Tickled Pink
Take an eco trip to see the flamingos in the Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve. Not only will you be treated to a vision in pink, you’ll see herons, kingfishers, prehistoric horseshoe crabs, crocodiles, raccoons and more. Don’t stop there, plan a visit to Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve south of Tulum, it’s the second largest reserve in Mexico and a wonderland of jungle, wetlands, beaches and coral reefs teeming with wildlife.

Ria Lagartos

Dive Deep
Learn how to dive. With the world’s second longest coral reef on the doorstep, Cancun and the Riviera Maya are the ideal places to take the plunge and once you have mastered the basics there’ll be no stopping you. You’ll soon fall in love with the underwater world of the Mexican Caribbean.
Summer visitors also have a once in a lifetime opportunity to swim with the whale sharks, the world’s largest fish. From mid-May to mid-September, these peaceful giants –the size of a bus – gather to feed in the waters east of Isla Mujeres and Contoy and off the coast of Holbox and Cabo Catoche.

Whale Shark, the gentle giant of the ocean

Time Travel
If you have already visited Chichén Itzá or Tulum, plan a trip to some of the other Mayan cities scattered across the Yucatán landscape. Explore the jungle city of Cobá or Ek Balam, Uxmal and the Puuc Route sites (like Chichén Itzá, they have World Heritage status) in the state of Yucatán. You could even organize a private tour and venture south to Kohunlich, Oxtankah and Dzibanche in southern Quintana Roo and the huge jungle stronghold of Calakmul in southern Campeche.

Colonial Charm
Leave ultramodern Cancún behind for a couple of days and head inland to see another side of the Yucatán Peninsula. Explore the stately old Spanish churches and convents of Valladolid and Izamal. Ready for romance, head for Mérida, capital of the Yucatán, where you can visit museums, art galleries and elegant mansions from the days of the henequen boom (late 19th and early 20th centuries), people-watch in tree-lined squares and enjoy dance performances, concerts and serenades every night of the week.

Riviera Maya Revisited
Rent a car, stock up on munchies at your resort store and go exploring. Spend the day snorkeling at Xel-Ha, see what’s new at Xcaret or relax on a beach you have never been to before – Puerto Morelos, Paamul, Xpu-Há, Akumal and Tulum are all great spots and there are many more. On your way back home, call in at Playa del Carmen for a sunset cocktail, homemade gelato and a spot of shopping on Fifth Avenue.

Tulum

Share your Stories
We would love to hear about your favorite places in the Mexican Caribbean and the Yucatán. Which spots do you visit without fail every vacation and what about the new places you have discovered over the years which turned out to be treasures? Drop us a line and share your stories with us!

Help us protect the planet and keep the Mexican Caribbean beautiful.

• Help us keep our beautiful white beaches clean by taking all your garbage with you when you leave. Don’t stub cigarettes out in the sand and remember that ring pulls, plastic beer packaging and cellophane bags are harmful to birds, mammals and marine life, including sea turtles.

• Help Royal Resorts recycle trash. Use the specially labeled bins in your villa and around the resort.Don’t throw used batteries in the trash, use the battery bag in your villa, or put them in the bins at the entrance to the gift shops.

• Stop using plastic bags. When you go shopping don’t ask for one if you don’ t really need it, and better still, go green and purchase reusable cloth bags.

• Do you really need that straw? Cutting down on straws reduces litter on the beach.

• If you don’t want your bath towels to be changed every day, simply hang them up,
otherwise leave them in the bathtub.

• Turn off the lights, TV and kitchen appliances and help save water by making sure the faucets are closed when you leave your villa.

• Make sure that all the windows and doors are closed when the air-conditioning is on. The air-conditioning thermostat should be at 22ºC when you leave the villa.

• Always use environmentally friendly, biodegradable sunscreens, especially if you plan to go snorkeling and swimming. The chemicals and oils in standard sun products contaminate the water and are harmful to corals and other marine life. Herbal sun products made in Mayan communities are available in the area.

• Wearing a t-shirt while snorkeling also helps protect you from the sun’s rays.

• Keep your distance from the coral reefs when snorkeling and diving. The slightest brush or stirring up sand can cause damage that will take the reef hundreds of years to recover from.

• Do not remove shells or any other creature living or dead from coral reefs and the national marine parks of the Mexican Caribbean.

• Fishermen, please dispose of fishing lines, nets, hooks and lead weights correctly. Birds and other marine creatures become entangled in nets or swallow bait and fishing lines, dying a slow and agonizing death.

• Observe the “catch and release” policy for game fish such as marlin and sailfish.

• Keep the bugs away with herbal repellents, they are just as effective and much better for the environment.

• Respect area wildlife and marine creatures, admire them from a distance.

• Support sustainable development projects in the area, they benefit Mayan communities, rare wildlife and biosphere reserves.

• Never buy shells, corals, starfish or endangered species such as parrots, macaws, monkeys, wild cats and iguanas. Likewise, avoid products made with parts of rare animals and birds such as feathers, skins, bones, teeth and claws, or the shell and natural oils in the case of sea turtles.

• Purchase organic goods produced in the area such as honey, coffee, vanilla and chocolate and locally made tropical fruit preserves and chili sauces.

Dyos bo’otik

“Thank you” in Maya

Electricity
110 volts. We recommend that you bring a voltage converter with you if you are using 220 volt devices.

Entry Requirements
A valid passport is required to enter Mexico. Citizens of the following countries may enter Mexico without a visa. (FMTTV): Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Island, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway
 Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA and Venezuela. Citizens of all other countries may require a visa and should check with their travel agency and the Mexican Embassy in their country well before they are due to travel.
Minors traveling alone require notarized written permission from their parents.

Language
The official language in Mexico is Spanish although English is widely spoken, especially in resort areas. Here in the Mexican Caribbean, some hotel and travel employees can also converse in French, Italian, German and Portuguese. You’ll hear Maya in many parts of the Yucatán Peninsula, one of 66 indigenous languages still spoken in Mexico.

Measurements
Mexico uses the metric system so this means that distances are given in kilometers, heights and depths are recorded in meters, weights are in grams and kilos, and so on. Temperatures are given in Celsius

Money
The official currency is the Mexican peso. Bills come in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 pesos. Coins are issued in 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 pesos and five, ten, 20 and 50 cents.
Dollars are accepted in Cancún, Playa del Carmen and other tourist areas but coin change will not be given. You can exchange your US dollars, Canadian dollars, Euros, sterling and travelers checks for pesos at banks and bureau de change. US and Canadian dollars and traveler’s checks can also be exchanged at the Front Desk in your resort.

Time
The Mexican Caribbean is on Central Standard Time, six hours behind Greenwich Mean Time.

Tipping
Waiters generally receive 15% and sky caps and bell-boys $2 US per bag. The suggested daily tip for the maid who cleans your villa at Royal Resorts is $3 US for the suite and $2US for the room or $5 US when the villa is fully occupied.

Water
You can drink the water at Royal Resorts straight from the tap. It is purified to US standards using the reserve osmosis system. Outside the resorts, however, we recommend that you drink bottled water.
If you are going to be in the sun all day on a trip to one of the archaeological sites or nature parks, make sure you drink plenty of water.

What to wear
We recommend that you bring cool, light colored cotton clothing and a pair of comfortable shoes if you are planning to explore the area’s archaeological sites. You will need trousers and long-sleeved shirts for jungle treks. Pack a light jacket or sweater or a shawl for the evenings, especially in the winter. A hat, sunglasses and plenty of sun block are indispensable.

Getting Around in Cancún & Riviera Maya

Taxis
Taxis are available at all the Royal Resorts and you can also hail them in the street. Expect to pay more when you take a taxi from the resort or a taxi station. It is always a good idea to check the fare before getting into a taxi. You’ll find a list of the fares from your resort to a number of important destinations in the Cancún area posted in the motor lobby.
If you are staying at The Royal Haciendas, call the Bellboys to request a taxi 15 minutes before you need it.

Buses
In Cancun, the City buses are very frequent and at $7.50 pesos are a cheap way of getting around. Buses marked Ruta 1, Ruta 2, Ruta 15, and Ruta 27 and “Centro” all go through the Hotel Zone to Downtown Cancun. If you are traveling from Downtown Cancún out to the Hotel Zone, please note that not all buses go as far as the terminus at Punta Nizuc, check with the bus driver to confirm this.
Cancún’s buses are not air-conditioned and tend to become very crowded at peak times.
For buses to Playa del Carmen, Mérida and other destinations, go to the bus station in Downtown Cancún, located on the corner of Avenida Tulum and Uxmal.
The main bus station in Playa del Carmen is located on the corner of Quinta Ave. and Avenida Juárez.

Car Rentals
Renting a car gives you added freedom to explore the area. There are car rental desks in all the Royal Resorts.

Inter-Resort Shuttle
A free shuttle bus links the five Royal Resorts in Cancún; timetables are posted in the motor lobbies of the resorts. A limited shuttle service is also available between The Royal Haciendas and Playa del Carmen during the day. You must reserve beforehand in the Membership Office.
Thomas More Travel also offers a shared and private transport service between the Cancun resorts and The Royal Haciendas in the Riviera Maya on request.

Transport from the Airport
Cancún airport is the second largest in Mexico and one of the busiest in the Americas. Avoid the lines of people arranging and then waiting for transport to their hotel by pre-booking your airport transfer through Thomas More Travel. Save time, head straight for the beach at the Royal Resorts or The Royal Haciendas in the Riviera Maya and start enjoying your vacation right away.
Airport regulations stipulate that you must book your transport before you travel to Cancún and bring the printed confirmation and service coupon with you in order for Thomas More to provide the service. You may receive a call from one of the Royal Resorts Concierges to assist you with your reservation or you can book online at
www.royalresorts.com or www.thomasmoretravel.com
Alternatively, call Thomas More Travel toll-free from the US & Canada 1-800-791-4496; Rest of the World: 52-998 885-1741 or 885-0254; E-mail airportservice@royalresorts.com at least 24 hours prior to departure.

Yucatan Travel Tips
- Wear a hat, sunglasses and have a t-shirt or cover up handy. Wear comfortable shoes for exploring the archaeological sites.
- Apply plenty of sunscreen with the correct factor for your skin.
- Don’t overdo beach sunbathing! Be careful not to spend too much time in the sun at the beginning of your stay. You can gradually extend your tanning time.
- Cool off in the shade or water frequently.
- The hottest part of the day is between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
- Bear in mind that you can still burn even if it is cloudy or breezy.
- Sun products should be reapplied after bathing.
- If you do burn, apply aloe vera gel to cool off.
- Always use environmentally friendly, biodegradable sunscreens, especially if you plan to go snorkeling and swimming. The chemicals and oils in standard sun products are harmful to corals and other marine life. We also recommend that you wear a t-shirt when snorkeling.
- Apply insect repellent when visiting the archaeological sites and venturing into the forest. Long-sleeved shirts, socks and trousers are recommended for jungle walks.
- Drink plenty of bottled water.
- Snack on fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Afternoon showers and thunderstorms are common during the Yucatán summer, so you might want to take a light waterproof jacket with you.
- Don’t forget your camera and be sure to stock up on batteries and memory sticks.
- Binoculars and a bird identification handbook are indispensable if you are visiting the area’s nature reserves.
- If you plan to go snorkeling or diving during your stay, you might want to pick up a marine life guidebook. Some local dive centers and stores stock waterproof fish identification guides and underwater cameras.
- While most organized day trips include lunch, you may have an early start for some of them and may miss breakfast. The Royal Resorts Express Food to Go counters have the solution. Request a Box Lunch the day before you are due to go on your trip and your freshly made order will be waiting for you to pick up in the lobby.

• Book your flight through Royal Club Vacations if you haven’t already made your travel arrangements.
• Save time at Cancun Airport by pre-booking your transport to the resort with Thomas More Travel.
• Beat the check in lines at your resort by using the online pre-registration service available for Royal Resorts members on www.royalresorts.com .
• Save yourself a trip downtown to the supermarket by using the online Kitchen Starter Kit to stock up your villa fridge.
• Need additional nights at Royal Resorts? Book them online at www.royalreservations.com