The resort is one mile long and 140 meters /100 yards wide.  More than 2/3 of the resort can be traveled by water or road.

The entire resort respects nature and provides guests with an opportunity to visit natural environments including tropical forest, mangrove reserves and lagoons and streams.

The resort showcases more than 20 percent of mangrove forest divided into four species of mangroves. The mangroves offer a fabulous resting ground for native birds and many other animals.

A spectacular cenote, a deep, freshwater lake sacred to the ancient Mayan, is located at the center of the resort.

There are four Ceiba trees, sacred to the ancient Mayan, located at the front entrance of the resort to welcome guests. The Ceiba represents the connection between the heavens and the underworld according to Mayan mythology.

All of the artwork in the guest rooms, created by an elite group of 23 Mexican artists, is based on nature collected or photographed at the property. The wall sculptures are seeds or shells that begin in one room and extend to the outdoors onto the terrace.

The Spa’s Mandala Garden contains three concentric circles filled with 12 medicinal plants, many native to Mexico. The Mandala Garden is oriented in accordance with the four cardinal points, which are of great importance in the Mayan traditions.  Guests at The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya will have the opportunity to become one with the natural environment by the visiting the garden and selecting a healing plant. Their treatment will include elements from the selected plant.

This is the first resort project in Latin America that includes 95 percent of native plants in its concept and designs. Conservation is the guiding principle around the artistic designs of the landscape and gardens.  Maintaining and enhancing biodiversity played a major part in all of the planning of the resort.

More than 80 species of flowering trees were included in the main walkway of the resort making it a pleasurable and unique experience for guests.

The signature restaurant Ambar gets its name from the fossil resin amber – revered for its inherent and stunning mix of colors and considered to possess wonderful powers by the Mayans and other ancient civilizations.

The circular shape of the restaurant Ambar was inspired by jellyfish and the rooftop is entirely covered in copper, which was oxidized into a sea green color.  The interiors of the restaurant are all based on the amber color, which is indigenous to the area. In the center of the restaurant is a glass skylight specially commissioned by one of the selected Mexican artists.

The undulating rooftop of Aguamarina Restaurant is made entirely of concrete but yet it has movement and appears to be light and airy. The design was inspired by the waves of the ocean, the extension of the sea water right to the beachfront restaurant.