5 Day Riviera Maya Golf Itinerary
The Riviera Maya pairs warm Caribbean sand with a run of resort courses by Greg Norman, P.B. Dye, Robert Trent Jones II, Nick Price and Jack Nicklaus, all strung along an hour of coast south of Cancun. Five days is the sweet spot, enough to play the headline layouts without a long transfer, with white sand, cenotes and turtle nesting beaches between rounds. Here is a day by day plan around El Camaleon, Iberostar Playa Paraiso, PGA Riviera Maya, Grand Coral and Moon Palace, with drive times, the season and where to stay.
Photo: El Camaleon Golf Course at Mayakoba via Google.
Who this trip suits
This is a trip for golfers who want their golf wrapped in a proper beach holiday, and who will happily play paspalum fairways through jungle and mangrove in the morning and be on the sand by mid afternoon. The courses are resort layouts rather than ancient links, so the test is fair and the settings are spectacular, with iguanas on the cart paths and the Caribbean never far away. It works beautifully as a couples trip, a family golf escape or a buddies week, and it pairs naturally with Tulum, the cenotes and the reef.
The one thing to plan around is the season and the heat. The dry winter months give the best conditions, the resort courses book up over the holidays, and a single coastal base keeps the driving short. Fix El Camaleon first, since it is the marquee round and the one that sells out, then build the rest of the week around it. The plan below runs a logical line down and back up the coast from one base.
The 5 day plan
El Camaleon at Mayakoba
Open with the most famous round on the coast. Greg Norman's El Camaleon was the first course in Mexico to host a PGA Tour event, and it threads three landscapes, tropical jungle, a tangle of mangrove canals and a stretch of Caribbean oceanfront, with a celebrated par 3 played beside an exposed limestone cenote. It is the premium tee time of the trip, indicatively from around 259 US dollars for resort guests up to roughly 350 to 400 for a public high season round in 2026, so lock it in first and always confirm directly before booking.
Iberostar Playa Paraiso
A short hop down the coast, P.B. Dye's Playa Paraiso is the most characterful test of the week, carved through dense jungle and natural limestone with dramatic elevation changes and the railroad tie bunkering that runs in the Dye family. It rewards a thinking round and a steady nerve off the tee, and the routing through the trees gives it a wilder, more private feel than the open resort courses. A fine contrast to the polish of El Camaleon.
PGA Riviera Maya by Bahia Principe
Drive south toward Tulum for the Robert Trent Jones II championship layout at Bahia Principe, a par 72 cut through thick jungle and dotted with cenotes and limestone outcrops, with a nine hole par 27 executive course alongside for an easy afternoon. It is the quietest, most secluded round of the trip and the one that feels most like golf in the Yucatan jungle. Pair it with an afternoon at the Tulum ruins or a cenote swim on the way back.
Grand Coral, the Nick Price course
Back toward Playa del Carmen for Nick Price's only design in the region, a generous, playable layout of paspalum fairways, seven acres of lakes and ocean breezes a few steps from the beach. It is the friendliest of the courses for a mixed group, wide enough to swing freely yet smartly bunkered around the greens, and an easy, enjoyable walk or ride. A good day to bring the higher handicappers and still play a real championship card.
Moon Palace near Cancun
Finish north toward Cancun with Jack Nicklaus's 27 hole signature course at Moon Palace, three nines of Dunes, Jungle and Lakes that can be mixed into a big, generous championship round. It is the grandest resort setting of the week and sits close to the airport for an easy departure, so play your eighteen, take a long lunch and head for the flight. If you would rather stay south, the Riviera Cancun course, also by Nicklaus, makes a fine alternative finish.
Drive times and logistics
| Leg | Indicative drive |
|---|---|
| Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen | Around 45 to 60 minutes |
| Playa del Carmen to Mayakoba | Around 10 to 15 minutes |
| Playa del Carmen to PGA Riviera Maya, Akumal | Around 30 to 40 minutes |
| Playa del Carmen to Moon Palace, Cancun | Around 40 to 55 minutes |
| Playa del Carmen to Tulum | Around 45 to 60 minutes |
Drive times are indicative and traffic dependent. A car or arranged transfers link the courses easily. Green fees and tee sheets change, so always confirm directly before booking. Find places to stay along the Riviera Maya.
Where to stay and how to play it
One coastal base serves the whole trip. Playa del Carmen and the gated Mayakoba enclave keep you minutes from El Camaleon and within an easy run of the other courses, with the Fairmont, Banyan Tree and Rosewood inside Mayakoba and a wide spread of hotels in and around Playa. Many golfers prefer the simplicity of an all inclusive with golf on site, such as Moon Palace toward Cancun or Bahia Principe to the south, in which case build the week around that base. Either way, take a car or pre book transfers, and let the days flex around confirmed tee times rather than a rigid order.
Plan your Riviera Maya golf trip
We secure the El Camaleon tee time and the resort rounds, set the order to keep the driving short and sort the stay, the transfers and the beach days around the golf. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Riviera Maya golf trip questions
How many days do you need to golf the Riviera Maya?
Five playing days is the sweet spot. It lets you take in the headline resort courses, El Camaleon at Mayakoba, Iberostar Playa Paraiso, PGA Riviera Maya by Bahia Principe, Grand Coral and Moon Palace near Cancun, without a single long transfer, since they all sit within about an hour of one another along the coast. A tighter three day trip covers the three you most want, while a week leaves room for the Cancun and Puerto Morelos courses too.
How much are green fees in the Riviera Maya in 2026?
El Camaleon at Mayakoba is the premium round, indicatively from about 259 US dollars for resort guests up to roughly 350 to 400 US dollars for a public high season tee time in 2026. The resort courses such as Iberostar Playa Paraiso, PGA Riviera Maya, Grand Coral and Moon Palace generally sit lower, often in the 150 to 280 US dollar range depending on season and whether you stay on property. Rates fall in the humid summer and autumn months. Always confirm current fees directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in the Riviera Maya?
The dry season from November to April is prime, with warm sunshine, lower humidity and the most reliable conditions, and December to April the peak. October sits at the tail of the wetter, more humid hurricane season, so expect heat, the chance of an afternoon shower and softer value pricing. The golf plays year round, but for the best conditions aim for the winter and early spring.
Where should you stay for a Riviera Maya golf trip?
Playa del Carmen and the Mayakoba enclave make the most central base, putting you minutes from El Camaleon and within easy reach of the other courses, with the Fairmont, Banyan Tree and Rosewood inside Mayakoba and a wide choice in and around Playa. Many golfers prefer an all inclusive base such as Moon Palace or Bahia Principe, each with golf on site. A trip planner can match the stay to the rounds and the order.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.