Traveling in Mexico – Playa Del Carmen and the Mayan Riviera

Sitting on the Caribbean Sea, near the top of the Yucatan Peninsula, halfway between the high-rises of Cancun and the Mayan ruins of Tulum, is what was once the little fishing village of Playa del Carmen.  Today, it sits in the middle of the Mayan Riviera.  Here you will find hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and souvenir shops, but unlike Cancun, you can still feel the essence of the sleepy village it once was.   If you want to relax on the beach and have a vacation, this is the place for you.  I only write about it because, if you’re looking for adventure in the region, this is a good place to start.

Along the beach in Playa del Carmen

It is easy to reach by plane and car, you can get clean modest accommodations, and there are reasonably priced restaurants to be found.  There are some nice day trips, as well as reef and cave diving to be experienced.  If you’re planning to leave Mexico, there are public transportation links available to Belize, Guatemala and all of Central America.  I recommend traveling by bus or plane as border crossings can be difficult in a car.

While you’re in the area, here are a few things to do:

1. Visit Tulum - This was a walled Mayan city overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The ruins are well preserved and archeologist have reconstructed some of the buildings that were not from the rubble.  It gives the visitor a real feeling of what a Mayan city was like.

2. Swim, snorkel or dive in a cenote - Cenotes are sinkholes often with freshwater pools.  These pools can be connected to submerged caverns or to other pools.  There are several within reach of Playa del Carmen.  If you’re planning to cave dive, you must go with an experienced dive master and be fully qualified.

3. Tour the Aktun Chen caves - The name translates as a cave with a river.  This is a guided tour that lasts a little over an hour. At the end of the cave is a cenote with its roof still intact. 

4. Take a ferry to the island of Cozumel –The Island is known for reef diving and snorkeling, but the interior is covered by tropical rainforest.