Mexico's Caribbean
by Candyce H. Stapen
 We'd
go back just for the Chocolate Treat massage, but there's much more
to enjoy at one of the Riviera Maya's newest all-inclusives-the
inviting Royal Porto Real Playa del Carmen. With the spa's signature
chocolate experience, a delicate chocolate mint exfoliation followed
by a chocolate fruit infused mud wrap and finished off with a sensuous
chocolate cream massage, we inhaled and absorbed all the feel-good
energizing of chocolate without worrying about how it looks permanently
lumped on our thighs.
All-inclusives dot the beaches of Playa del
Carmen and nearby Cancun, but the Royal Porto Real's spa, an indulgence
for parents and guests 18 years and older, is just one of the features
that place this resort in the upscale all-inclusive category. It's
a great place to bring your stressed out college-age kids for a
treat.
There's much for families to enjoy here. First of all, you won't have any trouble getting your kids, especially the younger ones, to take a bath. All rooms feature double Jacuzzis near the bed, bubble bath provided. Kids can soak and be soothed by the water jets while watching television. The just-completed new wing features adjoining rooms.
Although the resort promises that all accommodations come with ocean views, beware. To catch a glimpse of the turquoise Caribbean in many accommodations you need to stand on the balcony and crane your neck. That said, families will find much needed space in the over-sized rooms.
For an all-inclusive, the food is good and ever available, including room service at no extra charge. That makes it easy to get sandwiches and snacks for tired kids. Always hungry teens can munch cheese, cold cuts and fruit at the 24-hour bar. Two specialty restaurants serve Asian and Mexican-inspired fare.
Location is another plus. The Royal Porto Real sits blocks away from the heart of Playa del Carmen, Avenida 5 (Fifth Avenue), a blocks-long, pedestrian walkway lined by cafes and shops selling pottery, silver, hammocks, and T-shirts. Teens and grade-schoolers, not to mention bargain-hunting parents, like the easy access to shops.
A long stretch of sand extends in front of the Royal Porto Real and its sister property, the Gran Porto Real Resort and Spa, across the street. While there's no kids' program at the Royal Porto Real, families have complimentary use of the facilities of the Gran Porto, including its pool and kids' program, the Oki Kids Club. From 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., children ages four to seven and eight to 12 watch puppet shows, go beach combing, get wet at water balloon fights, and just swim. Teens meet up at scheduled volleyball games and ice-cream get-togethers.
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Great Places, Great Deals
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Curacao: Get some sun with the Winter
Warm-up sale at the waterfront Curaçao Marriott
Beach Resort & Emerald Casino. The Coconut Kids
Club offers supervised activities at certain times.
Rates from $249 per night including breakfast
for two. Available through March 30, 2006 (888-PARADISE;
www.curacaomarriott.com).
Turks
& Caicos: Families with teens who crave
the excitement of exploring coral reefs should
consider the Sands at Grace Bay, a four-star resort
on sugar-soft Grace Bay Beach. The five-day/four-night
dive package includes room accommodations for
two, airport transfers, one tank dive per person
for three days, as well as lunch and drinks during
the excursion. Rates for two people through April
22, 2006 from $1,770 and from April 23 to December
19, 2006, rates from $1,326 (877-77-SANDS; www.thesandstc.com).
Puerto
Rico, Grand Cayman, Aruba: With Hyatt Resorts
Caribbean Sunshine on Sale package, available
through April 29, 2006, receive a fourth, fifth,
sixth, or seventh night free, depending on the
property. Rates from $390 per night (800-55-HYATT;
www.hyatt.com).
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At the Royal Porto, rates include complimentary windsurfing,
snorkeling, sailing, bicycling, tennis, and mini-golf. From Playa
del Carmen, less bustling than crowded Cancun, you can tour Tulum,
an ancient Maya city as well as try such eco-adventures as gliding
along a zip line strung 25 feet high, rappelling into a cenote (an
underground sink hole for a swim) and playing at Xcaret, an eco-adventure
park with an aquarium, dolphins, flamingoes, and a lagoon for snorkeling.
Tips & Information
Tax-free purchases in Mexico
Starting July 1, 2006, when you purchase at least $110 US worth of items from one store, you will be able to receive a tax refund when you present your receipts upon departing Mexico. Since the details are still being worked out, check with your hotel's concierge and with the shopkeepers.
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Royal Porto Real Playa del Carmen, (800) 543-7556 www.realresorts.com.mx
– Candyce H. Stapen, author of National Geographic Guide to Caribbean Family Vacations, won the award for Caribbean Travel Writer of the Year for North America.
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