Puerto Aventuras

A gated marina community between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, with 24-hour controlled access and a large expat population that gives it a calm, safe, golf-cart-paced feel.

Life centres on the marina, lined with waterfront restaurants and shops, and home to a Dolphin Discovery habitat with dolphins, manatees and sea lions in sea-fed inlets.

Its own beach is a narrow, sheltered cove, and a reef close to shore makes it a convenient spot for diving and snorkelling.