Playa Del Carmen

Things to do on the Gulf of Mexico:

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Playa Del Carmen is distinct among Yucatan beach towns both culturally and commercially. While its beaches are similar to other destinations’, its nightlife and hotel culture is hipper in the European and American style, blending the traditional Mexican locale with a more permissive and opulent array of tourist options.  Let’s take a tour…

 The Beaches:

Playa del Carmen is blessed with gorgeous white sandy beaches and crystal clear Caribbean waters.

The Playacar beachfront is always changing, due to seasonal trade winds and currents. There are some areas of the beach where the stretches of sand are wide, and other areas where the warm waters of the Caribbean stop just a few feet away from the beach umbrellas. Despite these changes, and they are unpredictable, there are many great places to put your beach chair or beach towel and enjoy the day.

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Area attractions:

  • Hard Rock Cafe Golf Club, Riviera Maya +52 (984) 873 4940 | Golf Course
  • 5th Avenue is a pedestrian-only cobblestones street and on a nice warm evening, it can be intoxicating just to walk up and down the length of it several times. As a traveler in Playa Del Carmen, a good part of your life away from the beach will revolve around 5th Avenue (Avenida Quinta). It’s where you go for coffee in the morning, to look for something for lunch, to shop for everything from crafts to expensive silver or perfume, to people watch, to browse the art, to have dinner, to go dancing, to see and be seen.
  • There are lots of bars along 5th making it a good place to party. The after-hour clubs swing into action after 12:00. These clubs are located on the beach away from the majority of hotels and resorts because of the noise level.
  • Intersecting with 5th are streets that all lead to the beach. Along many of these streets are dive-shops, convenience stores, hotels, tour operators, Internet cafes, currency exchanges, restaurants, and private or public beaches.
  • Crococunzoo | Crocodile Zoo
  • Playa Guide | Playacars virtual guidebook written by locals
  • Xcaret Park | Amusement Park
  • Xel-Ha | Attractions, Water Activities, Marine Life
  • Xplor | Adventure Park
  • Xplor Fuego | Adventure Park Nightime Adventures
  • Xichen | Mayan Adventure Tours
  • Xoximilco | Floating Mexican Fiesta
  • Xenotes | Cave Adventures and Tours
  • Xenses | Fun House | Amusement Park
  •  Xaman-Ha Aviary (984) 873-0330 | Zoo
      • Go a quarter mile (a half kilometer) to the southwest from Playacar Golf Course to find this zoo, which is situated on Paseo Xaman-Ha, Playacar, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, 77710.

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 How to Get There:

Flying to Playacar is incredibly easy. Most major airways in the US and Canada offer direct flights to Cancun international airport (CUN) (more info below).

    • Westjet offers direct flights to Cancun from most major Canadian cities year-round and up to 50% off on some flights.
    • Sunwing Airlines makes flying to Cancun easy with direct charters weekly from most major cities during the high season from the end of October to the end of April/May.
    • Air Canada offers:
      • Direct flights to Cancun from most major cities
      • 2 daily direct flights from Toronto to Mexico City.
      • 4 daily direct flights from Vancouver to Mexico City.
      • Direct flights to Houston from Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto & Montreal.  From Houston, you take a direct flight to Huatulco with Continental Airlines.
      • Check Air Canada’s flight schedule for details.
    • Air Transat offers a weekly flight to Cancun in high season from Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver. Visit www.airtransat.ca or book through your local travel agent.
    • Continental Airlines have a connecting service to Cancun with flights from Denver.

Directions from Cancun

      1. Playacar is approximately 60km by car to the Cancun International Airport. Car rentals are available at the airport, and taxis are plentiful in the Cancun region.
      2. Get on Carretera Cancún -Tulum/México 307
        1. Head northwest
        2. Take the 1st left
        3. Turn left toward Carretera Cancún -Tulum/México 307
        4. Merge onto Carretera Cancún -Tulum/México 307 via the ramp toPlaya del Carnen/Cozumel
      3. Turn left onto Av Benito Juárez
      4. Turn right onto 15 Avenida Sur
      5. Turn right onto 10 Ave. Sur
        1.  Partially restricted usage road
      6. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Paseo Xaman-ha
        1. Restricted usage road
      7. Turn left toward Paseo Xaman-ha
        1.  Restricted usage road
      8. Turn left onto Paseo Xaman-ha
        1.  Restricted usage road
      9. Turn right
        1.  Restricted usage road
        2. Destination will be on the right

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Getting Around:

  • Bus Service

      • There is a convenient bus service that runs from the airport in Cancun to Playa Del Carmen.

  • Taxi Services

      • The taxi has to be the easiest and most cost-effective way to get around. There are so many taxis that you don’t have to worry about going to a taxi stand. Simply standing at the side of the road where you are and waiving for a taxi should be sufficient…and you won’t have to wait long. All taxi rates are set in advance based on distance and most local trips should cost you anywhere between $70-$120 pesos. Once you start to stray outside the immediate town expect to barter with your driver on the cost to take you to a destination.

  • Direct Airport Shuttle Service and  Private tours

    • USA Transfers – Airport pickup and dropoff, also offers private tours
    • Turistica Izayana – Local company offering airport pickup services, private guided tours, and advanced bookings

  • Rental Car Locations

      • Cancun airport host a number of well-known car rental company such as Hertz, Thrifty, Europcar, Sixt, etc… Please contact us if you need help with car rental arrangements.

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