The Travel Gallery

Here’s our monthly gallery showcasing some of the region’s many natural and historical attractions. How many have you visited? Which ones would you like to explore on future visits to Cancun and the Riviera Maya?

Cancun Underwater Art Museum

Also known as MUSA, this iconic underwater art museum has more than 500 life-size sculptures in four galleries in different parts of the Cancun-Isla Mujeres National Park, including Punta Nizuc and Manchones Reef. The brainchild of British artist Jason deCaires-Taylor, who has gone on to create sunken museums in other parts of the world, MUSA has a message of art and conservation. The sculptures have been colonized by corals and sponges over time and have become a refuge for fish and other marine life. An attraction for divers and snorkelers, the galleries take the pressure off local reefs, giving them a respite and a chance to recover.

Ka’an Luum Lagoon

Kaan Luum is a turquoise lagoon in the jungle just to the south of Tulum. You can swim from the wooden deck and there are ojos de agua or freshwater springs and cenotes – the zones of darker blue and deeper water – in parts of the lagoon. Organized day trips to Kaan Luum include visits to the nearby Mariposa and Chen-Ha cenotes and to a Maya community to learn about the ancient tradition of bee keeping and the Melipona stingless bee native to the Yucatan, and cacao cultivation.

Ek Balam

If you have been to Chichen Itza and are captivated, eager to learn more about the ancient Maya, there’s another site in eastern Yucatan that you should visit. Ek Balam is a 20-minute drive to the north of Valladolid. Its name means “black jaguar or star jaguar” in Maya, and it flourished between AD 250-1200. The most famous building is the multitiered Acropolis which has a carved façade on the top tier depicting earth monsters, ancient nobles and a figure thought to be the founding ruler of the city.

Dos Ojos

How about a day of swimming and snorkeling in some of the Riviera Maya’s most beautiful cenotes at Dos Ojos? With an expert guide, certified cave divers can also explore flooded caves that are part of one of the world’s longest underground river systems.

Your concierge can help you arrange tours to these locations and many more throughout the Yucatan Peninsula.