A mere 30-minute drive south of the Cancun International Airport, you reach the 80-mile stretch of coastline called the Riviera Maya. It has the same pearly white sand and aquamarine waters that made Cancun a popular retreat. Yet, unlike its neighbor to the north, there are no high-rise resorts standing broad shoulder to broad shoulder. Resorts in Riviera Maya have to adhere to strict building zones resulting in three-story villas nestled in an overgrowth of palms and mangroves.

Few other resorts take advantage of this natural splendor better than the Spanish-owned Iberostar. North of Playa del Carmen in the Paraiso Playa section of Riviera Maya, Iberostar has unveiled not one, not two, but five resorts, including the adults-only Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso. The first of these hotels to be built, Iberostar Paraiso del Mar shares its restaurants, pools and bars with neighboring Iberostar Paraiso Beach. But all five hotels of the hotels are linked, so you can walk the long stretch of beach and still be on Iberostar property.

Strange as it sounds, it is the interior, not the beachfront where the Paraiso del Mar excels. Watch white swans and pink flamingoes cooling off in the small streams, peacocks and iguanas running in the shade of the tall palms and other indigenous trees. Follow their lead and grab one of the chaise lounge chairs under a shaded thatched cabana or wander over to the beach and catch the surf. It's a hard choice to make.

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