Riu Cancun Family Activities

Hotel Riu Cancun has three swimming pools, plus a children's swimming pool, but by far our favorite was the infinity pool that gave us those amazing views of the water. To grab those coveted lounge chairs around the infinity pool, we had to throw down towels by 8:30 a.m. at the latest.

When not poking around the pool or being coaxed into playing a game of water volleyball or aerobics by the pool staff, the kids hit the beach and the assortment of ocean toys like sea kayaks and catamarans. Snorkeling is also available and if the kids are old enough (at least 14), they can do an introductory scuba dive. Younger children enjoyed the small playground on property and, if mom and dad need some downtime, there's a supervised Mini Camp with counselors for children ages 4 to 12 years old. The staff here keep kids happy with the usual mix of sand, sea, art, dance, and game time. Another bonus, especially when the sun goes down and the humidity decreases, are the lit tennis courts.

For a mere 65 pesos, you can catch a very reliable and safe bus to the many restaurants and shops in the downtown area. But I suggest getting away from Cancun and seeing the Yucatan Peninsula. Unlike Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, which has little culture, this part of Mexico offers a wealth of history and beauty. The hotel offers many tours that highlight the Yucatan. A 30-minute boat ride from Cancun leaves you at El Garrafon National Park on Isla Mujeras. Some tours feature a meal and open bar, so be sure to inquire. Once you hit the island, you can choose to beach and snorkel, swim with the dolphins, try the zipline, go for a bike ride, or simply lie in a hammock with a good thick book.

Another tour brings you to the family-favorite, Xcaret, an ecology theme park situated about five miles south of Playa del Carmen. A nature preserve, Xcaret features a lagoon, an underground river where you can bob like a cork though caves and inlets, dolphins you can swim with, even pony rides. Children will also have fun at Xel-Ha, a series of shallow calm lagoons where you can teach young kids to snorkel without the fear of waves washing them away.

South of Xel-Ha is the region's number one tourist attraction, Tulum. These well-preserved Mayan ruins, 60 gray-black buildings in all, are perched on a cliff directly above a palm-fringed beach. Archaeologists place the beginnings of Tulum somewhere between 700-1000 A.D., a period when the Mayan civilization had already passed its peak. Don't miss Tulum's tallest building, a watchtower fortress overlooking the Caribbean that the Spanish called El Castillo. The staircase to the summit's temple offers good views of the seas.

If you really want to test the stamina of your children, take the two-hour drive to arguably the most spectacular Mayan ruin, Chichen Itza. A short stroll through the shaded forest leaves you gawking at a large stone pyramid. Built with the calendar in mind, four 91-step staircases lead to the top platform, adding up to the 365 days of the year. As you make your way up the steep stairs to look at all the other structures, you'll have many mind-boggling questions to think about. Like, how in the world did they clear this huge plot of land and bring in the large quantities of stone in the 9th century, when Chichen Itza was supposedly built?