An all-inclusive resort in the Mexican Caribbean is the ultimate fun-in-the-sun getaway. Group planners can work with ALG Vacations to tailor the perfect trip.
Serenaded by the swoosh of rustling coconut palms and Caribbean waters lapping the powdery white beach, I was easily drifting into nap time nirvana under the thatched-roof palapa sheltering me from the hot sun. Securely ensconced in a deluxe resort on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, I had not a care in the world.
Though I had visited the Mexican Caribbean on a cruise, this was my first hotel stay in the region, and I was thrilled to have more than the usual six or eight hours ashore that cruise vacations allow. This also was my first time at an all-inclusive resort. With lots of restaurant, bar and activity options in one easy-to-navigate space, it reminded me of a cruise ship.
All-inclusive Secrets Moxche Playa del Carmen offers beachside bliss on Mexico’s Riviera Maya. (Photo credit: ALG Vacations)
Situated on the Yucatan Peninsula, Riviera Maya occupies the coastal area south of Cancun, the biggest resort destination in all the Caribbean. While Riviera Maya has the same spectacular beaches and aquamarine waters as Cancun, this stretch of paradise is more laid-back and less Americanized, though it is growing rapidly in popularity and population. Playa del Carmen is a 45-minute drive from Cancun International Airport.
Playa del Carmen, a city with more than 150,000 residents, has Riviera Maya’s largest selection of hotels, restaurants, shops and nightlife. My group’s tropical oasis, a 10-minute taxi ride from the commercial core, was Secrets Moxche Playa del Carmen, part of the Hyatt Inclusive Collection. Located within the gated residential community of Corasol, Secrets is the sole AAA Five-Diamond adults-only resort in Playa del Carmen.
Our trip, which included flights from various U.S. cities, was packaged by ALG Vacations. A member of the Hyatt family, the tour operator specializes in Mexico and the Caribbean. It works with travel advisors who sell trips from its portfolio of brands, including Apple Vacations, Funjet Vacations, Travel Impressions, Southwest Vacations, Blue Sky Tours and United Vacations.
Sampling Playa del Carmen
I would have been perfectly content spending my week on property at Secrets Moxche, but the travel itch prompted me to explore outside its posh confines. One outing took me to Playa del Carmen’s main tourist drag, Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue), a pedestrian street thick with eateries, bars, smart boutiques, souvenir shops, and, as typically found in Mexican tourist towns, drug stores selling pharmaceutical products at big discounts. On my shopping excursion, I picked up a used Mexico license plate for my collection and a bottle of vanilla. The brilliantly painted ceramics and floppy sombreros were tempting, but I held back.
Quinta Avenida, or Fifth Avenue, is Playa del Carmen’s premier shopping street, offering block after block of stores and eateries. (Photo credit: Mexican Caribbean Tourism)
On my day in town, I happened to be wearing a Manchester United jersey. That turned out to be a mistake, as I was hounded by merchants selling sports team souvenirs, including wooden masks and woven goods bearing the British soccer team’s red-and-yellow logo. Some shopkeepers on and around Quinta Avenida were a bit aggressive but overall not too annoying.
Just off Quinta Avenida, a side street led me to a palm-shaded beach. From there I spotted the dock where ferries depart for the island of Cozumel, a half-hour ride away.
On another lane leading to the ocean, I found the Frida Kahlo Museum. The famous Mexican artist has no connection to Playa del Carmen and there are no original works, but my Mexico guidebook said it was worth seeing for the copies of Kahlo’s paintings and exhibits chronicling her tumultuous life. I didn’t have time to go in but did get some good pictures of murals outside the museum.
Tourists learn about an ancient civilization on a half-day Amstar excursion to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. (Randy Mink Photo)
Yucatan Excursions from Secrets Moxche Resort
One day our group at Secrets Moxche split up into three half-day excursions organized by Amstar, a tour/transportation company under the Hyatt umbrella. Being a history buff, I chose to visit the Mayan ruins of Tulum, an archaeological zone about an hour south of Playa del Carmen.
Dramatically perched on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea, the walled city of Tulum thrived as a fort and trading post between the 12th and 16th centuries. Abandoned for three centuries, the site was overgrown with vegetation when discovered by the Spanish in the 1840s. Now it is thronged daily by visitors from resorts and cruise ships who brave the intense heat as their guides talk about how the Maya sacrificed human hearts at El Castillo, or “The Castle,” the big limestone temple to the gods and goddesses. Many of us were captivated by the iguanas scurrying around the ruins. Best known for its setting high above turquoise waters, Tulum is the only Mayan archaeological site commanding a coastal location.
The most adventurous in our group chose to go swimming and snorkeling in one of Riviera Maya’s many cenotes, freshwater limestone sinkholes fed by a vast underground river system below the Mayan jungle. They navigated through the cave’s stalactites, stalagmites and other rock formations. The eco-excursion also included snorkeling in a lagoon teeming with colorful fish.
What better way to enjoy the Riviera Maya’s turquoise waters than a catamaran sailing. (Photo credit: Amstar)
Another contingent opted for Amstar’s catamaran sailing adventure, which featured snorkeling among vibrant coral reefs, stand-up paddle boarding and relaxing on deck, along with snacks, cocktails and lunch.
Xcaret: Ecological Theme Park
Xcaret, a mega eco-park just a few miles from Playa del Carmen, may be touristy, but it’s also educational and thoroughly entertaining. Guests can go snorkeling or tubing in underground rivers, swim with dolphins, tour a museum of Mexican folk art, visit a replica Maya village and attend an evening folkloric extravaganza. Animal viewing areas include the butterfly pavilion, coral reef aquarium, and a jaguar and puma habitat, plus one of the world’s largest aviaries. You can easily spend a full day at Xcaret (pronounced “ish-cah-ret”).
Guests of the arts-centric, 900-suite Hotel Xcaret Arte have unlimited access to the eco-park. The all-inclusive, adults-only luxury haven, loaded with water features and strongly committed to sustainability, consists of five buildings attached by bridges and has 10 restaurants. Murals, sculptures and other artworks throughout the property immerse guests in a culture of creativity, as do workshops in music/dance, painting, pottery and textiles.
Swim-up bars are a popular amenity at Secrets Moxche Playa del Carmen. (Randy Mink Photo)
Secrets Moxche: Slice of Paradise
I don’t know what I liked best about Secrets Moxche Playa del Carmen. Was it the choice of 11 dining options and eight bars? Or the eight pools in addition to the beach? The swim-up bars were certainly fun, and one pool had hammocks slung over the water. Many in my group received pampering treatments in the resort’s world-class Spa by Pevonia.
All these pleasures were just an elevator ride from my seventh-floor suite, which overlooked a courtyard threaded by stone pathways and landscaped with lush foliage—palms, palmettos, bamboo, sea grapes, banana plants and flowering trees.
For relaxing in total privacy, each suite has a glassed-in balcony with a soaking tub and a day bed with pillows and a bolster. My bathroom featured an overhead rainfall shower, two sinks and four—yes four—large mirrors. Huge mirrors are found in the entryway and bedside as well. I loved the suite’s high ceilings and its overall sumptuousness. Like the resort itself, in-room design elements rely on local woods, stone and fiber.
Edgy theater shows are part of the after-dark entertainment at Secrets Moxche Playa del Carmen. (Randy Mink Photo)
Indoor and Outdoor Fun at This Luxury Resort
Those seeking activity can take out a kayak, paddleboard or sailboat, play tennis or beach volleyball, or make use of their privileges at nearby golf courses.
In the Moxche Theater, we enjoyed shows that blended circus thrills, rock music and special effects. At Dark Horse Tavern, a sports bar with large-screen TVs, a golf simulator, billiards and foosball, we attended some wild karaoke sessions. One night a few of us were brave enough to get up and sing “Rhinestone Cowboy.” Gypsy, a secret speakeasy dance club with a daily changing password and hidden entrance, attracted late-night revelers.
Fronting the beach, Secrets Moxche’s Seasoul restaurant specializes in seafood. (Randy Mink Photo)
Dining at Secrets Moxche Playa del Carmen
Having booked rooms in the Preferred Club category, we had access to The Observatory, a rooftop restaurant with stunning views of the resort’s palm-studded courtyard and its swimming pools. This high-altitude nest became a hangout for us, as it was not only a restaurant/bar but a place to lounge around in padded comfort and sip drinks in the ledge-side pool.
Every evening we sampled a new eatery, whether it was Allora for Italian cuisine, Suki for Japanese food or beachside Seasoul, where shrimp, octopus and fish dishes reigned supreme. Dos Almas featured Mexican specialties, while vegan fare at Bamboo celebrated the flavors of Southeast Asia. Bisou, the AAA Four-Diamond French restaurant, served classics like escargot, onion soup, duck a l’orange and my favorite—beef Wellington.
Breakfast at Market Cafe, the resort’s buffet-style restaurant, jump-started our days with endless choices. Besides ordering from omelette and avocado toast stations, we could treat ourselves to crepes, churros, donuts and quesadillas made right on the spot. As a sweet tooth, I’ll never forget the warm Nutella crepe and dulce de leche-filled donut. The fresh fruit—mango, pineapple, melon, guava, papaya—tasted 12 times better than anything from a grocery store at home. The spreads of cold cuts, cheeses and salads were simply overwhelming, as were the array of breads, rolls, muffins and bagels. Musical entertainment one morning was a saxophonist, the next day a harpist.
The lunch buffet at the resort’s Market Cafe features ceviche in many varieties. (Randy Mink Photo)
Lunch at the Market Cafe was just as bountiful. Seafood fans in our group rejoiced at the many styles of ceviche and mouthwatering displays of fresh shrimp, crab, mussels and clams. Hot foods one day included chicken in mole sauce (my favorite Mexican dish). I also indulged in the Market Cafe’s salmon in soy sauce, fish in chimichurri sauce, teriyaki chicken, flank steak and Mongolian-style beef.
If you want to dine poolside, the Barefoot Grill offers pizza, burgers, jerk chicken sandwiches, chicken wings and barbecue pork ribs. Coco Cafe is the go-to place for coffee, pastries, sandwiches, candy and ice cream 24 hours a day.
Besides Secret Moxche’s wealth of choices and all-inclusive model, we appreciated the cheerful service and smiling faces. Staff members were as warm as the hotel’s bathwater pools, as glowing as the Mexican sun.
Note: At the adjacent sister property, Impression Moxche by Secrets, discerning guests enjoy a more personalized experience, with upgraded suites, butler service and access to three exclusive Impression restaurants.
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By Randy Mink, Senior Editor
Lead Photo – Playa del Carmen’s color-splashed pedestrian zone abounds with shops and restaurants catering to tourists. (Randy Mink Photo)
