Maroma Beach, Mexico

Hard as it is to resist lazing in Maroma’s hammocks all day, guests would be remiss not to explore beyond resort grounds as many archaeological treasures are nearby, including Tulum, Coba and the other-worldly ChichénItza.

These three most famous Mayan sites are splendid remains of a culture rich in astronomy (priests used the tops of temples and pyramids as observatories), mathematics (the Maya had a calendar and were among the inventors of the concept of zero) and spirituality.

Maroma’s waters are superb for snorkeling, scuba and deep sea diving, and resort staff can arrange any type of outing.

Ecology of the Yucatán

The Yucatán Peninsula exists because millions of years ago a cataclysmic event occurred which killed almost all life on earth, including billions of coral polyps, and when the seas receded as a result of the same event, there it was – a porous limestone promontory rising out of the ocean.

The northern part of the Peninsula has no aboveground rivers, but there is plenty of fresh water flowing underground through the honeycombed limestone which often opens up into caves and cenotes – deep sink holes filled with crystalline water.

Above ground there is literally not much ground. The sparse topsoil is peppered with rocks and boulders and is very poor in minerals, yet it is blanketed by a lush jungle which supports tens of thousands of plant, animal, reptile, insect and fungus species. Abutting this humid, fecund environment is the ocean with its offshore coral reef, which is the living component of the limestone, which underlies the land.

The reef, like the rainforest, is an intricate and delicately balanced environment which requires constant levels of warm, clear water, sunlight, salinity and strong currents to sustain fish, molluscs, crustaceans, turtles, plants, corals, sponges, all the way down to microscopic plankton.

Bridging the transition between jungle and ocean is the mangrove swamp, which acts as a filter for water travelling from land to sea and a breeding ground for many aquatic and land-based species.

These three environments – which at Maroma we can study up close in the mile-wide band of land between the highway and our beach – seem very different, but in reality they are delicately interrelated, and any change in one will be reflected in the others.

The Challenge

It takes 60 - 100 years to fill the gap when one tree falls in the jungle, and during the past 35 years over half of Mexico’s rainforest has been cleared. For each missing tree there is microscopically less rainfall, more soil runoff, warmer reef water, less food and shelter, and finally a fewer and fewer species. Our goal, as latecomers to this eco-system, must be to observe it, to enjoy it, to learn from it and to intrude as little as possible.

Visitor's Information

Time Zone Central Time (GMT/UTC minus 6 hours)

International Airport

Cancún International Airport (CUN) is 20 miles from Maroma with international connections throughout the United States and Europe.

Identification Requirements

U.S. citizens only require a valid passport or original birth certificate and photo ID.

Visitors from other countries may need a visa. Upon entry you will receive a Mexican Tourist Card which must be kept with you always and then shown on your departure. If it is lost contact the Local Immigration Office.

Health Risks

Malaria, Chagas' disease, cholera, dengue fever, filariasis, hepatitis, rabies, tetanus, typhoid are illnesses that one should be aware of.

Places of interest

Our jungle, classified as semi-evergreen lowland rainforest, is the most important component in the ecology of the area.

Museums

Develop your knowlegde of our history and culture, by visiting some of our wonderful museums.

Natural Wonders

There are several beautiful natural wonders that demonstrate another beautiful aspect Mexico has to offer.

Experience the magic and the beauty of profound well-being in an eternal paradise located in a breathtaking corner of the Yucatan jungle. Echoes of the ancients, coral reefs fringed with sugary veils of white sand, a lapis blue sea marking the rhythm of days and nights. The natural harmony, the spiritual relationship beween land and sea. Here every delight has its secret language, a name and a sound breathed ritually from the heart.

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