Location and Destination Info

Playa del Carmen, “Playa” as it is now affectionately known, is located on the heart of the Riviera Maya at the Yucatan Peninsula; facing the beautiful blue crystalline water and white sand of the Mexican Caribbean is located at only 45 minutes of the Cancun airport (32 miles south); this is the place where the ferry departs to the most popular dive destination Cozumel, which is at approximately 30 minutes.

Playa is a living vibrant part of the Mayan World, is the perfect base to explore the fascinating sites along the Riviera Maya, stretching from Punta Brava (south of Cancun) to Punta Allen (south of Tulum), Playa del Carmen is blessed with miles of white sandy beaches, clear and colourful crystal blue waters, ancient ruins, abundant marine and wild life. The great Mayan Reef is the second-largest barrier coral reef in the world.
In the north side of Playa you can find Playacar, which is a residencies complex with condos, houses, hotels and an 18 whole Golf Green.

Origins

In the mayan world, the actual territory of Playa was called Xaman–Ha witch means “Waters of the North”

The actual territory, in the colonial epoch, was owned to a local political boss who has the locations of Tulúm, Cobá, Tankah, Xaman-Ha, etc. and the region was almost inhabited until the beginning of the XIX century.

This place was the embarkation point for the Island of Cozumel, considered like shrine dedicated to the goddess Ixchel, the goddess of fertility, many yucatecan women came to Xaman-Ha to travel in canoes.

The modern history of Playa del Carmen started when the families of the Yucatan Peninsula started to escape from de caste war, searching for a quiet and safe place to stay and they started to spread around the area.

Those people started to explore the area and decided became fishers, abandoning their lands and establishing in this area, then suddenly, playa del Carmen starts to developing, left to being a place not for only go to Cozumel and began with the economic activity.

In the last 10 years, Playa has been discovered by travelers all around the world and is growing up everyday. The “Quinta Avenida” is the main street only at one block from the ocean where you will find numerous stores, restaurants, bars, handcrafts, etc…

Weather

Many of us say "Always Hot" when asked about the weather in Playa, which is what the weather is like most of the year around the Riviera Maya.
With a subtropical climate, the average temperature is about 78ºF, with fluctuations of 5 to 7 degrees.

Because the Riviera Maya is covered by low tropical jungle and water the climate is always humid often around 90%. But we can say normally all year long you will be able to find sunny days with the usually warm waters.

How to get to Playa del Carmen

The Cancun International Airport is located, at the kilometer 22 of the Cancun-Chetumal highway, and it will take you only 45 minutes to get to Playa del Carmen. Available transportation from the airport includes shuttled buses, rental cars or taxis departing from the terminal.

Playa del Carmen Airport:
We do have a national / domestic airport; it is located on the 20th Avenue South off 1st street.
This is very small airport and offers short hops to the more distant places like Isla Mujeres, Hol-Box Island, Chichen Itza, or other nearby Mayan Ruins.

Cozumel International Airport:
It is located in the North side of the island at 2 miles from San Miguel town, 5 minutes driving to town to the pier where the ferries goes directly to Playa del Carmen, straight to the Quinta Avenida.
This airport offers national and international fights

Ferry to Playa:
You can be in Playa del Carmen in 30 minutes departing from Cozumel, ferries starts at 5:00 AM and the late is at 10:00 PM. The approximate cost for a round trip Cozumel - Playa del Carmen- Cozumel is about 22 USD per person.

Festivities

CARNIVAL:
One of the most awaited and colorful celebrations, usually held on February, depending on the date of Easter. Carnival is a celebration in which the whole town participates with people of all ages in costumed dances, parades, parties filling up bars and restaurants.

DEL CARMEN FESTIVITY:
On July, the population has a party of the Del Carmen Virgin in which all the town gather in a kermesse called Expocar in a Mayan Sanctuary near Tulúm, they do traditional ceremonies of their ancestors.

FERRAGOSTO:
As is known Playa has lot of Italians immigrants, on August this festival combines the Mayan and the Italian’s community traditions, this consists in a fun and free festivity with around 152 feet of delicious pizza, the pizza covers longwise several streets on the 5th avenue.

MUSIC FESTIVALS:
Because of the immigration of all around the world and the influence of the foreigner visitors the traditional Mayan music was suddenly lost, with a hard influence of the international and Caribbean music

• Reggae festival: this is realized on July, and is a beach party with the best artists of the national and international musicians.
• Latin Jazz Festival: on November, the best jazz bands at world-wide get together in a great party of rhythm and percussions.
• Festival Fuego Nuevo (New Fire Festival): at the end of the year the best DJ’s on a beach party gather in a great scene of the Mexican Caribbean.
• Musica por los Mayas (Music for the Mayans): this is a non profit event in benefit of the mayan communities made on April.

Natural Parks

Xcaret, This is a pick site in the Mayan Riviera, as much by its archaeological monuments as by the Ecological Park and Archaeological dedicated to the diffusion of the Mayan and Mexican culture in general, as well as the preservation of the atmosphere and the ecology, since within the park numerous species are conserved animals and vegetables in its natural state.
Many things exist to see and to make. Not less than 25 attractions are including in the entrance ticket to the park. At nights there is a spectacular performance of traditional dances of the Mayan world and the game of Mayan ball. Additional to the entrance fee you will find: I swim with dolphins, snuba, diving, etc...

Xel-Ha, this park is located at 34 miles from Playa del Carmen, this park has an unexpected beauty with its turquoise lagoon, a quiet current river and a great jungle, and they make a unique view from the ocean, it is enough to get in their lagoons and jungle to find its amazing cenotes.

Aktun Chen, in Maya means “cave with an underground river inside”. This park has unexplored rainforest, three caves with a “cenote” have been discovered in this park, where you will find the mayan ancient caves and the formation process of the stalactites and stalagmites, giving you a pleasant learning experience. There’s a big cenote of crystal clear water with a depth of 12 meters and a no less magnificent vault with thousands of stalactites. Also you can walk thru paths of jungle where you can see different species of local tropical flora

Archaelogical Zones

Through all this years the Mayan culture remains in the present, many indigenous communities still found in the Riviera Maya, which preserve the traditions of the mayan people, the splendor of ancient Maya civilizations is most evident in the numerous archaeological sites in this area like the pyramids, ball courts, stone pillards, plazas and temples.

Tulúm, it is an ancient mayan port, is the only archaeological site facing the sea, this is one of the most historically rich sites in the Mayan World, the most impressive building here is El Castillo it offers a breathtaking view of the ocean and the coastline for miles.

Cobá, is set in deep jungle surrounded by shallow lakes built by the Mayans served as Ceremonial centre. Here is located the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan Peninsula, stands at 138 feet tall.

Cenotes

All around the Riviera Maya you will find many cenotes, they are natural limestone and coral wells that lead to underground rivers, caverns systems, this cenotes are great to dive and snorkeling some of them are: Dos Ojos, Kantun-Chi, Tankah, Actun Ha, etc…

Golf

The golf Club at Playacar offers the perfect combination of natural beauty and the work of man. This magnificent golf course carved out of the dense Mayan jungle is located at only few hundred yards from the great Mexican Caribbean Ocean. Located in Paseo Xaman-Ha at Playacar is an 18 hole, par 72 awaits any golfer to come and tame it.

Night Life

The golf Club at Playacar offers the perfect combination of natural beauty and the work of man. This magnificent golf course carved out of the dense Mayan jungle is located at only few hundred yards from the great Mexican Caribbean Ocean. Located in Paseo Xaman-Ha at Playacar is an 18 hole, par 72 awaits any golfer to come and tame it.