I got bored so I decided to list all the stuff I have bookmarked on my computer and in my brain to try to help everyone out. There is so much to do and see in the Riviera Maya and Cancun, that it would be a shame to not leave the resort. Lots of stuff for wedding guests to do in order to keep them out of your hair. I will add stuff as I go over time also.
Riviera Maya & Cancun Resource list
Info sites: Cancun, Mexico. Your Complete Cancun Vacation Guide Helpful site with info for hotel comparison & info, nightlife, restaurants and everything else Cancun. Great forum too.
Riviera Maya Hotels, Resorts, Rentals: Mexican Caribbean Vacation Great Riviera Maya site with info for lodging, dining, activities, Mayan ruins, beaches, aerial photos and much more. Great forum too
Can-Do Maps and travel guides Hands down, the best maps/travel guides for the area. I own almost every map Laura & Perry make and I would not go there without them. They are part map, part travel guide.
Playa del Carmen, Mexico's Virtual Guide Book : Playa.Info The definitive Playa Del Carmen website. Everything you need to know and a great forum.
Mostly Maya Everything you could ever want to know about everything Maya. From ruins, to language, to culture, to rituals and much more.
IslaMujeres.info - Isla Mujeres Mexico Homepage The best Isla Mujeres site I know of. Reviews and info for just about every restaurant, hotel, guesthouse and activity on the island.
Cancun South the opinionated travel guide to the beach towns South of Cancun Mexico Including Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Akumal and Tulum Opinionated site with info about the Riviera Maya. Lots of reviews, info and tips. In particular, their rental car tips are very informative.
Sac-Be, the travel guide of the Riviera Maya Lots of great info with an emphasis on eco-tourism and environmental issues. Great map section as well with hotel locations
Activities: Riviera Maya Mexico Xel-Ha Ecological Water Theme Park One of the most popular parks in the Riviera Maya. Snorkeling, lazy river, snuba, food, and more
Cancun Mexico - Xcaret Park Eco Archaeological Theme Park natural Cancun tour The other big park in the area. Animals, snorkeling, lazy river, cultural shows, and more
Selvatica Full & half day tours. ZIp-lines, snorkeling, cave diving, ruins, cenotes and more
Hidden Worlds Cenotes Park - Cavern Diving and Snorkeling - Tulum Mexico Cave diving & snorkeling. Karen and I went there last year and had an awesome time.
Aktun Chen - Information Cave exploration tours. I have heard fantastic things about Aktun Chen, and plan on going there this summer
Adventure Travel Cancun Mexico - Alltournative playa del carmen, cancun, camping, excursions Mayan ruins, zip lines, bird watching, Sian Kaan tours, whale shark viewing tours, camping, etc.
Other ideas to look into are fishing tours, Sailing tours, dinner cruises, ferry over to Cozumel, reef diving, ATV tours, etc.
Mayan ruins
Chichen Itza. The biggest and most well known in the Yucatan. 2.5 hours from Cancun and the Riviera Maya
Tulum. Well known site overlooking the Caribbean. About 1.5 hours from Cancun, 45 minutes from PDC
Coba. Tallest pyramid in the Yucatan. Huge site with excavated ruins, unexcavated and everything in between. Bike rental available. 2 hours from Cancun, 1 hour from PDC
El Rey. Minor Ruins site right in Cancun's hotel zone. Worth a look if you don't want to leave Cancun
Muyi.l Ruins site 30 minutes south of Tulum. Relatively unpopular site for some reason. Most days you will have the place to yourself.
Xel-Ha. Minor ruins site right across from Xel-Ha eco park. Another unvisited site. Intact murals, frescoes and hand prints on some structures
El Meco. Site just north of Cancun. Another unvisited site, with sections still being unearthed. View across the bay to Isla Mujeres
Shopping:
Cancun:
Plaza la Isla
LA ISLA, Centro Comercial y de Entretenimiento, Shopping and Entertainment Center beautiful open air mall with canals running through. Lots of stores, botiques and restaurants
Kukulkan Plaza
Kukulcan Plaza 2 story mall in Cancun with lots of stores and restaurants. Luxury Avenue shopping with high end stores like Fendi, Coach, Burberry, Cartier, etc.
Plaza Flamingo
Bienvenidos a Plaza Flamingo Cancun. Mexico The lower class mall in Cancun's hotel zone. margaritaville is there though.
Plaza Caracol
caracolplaza.com Decent mall with a mix of stores and restaurants
Coral Negro Flea Market a nightmare to some, and heaven to others. Expect to bargain or you will get ripped off. Mostly tourist aimed souveniers.
These are the main ones in Cancun. there are quiet a few other places to shop including some strip mall setups, downtown Cancun and other various markets
Playa Del Carmen
Walmart, Costco, Sams....they are all there.
Grocery Stores a plenty
5th ave is what most people go for. All types of boutiques, shops, bars, restaurants, studios, galleries, tattoo studios, and everything else along its length. Don't forget to explore off of fifth though.
Other areas.
Anywhere that tourists tend to go will undoubtedly be accompanied by someone selling something. Souvenier shops are everywhere. Little towns like Akumal and Tulum have all the usual along with some neat handcraft stores. Dig around a little and you will be surprised
Restaurants/Hotels
I will not even attempt to tackle this beast. All of the sites above and of course, Best Destination Weddings, has more than enough info.
My picks.......
Dining
La Habichuela. Cancun. Wonderful Yucatean Cuisine in a garden setting.
La Dolce Vita. Cancun. Best Italian food in the area. Outdoor seating available overlooking the lagoon
Babes Noodle House. Playa Del Carmen. Great food at even better prices
DOn Karonte. Tulum Pueblo. I might be biased, but I had the best night of my life there.
Lucy's Tacos. Akumal. Simple taco stand in Akumal that has the best empanadas and tacos on Earth.
Oscar Y Lalo's. Soliman Bay. This is where some of the Corona commercials were filmed. Damn good food and drink too
Activities
Hidden worlds. Snorkeling in a cave filled with 20 foot deep crystal clear water is an experience you will not forget. Not for the claustrophobic.
Sian Kaan Biosphere. Virgin beaches, lots of wildlife and a whole lot of nothing.
DOlphin Swim. I DO NOT SUPPORT THIS AT ALL!!! I WILL NOT HELP ANYONE FIND OUT ABOUT IT.
General
Tulum beach road. Magical area with cabanas lining the beach. On top of cliffs in places. I stayed at Cabanas Copal last year for a night. No electricity, no music, no TV, no lights. Just me and Karen in a cabana overlooking the Caribbean waking to the sun rising over the windowsill of the cabana after a night on the beach under more stars than I have ever seen. Truly the most romantic, sensual, relaxing inspirational experience ever.
Riviera Maya resource list 
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