Playa del Carmen Beaches
The following Riviera Maya Beach Lover’s Guide
Picture yourself on a white sandy beach, trade winds rustling in the palm trees while you swing in a hammock. Build sand castles with your children, or enjoy evening strolls with your loved one at sunset. Riviera Maya beaches turn your vacation dreams into reality. You’ll be enchanted by the beautiful beaches, warm translucent waters, and picture-perfect weather that lasts all year long.
Riviera Maya Ranks in the Worlds Top 10 Beach Vacations
The photos don’t lie. The Mexican Caribbean is that blue, and the beach sand is that dazzlingly white. With 72 miles (116 km) of beach stretching along the Caribbean coastline, Riviera Maya has something for everyone. The beaches are one reason why we decided to call the Riviera Maya home, and why so many visitors return to this paradise.
Beach areas in the Riviera Maya are public spaces bursting with activities. If you are looking for evening beach activities under an star filled sky, Playa del Carmen offers a vibrant, hip nightlife once the sun goes down. Couples and families looking to embrace the day together from sun up to sun down will enjoy . The magnificent bays that define these beaches provide an endless list of water activities like snorkeling, kayaking, diving, beach combing, or simply relaxing in a hammock.
Sun-worshippers will discover their tropical paradise on any Riviera Maya beach, but
For true paradise seekers, the raw and unspoiled beauty of the unpopulated Caribbean will lure many travelers to Sian Ka’an Biosphere beaches.
No matter what kind of beach holiday you prefer or what slice of the Riviera Maya shoreline suits your needs, you will find what we call ‘heaven’: pearly-white sand, natural shade from slender palm and coconut trees, crystal-clear waters, and fragrant sea air.
Two miles of white powdery sand make the beaches of Playa del Carmen a hot spot in anyone’s book. Enjoy the sunshine at one of the trendy beach clubs or meet up with seasoned Playa visitors on the central beach. Either spot provides ample opportunity to people-watch on the shores of this popular Caribbean destination. Looking for more than the sun? Water sports are in abundance and easy to reserve right on the beach!
Miles of beach in a trendy Playa del Carmen
The beaches in Playa del Carmen are not as tranquil as other Riviera Maya towns, but Playa’s great location, hip beach life and long stretch of beaches puts it at the top of a dream vacation list. Beach clubs, beach hotels and beachfront condos share the shores of Playa del Carmen making these beaches the public place to be during day. When the sunrises, beach goers are on it, picking their favorite spot and getting ready for an all day beach session. When the sun starts to set, the crowds move to 5th Ave for dinner and join up again for some beachfront nightlife. The beach is the center of Playa’s activity and there is lots to do.
Central Playa beach and North Playa beach
The 2-mile white sand beach of Playa del Carmen is divided into two areas; Central Playa del Carmen beach and North Playa del Carmen beach. The symbolic division point is the second ferry pier located at the bottom of Av. Constituyentes, a main traffic route into the city. The feel is very different on each beach, with ‘Old Playa’ felt on the central beach and ‘Trending Playa’ felt on the north beach.
The Central Playa del Carmen beach was the first beach developed in the city. Here you’ll find the Ferry dock to Cozumel, numerous beach clubs, restaurants, dive shops and water sport vendors offering a wide range of fun water activities. There are also a number of snorkeling, dive and fishing boats ready to take you out at the bottom of 14th Street. Popular beach clubs owned by long-time Playa residents are Zenzi, Fusion, and Wah Wah’s.
North Playa del Carmen is known as the location of Mamitas Beach Club and Canibal Royal, two trendy beach clubs with DJ’s, dancing and beach beds. Great food, large beachside pools and music sets these area of Playa del Carmen apart from the central area. The evenings are quiet on this beach, but the days are full of visitors and locals enjoying talked about beach vacations in paradise.
What many Playa del Carmen visitors love about this city is the diversity of beach vibes. We are not sure if anyone gets tired of the beach, and from the look of the daily activity that goes on, we don’t think anyone does. With so many venues to entertain you and over 2 miles of beach to discover in the city limits, (there are more beaches just outside the city limits within walking distance), there is more entertaining than one could hope for.
There is little outer reef break but great protection from the Island of Cozumel making Playa del Carmen a place of tranquil sea