Picture this: You’re gliding through the emerald waters of Mexico’s Mayakoba over a breakfast of fresh pastries, toast, and yogurt parfait. Nature thrums softly as you float past mangroves, luxurious waterfront homes and hotels, and crocodile-dotted shores. Herons and tropical birds soar overhead as you sail on a private lagoon tour in the heart of the Maya Riviera.
Photo: Andaz Mayakoba
This Resort Treats You to a Private Pocket of Mexico’s Riviera Maya
This is one of many distinctive experiences for guests of Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya by Hyatt, the newest of the four hotels inside the 595-acre eco-friendly Mayakoba resort development in the Mexican Caribbean.
The rooms and amenities at Andaz Mayakoba
Photo: Kaila Yu
My first impression of Andaz Mayakoba was the open-air lobby. During check-in, the concierge handed me a fruity popsicle to combat the tropical heat and a room key in the form of a wristband. Before jumping into a shuttle to get to my room, I was given a stone to toss into the massive reservoir encompassing the entire center of the lobby and invited to make a wish.
Andaz Mayakoba has 214 rooms and suites split between the property’s lagoon and beach sides. Rooms start at $380 per night; suites start at $571 per night. I stayed in a second-floor beachfront king suite with ocean views and a small dipping pool on the oceanfront balcony. The room was immaculate and tranquil, with a cushy king-sized bed, fluffy bathrobes, a walk-in rainfall shower, Malin + Goetz toiletries, a Nespresso machine, and free WiFi.
Photo: Kaila Yu
There’s about a mile between the two sides of the property. Shuttles are available to take you around, but I opted to use the resort’s complimentary bikes. Biking around is a dreamy, meditative experience, especially through the nature reserve. It’s like forest bathing on wheels, with surprise sightings of deer, monkeys, and other local wildlife.
Andaz Mayakoba has two main pools and smaller pools scattered throughout, as well as a quiet, baby-soft white-sand beach area with lounge chairs and food and drink service.
Dining at Andaz Mayakoba
The all-inclusive experience at Andaz Mayakoba includes a breakfast buffet, lunch, dinner at select restaurants, an open-bar, in-room dining, snacks and pop-ups, and a $50 spa credit.
Photo: Kaila Yu
Cocina Milagro is the resort’s all-day restaurant on the lagoon side, which I visited for breakfast. I loved the buffet’s selection of freshly baked bread, including my favorite pan dulce, or Mexican bread slathered in sugar and butter. Also fun are the make-your-own chilaquiles bar and made-to-order eggs and quesadillas stations. There’s also plenty to order off the menu.
For lunch, I dined at Tinto del Pulpo, which serves Mexican food. One day, I ordered the Andaz Caesar, a virgin pina colada, and the tropical ceviche. The fresh, lime-dressed fish paired nicely with the pickled onions, small mango chunks, and freshly fried tostadas. Another day, I had a spinach salad with strawberries, mashed beets, goat cheese, and shrimp passion fruit ceviche.
Photo: Kaila Yu
Casa Amate is an award-winning dinner restaurant at Andaz Mayakoba. The menu features flavors from around the world. My meal started with housemade bread and whipped butter and a ceviche starter. For my main, I chose the risotto-like tacu tacu, a parmesan bomb of rice and lentils cooked with aji panca pepper, a creamy manzano chile sauce, and generous chunks of sustainable prawns. For dessert, the waiter recommended the chocotorta, but I preferred something fruity to finish: suspirolimeno, a Peruvian dessert with vanilla biscuit, meringue, guava jelly, and pisco ice cream.
Photo: Kaila Yu
Another restaurant, Sotavento, paired dinner with my favorite views from tables set up on the sand. The menu specializes in grilled seafood, serving up dishes like clams with habanero and garlic and grilled shrimp with steak. One highlight of my meal was the side of roasted sweet potato topped with cucumber, Greek yogurt, cumin honey, and mint. One night, I attended the restaurant’s Oysters and Bubbles event, which included a multi-course, seafood-leaning tasting menu and live jazz, as well as a pop-up from the NIRVANIC swimsuit line.
Experiences and activities at Andaz Mayakoba
Photo: Kaila Yu
Nowhere is Andaz Mayakoba more relaxing than at the Naum Spa. I was the only one using all of the amenities during my visit — the spa, steam room, and sauna — followed by a 75-minute herbal treatment. It started with my therapist asking me to pick one of three tarot cards to set an intention for the massage. I almost fell asleep on the mechanically adjustable massage table during my treatment, which is one of my metrics for a massage.
Outside of the amenities, Andaz Mayakoba organizes a variety of experiences. The lagoon boat tour is a must. There’s a daily complimentary lagoon boat tour from 11 AM to 3 PM, but I opted for the dreamy private breakfast tour — a peaceful glide over placid waters during which you’ll spot wildlife like indigenous birds, turtles, and sunbathing crocodiles.
Photo: Kaila Yu
Another day, I went for a one-tank morning scuba dive with the Mayakoba Dive Center. It was just me and the divemaster, Bukaneros Diving, who was attentive, knowledgeable, and excited that I had an advanced certification because it meant we could go on a deeper dive together. While underwater, I saw the most enormous hawksbill turtle I’d ever seen, at least five feet long, as well as a smaller hawksbill, a ray, and a silly moray eel who thought he was hiding when in fact his enormous eight-foot body was splayed out for us to see.
Things to do in Mayakoba
Photo: Kaila Yu
Four hotels share the Mayakoba complex, and guests of all of the resorts are welcome to wander freely. During a day trip, I explored El Pueblito, a traditional Mexican town square just a 15-minute bike ride from Andaz Mayakoba. I picked up local treats at Sweet Spot, a shop with homemade ice cream, traditional Mexican candies, and souvenirs. Dining options include La Fondita with Mexico City-style cuisine; Pan Dulce, a traditional bakery; and The Burger Shop.
While in El Pueblito, I took a class at the plaza’s cooking school. I didn’t think I could learn anything new about cooking guacamole, but my teacher taught me several new tricks, such as pre-marinating onions in lime, adding a roasted pepper, using a mortar and pestle, and mashing garlic instead of simply mincing it. I also handmade tortillas and learned how to make chicken taquitos. We made so much food that I had to pack some up to go.
Upon returning to the hotel, I stopped by one of the three cenotes inside Mayakoba: El Burrodromo. There are free tours daily between 9 AM and 5 PM. I learned about the Yucatán Peninsula’s underground rivers and checked out a sleeping bat colony, rock formations, and crystal-clear blue waters. Throughout Mayakoba, there are also 2.5 miles of nature trails that wind through mangrove forests and where you can spot spider monkeys, coatis (an animal in the racoon family), deer, and over 300 other species.
Getting to Andaz Mayakoba
I flew to Andaz Mayakoba from Los Angeles, which was an easy journey. I took an approximately five-hour direct flight to Cancún International Airport (CUN) from LAX and arrived at the resort via resort-provided transportation in about 45 minutes. 