Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Playa del Carmen All Inclusive Resorts, Planned by Someone Who's Been Coming Here Since 1997

No town on this coast puts more within walking distance of your resort: a two-kilometer pedestrian avenue, hundreds of restaurants, the ferry to Cozumel. Here is how it actually works: staying in town versus behind Playacar's gate, when to come, and where I send couples versus families.

Plan My Trip See the areas
★★★★★ Rated all-inclusive travel agent Booking this coast since 2011 About 350 travelers booked to this coast every year
Airport transfer
45 to 75 minutes from Cancún airport; private roundtrip transfers included when you book with me
Best weather
December through April, February the standout
Cozumel ferry
About 45 minutes from the downtown dock, boats all day
Sargassum window
Heaviest April to August, cleanest September to March
VISITAX
About 293 pesos (roughly 17 USD) per person, all ages
Hurricane season
June to November, peak risk September

The honest overview

What Vacationing in Playa del Carmen Is Really Like

Playa del Carmen all inclusive resorts are only one way to do this town. Because it sits on a real street grid, the same vacation can be a beachfront all-inclusive, a boutique hotel a block off the avenue, or a private villa in the jungle up the coast, and the walk to dinner works the same from all three. That is what the rest of this coast only has in pockets: a real town, right outside the door.

My own first all-inclusive vacation was here, at the Iberostar Tucan in Playacar, back in 1997. I have been coming back ever since, and since 2011 it has been my job: I book around 350 travelers a year to this coast, across every property in and around town, the all-inclusives, the hotels, and the villas alike. That is the only reason this page is useful. The "best for couples" or "best for families" calls below are not a short list a hotel paid to be on, they are where I actually send people after hearing how the trips went.

The properties themselves matter less than where they sit. In Playa del Carmen the whole decision comes down to a five-minute stretch: in the town grid with the restaurants and the energy, or behind Playacar's gate with the golf course and the quiet. Tell me your dates, who is traveling, and how you like to stay, and I will point you at the right few.

One more thing, since people ask: working with me does not add to what you pay. A Playa del Carmen travel agent is paid by the resorts, not by travelers, so you get someone who has booked these properties hundreds of times without paying extra for the help. What you are really getting is the match: the right resort, on the right block, for your week.

Firsthand

My First All-Inclusive Resort, Ever, Was Here

These are not stock photos. My first all-inclusive vacation was in Playacar in 1997, and I have been coming back to this coast ever since: first as a traveler, then as the agent.

That time adds up in ways a brochure cannot fake. I have personally stayed at more than 100 all-inclusive resorts, I walk this town from the ferry dock to the north beaches, and when Secrets and Impression Moxché opened up the coast, I did not read about it. I checked in and wrote the trip report.

Booking with me comes with all of it. My clients get my personal Playa del Carmen guide before they fly, with the restaurants, beach clubs, spas and food tours I use myself. I also run the primary Riviera Maya and Cancun Travel Tips community, where thousands of past and future guests compare notes every week, and I read all of it, which is how I know which resort is slipping and which one is quietly getting better. A few of my own shots from Playa:

Who it fits

Who Playa del Carmen Is For: Couples, Families, and Adults-Only

Couple relaxing at an all-inclusive resort lounge in the Riviera Maya

Couples and Honeymoons

Playa del Carmen gives couples a different rhythm: resort mornings, then a different restaurant on Quinta Avenida every night, no taxi required. The adults-only properties on the quieter north end of town add the calm without giving up the walkability.

Family in the pool at an all-inclusive resort in the Riviera Maya

Families

Families do best behind Playacar's gate, where the resorts spread out along a wide beach and kids can bike the paths inside the community. Xcaret and the other eco-parks sit about fifteen minutes away, which is the shortest park run on this coast.

Group dressed for dinner in a grand resort lobby in the Riviera Maya

Adults-Only and Groups

If your group wants to actually go out at night, this is the town for it. Rooftop bars, beach clubs, and live music are all a walk from the resort door, so nobody is negotiating cabs at midnight. Friends-trips and milestone birthdays tend to be happiest here.

The honest part

Who Playa del Carmen Is Not For

Playa del Carmen is a real town. That cuts both ways.

The town is exactly why people love it: you walk out of the resort and there are restaurants, shops, and a pedestrian avenue that runs for two kilometers. But a working town comes with a working town's texture. The beaches in the center stay busy and run narrower than Cancún's, vendors on Quinta Avenida can be persistent in spots, and in seaweed season the central stretch takes the brunt of it.

So if you are picturing a trip where you never leave the property, the beach is vast and empty, and the resort is its own sealed world, the middle of town is not that. It was never trying to be.

Choose a resort out on the Riviera Maya corridor or in Cancún's Hotel Zone instead if you want the self-contained bubble and the big wide beach, or Tulum if you want jungle-and-cenote seclusion. And if you want Playa del Carmen with a gate around it, that is exactly what Playacar is for. The table further down lays it all side by side.

Timing

When to Visit Playa del Carmen

The weather, the crowds, the seaweed, and the price all move on the calendar. Here is how the year actually breaks down. Temperatures are approximate and shift a few degrees by source.

Dry Season

November to April

The marquee window. Highs in the mid-80s Fahrenheit, lower humidity, little rain, and the clearest water. This is also the most crowded and most expensive stretch, peaking from mid-December through spring break. February is the single best-weather month most years.

Rainy Season

May to October

Hotter and more humid, with short afternoon showers rather than all-day rain. September and October are the wettest. This is also when sargassum and hurricane odds are highest. The upside is real: the lowest crowds and the best resort deals of the year.

The Sweet Spot

May and November

The shoulder months are where I send value-minded travelers: good weather, thinner crowds, lower prices, and lower hurricane risk than the August-to-October core. You give up a little certainty on rain for a noticeably better rate.

On sargassum specifically: the seaweed runs heaviest April through August and is lightest September through March, with the calmest, clearest water from December to February. Playa del Carmen's coast faces the open Caribbean with no offshore island to blunt it, so in a heavy week the central town beaches take the brunt while the beach clubs rake every morning. It varies week to week, so if you have already booked, send me your dates and I can usually give you a current read on your stretch of sand. The live beach webcams are the fastest way to see it yourself.

One seasonal highlight worth timing a trip around: from roughly June through September, whale sharks gather off Isla Mujeres and Holbox, north of Cancún, and licensed tours take small groups out to snorkel alongside them. From Playa del Carmen it is an early-alarm day trip, and worth it. It only happens in summer, which is also the quieter, better-value side of the year.

Real trips, real clients

What My Playa del Carmen Clients Say

★★★★★

Such a great experience working with Mike and Caballeros! He gave us several options, and was incredibly knowledgeable about Playa del Carmen + the resort which lended itself to us maximizing our time there. Plus he literally handled everything and was available for all the questions I had. Couldn’t recommend them more.

Yekaterina Mathews Playa del Carmen trip, fully handled
★★★★★

Just came back from vacay booked with my first experience with Michael at Caballeros and it won’t be the last. He was so knowledgeable about all of the Riviera Maya resort vibes, amenities, dining and beaches. I let him know the type of experience I was wanting and he helped pick the perfect place with private transport included and the whole vacation was smooth sailing!!

Dana Bergdahl Riviera Maya match, transfers included
★★★★★

We were planning a last-minute family vacation to Mexico, and the more I researched resorts, the more overwhelmed I became. I kept seeing Michael’s name pop up in various Riviera Maya/Cancun Facebook groups, so I decided to reach out. From our first consultation to final booking, he had our entire trip planned within a week.

Monika O’Brien Last-minute family trip, planned in a week

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Getting there

Getting to Playa del Carmen: Airports, Transfers, and VISITAX

Included with every Playa del Carmen booking I make: private roundtrip airport transfers, both directions, at no extra cost to you.

From the Airport

Cancún International (CUN) is the airport you want, about 55 kilometers up Highway 307: figure 45 to 75 minutes door to door depending on traffic. Tulum's new airport (TQO) sounds closer on a map but is actually a longer drive, around an hour and forty minutes. Fly into Cancún.

VISITAX

Quintana Roo charges a state tourist tax of about 293 pesos, roughly 17 USD, per person. It applies to everyone who is not a Mexican resident, regardless of age; the old under-4 exemption ended in 2023. Pay it online at visitax.gob.mx before you reach the airport, ideally on the hotel wifi. There are enforcement checkpoints at the Cancún airport.

Good to Know

The tourist card (FMM) is no longer required, and US, Canadian, UK and EU visitors get up to 180 days without a visa. Vapes are confiscated at customs, so leave them home.

Flying Into Cancún Airport?

Check Out Our Full Guide on Cancún Airport

View the Cancún Airport Guide

Flying Into Tulum Airport?

Check Out Our Full Guide on Tulum Airport

View the Tulum Airport Guide

Before you zip the suitcase, check what you can safely pack for a Mexico trip.

You do not need a rental car here, and in town you genuinely do not need wheels at all. The ADO bus runs straight from the airport terminals to downtown if you are traveling ultralight, and the colectivo vans cover the corridor between Playa and its neighbors for a few dollars; I filmed a short guide to the ADO and colectivos if you want to see how they work. For arrival day with luggage, the private transfer included with your booking is the answer.

Where to stay

Where to Stay in Playa del Carmen: The Town Grid or Playacar

Playa del Carmen runs on a real street grid, and that grid is the single most useful thing to understand before you book. Unlike Cancún's resort strip, this is a town, and where you stay on it decides what your week feels like.

The avenues run parallel to the beach in steps of five, with Quinta Avenida, 5th Avenue, one block from the sand. The pedestrian core runs from Avenida Juárez, where the ferry dock and bus terminal sit, north to Constituyentes: this is the classic stretch of restaurants, shops and bars. North of Constituyentes the avenue keeps going but calms down, and that quieter north end is where most of the town's newer luxury resorts have landed. One more trick the grid gives you: the avenue number is the distance from the beach, so a Fifth Avenue address and a Thirtieth Avenue address are very different vacations.

Then there is Playacar, directly south of the core and a world apart: a gated, master-planned resort community begun in 1979, with private security, villas and small hotels in Phase 1 just steps from 5th Avenue, and a second phase wrapped around a golf course and the Xaman-Ha aviary where most of the big all-inclusives sit. Inside the gate it is quiet, green, walkable and bikeable. Outside it, five minutes away, is the whole town.

That is the real decision here: book on or near the grid to walk to dinner every night, or book behind Playacar's gate for the spread-out resort feel with town access when you want it. Tell me which version sounds like your group and I will point you at the right few resorts.

Quinta Avenida (5th Avenue) in Playa del Carmen at night, strung with colorful flags and cafe lights

The Short List

My Favorite Playa del Carmen Resorts

I book every resort in and around this town, but these are the eight I keep sending people back to. Nobody paid to be on this list. It is just where the trips keep going right.

Oceanfront pool deck and beach at Hyatt Vivid Playa del Carmen

Hyatt Vivid Playa del Carmen

Adults-Only

Adults-only, on the beach, one block off 5th Avenue in the middle of everything. If the walkable-town version of Playa is what sold you, this is that trip at its purest.

Aerial view of the beachfront pools at Devossion by Live Aqua in Playa del Carmen

Devossion by Live Aqua

Adults-Only

The new one, opened in 2026 steps from the avenue at Calle 26, and it arrived polished. Adults-only with a beachfront spa scene that already turns heads. I send couples here who want new-build shine without leaving town.

Lagoon-style pool between palapas and suites at Paradisus Playa del Carmen

Paradisus Playa del Carmen

All Ages

Two resorts sharing one big footprint at the quieter north end of town: the family side with its kids club and water fun, and the adults-only La Perla side. Groups that want both under one roof book here and everybody wins.

Aerial view over the pools and swim-out suites at Secrets and Impression Moxché

Secrets and Impression Moxché

Adults-Only

A twin adults-only complex about ten minutes north of the avenue, and a pool lover's paradise; I wrote a full trip report after staying. My Secrets comparison guide shows where it fits in the family.

Jungle-wrapped pool at Iberostar Waves Tucan and Quetzal in Playacar

Iberostar Waves Tucan and Quetzal

All Ages

My first all-inclusive ever, back in 1997, and I still send families here. The twin resorts sit in Playacar with actual rainforest running through the property, monkeys included, and they reopen in late 2026 after a major top-to-bottom renovation. Few resorts anywhere feel this green.

Palm-lined promenade and fountains at Riu Palace Riviera Maya in Playacar

Riu Palace Riviera Maya

All Ages

The flagship of Riu's five-resort cluster on the Playacar beach, with dining and facility exchange across the complex. You get the gated, spread-out Playacar feel plus more restaurants than any single resort could hold.

Palapa-roofed suites and lawns at Grand Velas Riviera Maya

Grand Velas Riviera Maya

All Ages

The special-occasion answer, a few minutes north of town: three ambiances in one resort, from jungle-set family suites to an adults-only oceanfront side. When the trip has to be perfect, this is where I point people.

Beachfront cabana daybed at Viceroy Riviera Maya

Viceroy Riviera Maya

Adults-Only

Forty-one private villas in the jungle at Playa Xcalacoco, each with its own plunge pool, about ten minutes north of town. The one pick on this list that is not all-inclusive, and the honeymoon answer when you want barefoot luxury and near-total privacy over a big resort scene.

Playa del Carmen by Area: the Grid, the North End, Playacar, and the Corridor
AreaWhere it isThe feelGood forA few resorts here
Downtown coreThe grid from Avenida Juárez up to Constituyentes, with 5th Avenue one block off the sandWalk everywhere; the busiest beaches and all the energyCouples and groups who want dinner on foot every nightHyatt Vivid, Devossion by Live Aqua, Wyndham Alltra, The Fives Downtown
North end of townConstituyentes north, where the avenue quiets downCalmer sand, newer builds, an easy walk or short ride to the coreCouples who want town access without the bustleParadisus Playa del Carmen, with its adults-only La Perla side
PlayacarThe gated community directly south of the coreGolf course, aviary, wide beach, bike paths, private securityFamilies and resort-first weeksRiu Palace Riviera Maya and the Riu cluster, Iberostar Waves Tucan and Quetzal, Sandos Playacar, Playacar Palace
The north corridorXcalacoco to Mayakoba, roughly 10 to 15 minutes up the coastSelf-contained luxury enclaves backed by jungleSpecial occasions, and seclusion with town access when you want itSecrets and Impression Moxché, Grand Velas, Viceroy, the Mayakoba resorts

Map of Popular Playa del Carmen Resorts

Map of Playa del Carmen resorts: popular hotels in town, Playacar, and along the Riviera Maya corridor
Resorts on this coast change names and brands constantly, so this map may not show every property under its latest name.

One thing worth flagging: the names here can mislead you. Plenty of resorts branded "Riviera Maya" are actually minutes from downtown Playa del Carmen, while others with the same words in the name sit forty minutes away down the highway. The same resort family can have properties in both places. Tell me what you are thinking about and I will tell you exactly where it sits.

Beyond the Town

Playa del Carmen sits in the middle of the Riviera Maya, so a handful of nearby areas share the same airport run and often the same nightly value, with a different feel:

Mayakoba

A master-planned luxury enclave just north of town, built around lagoons and mangroves with a famous golf course. Resort-first stays with an eco-polished feel, ten to fifteen minutes from the avenue.

Puerto Morelos

A small fishing village half an hour north with a calm reef right offshore and a slower pace. Several big resorts carry its stretch of coast while the town itself stays sleepy.

Akumal and the South Corridor

Quieter resort pockets between Playa and Tulum, including Akumal's famous turtle bay. Longer transfer, more seclusion, jungle at your back.

Cozumel

The island across the channel, 45 minutes by ferry from the downtown dock. World-class diving and a slower island rhythm, close enough that some travelers split their week between the two.

Beyond the resort

Things to Do in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen sits in the middle of the Riviera Maya, which makes it the best day-trip base on this coast. The highlights worth planning around:

Cozumel by Ferry

The ferry dock sits at the foot of 5th Avenue, and the crossing takes about 45 minutes with boats running all day. Cozumel's west-coast reefs are some of the most famous diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean, and you can do the whole island as a casual day trip.

Eco-Parks

Xcaret, Xplor and Xenses sit about fifteen minutes from town, the shortest park run on this coast, and Rio Secreto's underground river is even closer. Mostly water-based or covered, which also makes them the best rainy-day call.

Cenotes

The freshwater sinkholes that thread the jungle inland are a Yucatán signature: cool, clear, and otherworldly, with several an easy taxi ride from town. Note that cenotes require reef-safe, biodegradable sunscreen, and most will have you rinse before you swim.

Ruins and Culture

Tulum's cliffside ruins are 45 minutes to an hour south, the quieter, climbable Cobá pyramid sits inland, and Chichén Itzá is the marquee day trip at about two and a half hours each way. Tours from Playa cover all three with transport included.

Akumal Turtles

Akumal's bay, about 35 to 40 minutes south, is famous for swimming alongside wild sea turtles. Snorkeling with them now requires a licensed guide and a respectful distance, which is exactly what keeps the turtles coming back.

The Town Itself

Walk 5th Avenue end to end, pick a beach club for the day, and detour a few blocks inland for the street-art walls and taco counters. There is real nightlife too, from rooftop lounges to Coco Bongo's show-club spectacle. Keeping kosher? My kosher dining guide covers Playa del Carmen and the whole Riviera Maya.

Good to know

Before You Go

The small stuff that smooths out a first Playa del Carmen trip. None of it is complicated once you know it.

Money and Tipping

The peso is the official currency, and you get better value paying in pesos than US dollars, which are still widely accepted in the tourist zone. Cards work nearly everywhere. Tipping is customary, around 10 to 15 percent at restaurants, and a few dollars for housekeeping, bartenders and bellhops is appreciated even at all-inclusives.

Reef-Safe Sunscreen

Bring biodegradable, reef-safe sunscreen. The cenotes and eco-parks require it and will make you swap regular sunscreen at the gate, and it protects the reef everyone comes to see.

Getting Around

In town you walk, and that is the whole point of staying here. For the corridor, colectivo vans and ADO buses run constantly and cost a few dollars, and taxis are everywhere; agree on the fare before you get in. Day-trip tours include transportation.

Safety

The tourist zone is heavily walked and well patrolled, and the vast majority of visits are trouble-free. Use the same common sense you would in any busy beach town: watch your drinks, use the resort safe, keep an eye on your bag on the avenue, and stick to official or pre-booked transportation.

Water and Health

Drink bottled or filtered water rather than tap, which your resort supplies as a matter of course. Pharmacies are everywhere and well stocked. There are no required vaccinations for a standard resort trip.

Plugs and Connectivity

Outlets are the same 127-volt, flat-pin plugs used in the US and Canada, so no adapter is needed for North American travelers. Resort wifi is standard. If you want reliable data out and about, an eSIM or a local SIM is cheap and easy.

Budget

Playa del Carmen Has Something for Every Budget

This is one of Playa del Carmen's real strengths. The same town holds friendly value all-inclusives and some of the most luxurious resorts in Mexico, so the question is rarely "can I afford Playa del Carmen," it is "which tier fits this trip." Rates move constantly with season and demand, so I will not quote nightly numbers here, but the tiers look like this.

$

Value

Solid, fun, well-located all-inclusives that do the job without the frills. Great for groups, first trips, and travelers who plan to spend their days on the avenue and at the beach clubs anyway.

$$

Premium

The big-name resorts with better food, nicer rooms and stronger service, in town and behind Playacar's gate. This is where most couples and families land, and where the value-to-experience ratio is best.

$$$

Luxury

The top of the coast: standout dining, adults-only sanctuaries, and resorts built for a special occasion. Smaller, quieter, and worth it when the trip is the point.

The decision

Playa del Carmen, Cancún, or Tulum?

If you are deciding on Playa del Carmen, you are probably weighing it against its two famous neighbors. Here is how I break it down:

How the Three Compare
What mattersPlaya del CarmenCancún (Hotel Zone)Tulum
The feelA real walkable beach town with resorts woven inLively, walkable resort strip with real nightlifeBoho and design-driven, quiet, low-key
The settingStreet grid on the sand, gated Playacar to the southBuilt-up sandbar with the lagoon on one side, sea on the otherJungle and cenotes, barefoot beach
Drive from Cancún airport45 to 75 minutes20 to 35 minutes1.5 to 2 hours
Best forWalk-to-dinner travelers, foodies, day-trip basesFirst-timers, action, the easiest logisticsSeclusion, aesthetics, honeymooners
The trade-offBusier, narrower beaches in the center of townBusier beaches, less jungleFarthest out, fewer large all-inclusives

Tell Me Your Dates and Who Is Coming

That is genuinely all I need to point you at the right two or three Playa del Carmen resorts, in town or behind the gate, for the right week. No guessing, no sorting through the whole coast on your own. Every Playa del Carmen booking through me includes private roundtrip airport transfers. I took my own first all-inclusive trip here in 1997 and I will tell you straight where you fit.

Plan My Trip

Common questions

Playa del Carmen Vacation Frequently Asked Questions

Is Playa del Carmen or Cancún better for a beach vacation?

It depends on the vacation you want. Cancún's Hotel Zone has the wider, more dramatic beaches and the shortest airport run, while Playa del Carmen gives you a real walkable town, livelier but narrower beaches, and the most central base on this coast for day trips. If the beach itself is the whole trip, Cancún usually wins. If you want to walk to dinner every night and explore, Playa del Carmen does.

What is Playacar, and is it better than staying in town?

Playacar is a gated, master-planned resort community directly south of downtown Playa del Carmen, with private security, a golf course, the Xaman-Ha aviary, and most of the area's big all-inclusive resorts spread along a wide beach. It is not better or worse than town, it is a different trip: quieter, greener and more spread out, with 5th Avenue still only a few minutes away when you want it.

Can you walk everywhere in Playa del Carmen?

In town, essentially yes. Playa del Carmen is built on a compact street grid, and Quinta Avenida, the pedestrian spine, runs about two kilometers from Avenida Juárez to the quieter north end. Resorts in the downtown core put restaurants, shops, the beach and the ferry dock within walking distance. Resorts in Playacar or on the corridor north of town are a short taxi or bike ride from the action.

How far is Playa del Carmen from the Cancún airport?

About 55 kilometers, or 34 miles, straight down Highway 307. A private transfer takes 45 to 75 minutes depending on traffic and where in town your resort sits. Every Playa del Carmen booking through me includes private roundtrip airport transfers.

Should I fly into Cancún or Tulum airport for Playa del Carmen?

Cancún, in almost every case. Tulum's new airport looks closer on a map, but the drive to Playa del Carmen from it is actually longer, about an hour and forty minutes versus 45 to 75 minutes from Cancún, and Cancún has far more flight options. Tulum's airport only makes sense when a flight deal or schedule strongly favors it.

What is the best time of year to visit Playa del Carmen?

The best weather is during the dry season, roughly December through April, with warm sunny days in the mid-80s Fahrenheit, low humidity, and minimal rain. February is often the standout month. That window is also the busiest and most expensive, so the shoulder months of May and November tend to be the smart pick, with good weather, lower prices, and thinner crowds.

When is hurricane season in Playa del Carmen?

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs June 1 through November 30, and the highest-risk window for the Yucatán coast is mid-August through mid-October, with September the peak. A direct hit in any given week is uncommon, but if you travel in the peak months it is worth watching the forecast and choosing travel insurance that covers weather disruptions.

When is sargassum season in Playa del Carmen?

Sargassum seaweed runs heaviest from April through August and is lightest September through March, with the calmest, clearest water from December to February. Playa del Carmen's central town beaches take the brunt in a heavy week, and the beach clubs rake every morning. It varies week to week, so checking a live beach webcam before you pick your dates is the reliable move.

How do I get to Cozumel from Playa del Carmen?

By passenger ferry from the dock at the foot of 5th Avenue, right by Parque Fundadores. The crossing takes about 45 minutes, and between the operators boats run throughout the day from early morning. It is the easiest big day trip in town: walk to the dock, ride across, and Cozumel's famous west-coast reefs are waiting.

What is VISITAX and do I have to pay it?

VISITAX is a Quintana Roo state tourist tax of about 293 pesos, roughly 17 US dollars, per person. It applies to everyone who is not a Mexican resident, regardless of age; the old under-4 exemption ended in 2023. You pay it online at the official site, visitax.gob.mx, ideally on your hotel wifi before heading to the airport, since there are enforcement checkpoints at the Cancún airport. It applies across the state, including Playa del Carmen, Cancún, Tulum and Cozumel.

Can you vape or smoke in Playa del Carmen?

Vapes and e-cigarettes are illegal to bring into Mexico and are confiscated at customs, so leave them at home. Smoking tobacco is banned in enclosed public spaces and on beaches under Mexico's tobacco-control law, though some larger hotels have designated smoking areas. Fines for smoking where it is not allowed can run into the hundreds of dollars.

Is Playa del Carmen good for families?

Yes, with the right base. Families do best in Playacar, where the all-ages resorts spread out along a wide beach behind the community's gate, or at the family-friendly properties in and just north of town. Add the shortest drive to Xcaret and the other eco-parks on this coast, plus cenotes, turtles at Akumal and the Cozumel ferry, and kids have plenty to do beyond the pool.

Are the beaches in Playa del Carmen public?

Yes. Every beach in Mexico is public by law. Under the Mexican constitution, the shoreline is federal property, so no resort or beach club can own the sand in front of it or block access to it. In practice that means the beaches stay lively, especially in the center of town where locals and travelers share the same stretch.

Is Playa del Carmen safe?

The tourist zone is heavily walked and well patrolled, and the vast majority of visits are trouble-free. The US State Department lists Quintana Roo at Level 2, exercise increased caution, the same tier as much of Western Europe. Use normal beach-town sense: watch your drinks, use the room safe, keep an eye on your bag on the avenue, and stick to official or pre-booked transportation.

Why book Playa del Carmen through a travel agent?

It costs nothing extra. A Playa del Carmen travel agent is paid by the resorts, not by you, so you get the guidance, the perks, and on-trip support without added fees. With me specifically: my first all-inclusive trip was here in 1997, I book every resort in and around town, and every Playa del Carmen booking includes private roundtrip airport transfers.

Keep reading

Playa del Carmen and Riviera Maya Travel Tips

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