City overview
The Riviera Maya runs about 130 kilometres of Caribbean coast from Puerto Morelos south through Playa del Carmen, Mayakoba, Puerto Aventuras and Akumal to Tulum, and packs white sand, jungle cenotes and Maya cities into a single stretch of Highway 307. Playa del Carmen is the heart of it, a walkable beach town built around Quinta Avenida, and it is also where Jewish visitors will find the region's kosher scene. Two Chabad houses operate in Playa del Carmen and a third serves Tulum, between them running a synagogue, a mikvah, Shabbat meals and more than a dozen supervised kosher kitchens, bakeries and shops. It is one of the densest concentrations of kosher food anywhere in Latin America outside Mexico City, and it sits within walking distance of the beach.
Yal-ku Lagoon
Riviera Maya · Original Yal-Ku operator entrance: general adult MXN350; general minor MXN250. Quintana Roo resident adult MXN200, minor MXN140. Adult product is labeled over 13 years; confirm minor/resident eligibility and required ID with operator. These rates apply to the saved original Yal-Ku entrance, not the separate Xcaret Yal-Ku Park packages.
A calm lagoon at the northern end of Akumal where fresh groundwater meets the sea and shoals of fish gather in still, shallow water.
Time needed
1 to 2 hours
Hours
Open daily 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Tips
Much calmer than the open bay and better for children and nervous swimmers. Snorkel gear and life jackets are hired at the entrance, and only biodegradable sunscreen is permitted.
Phone
984 875 9065Neighborhood
Akumal
Activity providers
Kosher map of Riviera Maya
Pick a place on the map or search an address or hotel to see what is kosher around it.