Mexico's Mayan Riviera will leave you on a high says ELLA BUCHAN

THERE aren't many allinclusive resorts where you can leave trimmer and healthier than when you arrived.

El Dorado Royale, on Mexico's Riviera Maya, has all you'd expect from a top-class resort.

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Al fresco bars serve cocktails in every colour, beds line the shore and beach butlers fetch you drinks and picnics.

The rooms all have hot tubs and balconies. And in the exclusive Casitas section, they also have huge day beds, loungers and, in some cases, infinity pools.

Room service is 24 hours and your towels are twisted and tucked daily into swans, love hearts and monkeys.

You can be as lazy and luxurious as you like.

But just around the corner, the "health bar" serves smoothies made from cactus, kiwi, mango and flaxseed, low-fat wraps and delicious meals of roast chicken with quinoa.

Boost Smug active types jog along the mile of sandy beach, get up early for yoga and play water volleyball.

And the fresh seawater pool, in a rocky bowl jutting out over the ocean, gives the old circulation a boost.

You can even have sessions with a personal trainer on the beach.

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Whether you spend your time as a goody two-shoes or a gluttonous three-burgers, it's impossible to have a bad time at the Royale.

The resort has around 700 rooms, but feels spacious. You can choose to join the rowdy crowd playing water polo or lounge in peace on a beach bed.

Each of the nine Casitas sections encircles a swim-up bar, while the bigger pool near Fuentes swarms with sun-and-cocktailsoaked punters.

The food, dubbed "gourmet inclusive", is superb quality. It really does feel like you're eating at a topnotch restaurant every night, as opposed to piling your plate with bland buffet food.

For breakfast at Fuentes, you can wash your omelette down with a Bloody Mary or Champagne.

In the   la carte restaurants, many of the chefs have been Michelin trained and it shows.

At posh D'Italia we feasted on beef carpaccio with black truffle perfume, plates of tomatoes and mozzarella, lobster lasagne and honey-rosemary rack of lamb.

At Kampai, the most popular restaurant, we had sticky rice, rainbow vegetables and beef satay. The resort also has three "gourmet corners" for lunch or a snack, including the health bar and Rincon Mexicano.

The latter serves pizzas laden with toppings from clams to braised piglet, cerviche, calamari and mahi-mahi tortillas.

For a posher lunch, JoJo's serves zingy dishes like seared tuna with guava foam and succulent jumbo prawns, right by the sea.

So it's a bit of a dilemma, given the attractions of the resort, that there is so much to do in the surrounding area.

There are Mayan temples to "ooh" at, cenotes (freshwater sinkholes) to "ahh" in and catamarans to "woo!" on.

Vast We decided to do it all. First stop was the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. We took a full day's tour including stops to explore a traditional Mayan market and the pretty town of Vallodolid plus a relaxing swim in the turquoise waters of a spectacular cenote.

The site itself is vast and sprawling, dominated by the Kukilkan Pyramid (or El Castillo), one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

Then there are smaller pyramids, tombs and a ball court, where a racquetball-style game always ended in the sacrifice of a losing player. The chief then bathed in the spilt blood.

The Mayan calendar was inspired by the spots on a turtle's shell, with 28 outside and 13 within. And the Riviera Maya is one of the best places to swim with these fascinating creatures.

We took a guided trip to Akumal Beach. It's known as "place of the turtles" because of the abundant sea grass, which they munch, oblivious to the scrum of tourists.

We spotted puffer fish, stingrays and barracudas, and watched teenage turtles surface for air.

Our next adventure was at Hidden Worlds - like Go Ape with added water. After being driven into the jungle on a jeep straight out of Mad Max, we abseiled down into the caves and ziplined into the water before braving the Avatar ride.

This "zipline rollercoaster" takes you whizzing through the jungle, down a slide and into the water with a splash. Then we snorkelled through the Takbelum cenotes, which have been featured on the National Geographic channel. It felt like floating through space.

Beams of light hit you from the stalactites above and stalagmites below (mineral deposits that form from drips), and from the tiny silver fish darting about.

Then we cycled above the treetops on the skycycle ride before scoffing fajitas for lunch.

We spent a lazier day on the Fat Cat catamaran, from Puerto Aventuras marina (a very pretty area). The music pumped, the booze flowed and the passengers partied. We snorkelled around the reef and bobbed about in shallower waters while the crew tossed cans of beer overboard.

After a packed lunch we felt brave enough to ride on the boom nets, off the back of the boat. The current is strong, so hold on to your pants!

Proceed with similar caution if you decide, as we did, to sample Cancun's crazy nightlife.

We'd booked a bar hopping tour online with Viatour, which cost about £40, a bargain as it included entry fees and drinks all night.

The climax was huge club Coco Bongos, where I was dragged up to dance on the bar, Coyote Ugly style, as the lights flashed on and off.

Entertainment included a Lady GaGa tribute, a couple of numbers from Chicago and a circus act. Subtle it ain't, but it's good value.

Our hotel also offered plenty of opportunities for group dancing and showing off on stage.

Each night at Guacamayas bar it kicked off with a salsa show and a Jacko tribute act and ended with leather-clad Texans and bling brides line-dancing on stage.

We spent our last day at the resort. As we headed for our morning smoothies, a man in a chef's hat passed us with a squeaky trolley.

"Hot dog?" he offered, brandishing his spatula with a grin. Temptation is everywhere.

FACT FILE

THOMSON Tailormade offers seven nights at the five-star El Dorado Royale from £1,079 per person, saving £118 each.

The price includes all-inclusive accommodation, return flights from Gatwick with British Airways and transfers, departing on November 30. To book visit thomsontailormade.com or call 0871 664 0273.

Save money by booking a variety of excursions in advance through Viator. Cancun bar hopping costs around £43 per person. A day trip to Chichen Itza (including lunch) is £37. A half-day on the Fat Cat catamaran (including all drinks, lunch and snorkelling gear) costs £58, and snorkelling with turtles in Akumal Bay is around £59.

See viator.com to book. The Hidden Worlds Ultimate Adventure costs around £49 per person, including lunch and wetsuit hire if you book online. See hiddenworlds.com to book.