Best eSIM Riviera Maya: Compare, buy, and travel connected

By: • Updated:

With heavenly beaches, the Riviera Maya, undoubtedly, is one of the best places you must go to during your stay in Mexico. However, if you want to fully enjoy and share your best moments in Riviera Maya, you’ll need to have a good internet connection. And for this, we recommend that you forget about roaming in Mexico and give the new eSIM with data for Riviera Maya a try. With it, you can connect to the internet throughout your trip with unlimited data. Moreover, with added advantages, if you buy it at Holafly.

So, if this is the first time you’ve heard about international eSIMs with data, and you have some questions, don’t worry. In this post, we will try to answer any questions you may have. Additionally, we’re also going to show you how you can buy this new alternative to roaming, how much it costs, what it offers you, and most importantly, what coverage you will have when you connect to the internet with the eSIM for Riviera Maya. All this, so that you can connect to the internet in Riviera Maya in the most comfortable way possible.

Contents

What you should know about eSIM for Riviera Maya

If you liked the idea of unlimited internet connection without spending too much money with the new eSIM for Riviera Maya, the first thing you should know is that, as it is a new product, not all smartphones support the necessary technology to use this product and connect to the internet optimally. For this reason, before buying any product, the first thing you should do is find out about the requirements you need to meet to use it. In the case of the eSIM for Riviera Maya, the requirements that you must know are the following:

  • In the first place, the main requirement that you must meet is to have a smartphone with eSIM technology. You can easily know this by looking at the features of your smartphone on the internet.
  • Once you know that your smartphone has eSIM technology, we recommend that you check the compatibility between your cellphone and the eSIM that you are interested in buying. Most carriers tend to have more compatibility with the iPhone XS and up.
  • To buy your eSIM for Riviera Maya you will have to fill out a purchase form, where you must register your email.
  • Once you have your eSIM for Riviera Maya and want to activate it, you must have a prior internet connection during the activation process.
  • Remember to activate your eSIM when you arrive in Riviera Maya and not before.
  • Finally, you must know that some providers will ask you to install their app to download the eSIM.

Cellular providers of eSIM cards to travel to Riviera Maya

Now that you know the requirements that you have to meet, it’s time for you to know how you can buy your eSIM to connect to the internet in Riviera Maya with no limits! For this, we will have to go to international eSIM providers, dedicated solely to the sale of these virtual chips for vacation or business trips. Therefore, they don’t usually provide internet for a very long time, 3 months tops.

But, if what you’re looking for, is to remain connected to the internet for a much longer period, we recommend that you take a look at the local eSIMs in Riviera Maya, which we will talk about at the end of this post.

On the other hand, these providers are:

  • Holafly
  • TravelSIM
  • Knowroaming
  • Au by KDDI

Prices and data plans of eSIM providers

Surely, after knowing which providers offer you an eSIM for your trip to Riviera Maya, you’re wondering how much it will cost you to get an eSIM with each provider. If this is the case, don’t worry because in Roaming, to save you some time, we have compiled the rates and data plans of each of the above providers. This way, you’ll be able to compare each of the offers and decide, based on your needs and budget, which of them is the best suited for your trip to the Riviera Maya.

However, remember that in addition to the data and days of validity, one of the most important factors and the one that gives the most eSIM value is the coverage they offer you. Therefore, before deciding which eSIM to go for, we recommend that you take a look at the coverage it offers you, which we will talk about later.

Plans and prices of the Holafly eSIM for Riviera Maya

  • 5 days, $19 USD
  • 15 days, $47
  • 20 days, $54
  • 30 days, $64
  • 60 days, $84

TravelSIM prices for Riviera Maya

  • 1 GB for 30 days at $75

Au By KKDI plans and prices for Riviera Maya

  • 5 GB for 30 days at $47 USD

Knowroaming prices for Riviera Maya

  • 5 GB for 30 days at $50

Comparison of eSIM providers for Riviera Maya

ProviderDataDaysPriceLanguageSales channels
HolaflyUnlimited30$64Spanish, English, French, and GermanWeb
TravelSIM10 GB14$59Spanish, English, FrenchWeb
GigSky 5 GB30$59.99EnglishWeb, App Store, Play Store
Au by KDDI5 GB30$47EnglishWeb
Table 1. Comparison of eSIM providers to connect to the internet in Riviera Maya.

Features of the eSIM to travel to Riviera Maya

If the previous rates and data plans left you more interested than ever in buying an eSIM for your trip to Riviera Maya, you first need to know a little more about what this product is all about. With this information, you have a much better image of what the eSIM can offer you during your trip and what not. Certainly, we invite you to take a look at the following general features of eSIMs. However, remember that these vary depending on your provider, so some eSIMs may have more advantages than others and vice versa.

  • Almost all international eSIMs with data offer only data. Therefore, services such as international calls can only be made through apps such as WhatsApp or Skype.
  • All eSIMs are meant to be activated only once after being bought. Therefore, don’t uninstall your eSIM without first contacting your provider.
  • Your Android or iOS device will become a fully DualSIM phone when you activate your eSIM. In other words, you can use your traditional SIM card simultaneously with your eSIM for Riviera Maya.
  • Some eSIMs configure the APN automatically.
  • Certainly, with your eSIM, you can add multiple data plans on your cellphone. Although, it’s only possible to use one at a time.
  • In some cases, providers have added advantages to their eSIMs, such as the Holafly eSIM for Riviera Maya, which will allow you to share data and have unlimited data.  

eSIM coverage

As we mentioned before, one of the most important features, and the ones that give the most value to the eSIMs that we saw previously, is the coverage that this eSIM offers you in the Riviera Maya. Since, depending on this, your internet connection during your trip will be either excellent or faulty. One of the most common problems when having poor coverage is that you may experience latency during your trip, or even end up without an internet connection in some areas of the Riviera Maya.

So that this doesn’t happen to you, we recommend that you take a look at the cellular network to which you are going to connect once you arrive at your destination. If the cellular network to which your eSIM is connected is from large operators in Mexico such as AT&T, Telcel, or Movistar, your internet connection will be pretty good. For example, Holafly eSIM for Riviera Maya connects to the AT&T cellular network, one of the best in Mexico, so its coverage will be excellent.

If you want to learn more about the coverage provided by these operators, then we present the coverage map of each of them.

AT&T Mobile 4G coverage map in Riviera Maya

AT&T 4G coverage map in Riviera Maya. Source: GSMA

Telcel 4G coverage map in Riviera Maya

Telcel 4G coverage map in Riviera Maya. Source: GSMA

Movistar 4G coverage map in Riviera Maya

Movistar’s coverage map in Riviera Maya. Source: GSMA

Local cellular operators offering eSIM for Riviera Maya

On the other hand, if what you’re looking for is to connect to the internet through an eSIM, but for a much longer period because, for example, you want to live in Riviera Maya, or for a student exchanges program or something similar, the best option available to you is the local eSIM of some operators. So, to have these local eSIMs, the first thing you should do is go to the physical branches of the cellular operators that offer them, and request a postpaid or prepaid data plan that includes the eSIM and that’s it! Remember that for this it’s necessary that you carry your documents such as your passport.

The cellular operators that currently have this product are:

  • AT&T
  • Telcel
  • Movistar

FAQ about eSIM

Overall, we hope that the information you have found on this post has been useful to you. If you have any questions, below we will answer the most frequent questions that travelers usually have about the eSIM for Riviera Maya.

What is the difference between an international data eSIM and the local eSIM for Riviera Maya?

The local eSIM from O2 or Vodafone is mainly intended for people who live in the Riviera Maya. The international eSIM for Riviera Maya from Holafly or GigSky is used to connect to the internet during your trips to Riviera Maya.

Do I need a passport to buy the eSIM for Riviera Maya?

It’s not necessary to present a passport, but some providers do require your address. This applies only to the eSIM for tourists, and not to the eSIM offered by O2 Vodafone, who will ask for your information.

Can I share data or do tethering with the eSIM?

Yes, eSIMs for Riviera Maya will allow you to share your data with other devices. However, we recommend checking with the provider’s customer service.

How to activate the eSIM for Riviera Maya?

After installing the virtual SIM profile, you must choose it as the default means of cellular data, activate the data option, and roaming and your digital SIM should now work.

Do international prepaid eSIM cards expire?

Yes, like physical cards, virtual SIMs also have an expiration date.

When does the eSIM data plan start?

From the moment you activate your eSIM, by scanning the QR code on your phone.

What is an eSIM or digital SIM?

The eSIM is the evolution of traditional SIM cards. The eSIM works due to a chip preinstalled in the cellphone, which allows the profile to be stored and configured. To learn more, we invite you to read: what is eSIM and how does it work.

Rate this post