Well we’ve enjoyed visiting the Riviera Maya area over 25+ years and wintering here the past 7. We built a home in 2015 with the intention of pulling up roots in the US and having this as our new base from which to travel. But in 2020 we decided to keep our US residence and sell here, which we just did. just time for a new adventure...

The area has just gotten so much more crowded over the past decade, and the number of new resorts and the associated traffic is just crazy…The unstoppable growth really is getting to be unsustainable, it is showing in the pollution and height of new construction. I hope another Cancun —> Tulum highway can be added to help with the traffic. The rise in cartel-related violence throughout the RM is another factor, some assassinations and tourist killings have been too close to home…Even Cozumel is experiencing an uptick in cartel-related violence which although inevitable, is a shame.

So we are looking forward to spending more time in other Carib spots, I do miss the BVI! We wish others just starting their life in the Riviera Maya the best, and we will miss the local people here, they truly are wonderful!

It sounds like it was time to move on. Glad you were able to sell and get out OK. Maybe time to move south WITHIN the US. That's what we did and while Florida is VERY far from perfect, it's 65 degrees here today and I'm COLD. Not about to deal with snow and ice anymore!!

Best wishes in your future endeavors!

I returned in mid-December from a really nice one-week trip to Cozumel. Stayed on the north side (north of the airport) at Playa Azul, away from the big all-inclusives that seem to dominate much of the island. It's a great hotel and has a perfect little dive shop attached (Bluedream Cozumel). This was my third trip to Cozumel, and second time at Playa Azul.

Good snorkeling (shore and boat), good food, good weather.

And I've got to mention the excellent local seafood restaurant in town called La Conchita del Caribe.

Flights are easy connections on American through Dallas, probably through Miami if you live in the east.

We were big Isla Mujeres aficionados years ago but it's gotten very crowded so I defer to Cozumel when I want to go to Mexico. Another Belize trip is on the docket for April.

Yes that’s the preferred area for a visit, glad you enjoyed your stay!

Unfortunately Coz is being inundated even more now with cruise ships, 7 or more daily some days, making her one of the busiest cruise ports in the Carib. So staying away from San Miguel and beaches is a good idea.
10 years ago when we were looking for a place to retire we had considered Coz, but the cruise ship schedule had grown so much by then that we decided on the RM instead.

25 years ago, when cruising to Coz or visiting from Playa, we enjoyed our favorite Coz beach (Playa Palancar) and bar (Bob Marley Bar). Being several km from town and the cruise ship docks we rarely saw another day visitor. So even when ships were in we could still have these places to ourselves literally. But these more remote places are now jam-packed with cruisers almost everyday.
And of course the recent assassinations and other cartel-related activities that are now being reported show that Coz is not immune to that as many had hoped.

So it is a shame that Coz is now experiencing more crime and violence, but the cartels follow the $$$ obviously, and friends living there for years who felt their island was less susceptible to that are becoming more concerned and thinking of leaving…
Progress…

I've heard from Cozumel locals that the big protection rackets that are run on many retail Riviera Maya businesses have not come to Coz and there's a strong police (local and Federal) effort to prevent that.

I do get your point about cruise ships and to me it's just a matter of staying away from the big "plaza" area when the ships are most prevalent. While I do like the entire island, staying at the big hotel areas south of town aren't for me as they mainly cater to families who go for the all inclusive experience and the mega resort kind of trip.

We've never stayed in Cancun and our only onshore RM stay was one trip to Akumal which was OK but not great. I think you're better off on the two islands, though I do agree that the entire area is getting pretty crowded overall and crime is a concern here and there.

Yes we all certainly have our likes and preferences. Some friends love the touristy Cancun area, others love Holbox and IM…In our case we much prefer staying on the peninsula and being able to easily visit so many different areas, including Merida and other areas of Yucatán, Q Roo proper, and of course the beautiful islands…The RM has something for everyone, and over time you find that spot…We do love staying on our favorite islands, but they are elsewhere in the Carib and much less busy…

And I wish Coz was as it was decades ago in terms of the cartels (and the overcrowded beaches) but it seems that unique distinction is no more…I will say politicians are the real problem, and the tourism $$$ are obviously very attractive…

But as long as you are able to safely enjoy your visits that is what matters 😉