Best Things To Do in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, located in front of Cozumel Island, is one of the most popular destinations in the Mexican Caribbean for the beauty of its beaches but also for the proximity of the city to the best attractions of the Mayan Riviera, which you can discover on tours and excursions from Playa del Carmen

From archaeological sites to paradisiacal cenotes to theme parks and incursions to the Mayan Jungle, there are multiple activities to see and do in Playa del Carmen. Here are the best alternatives for you to discover the most representative city of Quintana Roo.

Playa del Carmen is home to some of the best beaches in the Mexican Caribbean and can be discovered in areas that are easily accessible from the city centre. Playa Mamitas is one of the most famous and is characterised by a wide open view of the Caribbean Sea, with white sands and crystal clear waters.

Punta Esmeralda is also a well-known beach in the city because in addition to white sands and turquoise waters it has a cenote, which is considered one of the best in the Riviera Maya, and being a quiet beach it is ideal if you are visiting Playa del Carmen with children. There you can also do kayaking and kite surfing activities.

If you want to get away from Quinta Avenida you can visit Xpu-Há, which is an ideal place to live one of the best snorkelling experiences in Playa del Carmen, and Xcacel, which is located 45 kilometres away from the city and is considered a virgin beach with cenotes and sea turtles.

One of the natural alternatives to discover Quintana Roo is to live a Cenotes experience in Playa del Carmen. There are more than 3000 in total and it is considered that many others are still undiscovered, but among the best you can visit Cenote Azul, Cenote Cristalino, the Garden of Eden and the Gran Cenote.

Cenote Azul is one of the best to visit with children, as it has clear water, shallow water areas and a dock to rest, but it is also surrounded by vegetation and offers one of the best snorkelling experiences in Playa del Carmen.

Cenote Cristalino, on the other hand, has deep water and a more crowded environment, making it an ideal place to swim and visit in a group. Nearby, the Garden of Eden Cenote is surrounded by forest and vegetation and allows you to dive through its underground caves.

El Gran Cenote is far from the central area of Playa del Carmen, very close to Tulum, but there you can walk along walkways in a limestone cavern, snorkel and dive and swim among sea turtles.

The Mayan city of Chichen Itza is the main archaeological site of the Yucatan Peninsula and also a site considered sacred with more than 1500 years of history that was chosen as one of the new seven wonders of the modern world. It is located a few kilometres from Playa del Carmen and can be visited on full-day guided tours.

Chichen Itza is made up of several buildings on a five hectare site but among the buildings is El Castillo, which is the most famous Mayan temple and is also known as the Pyramid of Kukulkan.

Excursions to Chichen Itza usually also include a visit to the Sacred Cenote, which stands out for its almost 60-metre diameter and vertical walls that reach 15 metres.

Excursions to Chichen Itza from Playa del Carmen have an average cost that starts at 70 euros per person, including round trip transfers, entrance fees to the ruins and the assistance of a local guide, and can last between 10 and 12 hours.

Isla Mujeres is one of the most popular destinations for tourists holidaying in the Riviera Maya, especially since Playa Norte was voted one of the top 10 beaches in the world. You can visit Isla Mujeres on an excursion from Playa del Carmen to marvel at its coral reefs and crystal clear waters ideal for water sports.

During your visit to the island you can also visit the Isla Mujeres Sculpture Space, which is located on the southern tip of the island and leads to a lookout point from which you can see the entire Caribbean Sea.

The island also has a shopping area near Playa Norte, so it is common for some excursions to Mujeres to include a stop with free time to browse the shops.

Excursions to Isla Mujeres from Playa del Carmen start at 141 euros per person and usually include hotel pick-up and drop-off, local guide assistance and snorkelling and diving equipment to enjoy the area's coral reefs. These excursions are full day trips and you should note that they usually do not include the island's port fee of around 15 euros per visitor.

Xcaret theme park is one of the main attractions in Playa del Carmen where you can discover the labyrinths of the Mayan jungle, participate in ceremonial rituals in the lagoons, snorkel in the clear waters of the Caribbean and experience a rich natural habitat of birds and chimpanzees.

On an excursion to Xcaret in Playa del Carmen you will see one of the best sunsets in Quintana Roo and have access to music shows that pay homage to the Mayan culture and history of the region. This is an ideal plan if you plan to visit Playa del Carmen with your family or children.

Xcaret tours usually last a full day and include transfers to and from the hotel as well as entrance fees to the theme park. These tours include reduced rates for children.

In addition to Xcaret you can also visit the theme parks of Xel-Ha, Xplor and Xplor Fuego, which features night-time quad biking through the Mayan jungle and natural pools.

One of the best excursions outside of Playa del Carmen is a tour of the Mayan Jungle in a buggy, monster truck or all-terrain vehicle. On these excursions you will get to know one of the natural paradises of the Riviera Maya.

The Mayan Jungle is, after the Amazon, the largest tropical forest in America and also the largest green lung in Mexico. It is the natural habitat of numerous indigenous species and is also home to some of Quintana Roo's most famous underground caves, including Sac Actun and Nohoch Nah Chich, which were recently discovered.

On a full day buggy tour in Playa del Carmen you can discover an alternative attraction to the idyllic beaches and theme parks of the Riviera Maya and immerse yourself in the local flora and fauna on an unmissable adventure tour.

Chichen Itza is Mexico' s best known archaeological site but the walled city of Tulum is the most advanced of the Mayan constructions, having been built almost ten centuries after the Pyramid of Kukulkan and based on the concept of four corners, which refer to the cardinal points, it has all the features of a planned city.

Located about 70 kilometres from Playa del Carmen, the Tulum Ruins constitute one of the greatest legacies of the Mayan culture and is considered by archaeologists as a sacred space related to cosmology. In addition, the central building, which is called El Castillo, is situated on a cliff that leads to Playita Tortuga, one of the most beautiful beaches in Tulum.

From the cliffs you can also see the Temple of the God of the Wind, which is a sanctuary with an altar that served as the main religious building during the Mayan occupation of Tulum.

You can discover the Tulum Ruins on a day trip from Playa del Carmen, with a starting cost of approximately 59 euros with round-trip hotel pick-up and drop-off and entrance fees to the archaeological site included. These tours last approximately 6 to 8 hours.

The ecological park of the Rio Secreto Nature Reserve has some of the most beautiful scenery in town, as it is a direct journey into the heart of the cenote and underground limestone caves surrounded by stalactite and stalagmite formations millions of years old.

At the Rio Secreto cenote you can swim in the crystal clear waters and take a guided tour with an expert local guide to learn about the caves and also the surrounding jungle, which is one of the most lush in Quintana Roo. In this reserve you will be able to see the local flora and fauna and swim in one of the cenotes inside the ecological park.

These excursions to the Rio Secreto Nature Reserve in Playa del Carmen usually include entrance fees to the Nature Reserve and transfers to and from your accommodation.

Cozumel Island is one of the most picturesque islands in the Mexican Caribbean and, along with Isla Mujeres, the most visited island destination by tourists coming to Quintana Roo. Cozumel is home to a popular cruise port which contributes to its fame but you can also discover some of Mexico's best beaches, and the National Reef Park.

Snorkelling and scuba diving experiences are Cozumel's most popular attractions, as well as adventure tours by Jeep or ATV. The island is also home to the archaeological site of the pre-Columbian ruins of San Gervasio and off its shores there are wrecks of pirate ships and suspected buried treasures, so Cozumel also has a mythical history of secrets.

You can visit Cozumel Island on a day trip from Playa del Carmen by ferry from the local port, on tours that cost approximately 100 euros per person, with round-trip hotel pick-up and drop-off and boat ride included.

These excursions usually last between 12 and 14 hours, so keep this in mind if you're planning a short stay in Playa del Carmen.

Quinta Avenida is Playa del Carmen's main artery running parallel to the beaches of the pier area and with its restaurants, shops, cafes, jewellery stores and spa centres is the starting point of the fishing village that became a global city thanks to tourism.

Fifth Avenue has something for every taste and every budget, making it the Holy Grail of shopping in the Riviera Maya. There you will find gift and souvenir shops, international clothing brands and the Paseo del Carmen, the square that starts the tour and leads to the Parque de los Fundadores and the Chapel of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, which gives its name to the city.

This artery also contains the best bars, restaurants and nightclubs in Playa del Carmen, so in Quinta Avenida you will be able to taste the best flavours of the local and international gastronomy and it will become the place to visit during your stay in Playa del Carmen.

Keep in mind that despite being one of Mexico's main centres for global tourism, littering on the streets is prohibited and punishable by a fine, as well as drinking alcohol on public streets, a recommendation that all hotels make to their guests to avoid any inconveniences with the authorities. A good way to end your visit to Playa del Carmen is to have dinner and a toast in one of the restaurants on Quinta Avenida.