If I had to describe our trip to Playa del Carmen in one word it would be ‘water,’ but then I’d have to break the rule and to say ‘food’ too. Playa del Carmen was our first trip together outside of Colombia. As you’ll know by now from reading us, we aren’t into the party scene. We travel to enjoy active, different experiences. In Playa del Carmen, we went scuba diving, climbing and more (much more!), so read on for some ideas on what to do in Playa del Carmen, as well as some extremely useful tips! This is THE BEST no-nonsense Playa del Carmen travel guide!
If you love the ocean, you’ll love this destination!
The Best No-nonsense Playa del Carmen Travel Guide
Transportation in and around Playa del Carmen
How to Get to Playa del Carmen from the Airport
Transportation to and from the airport is going to be expensive, but it doesn’t have to feel like you got robbed.
- On a bus – Purchase an ADO ticket beforehand. This was our preferred transportation method, especially in terms of price. The price between the airport and Playa del Carmen is 216 Mexican pesos, or about 10 dollars. If you want to save some money, its a little cheaper to take a bus from the airport to Cancun and then from Cancun to Playa del Carmen, but you only save about 60 mxn and it can take a lot longer.
- Taxi – at the airport, the taxi fare to Playa del Carmen goes between 560-800 mxn, and even more if you pay in dollars ($50 or more). If you need to go to another terminal, taxis will offer you 15 dollar rides between terminals. This is an absolute scam, but some may need to pay it due to luggage and the heat. But just for you to know, the terminals are walking distance apart.
- Rental Car – renting a car can definitely be an option, but we thought it would be too much of a hassle. You have to find a company you can trust not to charge additional fees and fine you for false intricacies. Then there’s the possibility of getting randomly stopped by the police, which you never want happening in Mexico. Traveling on a bus or taxi is so much more relaxing.
The Art of Negotiation
NEVER get in a taxi without agreeing upon a price to your destination beforehand. The taxis in Playa del Carmen don’t have meters because they have fixed prices between locations. If you want to simply get on a taxi without too must research, just ask the driver if they’ll take you to your destination for 40-60 mxn. Almost all destinations within Playa del Carmen should cost that much.
If you’re in a touristy area or grab a taxi that’s parked outside a bus station or mall, it’ll cost more because there is a tourist fare that applies (it makes rides cost 100-120 mxn). To keep from having to pay this fee, just grab a taxi a little way from the touristy area. Always pay in Mexican pesos. If you try to pay in dollars, the drivers will charge WAY more.
Is Playa del Carmen Safe?
Yes, Playa del Carmen is safe, especially for tourists. However, like most cities in the world, there are places you simply should not go and people looking to take advantage of anyone who may be an easy target. Here are some tips to stay safe in Playa del Carmen:
- Don’t get in a taxi that stopped for you, especially if its late at night or you’re drunk. Make sure you signaled them down and then negotiate a proper price before getting in and heading to your destination. Also, don’t get in a taxi late at night alone, and especially not in the front seat.
- Where there are drugs, there are cartels and trouble. So say no to drugs.
- Always keep an eye on your drink, because spiking happens all too often.
- The worst time for hurricanes is October and November, so possibly avoid visiting during those months.
What to Do!
Of course, there’s too much to do in Playa del Carmen for a blog post, but this is our take on it!
Visit One of the Xcaret Parks
We chose to visit Xel Ha (pronounced Chel Ha) because their slogan was “all you can eat, drink, and snorkel.” I’ve hardly ever heard a better phrase. Truth be told, I was a bit disappointed when we read we had to snorkel with life jackets on at all times. We still went, and we had a fantastic time – we even saw some enormous sting rays. We were in the water for hours upon hours, and when we weren’t, we enjoyed way to much food and beverages. This was both of our first ever all-inclusive type of experience, and it was a lot of fun.
Snorkel with Whale Sharks
This is a typical activity off of Isla Mujeres, and we won’t hide the fact that there were a lot of people. We would recommend choosing a date at either the beginning or end of whale season, when it isn’t vacation season (whale shark season is May to September, but the peak is July and August). We went with Ocean Tours, and they have a great operation. You only jump in the water when the captain spots a whale shark and they position the boat for the shark to be swimming straight towards you. Then, you swim with the shark a few minutes.
Even though your group will be a max of 10 people, there are many boats on site. Each boat is only allowed one couple in the water at a time. Basic snorkeling skills would be recommended to enjoy this fully. If you’re not familiarized with snorkeling, you’ll be worrying more about breathing, floating and swimming rather than gazing at this majestic creature. We also saw some dolphins, and you can sometimes see manta rays, turtles and marlins if you’re extremely lucky. Despite the amount of people with you and having to wear a life jacket at all times, the activity was worth it.
Scuba Dive in the Cenotes
Cenotes, or sinkholes, are one of the things that make Playa del Carmen and the state of Quintana Roo unique. And swimming on their surface or just seeing their beauty from outside is nothing compare to being inside and under them! We have been diving for over 10 years and had never seen anything like this. It’s magical – you can see the different layers of fresh water and salt water, and the illusion it creates is mind blowing. After seeing this, it’s easy to understand how a beach in Bikini Bottom is possible! That’s without mentioning the rays of light that come in from the jungle above (they make the craziest blue and green colors), ‘architecture’ of the caverns, coral fossils and perfectly cool water.
Luis de la Fuente a.k.a. ‘El Nono’ was our Argentinian guide for this trip and he did an amazing job. It was just us two and him, not a big group. He’s fun and, most importantly, made sure we had superbly safe dives. You can see his contact info by clicking here!
Eat at the Local Taquerías (food tips)
Even though 5ta Avenida (a touristy pedestrian road with restaurants and shops) has amazing restaurants, we really recommend eating at other taquerias around the city. If you see carne al pastor hanging on the outside, you are set for a good meal. I marked a bunch of restaurants, mostly taquerias, on the map below! The small taqueria right on the corner outside of the ADO downtown was amazing!
In terms of food, we’ve hardly ever been happier. One of our motivations to go to Mexico was food! Always looking to stay within our budget, we stayed away from touristy areas, and it actually made the experience better. You can get the same Mexican food only 5 blocks from 5ta Avenida for half or even a third of the price, and it’s much more authentic. Our favorite meals during our trip were tacos (al pastor and chorizo), gringas, queso fundido, mole and mojitos!
What We Missed
- Visit Chichen Itza. It’s one of the seven wonders of the world. You can go see a very ancient city, which includes a pyramid and the arena where the Maya used to play their ball game. We weren’t able to go, but if you love history and cultural places like this, you won’t want to miss out.
- We will also be back to discover more climbing at the Cenotes. From some research we did before traveling, we noticed there is some great outdoor bouldering close to Playa del Carmen. Our trip ended up including more diving than climbing, but we will be back (hopefully during the winter) to climb. If you’re interested in this activity, we suggest you reach out and go to the climbing gym in Cancun called Boulder Corp. The only climbing we did was one day at this gym and it was spectacular!
Is this the best no-nonsense Playa del Carmen travel guide or what? But in all seriousness, I hope it was useful, and let us know if you have any other questions. We’d love to help!
