Trip Report Catalonia Riviera Maya/Yucatan Beach

02-26-2005

Stayed at Catalonia Riviera Maya third week in February 05 and had an awesome vacation. Would go again if traveling there. Would highly recommend without hesitation. Thanks to all who helped answer questions for me prior to this first visit to Mexico. I hope this review is helpful to those of you yet to travel to this beautiful area and specifically to the Catalonia. At the very end of this review, I will list a compilation of specific links that I found most helpful. Moderators may have another opinion, but I tried to give the direct link to the actual page with photos of the resort, absolutely no commercial intent on my part. On to the review:

Hotel and Name: Very confusing for me in my pre-trip research. Presently called the Catalonia Riviera Maya (formerly Chameleon) and sister hotel Catalonia Yucatan Beach (formerly Lookea). Think of them as one and the same. There is no fence, division, anything at all that separates the two physically. We stayed on the Yucatan Beach side, but rooms on the other side looked the same (we checked out rooms from others in our group). The Yucatan Beach side does seem to have a few more European tourists and was generally a little quieter. The activity staff regularly uses Spanish, English, and French. In fact, the desk attendant on that side answered the phone in French but quickly switched to English as needed.

Rooms: Very clean but simple. Beds hard but able to get accustomed to that quite easily. We had two double beds but probably could have requested a move to a room with one king size, once available. My wife brought her own hair dryer which worked just fine in the outlets provided. No need for converter. Each bathroom already has a hair dryer which seemed quite adequate to me. We took advantage of the room safe for $3 per day. It was just an added sense of security though never really had any concerns whatsoever during our time at the hotel or in Puerto Adventuras in general. Room had air and temp could actually get too cool. Despite the good AC, the humidity was ever-present. Overall comfortable for the little time that we spent actually in the room. Remember to take an alarm clock for bedside, as these are not provided.

Grounds: One word…immaculate. Trimming trees, wiping pools, cleaning beaches, there was always someone keeping the resort clean. This and the friendly staff are probably two of the finest assets of the resort.

Beach: Water shoes probably not necessary but could be nice if you have room to pack. There are rocks off the beach, but the beach itself had only a few small stones, shells, and coral. Most of the time in the ocean was spent snorkeling and had fins on for that. Snorkel gear provided and cleaned after each use. Can have some handi-wipes along just to make sure, or bring you own tube. Reef off the resort has been damaged over time but still provided a Midwesterner with some fun. Quite a few fish, shells and occasional urchin but not the Cozumel or Akumal type snorkeling. The lagoon is sandier but also a little “artificial.” Fine for a quick swim or canoe ride though. If you are expecting the postcard white sand beach with crashing waves, this resort may disappoint. Having said that, the beach is very nice and served our needs well.

Restaurants/Food: In short…always good, much of the time great. The Italian Restaurant (Bellavista) was our favorite and most formal. Mexican (Alebrijes) and Steak House (Bamboleo Grill) were also very good. Do go to the reservation area at the snack bar (Bamboleo) as soon as possible during your stay, as the above three a la carte restaurants require reservations and fill quickly. We booked at the first opportunity and couldn’t get a spot until our third day at the resort. Pack a pair of pants for sun dress for the evening at these restaurants. The buffets changed themes every night, both buffets serving the same food. Always able to find something good. If first choice didn’t satisfy, tried something else. Snack bar was handy during the day for a quick bite and break from the beach. Aside from the three a la carte restaurants, would recommend the grilled hamburgers or chips with fresh guacamole and salsa at the snack bar and the fruit smoothies at the breakfast buffet. As a word of caution, the milk does taste different but is fine in coffee, etc. No health concern, just a different taste. Water and ice is plentiful and safe. You can bring a water bottle and fill at the beverage bar if desired.

Bars: Great selection of drinks. At times busy but relatively little wait. Maybe mixed a little on the light side, but bartender would always add to your taste. Only beer is Don Equis, tap. Simple white or red wine provided with all-inclusive, but can pay to have a much larger wine selection at the restaurants.

Activities on site: The activity team (A-team) encouraged participation in many fun activities throughout the day but were never pushy. Traveled with a group, so spent many hours playing beach volleyball or pool volleyball. Also liked the canoes. Mini-catamaran (Hobies) got high marks from others in our group, but need to reserve a day ahead of time due to popularity. My wife had a wonderful massage in a small private hut on the beach ($60 per hour, $30 per half hour). If you simply want to lie in the sun, you have ample area. The sand is soft and chairs comfortable. Most have a shaded area (thatch or umbrella) nearby, if desired. You may need to drop your towel off on your favorite seat on your way to breakfast, as some areas fill up early (things were getting busier on the beach between 9 and 10 AM). As for night life, certainly can’t compete with Playa, but was fun. As a group, we enjoyed the lobby bar and played a lot of pool until the disco opened at 11 PM. May not have been as fun without the group, not sure. Never took in the evening “shows.”

Activities off site: Puerto is a gated community and we all felt very safe going for walks or running. Enjoyed running on a 1.5 mile loop around the “town.” Best time around 6-7 AM as got a little busy during the day. Walks around the marina were always fun. Many boats. Fisherman seem to come in around 5-5:30 PM and you can catch a glimpse of the days bounty. Also able to make a purchase directly and have one of the restaurants grill it up for you. The shops around the marina again don’t compete with La Quinta Avenida in Playa, but were still fun. Many fine restaurants but cannot comment on directly, as we chose to eat at the resort. Can “swim with the dolphins” in the marina for about $100 per person. A unique activity that looked like a blast, but we were content to just watch. New groups each hour, sign up at the marina.

We did one trip out of Puerto Adventuras. Can’t give enough praise to the “James and Anna” Tulum and Beyond tour. Our group of eight had a wonderful guided tour of Tulum from a Mayan descendant who was very proud of and knowledgeable on Mayan history. The beach at Tulum was marvelous and bettered only by the beach a little farther south where we had lunch. Fresh grilled chicken, beans, tortillas, guacamole and a few Coronas were delicious. This, the turquoise water, and crashing waves made for an absolute gem of a meal. We also snorkeled in two beautiful cenotes (Gran and Azul), one before and one after lunch. Beautiful crystal clear water. About $87 per person and worth every penny. If James continues to “grow the business” hopefully he will be able to keep the intimate feel of these tours. Can’t give link to the site, but do a Google search for “James Anna tour.” You won’t be disappointed.

For great snorkeling, heard rave reviews from others in our group about Cozumel. Also had good intentions to take in Akumal Bay and Half Moon Bay about 8 miles south of Puerto Adventuras, but didn’t have the time. If planning day trip to Playa, the Catalonia does provide a free shuttle. But need to sign up early day before to reserve a seat. Can also take taxi for $12 one way.

That’s probably enough. Kudos if you made it this far into the post. A few parting tips…Wear more sunscreen than you think is necessary. Take a large insulated mug with cover for drinks at the resort (Walmart has some great ones). Use a phone card for calls home, can purchase in Mexico. Relax and enjoy. Things in Mexico will always happen but maybe not exactly on time:-) Hope you have a wonderful trip.

Mapchick’s great list of links in the area:
www.mapchick.com/links.html

A few sites with pics of the hotel and area:
http://www.docancun.com/Hotels-Rivie...aya_resort.htm
http://www.travel-center.com/hoteles...asp?Hotel=0168 (see image gallery)
www.1waytogotravel.com/resort.php?id=884
www.hoteles-catalonia.es/ (actual Catalonia site, need to click thru a few links to get to photos)

02-26-2005

Great review! Thanks for the links also. I have seen a couple of those sites but the travel center one had a lot of pics on it! I leave for this resort March 4th so I will also have to leave a review and leave my dos centavos worth...you made me even more EXCITED than I already was! Muchas gracias!

**Heather** · 02-26-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by manddbien

We did one trip out of Puerto Adventuras. Can’t give enough praise to the “James and Anna” Tulum and Beyond tour. Our group of eight had a wonderful guided tour of Tulum from a Mayan descendant who was very proud of and knowledgeable on Mayan history. The beach at Tulum was marvelous and bettered only by the beach a little farther south where we had lunch. Fresh grilled chicken, beans, tortillas, guacamole and a few Coronas were delicious. This, the turquoise water, and crashing waves made for an absolute gem of a meal. We also snorkeled in two beautiful cenotes (Gran and Azul), one before and one after lunch. Beautiful crystal clear water. About $87 per person and worth every penny. If James continues to “grow the business” hopefully he will be able to keep the intimate feel of these tours. Can’t give link to the site, but do a Google search for “James Anna tour.” You won’t be disappointed.

Actually you can find out about James and Anna's PlayaInfo tours by clicking on the trip planning tab above. The masterminds behind this site are also the designers of these one of a kind tours.

Rickrooster · 03-01-2005

Great links and report. We are leaving on Sunday morning and cannot wait! I've heard bad things about the beach. Is there a better beach within walking distance of the resort?

03-01-2005

Over near the marina is the Omni Beach, a longer wider stretch of beach. About a 10 minute walk, but thru the streets of Puerto. Not a bad walk though. Seemed like going to the Omni Hotel was the easiest access but I'm sure there are other ways to get to the beach. Have a great vacation!

Rickrooster · 03-01-2005

Is it open to the public? Do they mind you walking through the hotel?

03-01-2005

Didn't seem to mind. Much of the beach is public, so there must be another access point as well.

babs31 · 03-01-2005

Thanks for the info on your trip report!

Rickrooster · 03-02-2005

Does anyone know how far Akumal is from the Catalonia? Has anyone been there?

03-02-2005

By the map, looks like about 8-10 miles. Probably best to get a taxi, guessing around $6 one-way. They will call one for you at the front desk. If I remember right, there was a sign outside the lobby with fares to the area towns. Could also consider a colectivo, but you would have a pretty good walk on both ends from the highway to your final destination.

Rickrooster · 03-02-2005

Any must do's while we are there/ I'd like to find a great beach with waves crashing in. I always loved the beaches in Cancun. Anything like that here?

03-02-2005

Tulum comes to mind. Beautiful beach. Check out this link for other beaches in the immediate area:

http://www.locogringo.com/research/b...eachindex.html

02-26-2005	#1 (permalink)
manddbien Posts: n/a	Trip Report Catalonia Riviera Maya/Yucatan Beach Stayed at Catalonia Riviera Maya third week in February 05 and had an awesome vacation. Would go again if traveling there. Would highly recommend without hesitation. Thanks to all who helped answer questions for me prior to this first visit to Mexico. I hope this review is helpful to those of you yet to travel to this beautiful area and specifically to the Catalonia. At the very end of this review, I will list a compilation of specific links that I found most helpful. Moderators may have another opinion, but I tried to give the direct link to the actual page with photos of the resort, absolutely no commercial intent on my part. On to the review: Hotel and Name: Very confusing for me in my pre-trip research. Presently called the Catalonia Riviera Maya (formerly Chameleon) and sister hotel Catalonia Yucatan Beach (formerly Lookea). Think of them as one and the same. There is no fence, division, anything at all that separates the two physically. We stayed on the Yucatan Beach side, but rooms on the other side looked the same (we checked out rooms from others in our group). The Yucatan Beach side does seem to have a few more European tourists and was generally a little quieter. The activity staff regularly uses Spanish, English, and French. In fact, the desk attendant on that side answered the phone in French but quickly switched to English as needed. Rooms: Very clean but simple. Beds hard but able to get accustomed to that quite easily. We had two double beds but probably could have requested a move to a room with one king size, once available. My wife brought her own hair dryer which worked just fine in the outlets provided. No need for converter. Each bathroom already has a hair dryer which seemed quite adequate to me. We took advantage of the room safe for $3 per day. It was just an added sense of security though never really had any concerns whatsoever during our time at the hotel or in Puerto Adventuras in general. Room had air and temp could actually get too cool. Despite the good AC, the humidity was ever-present. Overall comfortable for the little time that we spent actually in the room. Remember to take an alarm clock for bedside, as these are not provided. Grounds: One word…immaculate. Trimming trees, wiping pools, cleaning beaches, there was always someone keeping the resort clean. This and the friendly staff are probably two of the finest assets of the resort. Beach: Water shoes probably not necessary but could be nice if you have room to pack. There are rocks off the beach, but the beach itself had only a few small stones, shells, and coral. Most of the time in the ocean was spent snorkeling and had fins on for that. Snorkel gear provided and cleaned after each use. Can have some handi-wipes along just to make sure, or bring you own tube. Reef off the resort has been damaged over time but still provided a Midwesterner with some fun. Quite a few fish, shells and occasional urchin but not the Cozumel or Akumal type snorkeling. The lagoon is sandier but also a little “artificial.” Fine for a quick swim or canoe ride though. If you are expecting the postcard white sand beach with crashing waves, this resort may disappoint. Having said that, the beach is very nice and served our needs well. Restaurants/Food: In short…always good, much of the time great. The Italian Restaurant (Bellavista) was our favorite and most formal. Mexican (Alebrijes) and Steak House (Bamboleo Grill) were also very good. Do go to the reservation area at the snack bar (Bamboleo) as soon as possible during your stay, as the above three a la carte restaurants require reservations and fill quickly. We booked at the first opportunity and couldn’t get a spot until our third day at the resort. Pack a pair of pants for sun dress for the evening at these restaurants. The buffets changed themes every night, both buffets serving the same food. Always able to find something good. If first choice didn’t satisfy, tried something else. Snack bar was handy during the day for a quick bite and break from the beach. Aside from the three a la carte restaurants, would recommend the grilled hamburgers or chips with fresh guacamole and salsa at the snack bar and the fruit smoothies at the breakfast buffet. As a word of caution, the milk does taste different but is fine in coffee, etc. No health concern, just a different taste. Water and ice is plentiful and safe. You can bring a water bottle and fill at the beverage bar if desired. Bars: Great selection of drinks. At times busy but relatively little wait. Maybe mixed a little on the light side, but bartender would always add to your taste. Only beer is Don Equis, tap. Simple white or red wine provided with all-inclusive, but can pay to have a much larger wine selection at the restaurants. Activities on site: The activity team (A-team) encouraged participation in many fun activities throughout the day but were never pushy. Traveled with a group, so spent many hours playing beach volleyball or pool volleyball. Also liked the canoes. Mini-catamaran (Hobies) got high marks from others in our group, but need to reserve a day ahead of time due to popularity. My wife had a wonderful massage in a small private hut on the beach ($60 per hour, $30 per half hour). If you simply want to lie in the sun, you have ample area. The sand is soft and chairs comfortable. Most have a shaded area (thatch or umbrella) nearby, if desired. You may need to drop your towel off on your favorite seat on your way to breakfast, as some areas fill up early (things were getting busier on the beach between 9 and 10 AM). As for night life, certainly can’t compete with Playa, but was fun. As a group, we enjoyed the lobby bar and played a lot of pool until the disco opened at 11 PM. May not have been as fun without the group, not sure. Never took in the evening “shows.” Activities off site: Puerto is a gated community and we all felt very safe going for walks or running. Enjoyed running on a 1.5 mile loop around the “town.” Best time around 6-7 AM as got a little busy during the day. Walks around the marina were always fun. Many boats. Fisherman seem to come in around 5-5:30 PM and you can catch a glimpse of the days bounty. Also able to make a purchase directly and have one of the restaurants grill it up for you. The shops around the marina again don’t compete with La Quinta Avenida in Playa, but were still fun. Many fine restaurants but cannot comment on directly, as we chose to eat at the resort. Can “swim with the dolphins” in the marina for about $100 per person. A unique activity that looked like a blast, but we were content to just watch. New groups each hour, sign up at the marina. We did one trip out of Puerto Adventuras. Can’t give enough praise to the “James and Anna” Tulum and Beyond tour. Our group of eight had a wonderful guided tour of Tulum from a Mayan descendant who was very proud of and knowledgeable on Mayan history. The beach at Tulum was marvelous and bettered only by the beach a little farther south where we had lunch. Fresh grilled chicken, beans, tortillas, guacamole and a few Coronas were delicious. This, the turquoise water, and crashing waves made for an absolute gem of a meal. We also snorkeled in two beautiful cenotes (Gran and Azul), one before and one after lunch. Beautiful crystal clear water. About $87 per person and worth every penny. If James continues to “grow the business” hopefully he will be able to keep the intimate feel of these tours. Can’t give link to the site, but do a Google search for “James Anna tour.” You won’t be disappointed. For great snorkeling, heard rave reviews from others in our group about Cozumel. Also had good intentions to take in Akumal Bay and Half Moon Bay about 8 miles south of Puerto Adventuras, but didn’t have the time. If planning day trip to Playa, the Catalonia does provide a free shuttle. But need to sign up early day before to reserve a seat. Can also take taxi for $12 one way. That’s probably enough. Kudos if you made it this far into the post. A few parting tips…Wear more sunscreen than you think is necessary. Take a large insulated mug with cover for drinks at the resort (Walmart has some great ones). Use a phone card for calls home, can purchase in Mexico. Relax and enjoy. Things in Mexico will always happen but maybe not exactly on time:-) Hope you have a wonderful trip. Mapchick’s great list of links in the area: www.mapchick.com/links.html A few sites with pics of the hotel and area: http://www.docancun.com/Hotels-Rivie...aya_resort.htm http://www.travel-center.com/hoteles...asp?Hotel=0168 (see image gallery) www.1waytogotravel.com/resort.php?id=884 www.hoteles-catalonia.es/ (actual Catalonia site, need to click thru a few links to get to photos)

03-01-2005	#4 (permalink)
Rickrooster ruined Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 90	Nice Great links and report. We are leaving on Sunday morning and cannot wait! I've heard bad things about the beach. Is there a better beach within walking distance of the resort?

03-01-2005	#5 (permalink)
manddbien Posts: n/a	nearby beach Over near the marina is the Omni Beach, a longer wider stretch of beach. About a 10 minute walk, but thru the streets of Puerto. Not a bad walk though. Seemed like going to the Omni Hotel was the easiest access but I'm sure there are other ways to get to the beach. Have a great vacation!

03-02-2005	#10 (permalink)
manddbien Posts: n/a	puerto adventuras to akumal By the map, looks like about 8-10 miles. Probably best to get a taxi, guessing around $6 one-way. They will call one for you at the front desk. If I remember right, there was a sign outside the lobby with fares to the area towns. Could also consider a colectivo, but you would have a pretty good walk on both ends from the highway to your final destination.

03-02-2005	#12 (permalink)
manddbien Posts: n/a	beaches Tulum comes to mind. Beautiful beach. Check out this link for other beaches in the immediate area: http://www.locogringo.com/research/b...eachindex.html

02-26-2005	#2 (permalink)
BMWgurl22 Posts: n/a	Great review! Thanks for the links also. I have seen a couple of those sites but the travel center one had a lot of pics on it! I leave for this resort March 4th so I will also have to leave a review and leave my dos centavos worth...you made me even more EXCITED than I already was! Muchas gracias!

03-01-2005	#6 (permalink)
Rickrooster ruined Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 90	Is it open to the public? Do they mind you walking through the hotel?

03-01-2005	#7 (permalink)
manddbien Posts: n/a	Didn't seem to mind. Much of the beach is public, so there must be another access point as well.

03-01-2005	#8 (permalink)
babs31 life=playa Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: south of Green Bay Posts: 849	Thanks for the info on your trip report!

03-02-2005	#9 (permalink)
Rickrooster ruined Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 90	Does anyone know how far Akumal is from the Catalonia? Has anyone been there?

03-02-2005	#11 (permalink)
Rickrooster ruined Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 90	Any must do's while we are there/ I'd like to find a great beach with waves crashing in. I always loved the beaches in Cancun. Anything like that here?

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

register to remove these adverts