Ventus at Marina El Cid Spa & Beach Resort is a 290-suite all-inclusive on the quiet, private sand of Puerto Morelos, and every suite opens onto a balcony with a stocked mini-bar and a coffee maker waiting inside. The signature infinity pool is built so its edge appears to merge with the Caribbean, a 3,675-square-foot main pool keeps its own children’s area, and a separate 1,108-square-foot adults-only deck hides two jacuzzis. Thai beds and palapas line the beach, Swim-Up Platinum suites step straight into the water, and the largest One Bedroom Suites run to nearly double a standard room. El Cocay Spa works through massage, hydrotherapy and facials, while the new Pickleball Center’s two courts are open daily at no extra charge.

Ile de France is the French fine-dining room that also pours buffet breakfast, and Mercado de Dolores is a marketplace where eight kitchens trade side by side, among them Pizzeria Il Peccato, Sea Place, Maiz, Wok Asian Cuisine and La Crepe. Macondo, Zanza and Abnia keep house drinks moving poolside and in the lobby, and the Exchange Privilege program opens all three El Cid Riviera Maya properties and their 26-plus places to eat and drink. Cancun International Airport is roughly 23 kilometres north, the barrier reef that calms this stretch of water breaks about 500 metres offshore, and a 35-kilometre chain of cenotes runs inland from the old fishing village.