If you follow me on Instagram, you will know that I just came back from a blissfully stress-free week on the Mayan Riviera in Mexico (on the Yucatan peninsula) … well, as stress-free as even the best family vacations can be. This was our second stay at the Paradisus La Esmeralda resort in Playa del Carmen, and we enjoyed it as much (or more) than our previous trip.
All inclusive resort vacations are not everyone’s cup of tea; while I love “adventure” travel, sometimes I crave the soothing monotony of a beach resort where my most pressing decision is what time to hit up the buffet. When traveling with kids, in particular, it helps to eliminate a great deal of stress. I don’t have to worry about driving, cooking, tidying up, or even (on occasion) the kids themselves – holla, kids’ club! There is sun, sand, ocean, unlimited drinks and did I mention the buffet? For a person whose native state most closely resembles a sloth’s, this is heaven.
By now, you will have figured out that this post is nothing but an excuse to bombard you with my attempts at artistic travel photography. Sorry. The rest of the week, I promise to talk about slightly more interesting topics, like what I wore and what I read on my vacation. For now, this:
There are many things I like about the Paradisus resort, not least of all the Family Concierge package option. You get your own personal butler! Ours was named Alberto, and he was a sweetheart to the kids; he made sure our snack fridge was always restocked with our favourites, left balloon animals and stories for the kids every day, and generally made sure that our stay went smoothly. All of the staff that we met, in fact, were very lovely and helpful. We did run into a timeshare sales guy who was pretty persistent, but he was polite and eventually gave up trying to talk us into attending a presentation after we made it clear that we were not interested.
[This is not a sponsored post, by the way. I’ve been to a number of resorts in the Cancun/Riviera area, and I always like to read other first-hand experiences before choosing where to stay. If anyone is interested in more info about this resort, message me and I will be happy to answer any questions.]
The resort complex itself is beautiful; it’s set in the middle of mangroves and has gorgeous landscaping. It is on the smaller side compared to other resort complexes in the area, but this was a plus in my books because it creates a more intimate atmosphere … and cuts down on walking. There is still plenty of that – Riviera resorts are usually set up like campuses rather than traditional hotels, so your rooms are likely to be some distance from the pool, the restaurants, the beach, etc.
The pools at the Paradisus (family side) are smallish, but there is a new kids waterpark that is fantastic. When I’m not running around after the kids, I prefer to spend time at the beach anyway. That part is probably my biggest disappointment with the resort; the beach itself is nice enough (bordered on both ends by public beaches that can get quite busy, so keep that in mind) but there was a lot of seaweed in the water during our stay. We ended up having only about 3 days of clear water out of 7. From speaking with the staff, it sounds like this past year was a particularly bad one for seaweed in the area. I’m not sure if the same is true for Cancun, but I’ve heard from others that most of the Riviera is similarly affected. I expect it may be a symptom of climate change.
Also, no seashells. One of my favourite things to do is walk along the shore and try to find washed-up “treasures”, and I came up mostly empty-handed this time.
Even so, there was plenty of fun to be had in the sun.
This was one of our best overseas family trips, and the kids are already asking about next year. I have a feeling that they won’t have to twist my arm too much. My daughter in particular is an avowed Paradisus fan, but I am tempted to look at other options, although I may simply be too greedy. Can “paradise” be improved upon? If you have other favourite spots along the Riviera, leave me your suggestions in the comments.
We were very lucky and got a great deal at Xcaret Hotel last year (just 2 of us) – would have been amazing for kids as well as adults I am sure. Would highly recommend for the All Inclusive factor which includes entry to Xcaret park, Xplor (zip lining) and several other activities off-site which gave the trip some nice variety compared to a usual all inclusive. That said the grounds were incredible too!
We went right after it opened so I am not sure how the prices compare a year later but worth keeping an eye on!
You are so organized! I don’t know how you work, work at Home, look great and have such a lovely blog and IG. You are so inspirational . Your photos are lovely, thanks for sharing! I have no children, work full time and help out with my Mother. I don’t look half as nice as you do.
I try to be organized, but it’s a constant balancing act. Keep in mind that you don’t see all parts of my life here or on my social media. I’m far from having it all, much less doing it all.
It sounds like you have a lot of responsibilities, and I hope you are being kind to yourself as well ❤️