What to expect: Limited to singles and couples age 18 or older, Aventura Spa Palace All Inclusive draws guests seeking active vacations and the benefits of an enormous, on-site health-and-beauty spa.

Amenity highlights: Swimming in the sea in front of the resort is prohibited, but along the resort's oceanfront are two placid saltwater inlets for swimming, water sports, and snorkeling. The inlets' sandy sides are furnished with lounge chairs and thatched-roof palapas for shade. Two sprawling freeform pools featuring jetted areas offer freshwater swimming. A two-story pavilion houses a heated pool and two spa tubs flank a plunge pool for cooling off.

Insider tip: As part of the All-Inclusive Plan, guests may use facilities, restaurants, and bars at Sun Palace, Beach Palace, Playacar Palace, Cozumel Palace, and Cancún Palace resorts on Cancún Island; at Moon Palace Golf and Spa Resort just south of Cancún Island, where there is a golf course (surcharge); and at Xpu-Há Palace resort 8 km (5 mi) south of this resort.

What to expect: Guests arriving from all over the world are greeted warmly by resort staff. Visitors come for small-resort tranquility; world-class fishing, diving, and snorkeling; and the pleasures of village life on a Caribbean beach.

Amenity highlights: The Dolphin Discovery program in the large lagoon adjacent to the hotel's entrance offers shallow-water or scuba diving encounters with bottlenose dolphins.

Festooned with thatch-roof palapas for shade, and furnished with a volleyball net, the expansive, white-sand beach fronting the hotel is usually lapped by calm waters thanks to the coral reef just off shore. Beach waves are large enough to thrill children and, at times, accommodate boogie boarding.

A large, three-part pool on a spacious sundeck above the beach includes a children's section and a relaxation section furnished with tile lounges for cool, shallow-water sunbathing.

Insider tip: From the marina it's a 90-minute ferry ride to Cozumel, Mexico's largest island.

What to expect: The Mexican Caribbean meets Polynesia in the resort’s open-air lobby. Terracotta floors, stone tables, and wicker chairs provide a casual welcome to the groups and families who come to the resort for its full slate of activities and all-inclusive amenities. A second-story open-air lobby bar provides a spacious area for afternoon drinks, while the main pool area bustles with activity.

Amenity highlights: Access to the white-sand beach is restricted to hotel guests. The clear waters teem with tropical sea life. Because guests have access to facilities at the neighboring sister resort, Catalonia Yucatan Beach, they can enjoy a total of six eateries, seven bars, five swimming pools, and a lively nightclub. The hotel’s theater stages nightly shows, including a Mexican folkloric ballet. A mini-disco prior to the evening show draws children to the dance floor.

Insider tip: The Puerto Aventuras Golf Club, with a nine-hole course, is located across the street. Tee times can be arranged through the guest-services manager.