After finishing a pina colada by the hotel pool, I head to its swim-up bar thinking “which cocktail shall I have next?” Seeking inspiration, I spin a wheel of fortune sitting on its counter, with the names of drinks in each segment – only for it to land on “pina colada”.
Oh well, if I must! During a holiday at the new five-star, all-inclusive Margaritaville Island Reserve in Riviera Maya, Mexico, choosing what to eat or drink next can be the hardest decision you will have to make during each lazy, sun-blessed day.
With five restaurants, four bars, a sumptuous breakfast buffet, as well as 24-hour room service all included in your stay, it’s easy to completely switch off and relax.
But for those also wanting to explore Mexico’s ancient Mayan culture, as well as its Spanish colonial past, the Yucatan peninsula has plenty to offer. A day trip to the Mayan city of Chichen Itza starts early with an 8am pick up from the hotel for the two-and-a-half hour drive to get there.
Walking through the entrance to the Unesco World Heritage site, the first thing that comes into view is the imposing El Castillo, also known as the Temple of Kukulcan.
The 100ft tall Mesoamerican step pyramid, built from the 8th to 12th centuries, is its most famous building and was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World after a worldwide vote in 2007.
All four sides have 91 steps leading up to the temple perched on its top, and standing in its shadow it is easy to imagine a human sacrifice taking place with the severed head rolling down the steps to the baying crowds below, similar to a scene in Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto film about the Mayans.
Human sacrifice did take place at Chichen Itza, but not in such a gory and dramatic way, with adults and children being dispatched at one of the four natural sinkholes, or cenotes, which provided water to the city.
The Cenote Sagrado, which translates as Sacred Cenote, was a pilgrimage site used for sacrifices
and ceremonial offerings to the rain god Chaac in times of drought. Today the dark green murky pool surrounded by overgrown jungle still has an eerie feel when standing at its edge on your own and I have to admit to being glad when it was time to move on.
We spent two hours exploring the ancient city but it would be easy to spend longer marvelling at the well-preserved stone buildings, including the magnificent Temple of the Warriors, which has rows of stone columns in front of it and to one side.
But my favourite was the Great Ball Court, the largest of 13 ball courts at the site where a form of racquetball was played.
Our next stop was the city of Valladolid, a half hour drive from Chichen Itza. This charming city with brightly coloured colonial buildings was founded in 1545 and named after the former medieval capital of Spain.
It can be easily explored on foot, taking in the baroque-style San Gervasio Cathedral, before heading to Cenote Zaci, an inviting blue pool in an underground cavern half covered by the roof of a cave with stalactites hanging down.
The Mayans believed cenotes were gateways to the underworld that their gods would visit, which is why they left gifts, carried out rituals and made sacrifices at some of them.
Wearing life jackets is compulsory to take a dip in the icy cold waters of the pool, which is reached by descending a lot of rough stone steps and is blissful after a hot day of sightseeing.
Floating on your back in the middle of the pool while looking up at the sunlight streaming through a hole into the cavern below, with birds flying in and out, is a truly wonderful experience not to be missed.
After an epic 12-hour day enjoying Chichen Itza and Valladolid, we arrived back at our hotel in Riviera Maya and made the most of the 24-hour room service.
Margaritaville Island Reserve is part of a chain of hotels, casinos, restaurants and bars founded
by American singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who died in New York in September last year, aged 76.
These aim to promote his passion for “island escapism” and the 355 rooms and suites at the new resort use the colours of the sea, sand and sky to create a tropical vibe with huge comfy double beds, a sofa and table leading out to a balcony, with a large bathroom.
For dining out, there is a very good steakhouse and an Italian restaurant, or the more relaxed Landshark Brewery and Grill, where a tour can be taken during the day of its microbrewery, producing impressive IPAs and stouts.
The staff are friendly and relaxed, and make it very easy to kick back by the pool on a sun lounger with a constant supply of cocktails.
That is unless you fancy trying your hand on the wheel of fortune at the bar to see what the cocktail gods have in store for you.
And if you don’t fancy getting up for the buffet breakfast you can visit the hotel’s coffee shop and pick up a pastry or sandwich, which was handy as we headed back to Cancun Airport for our TUI Airways flight to Gatwick.
Book the holiday
TUI Airways flies to Cancun from Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester, and Newcastle in January starting at £619 return with 15kg baggage. tui.co.uk/flight
Rooms at the Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Maya resort in Mexico start at £395 a night all-inclusive. karismahotels.com
More info at visitmexico.com/eng
