Playa del Carmen was a great family vacation spot in it of itself but one of the big selling points for us was how close it was to so many other fun-a-licious things! Located on the Yucatan and nestled between Cancun and Tulum and a boat ride away from Isla Mujeres and Cozumel, you could find yourself with plans every single day. However, our purpose for this trip was more about family bonding than exhausting ourselves with sightseeing + exploration; essentially, we didn’t want to go overboard. Fortunately, we were there a month so we scaled-down the activities to our “must-do’s”—the highlights in Playa del Carmen that fit our family style and budget. I wouldn’t recommend doing all of these things if you’re in town for only a week but it’s a great starting point if you’re planning a trip. .
Highlights in Playa del Carmen
In no particular order..
highlight #1—Chichen Itza
I know I just said this is in no particular order but I do want to mention that Chichen Itza was the only thing on our list heading into our month in Playa (as people refer to it) and the most expensive… but it didn’t disappoint—even with a migraine…which I got… right before we arrived… in brutal heat—so that’s sayin’ a lot. I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from seeing one of the oldest ruins in the world and one of 7 Wonders of the World*, a fact our kids couldn’t get enough of. Standing in the history of such an iconic landmark, learning about how another civilization lived for hundreds of years, was mind-blowing, to say the least.
After checking out tour groups, options online, tour stands, calling private drivers, etc. (aka we did our research), we decided the best deal was with a tour company we found on Quinta Avenida between Calle 48 and 50. Though the heat probably won’t be as brutal if you go during any other season, be prepared with sunscreen, repellent, hats, and an umbrella—but, honestly, there’s only so much an umbrella could do when the sun is out for blood and vengeance. Did I mention the heat was fatal?
The kids handled the heat as well as they could and, I, with my migraine did the best I could too but in the end it was one of those pinch-me-where-am-i-is-this-is-our-life moments. Well worth it.
highlight #2—punto esmeralda
When you find a place that looks like something out a movie…
That’s Punto Esmeralda. The only thing upsetting about it was that we didn’t spend more time there due to a nasty sargasso invasion (that’s another post) on the Yucatan for half our time in Playa. Another issue you’ll probably avoid if you go any season other than summer. But I digress…
A 10-minute walk from our studio, Punto Esmeralda was one of the most memorable days of our trip. The water comes from a natural cenote so it was clean and refreshingly cool and a sweet place for the kids to play and make friends. We even met friends; a delghtful family from Utah, living in Playa for now! It’s a favorite local hangout so if you want less of a crowd, go during the week. There isn’t much natural shade so if you’re looking to sit under a palm tree, get there early— though the lifeguard also doubles as the official umbrella renter (O.U.R) so that’s an option too.
highlight #3—Cenote Ik-kil
A huge sinkhole made from collapsed limestone that is part of an underground river system? Umm… yep. Sign me up. As a freshwater source, many nearby towns rely on the cenote for water so it was no surprise that there were many signs asking you to shower before entering to rinse off sunscreen, repellent, makeup, and skin products. Though, there were signs, I felt it was more a rule than a suggestion. As it should be.
It’s an 85-foot climb down a wooden staircase to reach the water. There is also a platform (at about 10 feet) you can jump from into the water. The Son-Child and I wanted no part of that—we are quite similar in our respect/fear/Hell No-ness of water and scary things. Husband jumped in once. The She-Babe who—Lord help me—is more the dare devil of this family, jumped off as many times as she could in our visit there.
I didn’t take pictures from below because I left my phone in a locker. We also had a short visit so I wanted to enjoy it in real life and not through a lens, but believe me, it was cool.
highlight #4—Cozumel
By chance, we had friends from our life in the Dominican Republic that were going to be in Cozumel, overlapping their last few days with our arrival, so we hopped on a ferry the day after we arrived and spent our first 3 days in Cozumel**. It was just the most delightful, warm reunion with the most beautiful backdrop. We were on the west side of the island which meant none of the sargasso that had invaded Playa and the snorkeling right off the beach where we stayed was unimaginably THE BEST SNORKELING I’ve ever experienced. It set an awesome tone for the rest of our trip.
highlight #5—CANCUN
I wouldn’t necessarily take the trek to Cancun from Playa if we were only there a week but we had heard that the sargasso was not as bad in Cancun so off we went. We took the ADO bus (clean, comfortable, and a movie) and arrived at the Cancun terminal. From there we took the easy and inexpensive public bus to Playa Tortugas, our favorite beach we discovered when we were there in April.
If you have the time, it’s a fun day trip. And Bonanza, the beach restaurant at Playa Tortugas, is an excellent idea. Bonus: when you eat or drink at the restaurant, you don’t pay to rent chairs or an umbrella.
highlight #6—Dining
We live in a country known for some of the best cultural cuisine. This is certain. But sometimes, this East Coast gal misses good sushi, and good pizza, and good bagels. So you have to take advantage of it when you can find it. Going back to how sometimes “touristy” is a good thing these restaurants are what I mean. We were stoked to find a seriously solid Japanese joint near the main strip. Guys, it was so good the kids still talk about it. They have a location in Tulum too and it was so successful that people asked for one in Playa!
And this artisan bakery/breakfast café, Basic Foodie, was only a few blocks from where we were staying. Dangerous because I dreamt about their killer almond pastries daily. There was nothing basic about it.
(the series)
(coming out later this week + NEXT):
part 1: planning for a month long trip + HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT PLACE (This post)
PART 2: six Highlights from our month in playa
PART 3: HOW OUR FAMILY SURVIVED 30 DAYS IN A STUDIO—OUR OVERALL EXPERIENCE + DAY-TO-DAY
PART 4: How to Avoid Overpacking (includes a CheckLIST)
PART 5: making the most of a stinky situation
*You are no longer able to climb the ruin due to preserving the temple but you can get super close. And to be honest, in that heat, I was not climbing anything other than the air-conditioned bus. (If you are looking to climb a ruin try nearby Coba and Ek Balam)
**There is tons more to do in Cozumel but we were really there to visit with friends so we enjoyed the beach, country music, and snorkeling. However, they went diving a few times right from the shore with a dive guide.
