Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, or just "Playa" as it is also commonly referred to by locals, is a large coastal resort town in Quintana Roo on the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Approximately 70 km south of Cancún and 20 km west of Cozumel island, it is at the center of the Mayan Riviera and offers a more relaxed atmosphere and smaller boutique lodgings.

Understand
Playa del Carmen is less internationally recognized than its northern sister city, Cancun. However, this comes with many added benefits. Unlike Cancun, which has a reputation of being incredibly touristy, Playa del Carmen retains an authentic Mexican feel due to its smaller size despite still being a tourist destination. Also, Playa del Carmen can be far less crowded and hectic than Cancun year-round. The resorts and hotels are also much newer in Playa del Carmen. To summarize, anything one can find in Cancun - be it gorgeous beaches, great nightlife, or delicious cuisine - one can also find in Playa del Carmen, but in a much more authentic and relaxed environment.

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 overpriced services. In Playa, nearly everything starts from this street. If you have more local fare in mind, head a few avenues (they are counted in jumps of five, the next one besides fifth avenue is tenth avenue) inland and prices as well as the number of gringos tend to fall. Towards the south there is a gated community full of air bnb rentals and hotels called "playacar". You might be able to just walk in, but security will stop cars and possibly pedestrians at the entrance gate.

By plane
The main airport for Playa is Cancún International Airport. You could also check flights to the Cozumel airport, which is much closer than CUN, or the new Tulum International Airport , which is almost 2 hours by taxi or bus from Playa.

From the Cancún airport to the city center
From all terminals of the Cancún International Airport depart ADO buses directly to Playa del Carmen. The price is M$240 (pesos) (Sep 2023). Purchase a ticket right before exiting the terminal or at a kiosk right at the bus. Buying it in pesos will save you a few dollars. Tickets for children are half-price. The ride takes about 50 minutes. The buses arrive in the Terminal Turistica of Playa del Carmen.

Private transfers are another way to get from Cancún's International Airport to your hotel, condo, or beachfront home in Playa Del Carmen or Playacar, and can be booked online in advance.

Once you wander outside of the terminal into the crowd of transfer service agents, if you have booked ahead of time, feel free to tell other agents which service you are looking for. The agents look out for each other and will likely point you in the right direction. It can be extremely crowded, so you are better off asking for help rather than wandering around looking for the right agent and getting in the way

From the Cozumel airport to the city center
Take a taxi for the 2.5 km to the Cozumel ferry terminal. From there take a boat to the center of Playa de Carmen for US$13 (Feb 2022). More details are stated further below in "By boat". In front of the nearby Terminal Turistica are taxis which bring you to your accommodation.

By bus
The is right in the heart of Playa del Carmen on 5th Ave. The ADO buses from the airport only arrive in this Terminal. Upstairs are a Santander and BanBajío ATM.

And there is the in the city center at Calle 12 Nte & Avenida 20 Nte. ADO buses from destinations further away like Bacalar, Chetumal and Mérida only arrive in this Terminal.

Coming from Cancun, Valladolid or Tulum you can choose in which Terminal you would like to arrive. Bus travel is relatively inexpensive, you can either travel second class, or first class, which is sometimes also called 'Express' although it is not notably any faster at all. First class buses cost around 40% more and will have toilets and TVs on them, but both classes have air conditioning.

A second class ticket to Chetumal on the Belizean border costs about M$300 (Jan 2022) and takes around 4½ hours. For getting to know the schedule of a second class bus, the employees inside the ticket booth of a Terminal show it to you on their LCD screen.

By car
Highway 307 is the only highway that passes by Playa. As you approach Playa from Cancún, the highway divides. Keep left and you will take the raised freeway past the city, keep right and you'll be able to access the city streets. The first east-west artery to Playa is Avenida Constituyentes, which works well for destinations in northern Playa tourist zone. The second is Avenida Juárez, which leads to the town's main square, the ADO Tourist bus terminal and the Cozumel ferry dock.

By boat
From Cozumel there are two competing companies which ship you across: Winjet and Ultramar. The price is M$260 (Dec 2023), or about US$13/26 one-way/return (Feb 2022). Both companies operate from the main ferry dock on the south end of the city, just south of the plaza. Boats leave every hour, from 08:00-20:00, and the ride is 30 minutes. A second dock (Muelle Constituyentes) is sometimes used by Ultramar.

Orientation
Because the layout of downtown Playa is a rectangular grid, getting around is very easy.

The main east-west street, Avenida Juárez, connects Highway 307 with the town square, El Zócalo, near the beach. As it does so, it crosses several numbered north-south avenues that run parallel to the beach, all of which, interestingly enough, are multiples of five. Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue), the closest to the beach, is closed to traffic from the Zócalo to Calle 6 (and some blocks beyond, in the evening).

Almost the entire town is north and west of the town square, El Zócalo. The east-west streets parallel to Avenida Juárez are numbered Calle, with even numbers to the north of Juárez and odd numbers to the south. The other main east-west street Avenida Constituyentes is located where you would expect to find Calle 18.

To the south of the downtown is "Playacar" a golf-course development of private residences and a dozen resort hotels.

On foot
Playa is pedestrian friendly town and you can basically walk to everything. The heat may be a problem, however. The main north-south pedestrianized street, 5th Ave, does not allow cars except in the early morning hours for deliveries. On 5th Avenue are many hotels, restaurants, and small shops. The north-south thoroughfare Avenida 30, five blocks west of 5th Ave, is where the large stores are located. To walk from the town square, El Zócalo, and Avenida Juarez to Avenida Constituyentes takes only about 10 minutes.

By bike
A bike is a fun alternative to walking; there are a number of bike rental shops at the north end of 5th Ave. Bike paths exist on some streets but it seems to be totally random which ones get them and which don't. Where they exist, they are generally segregated from foot and motorized traffic and in a state of good repair.

By e-hailing
There is no e-hailing service which serves Playa del Carmen.

By car
Car rentals are readily available at a number of locations at the north end of 5th Ave. Large companies, National, Hertz, etc. are convenient, as well as local agencies, which are generally less expensive.

By taxi
5th Ave. ('Quinta Avenida' or '5ta Av.') is a pedestrianized street and taxis are available at various intersections along its length. A taxi taken from a 'sitio' (place where taxis park) will cost a few dollars more than a taxi hailed on the street. It costs US$7 to get to Playacar, and about M$30-50 (Feb 2022) to get around the rest of Playa. In the evening and at night, some taxi drivers demand way more. Ask for the price before entering.

City bus
There are some city buses and shared vans which cover Playa del Carmen. The destinations are marked on the windshield. It's best to ask a local or a bus driver for an advice which and from where you can take one.

Intercity bus
Scheduled bus service to the main destinations in the region (e.g. Tulum, Cancun airport, Cancún, etc.) depart from both the ADO Terminal Alterna and ADO Terminal Turistica. To tourism destinations like Xcaret and Xel-ha go buses from the ADO Terminal Turistica. The ADO bus goes directly to the entrances of Xcaret and Xel-ha.

Second class local Mayab and Oriente buses also leave from the ADO Terminal Turistica and ADO Terminal Alterna. These buses stop more frequently en route and drop off alongside the Highway 307 to Tulum, requiring walking from the highway to the entrances of Xcaret or Xel-ha. The schedule of the second-class buses is not provided online. You can see the schedules on the LCD screen of the employees in the ticket booth of the Terminal.

The last buses from Cancun and Tulum depart about midnight back to Playa del Carmen.

Shared vans
The very frequent depart 500m outside of the center near Chedraui (on Calle 2 between Av 10 and Av 15). To both Cancun or Tulum it costs M$50 (Feb 2022) and somewhat less when leaving somewhere on the route. They depart from 4:30am to 10:30pm. Colectivos are cheap government regulated air-conditioned vans which transport people on Highway 307, which runs north/south along the coast between Tulum and Cancún. Pick-up times for these collectivos vary, roughly every 5-10 minutes. Pick-up/drop-off can be done along the freeway. The vans may only be marked with "Playa", which means "Playa del Carmen".

There are also vans either ran by individuals or tour vans returning empty from a drop off that will pick you up alongside Hwy 307. The easiest way to catch one is to wait at a bus stop and extend your hand out (like a handshake). Sometimes a van will flash their lights which is asking if you want them to stop. Prices vary, but can be as cheap as M$3. They pickup up and down the entire length of the highway. Most all speak English. They drop you off only along the highway at your choice. No door to door service.

Bus tours
Organized bus tours are available from a variety of companies that cross the Riviera Maya & Yucatán (Tulum, Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Mahahual, Ek Balam, Celestun, Rio Lagartos, Mérida, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Coba, Sian Ka'an, Xcaret, Xelha, etc.). There are a lot of so-called "travel agencies" on the 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen. Most of them are time-share offices. One reliable travel agency is Solatino Tours & Travel. The owners have day trips covering the whole area.

See



 * Small Maya Ruins around the "Playacar" gated community.
 * Small Maya Ruins around the "Playacar" gated community.
 * Small Maya Ruins around the "Playacar" gated community.
 * Small Maya Ruins around the "Playacar" gated community.
 * Small Maya Ruins around the "Playacar" gated community.
 * Small Maya Ruins around the "Playacar" gated community.

As the town is part of the 1970s master plan to develop the eastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula as a tourist hotspot and barely existed as a hamlet half a century ago, the small Maya ruins are everything regarding historical architecture.

Skydiving

 * Skydive Playa are based at the airport.

Charter fishing
You may see many boats on the beach in Playa del Carmen waiting for a deep sea fishing charter. Most of these boats are unlicensed and provide the bare necessities. They are generally small "pangas" which may or may not even offer shade. The equipment is generally sub-par. The professional charter fleet is in Puerto Aventuras which is about 10 km south of Playa. Puerto Aventuras is the oldest and nicest marina on the Riviera Maya. The protection is so good that the Cozumel Ferries park there in bad weather. There are numerous charter boats available from -. For not much extra money (if any) you can upgrade to a private boat. Just walk past the charter boats and you will find private boats. These boats are privately owned by affluent owners who maintain them with an open check book. Some of them offer their boats for occasional charter. The extra effort is well worth it.

Private yachts and vessels
With the closest port to Playa del Carmen at 25 min away there is different options for private luxury yachts, vessels or catamarans, whether to enjoy a day out doing sport fishing, drinking, tanning or celebrating something you can try Playa Yachting for good options.

Diving
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 at Puerto Morelos, 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.

Cenotes are cavernous freshwater sinkholes which are found all over the Yucatán 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 60 m (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) with fees ranging from US$1-20.

Two good cenotes within 15 minutes drive of Playa del Carmen with facilities are Cenote Chaak Tun and Rio Secreto. Both provide wetsuits, life jackets, shoes, etc, and run guided tours of 1½-2 hours involving walking and swimming through underground caves with beautiful rock formations, with the occasional fish below you, and bats above. No personal photography is allowed at Rio Secreto but their photographer will sell you photos for US$100. Cenote Chaak Tun allows photography, but lighting conditions are challenging, and you may be better buying photos from them for US$30 (from your trip and stock photos).

Cenote Chaak Tun is open 9-5, with guided tours leaving every 30 min or so. Entry is M$500/US$30 plus tip for the guide. Rio Secreto entry is from USD79 (different tour options available).



Out of town trips

 * – 65 km. The only major Maya archeological site to overlook the Caribbean Sea. Tulum is believed to be one of the most important ceremonial sites for the Maya people. It dates back more than 7 centuries and shows the remains of a huge walled city with roads, homes and businesses by the sea. The major highlight of Tulum is El Castillo which is a large pyramid that sits on a forty-foot cliff. ADO buses from the Terminal Touristica run 1 hr and cost M$104 (April 2022). On the ADO website and app the stop is called "Tulum zona arqueológica".
 * – 110 km. A beautiful site; it was one of the largest Maya cities in ancient times, but much is still hidden under lush jungle. It boasts the tallest pyramid of the Yucatan Peninsula, the Nohoch Mul. Muyil boasts a lake surrounded by many Maya constructions.
 * – 130 km. It's a wonderful nature preserve, just an hour south of Playa for the ecologically minded. Day tours available from Playa. One group offering tours is Sian Kaan Community Tours, mentioned here because it is run by a local Maya community, so your tourist dollars go directly to the community. That apart, it's great value for money (includes a tour of Maya ruins at Muyil, a float down a stream through the mangroves which other companies did not seem to offer, an experienced nature guide who points out the flora and fauna, boating through a lagoon, and not least, a delicious home-cooked Maya meal).


 * – 20 km. About 20 minutes from Playa del Carmen.
 * – 35 km. Either "Puerto" is a much shorter drive than to Cancun and less expensive. In Cancun, fishing the waters, where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Caribbean, can be extremely rough.

Buy
ATMs with low withdrawal fees in the center are: • BanCoppel (inside the Coppel store) • BanBajío (inside the Terminal Touristica upstairs) • Banco Azteca (inside the electra store) • (city)banamex • Santander and • Banorte (in the middle of the centro).

There are several money exchanges along the Quinta Avenida with fair conversion rates.

For buying groceries, there are Oxxo and 7-eleven around. There are three large supermarkets in or near the centro: • •  •  •

The touristy part of Playa is laden with shops selling 'artesanias'. These basically sell the same products - shirts, bracelets, and souvenirs, but for varying prices depending on the mood of the shopkeeper and your haggling/seduction skills. Haggling is accepted in the less formal shops in Playa, as in the rest of the Yucatán, though it is worth remembering that if you are able to afford an international vacation your income is many times higher than the storekeeper's (most of whom struggle just to pay the very high rents).

It is possible to buy Mexican and Cuban cigars here, but Cuban cigar prices are not particularly cheap. Counterfeits are commonplace in Mexico, so due diligence in the selection of cigars is advisable. If you are young or have long hair, many shop keepers are likely to also offer you marijuana. Marijuana is illegal in Mexico, though its use is widespread among tourists.

There are two large shopping centers on the outskirts of town: Centro Maya (on the right of Highway 307 heading towards Tulum - opposite Playacar) and Plaza Las Americas (entrance is on the right side of Hwy 307 as you head to Cancún, by the large traffic circle with statue at the entrance of Playa del Carmen). Both shopping centers have multiscreen cinemas and large supermarkets (Soriana and Chedraui, respectively).

•

Eat
There are dozens of restaurants in Playa, with foods of every type and price range: try to stay away from 5th avenue to get decent prices - usually 2 blocks only will make a huge difference. There are also various pizza stands with prices ranging from M$10-20, most of them remain open up to 06:00 when bars begin to close.

As is the case in much of Mexico, the street food is not to be missed. Simply walk south down 5th Ave 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 US$2-3 range. For the best and freshest tacos arrive mid-morning before the lunch rush as the carts are setting up.

Street food
All these are in the city center:



Budget
All these are in the city center:



Drink
Nightlife is definitely happening in Playa del Carmen, but is not as wild as its neighbor to the north, Cancún. Typically, Playa's shops and restaurants close around 22:00, but nearly all of the clubs stay open through most of the night. Some of the best nightclubs are on the beach. If you are interested in nightlife (dancing, drinks late until the evening/morning), then be sure to visit El Pirata.

There is no shortage of great bars in Playa, many of which can be found on the beach. Alternatively, if you are on a very tight budget, many shops outside the main tourist area will sell drinks in bottles and cans that you can pack into a cooler for the beach. Prices at the bars in Playa are consistent with any major tourist area, but a US$1 beer is not uncommon.

Liquor can be bought from any number of tourist shops, which typically sell Kahlua and a variety of tequilas at a price which is generally the same. If you are requiring a more diverse liquor supply, there are places in and about Playa that can accommodate. The most prominent is Covi Liquors, on Hwy 307 in Playa, which offer a wide variety of liquors at prices that are generally cheaper than those shops which cater to tourists on 5th Ave.

Fifth Avenue is packed with restaurants and bars but most close before midnight. There are two main streets to find clubs and bars that close after midnight: The 8th street between 5th and 10th Ave is frequently visited by locals and backpackers, bars offer live music and pool tables and cheap beer, 2 x 1 drinks and great music (close at 02:00). The 12th offers more tourist places like Coco Maya in the beach area.

The on 1st Avenue between 10th and 12th Street gives you an alternative place to party and chill without all the hustle and bustle of the other bars. With a hotel on-site and pizza served to your table for the late night munchies, this community is a great place to spend the evenings in Playa Del Carmen.

Sleep
Unlike other beach destinations, all the "best" hotels are not on the beach. A few face the ocean but the majority are set back a block or two near 5th Ave.

Budget
There are some inexpensive backpacker hostels in Playa del Carmen.

Resorts
There are a few all inclusive resorts in Playa, but the rest are south of town in Playacar. The resorts are generally secluded, and prevent one from experiencing the sights, sounds, and tastes of the city, and to some extent Mexican culture as well, since you will be surrounded by Western tourists and amenities. These hotels typically offer nice accommodations that are well served.



Wifi Spots

 * Public Parks : All the parks in Playa del Carmen offer free Wi-Fi. Most of the restaurants and bars will ask for a minimum buy before giving you the password which will change every day. The more expensive the hotel or the condo, the less likely you will get free access.
 * Calle 4 between 15 and 10 Avenue: This is the 1st block in Playa fully covered by a free service (powered by Hotel Barrio Latino together with the AHRM, local association of hotels): fast, free.

Consulates

 * 🇺🇸 United States
 * 🇨🇦 Canada

Go next
For going to the Cancun airport by ADO bus, you don't need to queue for the ticket booth. Just buy your ticket online on the ADO website or in the ADO app. To the airport you can depart from the Terminal Turistica and Terminal Alterna. At the Terminal Turistica are also shared taxis to the airport for M$200 (March 2022).

You find private rooms and hostels ...:

To the east

 * Cozumel – 20 km. 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!

To the south

 * Tulum – 65 km. The town has become a popular tourism destination. Nearby is the Tulum Archeological Site.
 * Mahahual (Costa Maya) – 290 km
 * Bacalar – 280 km
 * Chetumal – 320 km

To the west

 * Valladolid – 140 km. From an accommodation in Valladolid it's more convenient than from Playa del Carmen to visit the archeological sites of Ek Balam and Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza itself has also hotels for an overnight stay.
 * Merida (Mexico) – 290 km. The cultural center of southern Mexico, the Mayan indigenous people and the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatan. It is a world away from the rowdy, busy, resort towns of Quintana Roo. There, one can experience the unique way of life of the Mayans which is unlike any other ethnic group in Mexico, with their own cuisine, language, history, and traditions. Along the way, one can stop at the ancient pyramids of Chichen Itza, or take a dive in one of the various Mayan watering holes, called Cenotes.

To the north

 * Cancún – 70 km