Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
Planning to visit Mexico soon? These are my favorite things to do in Playa del Carmen after living here for over a year. Beaches, cenotes, Mayan ruins and more.
Playa del Carmen is a fun beach town on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, part of the classic Riviera Maya route down the coast.
Smaller and less touristy than Cancun, it’s becoming a popular travel destination for people looking for travel experiences that are more substantial than your typical all-inclusive resort.
I spent over a year living & working in Playa del Carmen, and have had a wonderful time. Lately, friends have been asking for advice about Playa — so I wanted to share some my favorite things to do here.
Things To Do In Playa Del Carmen
Cenote Azul
1: Cenote Diving/Snorkeling
What's a cenote you ask? It's an underground cave filled with fresh water. The Yucatan has tons of them — sinkholes that open up into underground rivers with the clearest water you've ever seen.
If you have your PADI license, you can go scuba diving in these caves with a guide. Because there's daylight near the entrance a more technical cave diving license isn't required.
Not a diver? No problem. You can also go snorkeling at most cenotes. Some good ones include Cenote Dos Ojos, Cenote Azul, Garden of Eden, Gran Cenote, and more.
2: Visit Mayan Ruins
The ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum are located South of Playa del Carmen in the town of Tulum. A must-visit if you’re in the area.
Tulum was once a small but important port city for the Mayans. Along with impressive structures on the edge of a cliff, it has a beach below where you can swim too.
Because Tulum is so popular, it can be crowded unless you arrive early in the morning. Coba is another Mayan site near Playa del Carmen which sees less visitors. You can still climb the pyramid there too.
Both sites are only a day trip away from Playa via ADO bus or colectivo taxi.
