While in theory I was first daunted by the overall size of the Barcelo Maya Grand Resort in the Riviera Maya (consisting of five Barcelo resorts–the Beach, Caribe, Colonial, Tropical, and the Palace with almost 1.5 miles of beachfront), I soon found that this vacation wasn’t going to be as physically arduous as I first thought.  Signage abounds, shuttle bus service was frequent, and the beach walkways/primary entrance walkways were excellent ways to get around to the various resorts if one was hesitant to cut across the middle of properties.  Both the large, red double decker and smaller white buses were available to transport guests; this service was available from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.  While I also did a fair amount of walking, I wouldn’t recommend extensive foot travel around the resort during the summer months (I went in July) unless you are prepared to jump into one of five beachfront resort pools this mega-resort has to offer.  FYI–if you’re not at the ends of the property (either the Beach or Palace resorts), be sure to tell the bus driver your destination when you get on because he may be going in the opposite direction; if that is the case, then your best bet is to wait until the next bus comes around.

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