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Playa del Carmen is distinct among Yucatan beach towns both culturally and commercially. While its beaches are similar to other destinations', its nightlife and hotel culture is hipper in the European and American style, blending the traditional Mexican locale with a more permissive and opulent array of tourist options.
Playa del Carmen is located on the East Coast of the
Yucatan peninsula, 68 km south of Cancun. Its fine white-sand beaches, blue
Caribbean Sea and subtropical climate make it one of the most attractive destinations
of the Mexican Caribbean.
The city stretches out along both sides of the traffic-clogged Carretera
307. The main tourism services are near the coastline. The heart of the tourist
zone is Avenida Quinta with Playacar, a large planned resort community with
golf course, residential areas and several all-inclusive resorts is located
south of the ferry pier.
A holiday
in Playa del Carmen means rest and relaxation, enjoying the sun, sand and sea.
The azure
sea is the perfect temperature for swimming and the ocean breeze helps to keep
you cool. Unwinding and relaxation will come naturally as you immerse yourself
in the laid-back lifestyle of the resort. Seaside bars and restaurants are the
perfect palace to kick off your shoes and enjoy a delicious lunch with your
toes in the cool white sand.
The most
popular beaches are to the north off Calle 30. Several beach clubs are located
here offering lounge chairs, umbrellas, beach beds, water toys and restaurants.
It is also
perfectly placed as a base from which to explore the many Mayan ruins, snorkel,
swim in a cenote (underground cave), or explore the charming island of Isla
Mujeres.
Despite the
obvious growth of tourism in the area, Playa del Carmen is still one of the
prettiest beaches on the coast and has retained its small town feel. The off
shore reef provides some spectacular diving opportunities and less than an hour
away (by boat) the island of Cozumel offers some of the best diving in Mexico.
There are also numerous dive centres offering reef and cave diving in the
limestone caverns along the coast.
The Yucatan Peninsula is the hottest
and most tropical part of Mexico, especially from June to August when humidity
is high, although temperatures usually don’t exceed 32°C.
The rainy season runs from May to
mid-October and is characterised by late afternoon tropical showers, lasting
for a short time only. Hurricane season is between June and October, although
in their absence the cooling winds can make it a perfect time to visit.
The average monthly temperatures are:
|
°C |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Day |
28 |
29 |
31 |
32 |
33 |
32 |
33 |
33 |
32 |
31 |
29 |
29 |
|
Night |
19 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
21 |
19 |
If you love
to shop, you will love Playa del Carmen. It has the best shopping scene in the
Mexican Caribbean.
Avenida Quinta, Calle Corazón, and
nearby side streets have the best selection of shops. Great buys are Mexican
amber jewellery, fanciful woodcarvings from Oaxaca, and textiles from Chiapas
and Guatemala. The resort's main shopping malls are Plaza Pelicano on 10th
Avenue and the Paseo del Carmen close to the ferry pier.
The
open-air Paseo del Carmen Mall (Calle 1 between Avenidas 5 and 10) is packed
with brand-name sportswear, jewellery shops and franchise restaurants.
If your budget can stretch to
designer wear, head for 5th Avenue. You will also find plenty of speciality
stores to browse around for jewellery, Mayan-inspired arts and crafts, handbags
and the like to complement your new wardrobe.
Most of the
nightlife in Playa del Carmen takes place along 5th Avenue.
Whether you
want dancing, sipping margaritas on a rooftop, soaking up some live jazz,
people-watching from a street side bar, learning to salsa, or downing shots and
raving it up on a flashing dance-floor, you will be able to find your ideal
venue.
One of the
newest hotspots is the huge Bali Club on Calle 12. Another indoor dance club,
which has live bands on Saturday nights, is Bliss, on Calle 4. There are also numerous
open-air bars which operate into the early hours, some offering live music or
DJs and dancing as the night wears on, others confining themselves to serving
up drinks under the stars.
Here are a
few places you might like to check out:
If you can
tear yourself away from the shops and beaches, you might like to explore a bit
more of Mexico.
Here are a
few examples of the excursions you can take from Playa del Carmen:
The water
is usually safe to drink in the major hotels and restaurants serving tourists,
but ask to make sure it is agua purificada (purified water). Bottled
water is also widely available. Be careful also with drinks that are frozen or
served on the rocks.
Before travelling to Playa Del Carmen you should check the Visa and Passport requirements at https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.