🌴 Your Insider Update from the Riviera Maya - September 29

⛈ Good morning from a rainy Riviera Maya!

I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so happy to wake up to rain. After an exceptionally dry stretch across the region, everything could use a good soaking … the jungle, the gardens and our cenotes.

Today also happens to be National Maize Day, celebrating the crop that has been at the heart of Mexican food and culture for thousands of years. Seems like a good excuse for extra tacos to me.

The Playa del Carmen Jazz Fest kicks off Thursday with four nights of concerts featuring musicians from Mexico, France, the U.S. and Spain. If you are a jazz fan, you won’t want to miss it!

After a very slow “Septihambre”, things are starting to feel a little more lively around here.

— Michele Kinnon

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📸 Congratulations to everyone who guessed that last week’s photo was taken at Punta Esmeralda in Playa del Carmen. Lori B., reading from Playa, was the first one to spot it and has been there many times with her kids!

Where am I today? Reply back with your best guess. Be the first reader to guess correctly and look for your name in next week’s newsletter! If you are reading online, pop me a quick email!

💳 More Digital Payments, Less Cash? Mexico’s Plan for 2027
Paying for lunch, shopping at a neighborhood store or covering highway tolls could increasingly mean reaching for your phone. Mexico’s proposed Digital Economy Law aims to expand digital payments, with officials pointing to instant transfers and no CoDi transaction fees. But what would the shift mean for small businesses—and people who still depend on cash? Read more

🚲 Playa del Carmen Eyes Registration and Insurance for Bikes and Scooters
A bicycle or scooter may be part of your daily commute, school run or quick trip to the shops. Playa del Carmen is considering rules that could require a QR registration tag, proof of ownership and insurance. The proposal is still under review, and neither the registration cost nor the insurance requirements have been set. Here’s what residents should know so far. Read more

🪶 Papantla Flyers Prepare to Return to Tulum
After more than 30 years at Tulum’s archaeological site, the iconic flyers left in March because too few visitors were stopping to watch and their earnings no longer covered basic costs. Federal officials aim to bring the full ceremony back this year, once the ceremonial pole passes a safety inspection. Read more

🚢 Puerto Morelos Eyes New Cargo Route to Central America
A new shipping connection could give Quintana Roo businesses another way to import supplies and send goods abroad. Talks with shipping companies are still under way, and no destination or start date has been confirmed. The proposal also raises questions about its potential effect on the local economy and marine environment. Read more

✨ Could Three More Quintana Roo Towns Become Pueblos Mágicos?
Holbox, Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Puerto Morelos have been named as possible candidates for the tourism designation. Each has a distinct story to share, from protected island landscapes to living Maya history and coastal heritage. But applications are not open yet, and federal officials must first review the existing program. Read more

Curious about what real estate costs in the residential complexes in the new urban areas of Playa del Carmen? This might not be what you think about when you dream of your retirement home in the Mexican Caribbean but lots of people are looking at developments just like this.

Take your best guess and then click CONTINUE to see the actual price and full listing details.

If you visited Playa del Carmen this summer and thought, What happened to the beach? — you were not alone.

Between severe erosion and an extraordinary sargassum season, some stretches of Playa's coastline looked pretty rough. The good news is that attention is finally shifting from simply cleaning the beaches to actually rebuilding and protecting them.

A larger regional beach-recovery plan now includes sections of Playa del Carmen, along with Cancún, Puerto Morelos and Cozumel. The strategy isn't just about adding sand. Plans also include restoring dunes, replanting native vegetation and using natural coastal processes to help stabilize the shoreline.

Some hotels aren't waiting. A dune-restoration program that began with just four or five properties has now grown to 22 hotels covering roughly 18–20 kilometers of coastline.

There's also a clever bit of recycling happening in Playa. The city has recovered about 30,000 tons of sand inadvertently removed during sargassum cleanup over the past two seasons. Subject to federal approval, that sand could begin going back onto badly eroded areas later this year.

None of this will repair Playa's beaches overnight. But after the summer we've just had, it's encouraging to see the conversation move from cleaning up the problem to protecting the beach itself.

If you've been through Cancún International Airport lately, you've probably noticed the construction. This isn't a quick facelift. ASUR is in the middle of a major expansion that will continue through 2028.

The biggest change you'll see soon is Terminal 1, which is being completely reconstructed and expanded and is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2026. Terminal 4 is also getting a substantial expansion, including four additional boarding gates.

For those of us who care less about the terminal and more about getting to it, there's even better news. The access roads are finally being expanded from four lanes to six.

So far, I feel like the construction has not been an inconvenience or caused any travel delays, but as high season appoaches, but I'd recommend allowing a few extra minutes of travel time, just in case.

If you’ve watched Playa grow over the past 20 years, you know that green space hasn’t exactly kept pace with development. We’ve built outward, upward and seemingly everywhere in between, without leaving much room for the kind of big public park where you can simply spend an afternoon.

So I’m genuinely happy to hear about plans for a new eight-hectare park adjoining Mayakoba. The proposed park sounds ambitious: bike paths, sports courts, an outdoor amphitheater, zipline, small train and a spectacular Mirador de la Selva overlooking the jungle.

My hesitation is the location. Mayakoba is well north of Playa’s population center, so transportation and access will matter enormously. A beautiful public park isn’t terribly useful if most residents need a car to get there.

Still, after years of watching Playa’s jungle disappear beneath new development, I’m not going to complain about eight hectares being set aside for recreation and nature. Maybe we should have done this years ago. But I’m glad we’re doing it now.

Today, September 29, is National Maize Day in Mexico, and really, few foods deserve their own holiday more.

Mexico is the center of origin and diversification of maize, where it was domesticated from teocintle thousands of years ago. Today, Mexico recognizes 64 varieties of maize, 59 of them native to the country. But the number I love is this one: researchers have identified at least 600 different ways Mexicans prepare maize.

We eat it fresh from the cob as elote, swimming in lime and chile as esquites, ground into masa for tortillas, tamales, sopes, panuchos and salbutes, simmered whole in pozole and even turned into drinks like atole and pozol. The ancient process of nixtamalization, cooking dried corn with lime before grinding it, is what transforms much of that maize into the masa at the heart of Mexican cooking.

So, celebrating today is easy. Order the esquites. Have another tortilla. Say yes to the tamal. It’s practically a civic duty. Want to dig deeper? Check out the Feria de Maíz y Semillas today at the planetarium in Playa.

Clear your calendar for Valladolid’s second La Vid y la Ceiba – Vendimia Maya. The event kicks off Friday, October 9 with wine-pairing menus at 16 participating local restaurants, including La Hostería del Marqués, Finesterre Valladolid, Humo Grill House and Sikil. Each venue sets its own menu, price and reservation rules.

On Saturday, October 10, the celebration moves to Selva Maya. This year’s featured state is Guanajuato. Expect Yucatecan cooking, artisans, music and wines from 15 Mexican wineries. The tasting is included with admission, and the published program places it from 2 PM–6 PM, so arrive early if that’s your main draw. If you’re traveling from Quintana Roo, remember Valladolid is one hour behind.

👉️ Get your tickets here.

The fifth edition of the Caribbean Grill Festival will bring 22 grill specialists to the portside Ventana al Mar and Parque Fundadores for two afternoons and evenings of food, music and local makers. Expect meat, fish and seafood from the grill, plus classes, wine and craft beer tastings, and a chocolate tasting.

An artisan corridor will give Puerto Morelos entrepreneurs a place in the festivities, while DJs and live bands keep the party going. The festival runs October 24 & 25 with entry from 1 PM – 10 PM both days.

👉 Get your tickets here. Children under 12 enter for free.

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Below are a few standout events coming up in teh next week. Some may even require reservations in advance. This is just a small selection curated from the full calendar. Browse the complete list by clicking HERE.

Feria del Maíz y Semillas 2026 September 29 | Planetario Sayab | Playa del Carmen | 3:30–10 PM - Celebrate National Maize Day with traditional food, native seed exchanges, workshops, games and cultural activities featuring around 30 producers from across Quintana Roo. Admission and activities are free.

Museum Night at Museo Maya de Cancún September 30 | Museo Maya de Cancún | Cancún | 7:30 PM - Explore the work behind conserving and restoring Maya archaeological heritage during this free after-hours talk. Attendees can also enter a drawing for one of 30 places on a guided tour of the Sala Maya.

Playa Spice 2026 October 1–November 15 | Participating restaurants | Playa del Carmen - Playa’s citywide restaurant promotion returns with special menus and dining offers from restaurants across town. Menus, prices and reservation requirements vary by restaurant.

Playa del Carmen Jazz Fest 2026 October 1–30 | Various venues | Playa del Carmen - The month-long festival opens with four nights of concerts at Teatro de la Ciudad, followed by free workshops, master classes and additional performances. The opening lineup includes Emmanuel Mora, Rubén Pastor, Santa Sabina, Scott Paddock and Sole Giménez.

Mijares Live in Concert October 2 | Plaza de Toros | Cancún | 9 PM - Mexican music icon Mijares brings more than four decades of romantic ballads and familiar favorites to Cancún. Doors open at 7 PM and tickets are available through eTicket.

Tsunami Cancún Comic Con October 3–4 | Cancún Center | Cancún - Two packed days of anime, comics, cosplay, K-pop, video games and pop culture feature voice actors, gaming tournaments, dance competitions, Artist Alley and special guest experiences. Admission and guest packages are sold separately.

Fake Wedding: The Party Edition October 3 | Hyatt Centric Playa del Carmen | Playa del Carmen | 7 PM–1 AM - Enjoy all the fun of a wedding without anyone actually getting married. The immersive evening includes a welcome drink, staged ceremony, vows, first dance, photo booth, live DJ and full wedding reception. Ages 18+; advance tickets are required.

📆 Did you know you can also submit your own event to appear on the calendar? Give it a try! The more people who use it, the better it gets.

To access the full list of Riviera Maya events and happenings for this week and beyond, click on the link below!

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