Playa Del Carmen---The Hidden Jewel of the Mexican Riviera Maya

What can you say about a vacation spot that you truly love? Probably not enough, but I'll try my best. My girlfriend Patty and I first encountered Playa(as it is called by everyone) in January of 2006. I had been vacationing in Cozumel for a few years, and had every intention of returning there in 2006. But alas a hurricane had devastated the area a few months beforehand and Cozumel was still a wreck. So doing a little research, I discovered Playa was just across from Cozumel on the mainland. So we decided to give it a try. Needless to say, an instant love affair developed. Our upcoming trip in March of 2010 will be our 5th year in a row. So if you have the itch to try a new vacation spot, or are just looking for a few tips on where to go in Playa, hopefully this will help you. Maybe we'll even see you at one of our favorite wateringholes for a cold beer!

Playa is located about 45 minutes south of the Cancun Airport. This is the best location to land because of all the transportation options. The Cancun Airport has recently been modernized, and it is beautiful. Lots of places to eat and drink inside the airport at fairly reasonable prices. A word of caution if you are new to the Cancun Airport, there are alot of people trying to wrangle you in different directions once you get out of customs. Some want you to hear a presentation on timeshares, others want to sell you tour packages. Your best bet is to keep walking or say "Gracias No". A quick word on customs.Have all your paperwork filled out and it's a breeze. You still have a chance of being stopped by the random traffic light, but all they do is a quick search of your bags. Once you exit the airport towards the ground transportation, another group of men try to carry your luggage for you. They act like they work for your Tour Company, but they don't. All they want is a tip. Again, if this doesn't bother you, then let them carry your luggage. Now the part about getting to Playa begins. If you book thru a Tour Company, your shuttle van awaits. If not, you can hire a private van or car to your hotel. However, our favorite, and cheapest way to get to Playa is by the local bus. Riviera bus lines runs a very modern bus between the Airport and Playa for 65 pesos(about $7 US). The schedule is very convenient and reliable. The bus loads to the right as you exit the airport. Tickets can be bought inside the airport, or simply pay as you get ready to board the bus.

If this is your very first visit to Playa I'd suggest going this route . Book an all inclusive thru Apple Vacations and let them handle all the details. This is what Patty and I did for our first 2 vacations to Playa. We felt more comfortable and took time during our 2nd visit to scout out smaller hotels we might like. Our first 2 visits to Playa we stayed at the Riu Playacar. It is one of several Riu hotels in Playa, and was in the medium price range. The property was beautiful. Rooms were nice. There was a large swimming pool with a swim up bar. The beach was great, except the second year there was some beach erosion. Food was very good, although after a few days it got a little boring eating the same menu. But there's a few specialty restaurants on site to break things up a bit. But all in all this is the way to go until you feel you know your way around enough to be comfortable.

    If you plan on making Playa a frequent vacation spot, you'll eventually start looking for smaller hotels in the downtown area. This is exactly what we did. While we were on our 2nd trip to Playa, we started scouting out hotels downtown. We wanted a hotel that had only a few rooms, was on the beach, and had a real quaint homey feel. I also used Trip Advisor to get reviews on the hotels we had found. Well, after a little research, we settled on the Playa Maya  located between calle 6 and 8 right on the beach downtown. It turned out to be a great decision, we had found our vacation home away from home. This upcoming trip in 2010 will be our 3rd stay there. The Playa Maya has a great variety of rooms to fit anyone's taste. We chose the Jr. suite with a kitchenette the first 2 stays, but this year we are going with a balcony room with an ocean view.  We also enjoy having our breakfast under the palapa every morning, it's a great view of the ocean. Patty and I are beach people, and the beach at the Playa Maya is great. It's well groomed, and the staff is always ready for whatever you desire. We get on the beach around 10AM and we don't leave till 5PM. Our vacation is all about the beach, sun, and great crystal clear water. The Playa Maya has only 18 rooms so book early, you'll be glad you did!

  When it comes to eating and drinking in Playa, the options are endless. There's Mexican, Italian, Argentinian, French, Thai, and the list goes on. As with the menu choices, the prices also vary from very reasonable to very expensive. But Playa offers something very delicious in every price range. You just have to know where to look. Before I go into our favorite places to eat and drink, I think I should tell you a little about Patty and myself and our food habits. We are both not big food people. We enjoy eating small meals and saving room for the important things in life---tequilla and beer. That being said, we have found a few places that we really enjoy. We love to eat Thai at Babe's Noodles. Their menu is varied, lots of choices and ethnic mixes. Babe's has 2 locations. The one in town is located on calle 10 between 5th and 10th Ave., but actually much closer to 5th Ave. The second location is in the developing north end of town at 5th Ave. between calle 28 and 30. You can't go wrong eating at Babe's. Great food and prices. Another place we like is Dr. Taco located on 10th Ave. and Calle 8. Love the fish tacos, price is great and plenty of cold beer.Again, there are lots of gourmet options if that's what you like. Remember, the further you get from downtown 5th Ave., the more the food varies. 10th Ave. has alot of small eateries. So, walk around downtown and discover your favorite place. Now when it comes to having a few beers, Patty and I love the Beer Bucket located right aside of Babe's Noodles on calle 10. It's the kind of small bar that the local ex-pats hang out at, and probably has the same atmosphere as your own favorite bar back home. We like places that are small and friendly. There's always good conversation and cold beers to be had at the Beer Bucket. Once again, there's many great places in Playa to eat and drink, experiment and find your favorites.

The main downtown street in Playa is Quinta Avenida, or 5th Ave. This is the street the average tourist experiences. It has all the souvenir shops, chain restaurants, and other diversions that most visitors look for. If this will be your only trip to Playa, 5th Ave. will suit your needs. However, if you really want to see what Playa's all about, you must venture off the main drag. Walk up Calle 8 or 10 to 10th Ave. It's a different world. Lots of small shops and restaurants. Not as touristy as 5th Ave. There's even a WalMart on calle 8 and 30th Ave. We go there all the time. It's a great place to stock up on liquor, or maybe buy some fresh sushi for lunch or a snack later(we do it all the time). Right in this area near WalMart is the town park. Last March we were in town for the local version of Carnival. What a party. 32oz. mugs of beer for 30 pesos. There were floats, food stands, music, it was a great time. Looking forward to it again this March. Remember, there's so much more to Playa than just 5th Ave.

I hope that you've enjoyed my brief description of our favorite vacation spot-----Play Del Carmen. Maybe you'll decide to someday take a vacation there and my tips will be helpful. I might have even given Playa regulars a new spot to try. But whatever comes from reading this, remember, Life is meant to be fun. Go out and have some. Thanks. Don and Patty.