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written by
Andy Turner
Once a sleepy fishing village where travelers camped on their way to Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, often simply called “Playa,” has transformed into a bustling hotspot with ambitions of becoming the next Miami Beach. For locals, it has also become a major source of construction and tourism-related jobs. Mexico City’s elite visit regularly, as do day-trippers from Cancún and cruise passengers arriving from nearby Cozumel.
As a result, the town’s main hub, Avenida 5 (La Quinta), a long pedestrian street one block from the shore, is often crowded with visitors filling cafés, souvenir shops, and boutique stores. Its lively energy makes Playa an unmistakable stop for many travelers on a trip to Yucatán, whether for nightlife, dining, or people-watching along the Caribbean coast.
Nonetheless, the low-rise development and numerous European-owned businesses make the town feel, at least on the quieter north side, relatively cosmopolitan and calm, especially when compared with Cancún. The nightlife has a distinctly hip edge, though as the town has grown, it has become tougher on budget travellers, something to keep in mind when planning Mexico’s Mayan trail trip.
Playa’s main beach has experienced some erosion and can look narrow in certain stretches. Serious beach-goers often head to the area north of Constituyentes, known as Playa Norte, where deep, silky sand slopes into waist-high green water with gentle swells. A couple of beach clubs anchor the social scene here.
Isla Cozumel
A forty-kilometer-long island just off the coast from Playa del Carmen, Isla Cozumel is widely known as a major cruise-ship port, with up to ten large liners docking most days at the island’s three dedicated piers south of San Miguel, its only town. Yet Cozumel’s greatest attraction offers the perfect escape from the crowds. The island’s coral reefs, first brought to international attention by Jacques Cousteau in the early 1960s, remain some of the most spectacular in the hemisphere and are a highlight for many travelers on a Yucatan trip.
Even if you are not a diver, Cozumel has an undeniable charm. Wander the relaxed inland streets of San Miguel, explore small Maya ruins tucked into the forest, look for the island’s namesake swallows, and enjoy the solitude of the wild, windswept beaches on the eastern shore.
