Playa del Carmen Travel Guide
|
|
|
Playa Hotels
 In
Playa del Carmen
and its neighboring
resort area, Playacar,
grand hotels and
resorts rub shoulders
with small boutique
hotels, offering
something for everyone.
Playa del Carmen
Hotels
|
Tours
 Tours
departing from Playa
del Carmen and the
Riviera Maya. Pick-ups
from your hotel.
Dinner Cruises,
Mayan Ruins, Swim
with Dolphins, Chichen
Itza & more!
Tours
|
Airport Transfers
 Airport
Transfers can be
reserved one-way
or round-trip from
the airport to your
hotel in Playa
del Carmen. Both
shared shuttle
van service and
private taxis
are available.
Airport Transfers
|
|
|
|
|
"Playa del
Carmen (known
simply as Playa),
once a soporific,
very Mexican
fishing village,
has mushroomed
in recent years
and now has
the dubious
distinction
of being the
world's fastest
growing town
(by a rate of
26 percent per
annum)"
-Guinness
Book of Records
|
|
|
|
Playa del Carmen
Overview
|
|
|
|
 Playa
is a fantastic place
to hang out. The town
has grown along the
beach, so wherever you
go, you will feel the
closeness to the ocean.
The main street is called
Quinta Avenida, or 5th
Avenue. It is a pedestrian
walkway and a common
point of reference.
Now head
north on 5th Avenue,
walking parallel to
the beach. This first
part of Playa is where
you find most hotels,
restaurants, bars and
shops. It is the main
street where the visitors
gather in a typical
Mexican atmosphere.
During a walk down this
pedestrian street where
automobiles are not
permitted, you will
find a variety of restaurants
with all kinds of Mexican
and international menus
to satisfy any palate.
You will
find a wonderful variety
of stores and shops
to make your purchases,
and a great variety
of services offered
to visitors. The serenity
that is felt when strolling
on this street is in
keeping with the calm
of the sea at a mere
50 meters. Along Fifth
Avenue, there are musical
groups contributing
to the atmosphere, the
"Mexican Mariachi" with
their unique melodies,
duets, trios and quartets,
along with the romantic
"boleros".
South
of the dock is an area
called Playacar. This
planned development
is where all the big,
all-inclusive resorts
are located. You'll
also find the golf course,
some private homes and
condos, the aviary,
and some interesting
Mayan ruins.
|
|
|
Beaches and Attractions
|
 Playa
del Carmen provides
an enormous variety
of water activities,
ranging from swimming
on the beach, or more
strenuous sports such
as windsurfing, sailing
or diving in the nearby
reefs to going on boat
trips or using other
types of watercraft.
Extreme sports enthusiasts
will enjoy scuba diving
in the open seas in
the crystal-clear waters
of Playa del Carmen.
You can go snorkeling
and scuba diving on
the Great Mayan Reef,
located less than 100
meters out from the
beach. Alternatively,
you can go diving in
the caves, which is
a great experience.
Playa del Carmen
is also an ideal spot
for visiting one of
the most beautiful parks
in Mexico: Xcaret, which
is also the place where
ferries set off to the
Island of Cozumel. It
is also near the natural
well area of Puerto
Aventuras while the
largest natural aquarium
in the world, Xel-Ha,
is just forty-five minutes
away.
|
|
|
Eating
|
 Playa
del Carmen is heaving
with restaurants of
every kind. Although
the quality of food
here is often very good
(particularly Italian
) it's rarely reasonably
priced.
The pedestrianized
section of 5th Avenue
is edged end-to-end
with dining tables where
you can eat pizza, pasta,
burgers, chips and veggie
stuff - you name it
- but if you're on a
budget you'll need to
search out where locals
go for tacos and
comida corrida .
As a rule of thumb in
Playa, the further from
the sea, the cheaper
the food - as is everything
else.
Probably the nicest
places, though, are
the beach restaurants
and bars, where your
can sift sand between
your toes while eating
fresh fish and sipping
icy margaritas. Keep
an eye open for the
various happy hours.
|
|
|
Bars and Nightlife
|
 You
can wander through Playa
del Carmen well into
the night, following
the happy-hour trail
and listening to all
sorts of music from
salsa and reggae to
1970s classics. Drinks
aren't cheap if you
pay the full price,
but it's a great way
to meet people.Nightlife
in Playa del Carmen
starts definitively
in the 5th Avenue (Quinta
Avenida). All along
the beach there are
also bars where you
can stop and get a drink
anytime you want to.
Dance in the warm powdery
sand to music that ranges
from Caribbean reggae
to that like in any
world-class club.
People are always
in the mood for a party
here. It is a more bohemian
place with a good mixture
of foreigners and Mexicans.
Many restaurants in
Playa del Carmen seamlessly
transform into nightclubs
in the evening after
the dinner hour has
passed.
|
|
|
|
