Travel Warning

A Secluded Outpost on the Riviera Maya
Location: Yucatán, Mexico

Mamora

Maroma is a small jewel of a resort on a fragile coast, 30 miles down the road but light-years away from the pumped-up bulk of its coastal neighbor Cancún. Maroma's Mexican architect-owner envisioned it as a marriage between development and ecological preservation. Nestled on its own mile-long strip of wild Caribbean beach near the important Mayan ruins at Tulum, Maroma is a half-Moorish, half-Mayan enclave in 400 private acres covered with mangroves, jungle, and coconut palms. While Cancún continues to grow out of control, Maroma entertains no plans to grow at all. It is the most ambitious (and certainly the most luxurious) small-is-beautiful hotel in the area. From round, breezy, thatched-roof terraces and multicolored hammocks big enough for two, views of the turquoise sea are enough to stop hardened travelers in their tracks. Good food, good wine and margaritas, spa services, and finding the perfect spot on a wide, empty beach make up the average, perfect day. Those looking for glittering nightlife must head for downtown Cancún, but most guests at Maroma are seeking refuge from anything that resembles a crowd.


WHAT: hotel. WHERE: 30 miles/48 km south of Cancún. Tel 52/987-28200, fax 521/987-28220; reservations@maromahotel.com; www.maromahotel.com. COST: doubles from $360. BEST TIMES: Jul-Aug, Oct, and Dec-May