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Playa del Carmen
Hotels
In Playa del Carmen and its neighboring resort area, Playacar, grand all-inclusive hotels and resorts rub shoulders with small, boutique hotels.
 Playa del Carmen Hotels
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Tours and Attractions
Tours to Playa/Riviera Maya, departing from Cancun and the Riviera Maya, and tours to area attractions departing from Playa del Carmen.
Tours and Attractions
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Airport Transportation
Airport Transfers can be reserved one-way or round-trip from the airport to a ferry dock or your hotel. Shared shuttle van service and private taxis are available.
Airport Transfers
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"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
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Introduction
to Playa
del
Carmen
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 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.
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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.
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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
pedestrian
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.
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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.
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Getting
to Playa
del
Carmen
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 Cancun
Airport
Transfers
►Rates
& Reservations◄
We offer
2 types
of Cancun
airport
transfers
with
comfort
and
security
from
the
Cancun
International
airport
to any
hotel
in Cancun
and
the
Mayan
Riviera,
including
Playa
del
Carmen
and
to the
ferry
docks
for
Cozumel,
Isla
Mujeres
and
Isla
Holbox.
We also
provide
VIP
service
to Chetumal,
Chichen
Itza,
and
other
areas
in the
Yucatan
Peninsula.
Our
shuttles
are
late
model
air-conditioned
vans
carrying
up to
10 passengers
comfortably. |
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Taxi
from
Airport
Grab
an authorized
airport
taxi.
It's
a 45
minute
ride
to Playa
del
Carmen.
A union
controls
who
can
carry
tourists
from
the
airport
and
what
they
charge.
The
ride
to Playa
del
Carmen
will
cost
you
around
65 usd.
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Colectivo
from
Airport
A colectivo
is usually
a van
that
will
take
up to
10 people.
They
don't
leave
at any
specific
time,
but
you
will
have
to wait
until
it's
full
enough
to justify
the
trip.
You
may
have
to make
stops
at other
resorts
and
hotels
along
the
way,
which
can
easily
double
the
time
it will
take
you
to get
to Playa
del
Carmen.
To take
one
of these
authorized
taxis,
go to
any
of the
TTC
kiosks
located
around
the
terminal
and
buy
a ticket,
or just
step
out
of the
arrival
hall
and
you
will
get
many
offers.
The
price
usually
works
out
to about
18 usd
per
person. |
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Bus
from
Airport
to Playa:
Mexican
bus
company
Riviera
operates
a direct
bus
service
between
Cancun
airport
and
Playa
del
Carmen.
Tickets
are
65 pesos
(about
7 usd)
each
way,
either
way.
It leaves
from
outside
the
main
arrival
hall
at the
airport.
Just
before
you
exit
the
terminal,
there
is a
Riviera
counter
where
you
buy
the
ticket.
In Playa
del
Carmen
the
bus
works
out
of the
main
bus
terminal
on 5th
Avenue
and
Juarez.
Bus
from
Cancun
to Playa:
Buses
run
regularly,
up until
midnight,
between
Cancun
and
Playa
del
Carmen.
The
majority
of buses
run
from
Cancun's
downtown
terminal.
Check
www.ticketbus.com.mx
for
schedules
and
prices.
ADO
bus
service
has
just
begun
a limited
number
of buses
running
from
Cancun's
hotel
zone
in Plaza
Caracol
shopping
center.
Plaza
Caracol
to the
Playa
del
Carmen
bus
station
leave
Plaza
Caracol
at 9:30
a.m.
and
6 p.m.
Buses
from
the
Playa
del
Carmen
bus
station
to Plaza
Caracol
leave
Playa
at 2
p.m.
and
8 p.m.
for
Plaza
Caracol.
Cost:
$60
pesos.
Schedules
and
prices
are
subject
to change.
Check
www.ticketbus.com.mx
for
schedules.
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