H'islander, sorry to hear you didn't care for the area. I own property south of where you were near the Belize border, and I love the area. Cancun to Playa Del Carmen has gotten huge, and very heavily populated in just the last 10 years. I was going there in the early 80's with my family when there were only a handful of resorts on the beach in Cancun, nothing around the lagoon or south til you hit Tulum. The airport used to be big enough for about 4 jets to alnd comfotably and unload. The airport is massive now, and the city itself is even bigger and more populated than many American cities. Playa Del Carmen was discovered in the early 90's, and has grown from a sleepy fishing village with a bit of shopping to a huge complex with many resorts right on top of one another. The souvenirs and such have declined along with the "local" feel, much as any place cheap vacations for Americans are readily available with such nice weather almost year round. They have beat it up quite a bit lets leave it at that.
However, there are still many nice places where hotels have bought huge stretches of land, and keep it very private and enclosed. There are a few adult only, high end places you can go with great food and great drinks, further south along the highway, like Secrets, or one of the Spa palaces, that ctaer to your every whim, and the accomodations are world class. We have not built on our land yet, but will in time. We stay at the Secrets Capri property for around 1400 each with airfare. We eat like kings, are not bothered by any of the vendors, have a good 1-1.5 miles in either direction with no other hotels. No kids running around, and the rooms are all suites with jacuzzi baths and huge king beds, etc. The other places I mentioned are similar with very similar service approaches. Nothing I have heard about the Riu facilities has been good, and alot of the other hotels are in the same category, they stink.
We are very close to Ascension Bay and Punta Allen, which is a 3 plus hour ride from the airport, but has world class fishing. The Siaan Kaan biosphere is over 2.3 million acres, encompassing a huge flats area and many reefs and small cays along the shore just along the Chetumal area into Belize. There are not too many places on earth like it where all commercial fishing is banned, and both countries take great pride and care in preserving it. Flats boats with a guide runs 250 for the day. I fished 3 days in a row in 2005, for 900 with tip, and caught over 200 baby tarpon to 40 pounds, over 50 bones to 9 pounds, small snappers and snook till I couldn't count, and even had a few shots at permit. When the wind is calm, you can get out to the reefs where huge Cuberas and cudas roam. In the late spring and summer months, the marlin fishing doesn't get any better, along with big sharks and Mahi. Puerto Adventuras has a huge sportfish fleet if you are there at the right times can get on a well provisioned and outfitted boat with top crew for pretty short money as well.
Don't give up on the Yucatan yet, with a little research and planning you could go to a world class all inclusive(way better than any Sandals I've been to, and cheaper) like Secrets or one of the Mayan Spa resorts, and have plenty of opportunities to fish and snorkel. Xel Ha at 50 bucks for all inclusive snorkeling park is well worth it, you can eat and drink all day, with all snorkeling gear provided and lockers/towel service to boot. If you stay at Xpu Ha Palace and Spa, they have an amazing inshore reef system and cenotes right on property. They are all mostly well south of Playa Del Carmen. Like you said, the people are the friendliest around, and are also pretty adept at handling American tourists. it is their only industry there.
And the Punta Allen/Ascension Bay fishery is a place no one should miss who loves to fish..... |