June 6, 2011 What’s Playa del Carmen like?
PLaya del Carmen used to be a sleepy little fishing village south of Cancun. It’s blossomed into an international resort town, the most visited city the Riviera Maya area:
What’s the attraction of Playa, as everyone who’s ever been there calls it? Start with 70 miles of white sandy beach, turqoise clear water, the world’s second-longest barrier reef, golf courses by top designers, world-class diving, adventure activities including zip lines, jungle tours, swimming with whale-sharks, snorkeling, kite surfing, and more. There are several eco-cultural theme parks and more than a dozen Mayan ruin sites in the area.
Playa del Carmen offers authentic Mexican culture combined with beach-bum flair. Travelers are drawn here because of the vibrant town combined with beautiful beaches and great weather. It’s very European in many ways: people walk everywhere, architecture is reminiscent of the Italian Riviera, and visitors come from Europe and South America as well as the US and Canda. It is a giant international melting pot of languages and restaurants.
Although there are many places to eat and drink on the beach, visitors also enjoy 5th Avenue, a pedestrian-only street that runs for 2 miles and is filled with open air restaurants and places to shop.
Playa is also the port for the 35-minute ferry to/from the offshore island of Cozumel.
There’s direct flights and easy flight connections from most of the US and Canada as well as Italy, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and the UK
Next: Cozumel!