Playa del Carmen

Overview

Shares an airport with Cancun which is about 30 minutes away. This is what Cancun used to be before it became Miami. A nice little town with gorgeous beaches and everthing a traveler needs. Playa del Carmen is the fastest growing town in Mexico.

Do yourself a favor and stay away from the all-inclusives. Find a nice small motel in town and use the money you save to enjoy the diving, trekking, etc. Also, don't waste your money on souveneirs sold on the main street (Quinta Avenida, or 5th Ave.). You can get the same stuff on side streets for half the price.

There are a lot of attractions in Playa's neighbourhood, some of the best are the Maya ruins of Tulum and Cobá, the white sand beaches, snorkeling on Cozumel island (the ferry to Cozumel leaves from Playa) or in one of the various Cenotes.

If you prefer seaworld-ish kind of tourist parks you could visit one of the numerous parks like Xel-Ha or Xcaret.

History