One of Riviera Maya’s premier resorts, Fairmont Mayakoba boasts 401 luxury guest rooms—though spread out under a mangrove canopy, you’ll hardly ever cross paths with another guest. And while the casual elegance of the hotel highlights the bewitching allure of Mexico’s Yucatán area, it’s the special eco-friendly touches that bring guests back time and time again.
Designed 20 years ago by a group of forward-thinking developers, the Mayakoba community was born, literally meaning “the city on water.” Architects, designers, and biologists collaborated to protect the pristine biodiversity in the area, while creating a haven of resorts for guests to enjoy the unspoiled beauty. From sunrise yoga, beach sports, and cycling through the jungle, Fairmont Mayakoba, located within the community, is perfect for couples and families looking to kick back and reconnect with the natural world.
For sustainable eats, the resort is home to four restaurants—including the brand-new beachfront Ki’ Beach Bar & Korean BBQ—where guests can feast on seafood, honey, and organic vegetables, sourced directly from local vendors. For an evening tipple, organic wine harvested from the world’s top international wineries is on the menu. When in season, the hotel’s exclusive restaurant, El Puerto, offers sustainable lobster from the Punta Allen fishermen community, within the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, where they maintain and even increase the lobster population.
At the Willow Stream Spa Garden, learn more about the Meliponas bees, an endemic species from Yucatán that live on the property, then unwind with a “Honey in the Heart” treatment—a honey body mask, followed by a Vichy shower and massage. Then, continue an afternoon of relaxation by heading to the river for an eco-boat tour through the verdant mangroves, where over 200 species of birds can be spotted, alongside alligators and lizards.
Should you want more excitement, hop aboard a private catamaran to take part in the reforestation of the local coral. Guests can accompany a member of the Oceanus A.C team to get a behind-the-scenes look at how Fairmont Mayakoba grows and harvests precious Acropora palmata coral, which is transplanted into the Mesoamerican Reef using cement blocks.
The only thing missing? A crowded beachfront and rowdy partygoers. Fairmont Mayakoba is proof that luxury and sustainability can live in harmony, far away from the maddening crowd.
