Playa del Carmen Information

Playa del Carmen lies roughly one hour away by car or air-conditioned bus from Cancun's international airport. As you head south on Highway 307 the luxurious sub-tropical jungle hugging both sides of the road keeps the sea from sight.

But, when you reach Playa for the first time and take a look at the vivid shades of turquoise of the Mexican Caribbean you instantly realise that your expectations will be fully met.

Playa del Carmen offers great conditions for most water sports, especially scuba diving. The visibility, warmth and sealife are some of the best you will find along the coast of Quintana Roo. The cenotes provide magnificent Open Water, cavern and cave diving in crystal clear waters where the visibility regularly exceeds 60m/195ft. The nearby island of Cozumel has been consistently rated as one of the top 10 scuba diving destinations in the world.

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, running from Cancun all the way south to Honduras provides an ideal habitat for Yucatan's Caribbean coast's rich sealife. Although threatened by global warming and other man-made causes it is still considered a natural wonder by the many divers who constantly explore and enjoy it (please refer to our links page to learn more about the threat posed to coral reefs in general and the Mesoamerican Reef in particular).

The mangrove forests that border this coast act as a nursery for countless marine species and provide protection from, amongst others coastal erosion and hurricanes. Unfortunately, greedy property developers and corrupt officials are some of its most voracious enemies, but there is a lot being done locally to conserve and protect this immensely valuable natural asset.

The ancient Maya developed advanced systems of astronomy and mathematics, an accurate calendar system, extensive trade routes, and a religion that included blood sacrifices. Without the benefit of metal tools, beasts of burden, or even the wheel, they were still masters of architecture, building elaborate pyramids and sprawling cities. The collapse of these great cities is a mystery only now being explained, but the remains of cities like the great Chitzen Itzá will help to put you in the picture.

With hotels to suit every pocket or lifestyle you will be able to choose just the right place to relax after the many fun-filled days (please see our staying in Playa page for some that we personally know and can recommend). Playa del Carmen is truly cosmopolitan. Apart from Mexicans from all over the country who settled here as the town expanded rapidly, bringing with them the cuisine, the regional customs and the hospitality here you will find practically every nationality - literally... - under the sun.

Playa's restaurants offer everything from delicious but inexpensive tacos - and other comida corrida - to genuinely traditional Mexican gastronomy and cuisine from all over the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. There are many helpful paper and Web guides out there - some, like the hawkers who might accost you on the street are very persistent, indeed... - and we can always point out some firm favourites.

The bars... ah, the bars! Just come see for yourself: after many years of painstaking and selfless research we can assure you that Playa's nightlife is amongst the best in the world.

Quinta Avenida offers shoppers an array of goods to take back home or show off in Playa. Souvenirs, international designer wear, handicrafts and jewellery, home wares and decorative objects, Brazilian swimwear, Mexican tequilla and Cuban cigars... you name it, it's there.

For those who simply like to sit down and watch the world go by, Quinta Avenida is the ideal place to be at any time of the day.