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| The remarkable story of this ancient land... |
 The Maya were the original inhabitants of the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Today, this region, which stretches southward from a point just south of the Cancun airport to Punta Allen, is known as the "Riviera Maya". Along the coast, and further inland, Mayan archaeological wonders lie dormant; testifying to the glorious past of a highly evolved civilization, which made astounding advances in mathematics, astrology, art and architecture while Europe slept through the Dark Ages.
The Riviera Maya was an important commercial and religious center for the ancient Maya during the Post-Classic Period of Mayan civilization (1000-1500 AD), during which the city of Tulum was constructed on a promontory overlooking the coast of the Riviera Maya, some 40 miles south of Playa del Carmen. Earlier on, the Classic Period (600 to 900 AD), witnessed the birth of the great inland cities of Coba and Chichen Itza. When the Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, Coba and Chichen Itza, had long since been abandoned. Tulum was one of the very few whose residents remained long enough to witness the Spanish arrival. Under Spanish colonial rule, which endured over the following three hundred years, the region was scarcely inhabited; its growth constrained by a lack of adequate roads.
Until a century or so ago. Quintana Roo (the Riviera Maya's home state) was a federal territory and Mexico's last wilderness frontier. The Maya continued to occupy its densely forested interior, following an extended period of conflict with the ruling classes. Still largely undeveloped and unexplored, these forests undoubtedly hide countless other archaeological marvels, awaiting discovery. The territory did not officially become a state until 1975.
 The largest town on the Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, was known to the Maya as Xaman-Ha "northern waters". In times past, it was an important Mayan town, which served as the departure point for the trip to Cozumel, where devotees went to worship Ixchel, the goddess of fertility. Today, a ferry makes this trip, transporting international visitors to worship the island's underwater treasures.
But Playa del Carmen is today an important destination in its own right. Testifying to its growing popularity, its 20, 000 residents include expatriates from all over the globe. English, German, Italian, and French are as commonly heard as Spanish or Mayan. Difficult to imagine that until some 20 years ago, Playa del Carmen was a fishing village of 250 people, revolving around a handful of extended families.
Despite the Riviera's current building boom, the region has managed to maintain a laid-back, tranquil atmosphere that sets it apart from its big sister to the North, Cancun. Here, the pace is slower, the scale is smaller, the atmosphere more peaceful. And that's just fine. Fine as sand. |
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