PLAYA DEL CARMEN

What you need to know about Playa del Carmen

  • It’s located about 37 mi (60 km) south of Cancun International Airport and is the heart of the Riviera Maya.
  • Playa del Carmen was known as Xaman-Há hundreds of years ago. From this zone nearby Polé (now Xcaret), departed each year a pilgrimage to Cozumel to pay tribute to the goddess Ixchel. Nowadays it is re-created during the Sacred Journey. From its docks, you can take a ferry boat to Cozumel Island.
  • Fifth Avenue is the town’s core. It’s steps away from the beach and offers hundreds of options for shopping, having fun, and restaurants, plus being the perfect spot to walk as the sun goes down.
  • Playa del Carmen is minutes away from the best parks in the Riviera Maya, such as Xcaret, Xel-Há, Xplor, Xplor Fuego, and Xenses.
  • This destination has a thrilling nightlife, relaxing beach clubs, and dining options from all around the globe.

Playa del Carmen is for every type of traveler. It’s a great place to rest or to take a family vacation. It’s also a destination to party, or the departure point for adventures full of adrenaline.

What to do in Playa del Carmen?


Playa del Carmen is known for having a much more relaxed atmosphere than other towns in the area and there are a lot of activities revolving around that you can enjoy with Playa del Carmen tours. For example the Playa del Carmen’s main street called La Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue), is filled with restaurants, night bars, souvenirs stores and the best night clubs to go out for some awesome nightlife; you’re going to love the beauty of those turquoise water of the Caribbean Sea and the white sand of its beaches. There are events every year like the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival which is celebrated on November.

The most visited archaeological site in Riviera Maya is close to Playa del Carmen and if you want to visit it you can go from Playa del Carmen to Tulum really easy; important to note that this is the only pre-Columbian city facing the Caribbean Sea. You also have the option to visit Isla Cozumel from Playa del Carmen where each year is celebrated a ritual to Ixchel, the goddess of fertility where almost 300 people have been training hard for months to have a demanding canoe voyage from Xcaret to Cozumel every year, and this is a good opportunity to know more about the wonders of the Mexican culture in Xcaret.

Snorkeling or diving in the beautiful Playa del Carmen’s coral reefs is an unforgettable experience. Besides going in the water, you can have some fun with the 3D museum of wonders, visit the city theater, or just test all yours sense with Xenses park. Go on a Playa del Carmen excursion to the most visited zip-lines of Riviera Maya Xplor (at day) and Xplor Fuego (at night).

Playa del Carmen Tours


Travel from Playa del Carmen to Chichén Itzá to get to know more about an ancient culture. With the Xichén Clásico tour you not only visit and walk through this important archaeological site but it also includes a visit to the Cenote Ik Kil for 45 minutes to swim and admire that breathtaking views, one buffet lunch at Ik Kil restaurant and a stop in Valladolid for 30 minutes; if you want a luxury tour you can choose Xichén Deluxe where you can visit a cenote called Zací (no swimming activity) and after that you get a buffet meal of Yucatecan gastronomy at La Casona de Valladolid restaurant.

We also have a way to go from Playa del Carmen to Tulum where is a fantastic spot to rest from the stressful daily life and this is the archaeological site most visited at Riviera May; or if you want to go from Playa del Carmen to Cobá and visit the tallest pyramid at Riviera Maya to climb to the top and admire an incredible view of the jungle, we have these amazing tours with Xichén by Xcaret.