DK Travel : Cancún and the Yucatán : Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen

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If you prefer a beach-town atmosphere to the long hotel strip of Cancún, this is the ideal choice on the Mayan Riviera. Only a tiny fishing village with sand streets in the 1980s, and a backpackers’ hangout in the early ’90s, Playa has blossomed into a fun town with an energetic beach- and nightlife.

Quinta Avenida
For more on diving and snorkeling in the reefs off Playa see Diving Reefs & Tours and Special Interests

Top 10 Sights

1. Town Beach

1. Town Beach

Center of the action by day is the main beach, with more beautiful soft, white Yucatán sand and plenty of shoreline cafés. Beach volleyball is something of a specialty.
2. Quinta Avenida

Stretching north from the town plaza, “Fifth Avenue” is Playa’s main drag, for daytime shopping and nighttime promenading. Spread along the pedestrianized avenue is a multicolored array of shops, cafés, hotels, clubs, and pavement restaurants.
3. Nighttime Playa

After dark the Quinta buzzes with wandering crowds meeting up, dining and bar-hopping. With mariachi bands in some bars and techno DJs in others, there’s plenty of variety. The center of the action is the junction of the Quinta and Calle 12.
4. Hip Hotels

4. Hip Hotels

Playa is well known for its stylish small hotels, like Mosquito Blue on Calle 12, El Faro, and especially Deseo(see Deseo, Playa del Carmen). Discreetly spectacular and with wonderful pools, they showcase contemporary elegance.
5. Xaman-Ha Mayan Ruins

5. Xaman-Ha Mayan Ruins

Playa shares its ground with the site of a Mayan settlement known as Xaman-Ha. Several temples survive, most scattered around the Playacar area.
6. Playacar

6. Playacar

This smartly landscaped development shows a different side of Playa. It encompasses resort hotels, winding lanes of luxury villas, a fine aviary, Mayan ruins, beach clubs, restaurants, and a championship standard golf course (see Golf.)
7. Playacar Aviary

7. Playacar Aviary

The aviary within Playacar contains a fine collection of toucans, parrots, flamingos, and over 50 other bird species in a lush green setting that seems almost like real jungle. A very easy way to see some of the Yucatán’s rarer birds without trekking into the forest.
8. Playa Tukán and Mamita’s Beach

Two beach clubs, with laid-back bar-restaurants, palapa-sunshades and loungers for hire, and snorkel tours. The hotels nearby all have arrangements so that guests can use the beach-club facilities free of charge.
9. Chunzubul Beach

Playa’s best snorkeling spots are found on the beaches north of Mamita’s, beyond the striking cabañas of Shangri-La (see Shangri-La, Playa del Carmen). There are also nudist beaches along this stretch of coast.
10. Xcaret

10. Xcaret

Created around a natural lagoon 6 km (4 miles) south of Playa, Xcaret is a huge, imaginatively landscaped “eco-park” bursting with flora, fauna, and sea life (see Playa del Carmen: Xcaret).

Practical Information

Take your own snorkels. They’re expensive to rent or buy in Playa. For good traditional Mexican food at lower prices, eat away from the Quinta. Along Calle 4 there are several enjoyable, low-key restaurants with bargain seafood, like Las Brisas (see Coctelería Las Brisas, Playa del Carmen). Tourist information: Av Juárez corner of Av 15; (984) 873 0242; 9am–9pm Mon–Sat, 9am–5pm Sun Xcaret (998) 883 3143 www.xcaretcancun.com summer: 9am–10pm, winter: 9am–9pm; tours daily from Cancún and Playa del Mar adm $59–72, children 5–12 $29–36 (under 5s free)

Reviews

elli07

We spent some wonderful nights at the Playa Palms Hotel in central Playa del Carmen. The location of the hotel was for us fantastic. We were right on the beach and so close to everything in town. The hotel is really beautiful, actually the photos on their website tell the truth! All the rooms have their own balconies with a hammock perfect for us to hang out on. We don´t know about the rest of the rooms but our one was equipped with basic kitchen equipment so we could cook some food. We really appreciated that. The hotel was always fresh and clean, and If you look you´ll see staff cleaning all the time. We thought it could be noisy in the middle of town, but we were not bothered at all. You could sometimes hear some sounds from the nearby bars at night but it didn´t disturb us from sleeping . The staff is amazing (just ask for Victor and he helps you with everything), the location can´t be beaten (I mean it took us 30 sec to get into the Caribbean ocean, and ten of those where stairs!!) and the view from our balcony was just….. magic! The next time we visit Playa you´ll find us at Playa Palms.

about a year ago

mrtruffle

it's OK

about 2 years ago

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