Whether you are planning your first trip to the Riviera Maya or you are a seasoned visitor to the area, here are a few interesting facts you may not know.
1. In the 2005 horror movie “The Cave” divers become trapped with man-eating creatures in an underwater cave system in Romania, however many of the cave scenes were shot in the Riviera Maya.
2. In the 1950’s, a mule operated railroad ran (trotted) from Leona Vicario to Puerto Morelos (25 miles) to transport jungle game hunters and chicle workers in and out of the nearly impenetrable Yucatan.
3. There is a traditional Mayan church located in the Tulum Pueblo.
4. Police officers fleecing tourists while stopped for a routine traffic violation is not only frowned upon in the Riviera Maya, but it is also illegal. Drivers should get the officer’s name and badge number and politely inform him you will report him to the station in Cancun. Chances are you will keep your pesos and get “let go with a warning.”
5. The Quintana Roo Speleological Society (QRSS) reported more than 700 kilometres of flooded cave passages within the limits of the Riviera Maya including the two longest underwater cave systems in the world.
6. The Riviera Maya, before it was called The Riviera Maya, was a vacation destination long before Cancun. In the early 1960s, divers, explorers and treasure hunters were boating over from Cozumel to the mainland back when the idea of Cancun was still just a glimmer in a businessman’s eye.
For any of our locals in the Riviera Maya, is there any trivia or historical facts you can add?