Playa del Carmen

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 Avenue 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 inland (they are counted in jumps of five, the next one besides Fifth Avenue is Tenth Avenue) and prices as well as the number of gringos tend to fall. Towards the south there is a gated community full of Airbnb 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.

Getting there

By plane

The main airport for Playa is Cancún International Airport (CUN IATA). You could also check flights to the Cozumel airport (CZM IATA), which is much closer than CUN, or the new Tulum International Airport (TQO IATA), 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.

Getting around

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.

See

1 Portal Maya. Oceanfront bronze statue and archway 2 La Quinta Avenida. A pedestrian street. 3 Parque La Ceiba. 4 3D Museum of Wonders. 5 Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen. 6 Playa del Carmen Lighthouse. 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.

Do

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 29 ft (8.8 m)-47 ft (14 m). 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.

Shopping

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: • 1 Wal-Mart (30 Ave and Calle 8). • 2 Comercial Mexicana MEGA (30 Ave and Constituyentes). • 3 Chedraui (Highway 307 between Playa del Carmen and Playacar). It has a variety of good, fresh and low-priced fish and meat for cooking. • 4 Sam's Club (Hwy 307 in front of Playacar). Membership-only warehouse 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). • 5 Paseo del Carmen, Quinta Avenida 10. A high end tourist shopping mecca with open courtyard featuring all your essential American/European gotos like Haagan-Daz, Starbucks, Krispy Kreme and Old Navy next to the Cozumel ferry.

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. There are carts serving tacos, tortas, and empanadas. 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:

1 Food stalls and street carts (at the corner of Calle 2 Nte and 15th Ave, right outside the NE side of Parque Leona Vicario at the Monumento a los Pescadores). There are carts every morning where all the hotel and shop workers stop for breakfast. Gathering starts at around 06:00, they stay there until around 11:00. One is enough to fill most people. These can be put together in different combinations and if you want something specific (like eggs alone), they will cook it on the spot. In the evening along the Calle 2 Nte. there are tasty options like: a hot dog for M$25a hamburger for M$40tacosa long torta for M$60gringas anda big burrito for M$60 (updated Sep 2023)

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.

1 Dirty Martini Lounge 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. 2 Fusion Beach Bar & Grill, Calle 6 & the Beach, ☏ +52 984 147 8420. Located on a white sandy beach with a lounge area that looks out to sea. From US$59. 3 Chela de Playa, Calle 38 Entre 5 Ave Diagonal Norte y Calle Flamingos, ☏ +52 9848597009. Independent brewery serving craft beers, tacos and burgers. (updated Feb 2026)

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.

in the center:

1 Hotel Colorado, Calle 4 Nte. Entre 20 y 25 Avenida Col. Centro, ☏ +52 984 873 0381, hotcolora@hotmail.com. Small, inexpensive hotel with charming, colorful, funky but clean accommodations in a downtown setting. central courtyard, many rooms with balconies, common balcony on second floor. cableTV, mini-fridge, private bathroom with hot water. A/C available. Some rooms with kitchenete. Free WiFi. Friendly management. M$578. (updated Apr 2022) 2 Hotel Posada Lily. A simple hotel opposite of the ADO Terminal Touristica. It seems that you only get a low-priced basic room if you specifically ask for it. Otherwise it has also rooms with A/C. (updated Feb 2022) 3 Maya del Mar. Google Maps shows you where you can book it online. About M$530 (April 2022). 4 OYO Hotel Playa Del Carmen. For about M$550 (April 2022). 5 Capital O Hotel Illusion Express. For about M$560 (April 2022). 6 Casa Palma Hotel. For about M$570 (April 2022).

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

More pictures of Playa del Carmen

From this destination's category on Wikimedia Commons. Each photograph is credited to its own author under its own licence.