Yahoo Mexico Travel Smackdown: Los Cabos Versus Cancun and the Riviera Maya Jenna Mahoney - Yahoo Travel
go to original December 3, 2014

Yahoo Travel pits rival destinations against each other to determine once and for all which place is the best. Here it’s Los Cabos vs. Cancun in a Mexican vacation duel.

Los Cabos

Los Cabos desde el aire (Realmexico Hermoso)

The case: It’s hard to utter the words “Los Cabos” and not immediately picture “A-list resort town.” And the endless roster of uber-luxe resorts, pampering spas, and scene-y restaurants certainly helps make the case. But it’s the authentic, small-town feel of the two seaside pueblos — Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, which are collectively known as Los Cabos — that is the real attraction here. This is, after all, a place where the desert meets the inky ocean and the dusty scrubbed landscape becomes one with the restless Sea of Cortez. Recently the area weathered a hurricane, but the recovery has been brisk and the area is open for business, with the airport reopened in less than two weeks and most name-brand hotels back online in record time.

Population: 68,463

Famous faces: She’s shot by the paparazzi so often on these golden sands, it seems as though Jennifer Aniston has a permanent residence in Los Cabos. Similarly, George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Seacrest, and Cameron Diaz are familiar faces, as are a slew of reality stars, recording artists, and TV personalities.

Cancún and the Riviera Maya

The Magic of Cancun and The Mayan Riviera (Danielle Sippley)

The case: Erase any lingering memories of your Girls Gone Wild spring break days (although truth be told, if you are looking for it, you can certainly find it here). This east coast resort destination is a whole new world these days. The area stretches from just south of Cancún down the coast to the happening town of Playa del Carmen, to the hippie-chic enclave on Tulum, to the family-friendly Akumal, ending in nobody-really-goes-there Felipe Carillo Puerto. There are incomparable cultural attractions, awesome natural phenomena, endless food and lodging options, and just as many activities at every turn. Riviera Maya’s powder sand beaches on the brilliantly turquoise Caribbean Sea are among the world’s most picturesque.

Population: 70,000

Famous faces: Sofía Vergara has been known to hole up at the intimate Rosewood Mayakoba, as has Jessica Alba and family. Antonio Banderas can be spotted dancing late nights at the discos. And perennially at-the-beach Leonardo DiCaprio is a fan of the barefoot Ana y Jose in Tulum.

Read the whole article at Yahoo Travel

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