Tulum Mayan Ruins
About an hour south of Playa del Carmen is Tulum. Tulum is famous for the expansive ruins that sit on a bluff overlooking the Gulf waters as well as beautiful beaches. More than 2 million people visit this site annually, making it the most popular Mayan ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula. Many Mayan ruins are located deep in the jungle, but Tulum is situated next to the sea, making the site especially beautiful.
Dive Center Tank-Ha
Tank-Ha is one of Playa’s oldest and most respected dive centers. All of the dive leaders and instructors are SSI or PADI certified, so your safety is assured. The shop offers daily 3-hour snorkeling tours (complete with snacks, equipment and instruction), as well as dive tours and diving lessons. If you plan to dive more than once during your visit, ask them about the package deals that can save you money.
Muyil / Chanyaxche
This small ruin is known by two names: Muyil or Chanyaxche. It is just down the road from the Tulum ruins but is much more quiet, so you can tour at your leisure. Muyil was a trading post for the ancient Mayan people and the structures at the site date from 1100-1200 AD.
Hidden Worlds Cenotes Park
You might recognize Hidden Worlds from the IMAX movie “Journey into Amazing Caves” which was filmed here. Cenotes are large sinkholes filled with fresh water. Snorkeling or diving allows a visitor to explore the beautiful underwater stalagmites and rock formations. Hidden Worlds offers professionally guided snorkeling and diving tours, and beginners are welcome.
Cobá
Unlike Chichen-Itza, you can still climb the ruins of Coba. The name of these Mayan ruins means “water stirred by wind,” probably because the site is located between several lakes. At one point Cobá was a city covering 27 square miles with a population estimated at 55,000. Fewer tourists visit these ruins since they are farther away from Playa than the more popular Tulum site.
Altournative Tours
This eco-tour company has been offering excursions since 1999 and is helping towns use what they have to improve their way of life. Their specialty is Mayan adventures that combine outdoorsy activities such as kayaking and biking, with cultural tours of the local ruins or exploring the jungle or caves around Playa.
Playacrawl
If you want to experience the best of Playa’s nightlife in one night, you want to make new friends from all over the world or you are on a limited budget/time trip, than Playacrawl is the best choice for you. They take you to the 3or 4 of the hottest bar/clubs in Playa.
Bali Club
Bali offers a new alternative for nighttime entertainment in Playa del Carmen. It caters to people who want to enjoy a unique atmosphere where you can party all night, immersed in the mysticism of a Balinese setting. With a capacity for 1200 people, Bali also offers special private areas for groups. The club’s layout allows for a full view of the stage from all sides.
Alux Caverna Restaurant Lounge
Alux is a restaurant, bar, and lounge reiterating Playa’s clubbing and cuisine schemes. Everything revolves around a cave as an experience of descent into the underworld, livened up by a thousand colored lights filtering and vanishing among millenary stalactites. Alux is territory to a most diverse crowd.