Long Weekend in Riviera Maya: Couples Getaway
John and I went to Riviera May from a Thursday – Sunday and it was the perfect getaway to relax for a few days and be together. Our trip was hosted by Apple Vacations, but all thoughts are my own. They didn’t ask me to write this post, but I had too much to share! 🙂
I think people often think that trips out of the country need to be longer to be worth it, but this trip was a testament to that not being true. While we had just 2.5 days in Mexico, we left feeling connected, relaxed and full of gratitude for the memories we made together.
Where we stayed in Mexico

Our trip was hosted by Apple Vacations and it was so great because they coordinated everything including flights, airport transportation to and from the hotel and our stay at the all inclusive Dreams Aventuras in Riviera Maya.
We loved Dreams Adventuras for so many reasons, including
- Lovely, spacious and clean room: Our room was wonderful and included beautiful views of the pool and ocean. It was a corner room so had a wrap-around balcony. It also was one of the “honeymoon” suites which includes a jacuzzi bathtub on the balcony. I loved taking baths and reading in there!
- Multiple pools: The resort has two big pools with plenty of seating. (One pool is the preferred pool, which was generally quieter as it was only for guests in certain rooms.)
- The food: Every meal we had was delicious. The food offerings were diverse — from traditional Mexican to Italian to American. Plenty of drinks and snacks were always available as well.
- The staff: The staff was truly incredible. Everyone was so kind and service oriented. It felt like true luxury.
- The Pages in Paradise library: Our resort was one of nine that has a library of bestsellers to read and enjoy during your stay. For a reader like me, this was heaven.
- The amenities: The resort had plenty of amenities including a spa, a gym with lots of equipment, including a Peloton, a theater and a huge games room. Every day included a program of various activities going on, giving patrons plenty to do if they were interested, but not so much that it overwhelmed those who wanted a quiet and relaxing environment.
Our Itinerary
Day 1: Travel to Mexico


Nashville offers one direct flight to Cozumel each day, so we opted for that flight at 11 am.
The flight was delayed a bit and put us arriving in Cozumel at 2:30. We checked bags, which wasn’t our normal style, but I just wanted to pack a lot of options – lol. I would highly recommend doing carry ons if at all possible because the bags service was sooo slow . It took about an hour to get our checked bags.
We then exited the airport and went to find our arranged Amstar shuttle. This was so nice to not have to deal with securing a taxi, worrying about rates, etc. We did have to wait about 25 minutes for our driver to be located and pick us up. It was about 4 when we left the airport and 5:15 when we arrived to Dreams Adventuras.

After checking into our beautiful room, we got changed and went to the pool for awhile. We then had a delicious Mexican dinner.
Day 2:
We enjoyed a slow morning with breakfast at one of the clubs and then reading by the pool.


At 11 we enjoyed a 2-hour spa visit, which was a highlight of our weekend. The experience including a sauna, steam room, hydrotherapy and 50-minute chocolate massage (the oil was infused with chocolate).

After the massage, we had lunch and enjoyed the pool again. The hotel coordinated a small golf cart tour around the gated community that the hotel is a part of – Adventuras. We told all about the communal nature of this area, its safety and numerous offerings to its residents. It’s a special place within Rivieria Maya.

For dinner, the hotel hosted a beach side Mexican dinner and live show that included music and dancing.

It was so nice to be able to enjoy the Mexican music and dancing without having to leave our resort. The staff was super attentive and it made for a wonderful night.
Day 3:
Because our trip was limited from a time perspective, we didn’t want to do a day-long excursion, but did want to experience something outside the resort. The most common recommendation was to see a Cenote, which is freshwater sinkhole below the Mayan Jungle. Apple Vacations helped coordinate an excursion with Amstar that was convenient and fit within our time frame. We were picked up at 8:30 am and were back around 2. (The excursion itself is 3.5 hours, but then extra time is added for pick ups and drop offs. This seems to be standard, were the listing tells you the excursion length, so just add on 1-1.5 hours extra if pick ups are included.)
We got to snorkel in a lagoon and then explore the Cenote. It was truly an unforgettable experience and one I would highly recommend. Our guide told us there are 10,000 known Cenotes in the Yucatán Peninsula! The only thing that was disappointing about the Cenote tour was that you could not take photos or videos.
For our last afternoon, we got lunch on the beach and enjoyed a Bali Bed rental. These are $125 for the day. We loved how private and quiet it was compared to other parts of the resort. It was very secluded and special.

We spent a little more time afterward at the pool before getting ready for dinner. We ate at Portofino, which was the Italian restaurant on the property. It was a beautiful atmosphere and delicious.
Day 4:
Our airport pick up was at 9:30 am, so we had just a few hours in the morning to get one last dip in the jacuzzi tub and have a nice breakfast at the World Café, which is the hotel’s buffet.

Other questions:
A few common questions came up about the trip, which I’ll answer below.
What did it cost?
Costs vary based on seasonality, room type, etc. Our room for four days was $1,557 and airfare was $500. Our excursion was $119 per person. (The photo package was $125 as well, if you would want to get it + we did $40 for a tip for our guide/driver). Click here to book with Apple Vacations.
Was there a lot of seaweed?
My understanding is that there is a lot of seaweed this time of year. We saw workers clearing it out of an area near our hotel.
Was there a lot of beach?
There was a small sandy beach, but it wasn’t huge.
Was the resort family friendly? Would your kids like it?
Yes, they seemed to work hard to have a lot of family offerings and there were a lot of multigenerational families staying at the hotel.
Yes, I think John’s and my kids would have both liked it (they are ages 8-17). Lots to do!
What did you wear/what should I pack for a trip like this?
I did a whole post about what I packed and wore. Read it here.