Playa Paraíso is the Riviera Maya’s accuracy test. P.B. Dye laid it out in 2005 through low jungle inland from the Iberostar resort complex, midway between Cancún and Playa del Carmen. The fairways are narrow corridors through low jungle, the greens roll and tilt, and the bunkers use the same fine white sand as the beach nearby. It is open to the public, but it is really built around Iberostar’s Paraíso hotels, whose guests get discounted unlimited golf and a shuttle to the first tee.
Iberostar Playa Paraíso Golf Club green fees and tee times.
The course takes outside golfers as well as Iberostar guests. Call the golf shop on +52 984 877 2847, extensions 8594 or 8590, or book through tee-time sites that carry the course. Iberostar does not publish its rack rate online, so ask for the current price when you call. As listed by the reseller Cancún Discounts, high-season fees (1 November to 30 April) are US$199, with twilight from 3pm at US$149, falling to US$169 and US$129 from May to October. Its rates bundle a shared electric cart, drinks, sandwiches and round-trip transport from Iberostar’s Riviera Maya hotels, and rental clubs cost US$40. The first tee time is 6:30am in summer and 7:30am in winter, with starts every 10 minutes. No handicap limit is published.
The round, in perspective.
Dye, a son of Pete Dye of TPC Sawgrass fame, brought his own habits here: GolfPass notes extreme vertical movement and unusual hazards such as a rocky riverbed, with the uncleared jungle itself acting as the main hazard. Iberostar describes undulating greens, fine-sand bunkers and narrow fairways. The layout is par 72 and plays around 6,800 yards from the back tees by Iberostar’s figure, though third-party scorecards give between 6,641 and 6,704 yards for the tournament tees. Paspalum covers fairways and greens. The course has hosted the World Amateur Team Championships in 2016, Golf Channel’s Big Break Mexico and qualifying for the Mayakoba Golf Classic, and an Iberostar hotel page notes Golfweek once ranked it seventh in Mexico; GolfPass placed it ninth in its 2019 Mexico list. Watch your bag: a January 2026 GolfPass review describes coatis raiding carts at several tees.
Know before you go.
Tee times
From 6:30am summer, 7:30am winter; every 10 minutes
Carts
Shared electric cart included
Access
Open to the public; Iberostar guests get packages
Wildlife
Do not leave food or bags unattended on carts
Make the trip work.
If you plan to play more than twice, look at Iberostar’s seven-day unlimited package. It covers rounds for a week, a shared cart, tees, range access, snacks and drinks, and a hotel transfer for one person. Guests of JOIA Paraíso by Iberostar get 35% off the unlimited-golf rate. Do not expect a halfway hut: one GolfPass reviewer noted that the routing does not pass the clubhouse at the turn, so carry a snack if your cart has none. Another, in January 2026, found that the advertised unlimited range balls amounted to one small basket, so warm up with purpose. The clubhouse has a restaurant, bar and pro shop for after the round.
The course is at kilometre 309 of the Chetumal to Puerto Juárez highway (Highway 307), between Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen. Cancún International Airport is roughly half an hour north by road. Iberostar runs transfers from its Riviera Maya hotels, and resellers often include round-trip transport from those hotels in the fee.
The Paraíso complex beside the course includes JOIA Paraíso by Iberostar (adults only, formerly the Grand Hotel Paraíso), Iberostar Selection Paraíso Lindo, Iberostar Selection Paraíso Maya and Iberostar Waves Paraíso Beach. All are all-inclusive beach hotels. Paradisus Playa del Carmen and the adults-only Paradisus La Perla are other large resorts nearby, a short taxi ride from the first tee. For restaurants and nightlife, Playa del Carmen’s Quinta Avenida is about 20 minutes south.
Make a trip of it.
El Camaleón at Mayakoba is about 10 kilometres south and makes a natural contrast: Norman’s mangroves and beach holes after Dye’s inland test. Riviera Cancún, near the airport, is a good first or last round. Hard Rock Golf Club Riviera Maya adds a von Hagge layout south of Playa del Carmen. For a day off, the Puerto Morelos reef is a national park with shallow snorkelling, and the Ruta de los Cenotes runs inland from Puerto Morelos.
Find your season.
The busy season runs from November to April, which is also when green fees are highest. From May to October rates drop, and the twilight window gives unlimited golf until sunset. Summer heat is heavy on an inland course with little sea breeze, and tropical storms threaten the coast between June and November.
Do you have to stay at Iberostar to play Playa Paraíso Golf Club?
No. The course is open to the public, but Iberostar guests get the best deals: an unlimited-golf package with shuttle, and a 35% discount on that package for JOIA Paraíso guests. Outside players book by phone or through tee-time websites.
How much is a round at Iberostar Playa Paraíso?
Iberostar does not post a public rate. The reseller Cancún Discounts lists US$199 in high season and US$169 from May to October, with twilight from 3pm at US$149 and US$129. Ask the golf shop for its own figure before you book.
Is Playa Paraíso a difficult golf course?
Yes, for a resort course. Visitor reviews and Iberostar’s own description both stress narrow fairways, deep bunkers and contoured greens. Moving up a tee and taking extra balls is sensible if you are not driving it straight.
What time is the first tee at Playa Paraíso?
6:30am in summer and 7:30am in winter, with tee times every 10 minutes. Early starts beat the heat from May onwards, while the reseller’s twilight rates start at 3pm and let you play on until sunset.
Last checked 10 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
