Mexico

I could rhyme off a series of food, beverage, and vacation-related clichés (because the beaches, food, and cervezas were really good!), but this country is so much more than what the tourists see on the resorts!  That said, I was actually one of those tourists that didn’t venture off and explore the country (though I did entertain the idea of seeing Chichen Itza and the Mayan ruins). I went directly from the airport to the resort, in the Mayan Riviera, which is why this entry resides in the “resorts” section. 😉

Getting there and around: 

Mexico has several international airports, but the nearest one to the resort is Cancun International (CUN).  It has a few terminals and you won’t have to exit onto the tarmac, as you do in some places, but beware the people trying to sell you discount excursions or offering you rides by the exits (this is more of a heads up than a safety precaution, though you should always be careful if you go off-resort)!  If you’ve already arranged transportation ahead of time, follow the instructions provided regarding meeting points and how to identify your contact person (i.e. Are they wearing a specific uniform or holding a sign, to clearly identify them?), as the drivers and vendors by the exits can be quite persistent (we had somebody show us a badge and direct us to a kiosk, where they were supposed to be telling us where to meet our ride – which they did – but then they went into a spiel about discount excursions, visiting other properties/memberships/getting free stays, which we politely declined and just exited to meet our ride).

Much like the resort locations in the Caribbean, your main way of getting to and from the airport is by vehicle.  There are trains and subways in Mexico City, but nothing that links up with the resorts, at this time.  So, if you’ve booked an all-inclusive vacation, you’ll likely have a bus picking you up, or have the option of taxis, private car services, or renting a vehicle yourself (if you choose to go out-of-pocket, to get there quickly, or wish to explore the country).  Again, make sure to let your travel company or tour provider know in advance, if you’re unable to climb the stairs, so they can make the suitable transportation arrangements!  More often than not, they provide a bus/highway coach that doesn’t have a lift.   

Where I stayed (year):

Luxury Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an (2012) – The lone “adults-only” resort of the four that comprise the Grand Bahia Principe’s footprint in Riviera Maya: It’s about 1 hr 15 mins from Cancun International and is situated in a secluded wooded area – away from the beach and the other 3 resorts – with a golf course nearby.  The restaurants, pool, lobby bar, and accommodations are all very modern, stylish and luxurious (as the name suggests). And even though this particular resort is relatively small, the property/complex as a whole is sprawling! As such, there are trams and golf carts to shuttle you between the various resort locations, but from an accessibility standpoint, both can be quite difficult to use, if you’re in a wheelchair and can’t walk or handle tricky transfers.  I found that the golf carts were a bit easier to hop onto, but they’re restricted to Privilege Club members only.  

So, if you have concerns about being able to utilize these vehicles (or cringe at the thought of having your mobility device dangling precariously from the back of one), you might be better off staying at one of the other 3 resorts because if you decide to travel under your own power, your choices are either jay-walking across Highway 307 (this was the fastest and most direct route to the beach and entertainment square, from Sian Ka’an), or taking the much longer route used by the resort vehicles, which eventually leads to a fairly steep bridge that arches over the highway.  This latter route is safer, but you’re looking at roughly a 20 minute jaunt – maybe more, depending on where you’re going – versus the ‘Human Frogger’ route, which took 5-10 mins (there were gaps where you could cross the 4 lane highway, but no official crosswalk…and the vehicles are doing ~100 km/h, so they close ground quickly).

Once you’ve reached the other side of the highway, the rest of the complex consists of: GBP Coba, Tulum, and Luxury GBP Akumal (another upscale resort where children are allowed), the beach/ocean, a “dolphinarium” (where you can interact with our smiling, fellow mammals), shopping, shows & more at “Hacienda Doña Isabel” (a large entertainment square that also has a casino, sports bar, disco, and performances/karaoke nights).  Please note: The washrooms in the square have a step up to get into them and the secondary square has stairs to get into the shops, pharmacy & sports bar.  Everything else is ramped or level, with the exception of the stairs to get down to the dance floor, in the disco (you can access the bar and stay on the upper level).

In total, there are 22 a la carte restaurants and 30 bars, between the 4 resorts – not counting the main buffets belonging to each, or the aforementioned spots in the entertainment area.  The food was quite good and I guess staying at a huge resort like this does have it perks, as all the walking helped burn off those extra calories. 😉  There’s also some unique wildlife onsite too: Coatis!  They’re indigenous to the region and are distant relatives of the raccoon, with long tails that stand straight up and they travel in packs, so you’re not likely to miss them.  If you do happen to cross paths (we saw a bunch of them – including some babies – by the all-night restaurant in Coba), they’re quite tame. But as is the case with all wild animals, you should always be careful and never corner one, or get between a mother and its babies!  There’s also plenty of iguanas, some raccoons (I’m told – we didn’t see any), and even a crocodile or two.  There were signs on the path between Tulum & Akumal that mentioned the crocodiles, but we walked it numerous times (day and night) and didn’t see any.  An employee showed us pics of them though and said they’re typically further away from the path/people in general, and are normally spotted in the early morning.  

The beach was quite nice and there’s equipment available for water sports (some for a fee, others free), but there wasn’t much in the way of wheelchair access. Fortunately for me, the Privilege Club has a dedicated section of the beach for their members and part of it was fairly close to a paved path, so I only had a short stretch of deep sand to contend with to reach some beach chairs.  But should you want to lounge by the ocean (instead of hanging out by one of the many pools), you may want to have somebody on hand to help you get through the sand. And if you’re somebody who likes to explore the entire property, but have trouble walking for an extended period, I strongly advise bringing or renting a mobility device!

Overall, from a comfort and accessibility perspective, the accommodations and properties were quite good! The rooms at Sian Ka’an are all junior suites and the accessible room that I stayed in was a ‘Superior Garden’, with a sitting area, dining table, and a small ramp down to the table and chairs on the patio. I do remember that there was a bit of a problem getting close to the bathroom sink though, as it was a deep basin sat on top of some shelves, which held the towels.  So, you may need to line up sideways to get close to the sink and you should ask ahead, if you need a shower chair (or bring your own/rent one from an external vendor), if you need one.  The restaurants and buffets were either level or had ramps to the entrance, but you may want to give them advance warning, if you’re part of a large group and have difficulty negotiating stairs, as some have split-level seating and a limited number of tables on the main level. Rating: 4/5 

Bahia Principe Tulum (2019 – Room 101) – This resort is closest to Hacienda Doña Isabel and has access to the beach (though there isn’t a path through the sand to the ocean – you have to manage that yourself).  The accommodations weren’t as upscale as Luxury Sian Ka’an, but they were still decent. The accessible room that I stayed in was in Villa 1, so it was close to the lobby, pool, main bar, and theatre.  My only issues with it were that the bedside light switches were too far to reach from the bed and the bathroom layout left a lot to be desired:  The bathroom door swung inward, the shower door outward (so there wasn’t much room to get out of the way of either easily), and there wasn’t enough space next to the toilet to park my wheelchair, which made transferring rather awkward (and somewhat dangerous).  On the plus side, there were grab bars by the toilet and in the shower, there was enough leg room underneath the sink counter to get under it fully, and they also had a shower chair onsite that you could request, so I didn’t have to bring one from home. All of the general areas in Tulum were accessible and the main buffet restaurant reserves tables close to the buffet for elderly & mobility-impaired guests.

Rating: 3.75/5