The Cancún coastline at golden hour, photographed by IVAE Studios
The Cancún coastline at golden hour, photographed by IVAE Studios
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Resort-by-Resort Photography Guides, From Cancún to Tulum

By · October 21, 2026 · 4 min read
In short

This is the index of our resort guides: 549 guides covering 324 hotels and resort groups from Costa Mujeres to Tulum. Each guide is written from the photographer's side: where to shoot on the property, the sunrise and sunset times for that beach, how outside photographers get access and what our coverage costs.

Most photography advice for this coast is generic: golden hour, white sand, turquoise water. The details that actually decide your photos are specific to the resort, from which way the beach faces to where a ceremony gazebo sits and whether the hotel charges outside vendors. We are writing a guide for every major resort between Costa Mujeres and Tulum, and this page collects them by zone. It grows every week.

Costa Mujeres and Playa Mujeres

North of Cancún, past the ferry terminals: a newer, quieter shore of large resorts, calm shallow water and Isla Mujeres on the horizon. The beach faces east, so the sun rises over the channel and sets behind the hotels.

Cancún Hotel Zone

The 22 kilometre strip between the Caribbean and the Nichupté lagoon. The northern stretch faces the calm Bahía de Mujeres; from Punta Cancún south the beaches face the open sea, with stronger surf and wide sand.

Puerto Morelos and Riviera Cancún

Halfway between Cancún and Playa del Carmen, behind a protected reef. Calm water, a small fishing town with a leaning lighthouse, and a run of big all-inclusive resorts along the coast north and south of it.

Mayakoba and Punta Maroma

The most private stretch of the coast: Mayakoba's lagoons and mangrove channels, and the long, quiet sand of Punta Maroma. Home to many of the Riviera Maya's most exclusive resorts.

Playa del Carmen and Playacar

A walkable town on the beach, with Fifth Avenue a block from the sea, the Playacar resort area to the south and Cozumel on the horizon. From October to February the sun rises from behind Cozumel.

Xcaret, Puerto Aventuras and Xpu-Ha

South of Playa del Carmen: the Xcaret parks and hotels, the marina town of Puerto Aventuras and the wide bays toward Xpu-Ha.

Akumal and Xpu-Ha

Sheltered bays known for sea turtles, lagoon inlets and a handful of very private resorts between Puerto Aventuras and Tulum.

Guesthouses and Small Inns

Not staying at a resort? These guides cover casas, posadas, residences and guesthouses, with the public beaches and landmarks nearby.

Tulum

Cliff-top ruins, a jungle hotel strip along the beach road and a wave of new resorts in Tankah and the Tulum Country Club area.

The Coast, Through Our Lens

Real IVAE Studios sessions and weddings from Playa Mujeres to Tulum, so you can see how the light changes along the coast.

Bride at Playa Mujeres in a luxury resort wedding portrait by IVAE Studios
Bride at Playa Mujeres in a luxury resort wedding portrait. IVAE Studios.
Couple at the Cancún Hotel Zone with turquoise water behind them by IVAE Studios
Couple at the Cancún Hotel Zone with turquoise water behind them. IVAE Studios.
Family with kids at the Cancún Hotel Zone walking the shoreline by IVAE Studios
Family with kids at the Cancún Hotel Zone walking the shoreline. IVAE Studios.
Couple at Mayakoba photographed by IVAE Studios
Couple at Mayakoba. IVAE Studios.
Family at the Riviera Maya photographed by IVAE Studios
Family at the Riviera Maya. IVAE Studios.
Bride at Tulum photographed by IVAE Studios
Bride at Tulum. IVAE Studios.
Couple at Akumal beach photographed by IVAE Studios
Couple at Akumal beach. IVAE Studios.
Family with kids at Playa Mujeres photographed by IVAE Studios
Family with kids at Playa Mujeres. IVAE Studios.
Couple at Tulum photographed by IVAE Studios
Couple at Tulum. IVAE Studios.
Wedding at the Cancún Hotel Zone photographed by IVAE Studios
Wedding at the Cancún Hotel Zone. IVAE Studios.
Couple at the Riviera Maya in a tropical jungle setting by IVAE Studios
Couple at the Riviera Maya in a tropical jungle setting. IVAE Studios.
Family with kids at Isla Mujeres photographed by IVAE Studios
Family with kids at Isla Mujeres. IVAE Studios.

How to Use These Guides

Every guide follows the same logic so you can compare resorts quickly. The light table is calculated for that exact beach, using Quintana Roo's year-round clock with no daylight saving. The access section explains whether a photographer comes in as your guest or needs a day pass. And the prices are our own, published: sessions from 245 to 725 USD and weddings from 1,800 USD for a half day.

If your resort is not listed yet, write to us. We will tell you what we know about it, and the guide will usually follow within a few weeks. For the wider picture, start with our Cancún photographer and Riviera Maya photographer pages, or the venues we photograph.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which resorts near Cancún do you have photography guides for?
We currently have 549 guides covering 324 hotels and resort groups, from Costa Mujeres and Playa Mujeres through the Cancún Hotel Zone, Mayakoba and Playa del Carmen to Tulum. New guides are added every week.
Can I bring an outside photographer to an all-inclusive resort in Cancún?
In almost every case, yes. A staying guest booking a private session adds the photographer's name at the front desk. Weddings are different: most resorts charge outside vendors an access fee or day pass, which each resort guide explains.
What does IVAE Studios charge for a resort session or wedding?
Sessions run from 245 USD for 35 minutes to 725 USD for 90 minutes with the full gallery. Wedding coverage starts at 1,800 to 2,800 USD for up to four hours, and a full day with a second photographer is 3,500 to 5,500 USD. Galleries arrive in one to three business days.

Vianey Díaz

Director · IVAE Studios

Vianey founded IVAE Studios in Cancún in 2023 after more than ten years behind the camera, and the studio has delivered over 500 sessions since. She leads every wedding personally, caps the studio at twelve weddings a year, and handles resort vendor paperwork with coordinators directly so couples never have to. Bilingual in English and Spanish.

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Written by the studio that works these beaches

IVAE Studios was founded in Cancún in 2023 by Vianey Díaz and has delivered more than 500 sessions along this coast, with 5.0 stars across 66 Google reviews. These guides are what we tell couples and families when they ask which resort, which hour and which spot. We work in English and Spanish and deliver every gallery in one to three business days.

Now booking 2026 & 2027

Your resort is not here yet? Ask us.

Tell us where you are staying and what you are planning. We will reply with what we know about that property, the best hour for your dates and our availability.

Message on WhatsApp info@ivaestudios.com

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