Riviera Maya is leaning hard into sports, culture and music to keep visitors around longer — the hotel sector's stated goal is to move the average stay from 4 days up to 5 to 7 nights. This week brings two concrete reasons to stretch your trip.

What's making news this week

Singer Emmanuel performs on September 23 as part of the region's growing lineup of large-scale concerts. And at Xcaret, more than 70 chefs — several of them Michelin-starred — come together for Apapaxoa, a food festival featuring breakfasts, dinners, talks and cookbook fairs that blends fine dining with wellness and art.

Must-do activities

  • Gran Cenote / Dos Ojos (Tulum) — swim in crystal-clear water inside limestone caves, with snorkeling or cavern diving options.
  • A day trip to Cozumel — a 45-minute ferry from Playa del Carmen to dive or snorkel the world's second-largest reef.
  • Cobá — a Maya archaeological site you explore by bike through the jungle, home to the region's tallest pyramid.
  • Xel-Há and Río Secreto — natural parks for swimming among mangroves or exploring underground caves.
  • Fifth Avenue, Playa del Carmen — the pedestrian strip with the highest concentration of restaurants, bars and shops in the whole Riviera Maya.

Best spots to visit

Mayakoba, the canal-and-lagoon corridor north of Playa del Carmen, is home to some of the region's top-rated luxury resorts and a golf course designed by Greg Norman — ideal if you want quiet without straying far from the beach.

Where to stay: the top-rated hotels

  • Rosewood Mayakoba — private-pool villas spread across canals you reach by electric launch.
  • Fairmont Mayakoba and Banyan Tree Mayakoba — both inside the same corridor, with extensive spas and a shared golf course.
  • Grand Velas Riviera Maya — luxury all-inclusive with several signature restaurants and an internationally awarded spa.
  • Unico 20°87° Hotel Riviera Maya — an "unlimited-luxury" adults-only concept right on Xpu-Ha beach.
  • Barceló Maya Grand Resort — a sprawling complex near Akumal, great for big families and groups.

Where to eat

Ha', inside Hotel Xcaret México, holds a Michelin star for contemporary Mexican cooking. On Fifth Avenue, La Famiglia is the go-to for fresh pasta and Italian ingredients. If you make it to Tulum, Hartwood (everything cooked over an open flame) and Casa Jaguar (updated Yucatecan cuisine) are worth the detour.