The Mayan Riviera are Mexicos top destination for international travelers

Cancun and its surrounding area of the Riviera Maya are Mexico’s top destination for international travelers, drawing more than 3.5 million visitors a year. The beach was the lure for the first visit my wife and I took six years ago. But since then, we’ve returned to explore the Northern Hemisphere’s largest barrier reef, natural springs pocking the Yucatan, mangrove swamps, salt marshes and thick jungle.

Much of the Yucatan is a flat limestone slab, topped with low jungle and scrub. There are no real rivers; the heavy seasonal rain seeps into sinkholes, known locally as cenotes, that have eroded over the millennia into the porous stone. The fresh water travels underground and percolates into the sea from natural springs.

The woods, cenotes and waters off the coast host a riot of colorful animals. Great blue herons, anteaters, the Yucatan rust rump tarantula, giant iguanas, ocelots, manatees and other animals make their home in the region.