Playa del Carmen in Mexico

Playa del Carmen or just “Playa”, as it is also commonly referred to by locals, is a resort town on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. It’s approximately 45 minutes south of Cancun on the Mayan Riviera, and offers a more relaxed atmosphere engineered for lounging and beach frolic.

Buses can be taken directly from Cancun airport, for around US$8. To get to the bus terminal, go right after exiting the main terminal and walk about 200 yards. Purchase a ticket (buying it in Pesos will save you a few dollars) right before exiting the terminal. Rental cars and one-way transfer services are also available.
Playa is pedestrian friendly town and you can basically walk to everything. The main thoroughfare, 5th Ave, does not allow cars except in the early morning hours for deliveries. A bike is a fun alternative to walking, there are a number of bike rental shops at the north end of 5th Ave.

Scheduled bus service to destinations in the region (e.g. Xcaret, Xel-ha, Tulum, Cancun airport, Cancun, etc.) and beyond depart from bus station at southern end of Fifth Avenue near Playacar and Ferry terminal to Cozumel.

First class ADO bus departs hourly or so for tourist destination of Xcaret, Xel-ha and Tulum - fares are in US$4 range. The ADO Bus goes directly to the entrances of Xcaret and Xel-ha. ADO also runs direct service to Cancun airport from Playa Del Carmen for approximately US$8 (80 pesos).

Second class local Mayab buses also leave from Fifth Avenue station. Mayab buses stop more frequently enroute and drop off alongside the highway to Tulum, requiring walking from the highway to the entrances of Xcaret or Xel-ha.

An alternative to the buses is to catch a “collectivo” van. These leave/return to a separate location in Playa Del Carmen than the bus stop. Collectivos are cheap government regulated air-conditioned vans which transport people on Hwy. 307, which runs north/south along the coast. Pick-up times for these collectivos vary, roughly every 10 minutes and pick-up is simply along the freeway, but one can get you a ride to any destination between Tulum and Cancun for as little as US$6.

Organized bus tours are also available from a variety of companies, including Tours Aldebaran, that cross the Riviera Maya & Yucatan (Tulum, Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Mahahual, Ek Balam, Celestun, Rio Lagartos, Merida, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Coba, Sian Ka’an, Xcaret, Xelha, etc.).

Xel-Ha is an ecological theme park or natural aquarium. Here you can swim with dolphins, see sea turtles, bicycle, snorkel, cliff-dive, and scuba. If you choose to scuba you will get to pet stingrays and see larger fish. This park is quite large, so bring good shoes to walk up river, you bag your dry belongings and they will be driven back to the main area. There is a buffet restaurant and free drinks as part of the park entry-fee, as well as snorkel equipment and rafts.
Aviario Xaman-Ha is a beautiful Aviary where you will find different species, not just birds, other animal species like the butterflies, “iguanas”, turtles and other small mammals. The animals and plants that live here are in their natural habitat and they live in semi-captivity. We have endemic, threatened, and endangered species.

Quinta Avenida, also referred to in English as 5th Avenue, is the main tourist thoroughfare in Playa. It is a pedestrian only, cobblestone lined street which spans approximately 20 blocks. Along 5th Ave. you will find a variety of restaurants, bars, clubs, shopping opportunities and various services. In Playa, nearly everything starts from this street.

The best beach is Playa Tukan at the north end of town off of Calle 26. It is best to arrive early. Rent a canopy bed on the beach. Draw the canopy back and catch the rays, then pull it back again for an afternoon nap. Mamitas Beach Club has plenty of beds and great music playing during the day. Be aware that some women do go topless but this is not widely accepted by locals.

Nightlife is definitely happening in Playa del Carmen, but is not as wild as its neighbor to the north, Cancun. Typically, Playa’s shops and restaurants close around 10pm, but nearly all of the clubs stay open through most of the night. A number of the best nightclubs are located on the beach. If you are interested in nightlife (dancing, drinks late until the evening/morning), then be sure to visit Blue Parrot, El Pirata, Santenera, and Hotel Deseo. The Blue Parrot has an intese and spectacular nightly fire show at 11pm and offers beach dancing, swings at the bar, and plenty of dancing. Santenera has a beautiful roofdeck bar. Deseo also has a roofdeck bar, but it comes with beds. Very relaxing and beautiful.

Scuba diving and snorkeling is plentiful around Playa, though the reefs are off the shore require a boat to get to. The offshore reef is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second largest coral reef system in the world. All hotels have a dive shop, though many can be found on 5th Ave. Better open-water scuba diving can generally be found in Cozumel so if this is the focus of your trip it is best to stay there. Excellent snorkeling is located at Puerto Morelos, located roughly halfway between Playa del Carmen and Cancun, and in the lagoon at Akumal, on the way to Tulum. Several dive shops in Playa del Carmen do offer cenote diving south of town. A good place to do your diving or scuba diving classes is with the Abyss Dive Center and Training Facility www.abyssdivecenter.com with bookings made in advance through their email info@abyssdivecenter.com

There are many internet cafes in Playa del Carmen, most of which also offer international phone service. Prices start at around US$1 an hour.

Cenotes are cavernous freshwater sinkholes which are found all over the Yucatan peninsula. Many of them are open to the public for swimming, diving, and exploration. Many are open, however some of them are partially underground and the caves associated with these cenotes can run for miles underground. Cenotes also vary in size with openings as little as a foot wide to as large as a small lake. The water clarity in these cenotes is often unsurpassed, often exceeding 200 feet, and makes for exceptionally good swimming. Some of the bigger cenotes are available as tourist destinations, many are locally owned, and many more still are either undiscovered or undeveloped. Entrance to the commercial cenotes is correlated to the amount of development (i.e. if there are washrooms, restaurants, showers, etc.) with fees ranging from US$1-20. for cenote snorkeling tours or cenote dive excursions look up Cenote Dive Center located in the twon of Tulum www.cenotedive.com and email them if you want to ask questions about diving in the area info@cenotedive.com

Tulum is approximately an hour south of Playa and most famous for its beautiful Mayan archaeological site which sits on a low cliff overlooking a beautiful beach and the turquoise Caribbean sea.

Cozumel, the large island off the coast of Playa is famous for snorkeling and scuba near the Great Maya Reef, the large coral system. Note that Cozumel is also a main port for Cruise ships, so can be quite busy sometimes!

Spanish language classes are available by the week at International House Maya Riviera, located on calle 14 off Quinta Avenida, and at Playa Lingua, located on calle 20 between Quinta Avenida and Avenida 10.

There are nearly 75 restaurants in Playa, with foods of every type and price range.

La Pesca, Avenida 30, near Constituyentes, across from the Mega grocery store. Arguably the best seafood in Playa del Carmen. Reasonable prices, awesome food. Try the cazuela de camaron. Open every day until 9PM (but if you get there before 9, you’ll still be served with a smile).
Ah Cacao Chocolate Café, 5ta Ave. at Constituyentes. A chocolate-themed coffee shop, selling chocolate in all its forms (including pure cacao beans). Famous for the brownies. Probably serves the best lattes and espresso in Playa.
Babes Noodles and Bar Very popular restaurant bar serving Thai-style noodles, loud music, and lots of beer. Two locations: Calle 10 between 5th and 10th, and 5th Ave. between calle 26 and 28.
HC Monterrey, Calle 1 Sur between 15th and 20th Avenidas, well off the tourist strip of the Quinta Avenida. This butcher/restaurant is almost impossible to find without a recommendation. The arrachera nacional is so tender it almost melts in your mouth. The meat is served simply with a foil wrapped potato and half of an avocado. If you are looking for something a little different, but truly delicious, try HC. With prices around 80 pesos a person, make sure to get there early, they are open until only 7pm.
Ileana’s Il Pescadore located on the North end of Playa, a newly renamed Italian Restaurant that is a must on any visit to Playa. The Owner, a lady originally from Italy, is entertaining, charming and readily introduced us to her mother and neice. (Guess it is a family restaurant.) The Calamari is among the best I ever ate! The tiramisu is outrageously delicious and unique. The home made pasta is superb. The portions are a decent size but you do not leave thinking you over ate. Cash only. 5 Sombreros.
La Casa del Agua is located on 5th Avenue at 2nd Street, Playa del Carmen. Great ambiance; the Calamari at lunch was excellent as was the fish when we returned on a subsequent day for dinner. A little pricier than other restaurants but well worth a try. Their indoor “waterfall” is a variation of a small pool of water cascading down rocks. The method cools nicely and is emulated in several restaurants. 5 Sombreros.
La Cueva del Chango Contemporary Mexican cuisine in an offbeat ‘jungle garden’ setting. A refreshing change from the frenetic pace of the 5th Avenue restaurants. Calle 38, between 5th Ave. and the beach. The “Monkey Cave” is open for breakfast, lunch and supper and frequented by “locals” and many Americans who own villas locally.
The morning breakfast is “Tops” and the coolness of the day makes the open air setting enjoyable. Try the Grenola/Yogurt/Fruit Crepé or the outrageously delicious Chaya Crepé. (Chaya. a local favorite, is a “tree spinach” native to the Yucatan. DO NOT EAT RAW CHAYA. It contains ARSENIC) The Changos (monkeys) are temporarily not present because they were disturbed by the current condo construction boom. 5 Sombreros for breakfast.

La Parilla “Mexican Grill” is located upstairs on the corner of Calle 8 and 5a Avenida. The Mariachi band was excellent and would play any single song that they knew for $10 USD. Similarly, one guidebook mentioned the restaurant as heving been excellent, but unable to maintain its excellence with the increase in traffic attributed to its past reputation. 2 Sombreros.
Media Luna 5a Avenida between Calles 12th and 14th. The locals think highly of the restaurant, as do others. However, we (four) left without trying the cuisine. Located on the second floor and open to the air on the 5a Avenida side, we found the restaurant too noisy to have enjoyed the food had we ordered. We obeserved one table where diners were trying to talk over one another which caused us to initially change tables before we left. The restaurant offers vegetarian dishes, fresh fish, wonderful pastas and salads. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sombreros not allocated
Oasis Mexican seafood. Battered shrimp tacos, seafood soup, fried fish. Attracts mostly Mexicans and Playa locals. Prices are reasonable and the quality is consistent.
PlayaMaya Hotel at the beach. Octopus Tacos, wonderful.
Yaxché Cocina Maya a Mayan Cuisine restaurant located on 8th Street, between 5th and 10th Avenues, a half block from 5th Avenue. The Hotel gave us a card, good for one after dinner drink, a “Mayan Kiss”. The soup (a Mayan Name) with Grouper was excellent. The shrimp plate was also tops. We returned on another occassion and had the Grouper dinner…Excellent! We also tried the creamed Chaya soup, wow. The menue for lunch and supper were the same as were the prices. One of our friends didn’t care for the spicy shrimp dinner. 4 Sombreros.
Perros Calientes (hot dogs) If you wanna eat a great(great is big) hot dog, you have to walk two streets from the Fifth avenue and you will enjoy so good hot dogs.

There are also various pizza stands with prices ranging from 10 pesos to 20 pesos, most of them remain open up to 6AM when bars begin to close.

Lastly, as is the case in much of Mexico, the street food is not to be missed. Simply walk south down fifth avenue until you reach the pier and taxi stand. There are generally five or six carts there serving tacos of various types. Every seafood taco is generally outstanding, along with the carnitas, pollo, and chorizo. Also, try the stuffed poblano tacos. Tacos are typically in the 2-3 USD range. For the best and freshest tacos arrive mid-morning before the lunch rush as the carts are setting up.