Days of Romance in the Riviera Maya
On your next trip to Grand Residences spend the day exploring with the one you love. A day on the beach, out on the water or discovering a city full of history can be a magical and unforgettable experience.
Sail away
For an unforgettable day on the ocean waves, charter a yacht with your own captain and crew. Set your course for a voyage along the Riviera Maya coast or from Cancun to Isla Mujeres. Spend the day snorkeling, swimming, sipping wine and eating fresh seafood and taking in the views of sparkling, crystal-clear waters in shades of turquoise, azure and indigo.
Your nautical adventures can continue in the evening with a classic Cancun lobster dinner cruise on a Spanish galleon that sails through the Nichupte Lagoon, a sunset catamaran cruise along the Riviera Maya shoreline or you can also go to Xoximilco Park for a magical Mexican evening of music, dancing and myth with plenty of tequila and tasty food on board a colorful trajinera, a traditional canal boat.
A day together in the Riviera Maya
Start another day in paradise with a walk along the beach at dawn. Listen to the waves, feel the cool sand between your toes and the first rays of the sun on your face, these are precious moments to share with the one you love
Pack a picnic basket, grab a bottle of wine and head off for a day of Riviera Maya beach hopping. There are so many lovely beaches to choose from along this stretch of shoreline with idyllic spots to be found in Maroma, Xpu-Ha, Akumal, Xcacel, Bahias de Punta Soliman and Tulum, among others.
On your way back, stop off in Playa del Carmen for a spot of shopping, cocktails and dinner.
Moonlight, magic and serenades in Merida
Plan a getaway to the historic city of Merida, capital of the neighboring state of Yucatan. Spend the day traveling back in time visiting16th-century churches and 19th-century mansions, museums and galleries and shopping for unique arts and crafts.
As the shadows lengthen, the city springs to life after the heat of the day. Candles are lit in restaurants; lights flicker in trees and waiters with menus greet people as they stroll past. There are restaurants and cuisines to suit every taste but when in Merida you should dine in a romantic courtyard filled with plants or under the trees in a plaza and listen to the trova melodies of a guitar-strumming trio as they serenade guests.
After your meal, walk to the main square or Plaza Grande where you’ll find more musicians and flower sellers carrying bunches of roses, lilies, gardenias or fragrant white flowers called mariposas. There’s a cultural event somewhere in Merida every night and on Monday it is the turn of the square with a traditional folk dance performance in front of City Hall.
Stroll around the square and watch the video mapping show that plays across the façade of the towering San Ildelfonso Cathedral, Mexico’s oldest cathedral, Casa de Montejo, the 16th-century home of the family that conquered the Yucatan, and Government House.
In the 19th century, local dignitaries would drive along the Merida streets in pony and trap and calesas or horse-drawn carriages still ply their trade in the evening. However, it is just as romantic to wander through its colonial neighborhoods and leafy squares like Santa Lucía, past churches and grand old houses.
Head north along Calle 60 for several blocks and turn right on to Paseo de Montejo. This wide tree-lined boulevard was inspired by the Champs Élyseés and is the setting for the opulent mansions built during the henequen boom of the late 19th century and the first years of the 20th century. Standing silent now, these imposing town houses and chateaus are testimony to a time when Merida had more millionaires than New York.
As you stroll along Paseo de Montejo, stop for a coffee or ice cream at an open-air café or sip a cocktail under the stars in a romantic rooftop terrace bar listening to a Cuban band play.
Planning your trip
The Grand Residences Concierges will help you arrange yacht charters, day trips and longer excursions in the Mexican Caribbean and Yucatan.
