The country's easternmost coast, an enviable stretch of powder punctuated by Mayan ruins and sheltering mangroves, is the anti-Cancún—for now

The Riviera Maya lies on the far edge of Quintana Roo, a state whose physical distance from the country's center makes it a world of its own, and whose Mayan influence has little in common with the estilo típico of colonial Mexico. There's plenty of recent international influence, too, since it was vacationing Europeans who helped build up Playa del Carmen—although Americans, both as entrepreneurs and visitors, are catching on.

The Mayan mainstay ruins, Tulum and Cobá, get hot and crowded by midday, so visit them early. Less popular is Muyil, which was once an active trading post. Its Castillo temple rises above a parklike setting half an hour south of Tulum, on Highway 307. Walk past the main temple to the kiosk for Amigos de Sian Ka'an, a nonprofit organization that helps administer the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve; the $4 entry fee will gain you access to a trail through lush, Jurassic-looking jungle. Climb the wooden tower for a commanding view of the biosphere, or continue walking to a chain of lagoons, hire a guided boat, and watch the colors and vegetation change as you move toward the saltwater Caribbean.

Cenotes are sinkholes that form when a cave collapses. No two are alike (some are spectacular, others dinky), and you'll see countless signs for them. The Cenote Azul, right off Highway 307, south of Puerto Aventuras, is 600 feet across, and you can rent goggles and a breathing tube to explore. Aktun Chen Natural Park has informative tours (aktunchen.com; $24).

I visited the tiny Mayan enclave and nature preserve at Punta Laguna on my own. Alltournative offers an excursion that includes a morning at Cobá and ends with a bit of "ziplining" through the jungle (984-803-9999; alltournative.com; day tour, $104). For further inland exploration, cross into the neighboring state of Yucatán and stop in Valladolid's central plaza. With its charming colonial arcades and old stone church, it's very different from the coast. A short drive to the north are the ruins at Ek Balam, which have been under serious excavation only since the 1990s. The star attraction is a massive acropolis with mysterious, and mysteriously well-preserved, carvings.

The country code for Mexico is 52. Prices quoted are for April 2007.

Lodging
Set on a former coconut plantation and evoking a village, the Maroma Resort and Spa was the first deluxe complex on the coast. It has a gorgeous beach and the grand Kinan Spa, which is laid out so the sun can penetrate and carry away the negative energy (998-872-8200; maromahotel.com; doubles, $480–$780 with a three-night minimum). The Hotel Esencia, also deluxe, began as the vacation property of an Italian duchess and now welcomes families (984-873-4835; hotelesencia.com; doubles, $575).

The amenity-filled, all-suite Paraíso de la Bonita, only a short drive south of Cancún, is furnished with eclectic international antiques and has a huge spa and walkways that are dramatically torch-lit at night (998-872-8300; paraisodelabonita.com; suites, $695–$1,175). When I stayed at Playa del Carmen's highly designed Hotel Básico not too long after its 2005 opening, a few of the functionality kinks were still being worked out, but the hotel's lighthearted style was already a draw, especially for younger crowds (984-879-4448; hotelbasico.com; doubles, $148–$238). Ikal del Mar is a romantic, high-service collection of villas strung along semijungle paths and leading to a lovely seaside pool (984-877-3000; ikaldelmar.com; villas, $685–$885). The 200-room Royal Hideaway Playacar is one of the few Gold List properties south of Cancún (984-873-4500; royalhideaway.com; doubles, $478–$707).

The stunning beach along Boca Paila Road, at Tulum, has small-scale lodgings, often invested with the owners' quirky visions (don't count on credit cards being accepted, and bring insect repellent and a flashlight). Some of the best forgo fancy amenities to minimize their environmental footprint. A perennial favorite, the French-owned Las Ranitas has lived-in gathering spaces that make it feel like the country getaway of an artsy uncle (984-877-8554; lasranitas.com; doubles, $120–$250). The yoga-themed Amansala was founded four years ago by two New Yorkers. They replaced an old hippie commune with cute cabanas and design touches like orange beach loungers (984-100-0717; amansala.com; doubles, $145–$225). The same aesthetic applies down the road at their sister facility, Casa Magna, which is in a large, bright home originally built for drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. Inquire about the signature Bikini Bootcamp yoga program, which might be taking place during your visit (984-100-0717; amansala.com; doubles, $245–$325). In addition to a small number of rooms, Coqui-Coqui has a day spa and a signature line of fragrances (984-112-5428; coquicoquispa.com; suites, $200–$300). Three miles past the entry to the Sian Ka'an Biosphere is the Cesiak eco-lodge. Its cabins are tentlike, and the bathroom is clean but shared. The facilities, however, are spacious and solidly built—and the open sea is just downhill (984-871-2499; cesiak.org; cabins, $70–$90).

Dining
The decor feels a bit touristy, but Yaxche, in Playa del Carmen, is a good place to experience Mayan ingredients such as banana leaf and the slightly bitter herb chaya. In the traditional sweet-and-sour pork dish poc chuc, you can even spot the Chinese influence, left by workers who arrived in the Yucatán to harvest sisal in the 19th century (Calle 8 Norte, between Avenidas 5 and 10; 984-873-2502; entrées, $9–$44).

Europeans have been coming to Playa for a while, so Continental fare is common. The Italian-run Glass Bar, in the Mosquito Blue Hotel, has an ample wine list that goes equally well with salads and osso buco (984-803-1676; entrées, $13–$27).

Along the Boca Paila Road, near Tulum, the restaurant at the Posada Margherita serves fresh seafood and pasta in an eight-table room (Kilometer 4.5; 984-100-3780; entrées, $18–$34). Another seafood spot, Zamas, is a festive social hub in a neat cove setting (Kilometer 5; 984-877-8523; entrées, $8–$27).

Although I sampled only yummy Mexican wedding cookies at Hechizo, I can at least vouch for the passion with which chef Stefan Schober, formerly of the Ritz-Carlton in Singapore, talks about introducing ambitious wines to Tulum and about long drives to Mérida and Cancún for fresh ingredients (Kilometer 10; 984-100-0710; entrées, $16–$32; open early Dec.–mid-May). A bit farther down the road, Cesiak (see "Lodging") offers tasty Mexican food inside the biosphere and has terrace views of sea, lagoons, and sky (984-871-2499; entrées, $6–$13).

Reading
A best seller in 1843, John L. Stephens's Incidents of Travel in Yucatan—praised by Edgar Allan Poe as "the most interesting book of travel ever published"—includes a delightful account of his sleepover in the great Castillo temple at Tulum (University of Michigan Library, $30). Nelson A. Reed's The Caste War of Yucatán explores the longest colonial uprising in the history of the Western Hemisphere (Stanford University Press, $26). The anthropologist Michael D. Coe's passionate Breaking the Maya Code tells the story—educational but with a mystery-plot grip—of how a Soviet who'd never set foot in the Americas jump-started scholarly efforts to decipher the Maya's glyphs (Thames & Hudson, $20). And Charles C. Mann's recent best seller 1491 describes the Maya's sophisticated engineering of their environment (Vintage, $15).

For a breakdown of restaurants, lodgings, and services by town and even beach, as well as a discussion board where travelers and expats swap weather reports, complaints, and discoveries, visit locogringo.com.