News, Tips & Offers delivered to your inbox.

This peninsula on Mexico's Caribbean coast offer many secluded-and superromantic-spots for newlyweds to hide away.

A tranquil evening at the Azul Beach Resort. Photography: Azul Beach Hotel by Karisma.

Thanks to Cancun, the party hub, Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula has gained international fame as a vacation destination. However, the region encompasses a huge land area, and with most of the development limited to a single strip along the coast, much of the peninsula remains relatively unknown. There are many places for a laid-back Mexican honeymoon. Que Bueno!

Hacienda Hideaway

Scattered throughout the peninsula’s interior are sprawling haciendas, large ranches and plantations that were established by the Spanish when they colonized the area. Unlike the haciendas in central Mexico that sit on the country’s dusty prairie, these properties are carved from the lush jungle. And while some of the Yucatan’s ranches and plantations are still working spreads, others have been transformed into charming hotels that offer rustic elegance in intimate settings.

Guests can spend their days galloping on horseback along secluded jungle trails or exploring cenotes (underground limestone caves filled with pools of cool, crystal-clear water). The finer hacienda hotels offer full-service spas and gourmet restaurants. Many like to bill themselves as completely unplugged, but satellite television, Internet service and other high-tech amenities are available at most, for those who just can’t tear themselves away from the wired world.

The colonial charm of Hacienda Xcanatun. Photography: Courtesy of the Hacienda Xcanatun.

One of the most elegant of these rustic resorts is the Hacienda Xcanatun (pronounced ssh-kana-toon), which is situated on the outskirts of Merida about three hours west of the Cancun airport. Founded in the late 1700s, the plantation lay abandoned for many years until the early 1990s when Mexican filmmaker Jorge Ruiz and his American-born wife, Christina, purchased the property and transformed the ruins into a hip jungle hideaway. Stone paths wind through gardens overflowing with bougainvillea and other tropical blooms to the old hacienda reservoir (now a swimming pool) and to a restored 18th-century chapel remade into a lounge and entertainment room. There’s also a posh little spa with a menu that includes a Mayan hot-stone massage, detoxifying puuc clay treatments and a relaxing—and sweet—honey and flower massage. Many of the treatments are given by a local therapist whose grandfather was a Mayan shaman.

In Mayan, Xcanatun means tall stone house, and the main building retains a bygone romantic ambience through a mosaic of elegant archways, thick ocher-colored walls and high wood-beam ceilings. The hotel’s 13 suites and 5 guest rooms are bastions of old-world charm, featuring carved wooden colonial furniture and locally sourced stone (xcanatun.com).

Mayan Magic

The white-sand shores of Tulum anchor the southernmost part of the region’s area: the Riviera Maya. The quiet town, which takes its name from the ruins of a nearby ancient Mayan city, is devoid of large resorts. What you find here are small, intimate hotels and virgin settings. And just south of the town of Tulum, the coastal highway winds inland through an area that is just now opening up to tourism. The road runs past sleepy (and still intact) Mayan villages, jungle-covered ruins and a huge inland lake called the Laguna de Bacalar, which is said to be seven different shades of blue.

Lounging amid the tropical trees at the Hacienda. Photography: Christian Heeb.

The town of Tulum is gateway to the enormous Sian Ka-an Biosphere Reserve, a revered world heritage site that encompasses more than a million acres of rain forest, savannah grasslands and mangrove swamps. There are also 60 miles of pristine Caribbean shoreline, which is gently indented by tranquil bays and quiet lagoons. The coastal portions of the reserve are easily accessible via the lone road that that runs from Tulum to the old fishing village of Punta Allen. And you can get up close to the park’s wilder parts on a guided excursion with an adventure specialist. Eco Travel Mexico, for example, offers crocodile and sea turtle-viewing treks and after-dark jungle walks. And The Centro Ecológico Sian Ka’an, a local nonprofit organization, leads kayaking and bird-watching tours as well as fly-fishing expeditions inside the reserve, and can arrange accommodations in palm-roofed jungle cabins (ecotravelmexico.com; cesiak.org).

Despite the area’s natural rustic elements, the local lodging offerings are actually quite sophisticated. The appropriately named Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa offers a slew of modern comforts, including wireless Internet, 24-hour room service and water sports galore. There’s also a full-service spa with open-air treatment rooms and excellent on-site eateries featuring Mexican, Italian, French and Asian cuisine. Decorated with colorful Mayan fabrics and hacienda-style wooden furnishings, the 238 rooms overlook tropical gardens or the hotel’s private talc-sand beach (dreamsresorts.com/tulum).

Tranquil Isle

The lovely Isla Mujeres (“Island of Women”), in the sapphire sea north of Cancun, remains amazingly tranquil for a spot so close to “spring break central.” The island is a genuine tropical paradise, where the tallest buildings never overshadow the coconut palms, golf carts and bicycles outnumber cars and fish tacos really are part of the local cuisine scene, not just a tourist gimmick. While Isla Mujeres isn’t for everyone (other than waterfront bars, there is little in the way of nightlife; shopping consists of street stalls, and a steady sea breeze is considered air conditioning) it’s the ultimate place to chill. And whether you’re at the pool, beach or swinging in a hammock, you’ll be spending time à deux rather than mingling with the masses.

A comfortable guest room at the Hacienda. Photography: Courtesy of the Hacienda Xcanatun.

That’s not to say there isn’t anything to do. The island is a great place for fishing: Barracuda, bonefish and marlin are good catches. And it’s a hot spot for scuba diving and snorkeling. You can spend a day at Garrafon Natural Reef Park, where glass-bottom kayaks, a jungle zip line and dolphin encounters are among the attractions. You can also explore the ruins of the Hacienda Mundaca, where the 19th-century pirate Fermín Mundaca y Marecheaga lived (garrafon.com).

With only nine rooms (all of them junior suites) and a reputation for sublime privacy, the island’s Hotel Secreto attracts quiet-seeking celebs and honeymooners. The property’s shady outdoor living rooms and comfy daybeds are positioned around the pool. And you can arrange for margaritas and a preprogrammed iPod to be delivered at any hour to your chaise longues on the beach. The guest rooms have soft cream bedding and sofas set against whitewashed walls, as well as fantastic views of the deep blue sea. Lounge on your private balcony or order an in-suite couple’s massage (hotelsecreto.com).

Lost Cities

There are thousands of Mayan ruins scattered throughout the Yucatan, ranging from Chichen Itza, a massive city that’s one of Mexico’s leading tourist attractions, to jungle-covered temples known only to archeologists.

One of the Yucatan's many Mayan treasures. Photography: Courtesy of the Mexico Tourism Board.

The ceremonial city of Uxmal may not be as immense as Chichen Itza, but aficionados consider it the most attractive of all Mayan ruins. The area’s palaces and temples boast ornate mosaics and intricate stone facades. The American adventurer John Lloyd Stephens who explored the Yucatan jungle at length in the 1840s noted that this city equaled the awe-inspiring beauty of the Egyptian pyramids. Hidden in the jungle north of Merida are the ruins of Dzibilchaltun, (pronounced tzee-BEEL-chahl-toon), which were made famous in the 1950s, when divers discovered the remains of sacrificed Mayans at the bottom of a cenote in the middle of the ancient city. Go snorkeling in the spot today, and if you look closely enough, you may be able to see those same skeletons. Or stay on land and explore the Temple of the Seven Dolls, named for the seven small carved-stone sculptures that were excavated at the site.

Despite the lost cities’ remote locations, accommodations are surprisingly swank. The upscale Lodge at Chichen Itza is spread over a hundred acres of tropical gardens and boasts a private entrance to the ruins. Decorated with colonial-era furnishings and rich Mayan textiles, the hotel’s 39 private bungalows are fashioned from native wood, thatch, marble and limestone. They all have glorious jungle views, and the larger ones have private plunge pools. Hacienda Uxmal has a storied history: Queen Elizabeth, Princess Grace and Jackie Kennedy are among the famous ladies who have stayed in the intimate hotel. The romantic hideaway’s 40 rooms are fitted with a blend of colonial and indigenous woods and intricate stained-glass windows (mayaland.com).

Civilized Comforts

You don’t have to venture off the beaten track to discover all of Yucatan’s secrets. Some are actually hidden in plain sight in bustling Cancun and along the Riviera Maya.

Anyone who thinks that all-inclusive resorts have to be huge and rowdy should check out Azul Beach, located on the Riviera Maya, a mere 15 minutes south of Cancun. With less than a hundred rooms, the resort has an intimate and ultraromantic setting. And unlike many “beach” resorts in this region that require a hike to the sand, the resort is set on the very edge of the Caribbean. The resort’s trademark tequila martinis and skin-cooling water vaporizers are among the items served surfside by Azul’s specialized “beach butlers.” And unlike big box resorts that only offer buffets, Azul flaunts an innovative dining package, which includes an all-lobster menu (karismahotels.com).

Spain’s Iberostar group has created an adults-only, all-inclusive enclave called the Grand Hotel Paraiso, stretched along a strip of pearly-white sand between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. This lavish all-suite resort boasts fresh- and saltwater swimming pools, an 18-hole championship golf course, cooking- and wine-tasting classes, personalized minibars and pillow menus. There’s also a luxurious spa and six different bars, including a swishy martini and cigar lounge (iberostar.com).