Cancun or Riviera Maya?

Travel Info
I can't decide whether to vacation in the hotel zone of Cancun, or down in the Riviera Maya area. Any suggestions? I'm trying to get the best possible value.. I'm planning a 5 night vacation with my boyfriend and another couple, and we'd like to keep costs about $1000 per person. Aventura (palace) is our first choice so far, but is a little pricier than we'd like. What do you think?

Travel Tips

Both are great choices, sand, drinks and beautiful atmosphere......Aventura is a great choice, you can always call a travel agent to see if they can give you hotel pricing based on what you want to spend and based on star rating etc, you may find yourself with some good choices without searching website after website......that might also help you make a decision based on price.

Have fun =)

Others
If you
go stay awayh from the beach and the crowd that goes there.
Instead try to see all of the Mayan ruins, not just Chichen.
Enjoy the Yucatan cuisine it is different. Try cochinita pibil it is delicious. Just stay away from the beach croud you might as well stay home.
CANCUN IS WHERE ALL THE FUN IS
Check out the other Palace Resorts to see if they are any cheaper than Aventura. Moon Palace and Sunrise are right next to each other so its like 2 for the price of 1. Both are nice I go there every year and love it. They are a little closer to Cancun than Aventura but still far enough away.
Private resort two bedroom villa fully equipped kitchen and maid service. www.royalresorts.com contact me. 8 days 7 nights $1000.00
I think it depends on what you are looking for. Generally speaking Cancun has slightly nicer beaches but they are more crowded. Hotels in Cancun tend to be high rise hotels. Cancun has more night life and more shopping. The hotel zone is only about 20 minutes or so from the airport so that's a plus after a long day of traveling.

Further south in the Mayan Riviera the resort properties I think tend to be nicer, usually they are a collection of many smaller buildings rather than one giant hotel, like Cancun. It's about 50-60 minutes from the Airport, maybe 80 or 90 minutes if your resort is as far south a Tulum.

And for nightlife, resorts in the Mayan Riviera will typically have their own evening shows and most will have a disco. If you're not keen on your resort's nightlife you can find enough in Playa del Carmen and more than enough shopping too.

I would say if you are looking for more high end shopping, more Americanized environment, more night clubs and spring break type atmosphere then pick Cancun.

If you are looking for more relaxed, somewhat more Mexican, quieter type vacation then pick the Mayan Riviera.

I'm I big fan of the Mayan Riviera personally, so for me it's an easy choice but for others it's Cancun. Both are great, it's just whatever suits you better.
Palace Resorts are very nice and they are available in Cancun and Riviera Maya in different price ranges.

If you want nightlife, shopping, variety of restaurants, more people, then Cancun. If you want more of a resort atmosphere, then Riviera Maya.

I agree that if you want to find something in your budget, your best bet is to contact a travel agent who can find you a nice package that fits what you want to do, and your budget.

If you don't have an agent, please give me a call and I'd be glad to try to help you make your arrangements.