Playa Del Carmen

Although very tourist oriented, we love Playa del Carmen for its diversity! It has everything from hostels, to all inclusive resorts, is a center point for many excursions and tours (Cozumel, Tulum, Chichen Itza to name a few), and has lots of great beaches! You can spend hours walking up and down 5thavenue, go scuba diving and snorkeling, or just relax on the beautiful white sand beaches!

Playa del Carmen is one of our favorite Mexico destiantions! It is a center point for many tours and excursions, offers many restaurants and activities, but with a more relaxed feel than Cancun!

Getting There

If arriving from the Cancun airport, there are several options for transportation to Playa del Carmen.

For individuals or couples on a budget, we recommend taking the ADO bus from the airport to Playa. It takes about one hour and is cheap and easy! It will drop you off in the ADO terminal, so you will either need to walk or take.a taxi to your hotel from there.

For groups or those willing to spend a little extra, there are shuttles from the airport that will drop you off at our hotel. We recommend happyshuttlecancun.com, which runs around $60 per van.

For more detailed information on getting around in Mexico, click here.

What to Pack

• Besides swimsuits, passports, and cute vacation, we HIGHLY recommend packing lots of sunscreen! For detailed packing information and lists, check out our Mexico Packing Guide here.

Where to Stay

• Playa del Carmen has an extremely diverse selection of lodging! We have had great experiences with AirBnB rentals here, but there is something for everyone! Our favorite apps for deciding on lodging in PDC are the AirBnB app and Expedia. 
• AirBnb: We highly recommend checking out the AirBnB's here! There are hundreds, from $20 a night to $2,000! There is something for everyone. We went for spring break with friends and rented a 3 bedroom penthouse near the ave and loved the location and rooftop views! Just be sure to read the fine print and check the fees associated. 
• Budget: Selina Hostel $7/night, Hotel Club Yebo $25/night, Qunita Margarita $40/night
• Mid Range:  Fiesta Inn PDC $68/night off of 5th ave, Iberostar Tucan All Inclusive $116/night 
• High End:Mahekal Beach Front resort and spa $174/night Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Hotel Xcaret All Inclusive $320/night Grand Hyatt PDC $200/night (close to downtown PDC and the ave). For most high end/all inclusive, they are secluded and remote so transportation to activities and the ave is required. 

What to Do

Stroll the ave

We love just walking up and down the ave, it is definitely for toursists (so you will get hassled to buy things or go into every store), but just smile and say no thank you and keep on! There is tons of shopping, restaurants, street performers, and food options.

Scuba/snorkel. 

For anyone who is scuba certified, don't miss the opportunity to dive in such a beautiful place! We have seen all sorts of sea life while diving here, to inclue rays, turtles, grouper fish twice the size of me, and if you're lucky, bull sharks (Levi would consider that to be VERY unlucky haha, he's not a huge fan!) We had great experiences with Dive Martin (located in Cozumel) and Dive Mexico Playa (located in Playa del Carmen). Both range from around $80-$100 for a two tank dive, and have extremely experienced dive masters

For snorkeling, we always bring our own snorkel set (they are fairly affordable, lightweight, and convenient!). There are several spots and you can snorkel at form shore, or take a ferry and head over to Cozumel for the day and snorkel at some of the free beach clubs there! For more info, check out or post on Cozumel here.

Day Trips and Excursions 

 Just south of PDC are several ecological parks, Akumal (home of the sea turtles) and Tulum!

• Eco Parks: Just a short drive from PDC are several Ecological Parks, to unclude Xplor, Xplor Fuego, Xcaret, and Xel-Ha. These parks include jungle and ocean based activities, to include zip-lining, snorkeling, riding dune buggies through the jungle, and more! Most are all inclusive. For Levis birthday, we splurged and spent an evening and Xplor Fuego, and had one of our favorite days in Mexico! 
• Tulum: Tulum is home to one of of the only coastal Mayan ruins. It is a beautiful and affordable day trip that can be combined with Akumal! 
• Akumal: The place to go if you are hoping to see sea turtles! Recently regulations have increased and it is heavily enforced to swim with guides and don lifejackets. The first two time we have gone, we were able to use our own gear on do on our own, and were up close to several turtles! 
• Cozumel: Just a ferry ride away is our very favorite island! Take a day (or a few) to rent a scooter or dune buggy and explore the island! 

• Chichen Itza: One of the new wonders of the world, this is a must see when visiting PDC! For around $50 US, you can take one of the many tours, which also includes a stop at a famous cent, Ik Kil. Most tours to Chichen Itza will stop half-way at a liquor store, DO NOT buy the alcohol there! It is extremely overpriced and a tourist trap. Our friends bought a bottle there and found the exactly bottle at a local store near our AirBnB for less than half the price. 

Relax on the beach!

Where to Eat 

Blue Lobster: For great, affordable seafood! Check the board for specials nightly. 

Bio Natural: Healthy, natural options located on the ave with vegan and vegetarian options. 

El Fogon: Cheap eats and authentic tacos! A must when in PDC! 

La Cueva de Chango: Beautiful natural, open concept ambiance near the ave with excellent food! Rotating specials nightly. 

Nativo: Although off the ave a little ways, we absolutely loved Native! They offer authentic, affordable food in HUGE portions, and the best smoothies in Mexico! 

Alux: For a fine dining splurge, take a taxi to Alux, for a unique cave dining experience. Be sure to make recommendations ahead of time. 

Romeo Trattoria Pizzeria: for excellent Italian and pizza! 

As always, we HIGHLY recommend getting off the beaten path to explore more local, authentic restaurants! Wander a block or two off the main road and keep an eye out for restaurants and food carts with plenty of locals dining!