Choosing the 25 Top Beaches in the Riviera Maya was, in one way, a difficult task; the hard part was choosing the best ones of all the beautiful beachfront areas available. Xpu-ha beach demonstrates many of the main points we looked for.

Choosing the 25 Top Beaches in the Riviera Maya was, in one way, a difficult task; the hard part was choosing the best ones of all the beautiful beachfront areas available. In the end, there was a certain kind of criteria we used to evaluate the beaches. Xpu-ha beachdemonstrates many of the main points we looked for.

1. Beautiful Beach – While this was an absolute necessity, it didn’t really help much in terms of elimination; so many of the beaches in the Riviera Maya (the area between Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum) are absolutely beautiful, with soft, white sand and warm, turquoise water. Xpu-ha is no exception. The beaches here are wonderful, and anyone arriving to Xpu-ha will not be let down.

2. Activities – We were kind of flexible on how to define "activities," since there is a good deal of variety of what people like to do on a beach, which can range from sipping martinis to kite-boarding. The question was, do we count simple relaxation as an activity? In Xpu-ha, it could count, since it’s such a relaxing place. In any case, Xpu-ha is also a great place for camping, with the family or as a couple.

3. Services – In the case of Xpu-ha, this refers the restaurant. But this is not just any restaurant, it’s an excellent restaurant which is a great place to enjoy a dinner with the family or a few drinks with live music. Some of the other beaches we choose included items like beach clubs or golf courses nearby, but to be honest, we included a few, where the closest thing to a "service" would be the monkey who could pass you the coconut from the top of the palm; as we said, everyone has different tastes. Xpu-ha is a nice balance between the two.

4. Access – Access simply means you can get there in a car, or a very short walk from a reasonable parking area. Xpu-ha has good road access. Other beaches have dirt roads miles-long. Some are in the heart of downtown.

5. Unique Atmosphere – Each of the beaches we chose has a unique lifestyle atmosphere. Xpu-ha is the place to relax with the family and enjoy a balance of contact with nature without being very isolated.

Next time you visit the Riviera Maya, consider taking a trip down to Xpu-ha or any of our other 25 Top Beaches.