A very popular location for destination weddings is the Riviera Maya. This fascinating region is home to Tulum's ancient Mayan Ruin, the second largest barrier reef in the world, numerous luxury brand hotels, "eco-archeological theme parks", and miles of white sandy beaches.
Attempting to find the "right" location can be a time-consuming and confusing task if you are not familiar with the location.
Playa del Carmen, roughly in the center of the area between Cancun and Tulum, has evolved from a sleepy fishing village to a place to get away from the crowds of Cancun while travelling on a passenger ferry to Cozumel, an island across the Cozumel Channel.
Today it has turned into a vacation mecca with beautiful beaches and lovely turquoise waters.
Playa has become a stop for several cruise ships which dock at the nearby Calica quarry docks, about six miles south of the city. The Xcaret Eco Park, a Mexican-themed "eco-archaeological park", is a popular tourist destination located just south of the town in Xcaret (pronounced "esh-caret"). Fifth Avenue, stretching from Calle 1 norte until Calle 34 in Playa del Carmen, is a pedestrian walkway located just one or two blocks inland from the beach, which is lined with boutique hotels, shops, bars, and restaurants.
When planning a destination wedding, the Rivieria Maya has a number of advantages. First, it is an easy place to travel to as there are frequent flights to Cancun which are direct from most North American cities. No one wants to take long flights up to 24 hours to get to the destination wedding location!Second, there are a wide variety of excellent hotels in gorgeous settings located on the shores of the pictureque blue Caribbean which appeal to a variety of budgets. One of the biggest problems is to decide which one to choose! The entire area has a building restriction height of three storeys so many of the hotels are huge as they include serveral buildings spread out over the property.
Third, most of the superior hotels provide a variety of services and activities which will appeal to most of their guests. Lazy rivers, swim-up suites, water sports such as snorkelling, aquacycle, kayaking, sailing and scuba diving lessons in the pool, or simply enjoying the beach attract vacationers of all ages who want to escape "winter".
Finally, most of the resorts offer a variety of wedding packages and free honeymoon packages with an on-site wedding planner making the planning of a destination wedding much easier than arranging the entire wedding yourself.
If you are not sure where to start, get advice from a destination wedding consultant who can advise you about the requirements for getting married in Mexico and is familiar with resorts in the area. You can save yourself hours of searching on the internet and ensure that you find a destination wedding location which is just right for the two of you.
For more information, call Toll Free 1-866-653-4055 or e-mail travelinfo@delsoltravel.ca.
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Muriel MacRae, owner of Del Sol Travel and Del Sol Destination Weddings, is a travel consultant who specializes in destination weddings and romantic getaways to tropical areas. Located in Calgary, Alberta, she plans destination weddings for couples in and around the Calgary area and throughout North America. For more information about planning your destination wedding or romantic getaway, please contact her at travelinfo@delsoltravel.ca