buds soaring: Mint mousse with mandarin and exotic fruits or Churro sphere with cream cheese and mango relish or Chocolate with mole and aniseed sauce or the simple Strawberries with a honey sage sauce. And you could have one of each if you so desire. Or you could make up something else you are hungry for and if they can make it for you, they will!

For those who choose to explore opportunities beyond the bedroom, the floating chaises or the always open bars, the list of water sports and other activities is long and exciting. Trail riding on friendly horses and three or four wheeled All Terrain Vehicles running through the mangrove jungle is available at the resorts. On the water, every kind of floating specie is there, quiet sailing on a two-masted sloop, a low-speed gigantic catamaran, rocketing along on a wave-runner or catching the waves made from a high-speed powerful midget motor boat.

For those who adore life beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, there is dolphin petting, scuba and snorkeling in the warm waters with reefs known for their abundance of colorful fish and coral. In fact, the reefs around the island are world
famous for the underwater visuals and edible treats. For more physical games, deep sea fishing can capture a sailfish or a tarpon.

I have always wanted to go para-sailing and so after convincing Anita, my wife, to join me, we went on this grand adventure
in the air. In the sky were many other colorful sails being led by powerboats, so we were tempted. We hired a boat which held five other couples, was driven by an experienced captain, along with a charming young man who explained the para-sailing process and took photos as souvenirs. In the old days, the customer had to run along the beach and leap into
the air as the pulling boat gained speed. Not today. This boat had a large after deck and the ready-to-go riders sit side-by-side harnessed to the multi-colored sail now buffeting in the wind behind the boat. Feet up and hands on the harness strap and up you go, 40, 60, 80 and up to 100 feet above the blue-green waters. The silent swaying ride is pure joy even for those who fear heights because the water seems very close. When the ten minute ride in the warm breeze is over, they reel you in with a silent winch and you glide gracefully onto your feet back on the solid boat. All along, the harness-master is snapping your picture while you wave and kiss in the sky. This was something we will always remember!

Our second part of the 4 days in Riviera Maya was equally as luxurious yet different from the first chapter. After lots of waving, smiles, goodbyes and appreciation shown for our visit by some special staff members, the limo picked us up and drove us to a “hotelito” or boutique resort, the El Dorado Maroma, a Beachfront Resort, also by Karisma.

When we arrived we met Susan Linex, Sales Manager who greeted us as an old friend. She toured us and provided as much information as we could possibly desire to be able to know every inch of this resort. She is one of the most exuberant, energetic women in the hotel business that we have ever met. She is from Texas and has worked for this company for many years. She is truly beautiful inside and out. She needs to be cloned...what a fantastic woman!

The accommodations here were even more private and luxurious. Our huge suite had an inside and outside shower, another large Jacuzzi, a huge four poster bed with white organza flowing from top to bottom, and everything stocked for our comfort. The patio was part of the infinity pool where you could sit on your chaise and drape your legs into the water or when it got too warm, just drop your body into a 4 foot pool which led to the larger swimming pool and the swim-up bar. If you required a church in which to get married, re-pledge your vows or just pray (that you never have to leave), the developer built a charming, beachfront chapel on the property. Oh, did I say that the attire for breakfast, lunch and even dinner was casual and comfortable.

Not knowing much about that part of the world, we learned that the original Cancun Resort to the north actually has a “Downtown” in the old city with over 2000 shops. For those with shopping addictions, that’s got to be the place for a fix. Off-shore is the island of Cozumel reached by ferry or air. Cruise ships gather there pouring crowds of shoppers to buy duty-free and “take home” souvenirs.

When asked about the Maya Riviera back home, we are never quite able to adequately describe its attractiveness and breathless beauty. We just breathe a sigh. Anyone wanting to have a romantic getaway, whether for a wedding, honeymoon, anniversary, or to relax in luxury, this is the place. So even if you just want to bring friends, enjoy the spa services, eat day and night, drink night and day, you should seriously consider this vacation destination. A short plane ride, low air fares, a beautiful airport, splendid resort facilities, gracious hosts, exquisitely prepared artistic food and every kind of thought-out
relaxation. The rates vary but are sensible considering the all-inclusive benefits. As Travel writers, we have roamed the earth from Monaco to Singapore, but no place has the positive, enriching feeling of the Riviera Maya and at very fair prices.

For information, go to www.karismahotels.com or call 1-866-karisma.