Rancheros eggs and more, luxury at a beach-set hotel

Look at any map of Mexico’s Highway 307, more or less in a straight vertical line south from Cancun, and you see its east side is dotted wall-to-wall, or rather side-by-side, with luxury resorts. Some are just cookie-cutter. The gal, of course, goes for the unique. Viceroy Riviera Maya is ideal for honeymooners, intimate birthday parties, getting away from it all and de-stressing. This is the place to chill out and feel cocooned, with continual memorable moments during your stay. It starts on arrival. No buggies here – the resort is on seven acres, a compact strip that gently rolls down to the ocean. As you walk down, you pass the spa, where you are blessed, to bring you luck.

The meandering path wends its way through the undergrowth, with occasional ‘blooming’ water urns. I go past villas that have just a tiny hint of Hobbit, in a charming way – they are thatched, with gardens framed in vertical tree trunks that in some cases give total privacy, in others are partly open, but no-one looks in (within, in your private outdoor space, you have a curvilinear plunge pool). For the most privacy, of all the 41 villas you might well choose 51 as it is right on the beach and the furthest from any madding crowd – most villas are the same, 1,700 sq ft with one big room, inside, rising to an open cathedral ceiling, and inside, and outside, bathroom, leading off.

A big plus here at Viceroy is the lovely staff. And the food is good – GM Pedro Lara worked his way up the professional food ladder, mostly with Rosewood. I loved watching the sun rise as I sat at the beach-set Coral Grill waiting for my breakfast to arrive. Having gone for the full-English, a PIG-out, at The PIG at Combe only five days ago, today I chose the most popular Mexican, Huevos rancheros, rancheros eggs. This dish, which is farmers’ basic, is basically eggs any style, topped with salsa, served on re-fried black beans (dried beans re-activated and flavured with seasonings) atop soft-corn tortillas but here it is served with sides of a potato cake, and two triangles of deep-fried cheese, and of course I had extremely spicy Rancheros sauce. (A version, by the way, is Huevos divorciados, divorced eggs, where each egg has a different sauce.)

As I ate I read today’s news, from the satellited newspaper, its pages tied in green ribbon (it was hanging outside my door, in a hessian bag). There are lots of happy memories here at this friendly luxury hotel. On arrival, you are offered a selection of home-made local soap slabs, and your butler cuts off portions of your chosen ‘flavour’ – I loved the strawberry one, and I was given a wrapped chocolate soap to take home. I loved the way the sommelier carried over a table with all necessities, carafe and glasses, for us to try a really nice La Tercer Vía Baja California. I am sorry not to have been there to try the grill class, or private dining at the end of the hotel’s 300-feet wood-boardwalk pier. I am extremely glad, however, that I experienced that beautiful sunrise. NOW SEE THE VIDEO, BELOW, OF MY VILLA.