Playa del Carmen is a colorful and vibrant city located in the middle of the Riviera Maya in Mexico. It’s a great base for visiting the entire region. The city is located only one hour away from Cancun International Airport. If you love to explore colorful murals, unique restaurants and bars, beautiful beaches - this place is perfect for you.

Visiting Playa del Carmen is a unique experience. The thing I love most about this place, is the fact, that it’s totally different from all the resorts located outside the city. It has a special vibe, and you can experience the Mexican culture there. I spent 5 nights in Playa del Carmen and for most of the time, I rented the car to explore the entire area. If you would like to see 12-day Road Trip Itinerary to the Yucatan Peninsula, check out this blog post, which covers my whole trip in the Yucatan.

What is the best time to visit Playa del Carmen?

The best time to visit Playa del Carmen is November through April. It’s a dry season there with minimal rain, warm & sunny days. From May to October you can expect rainy season, it’s very humid and it can rain all day. But you can be lucky visiting Playa any time of year, it’s a great destination to visit all year round.

How to get to playa del Carmen?

You need to fly to the international airport in Cancun (CUN), which is very easy from most of the cities in the US and most of the bigger cities in Europe. The round-trip ticket from SFO to CUN, costed me around $400 (I flew United).

Once you land in Cancun, you’ll need to arrange your transportation to Playa del Carmen. The cheapest option is ADO bus, a one way ticket from CUN to Playa del Carmen, cost about $10-12 USD (you can buy your tickets in their mobile App). The buses are modern, they have AC and they are pretty reliable. They will drop you off in the center of Playa del Carmen. You can also take a taxi, which costs around $100 if you book it online (they may be cheaper if you order it in person).

Where to stay in Playa del Carmen?

If you decide to go to Playa del Carmen and you would love to explore all the night life, you need to stay close to the city center (5th Avenue is considered to be the heart of the city). If you prefer a peaceful hotel located by a nice beach, I recommend you staying outside the city, in one of the resorts or retreats. The best option is to stay in Playa del Carmen (it’s more affordable than the luxury resorts and there are more food options), but to rent a car and explore the most beautiful beaches nearby. I will share my favorite spots in the next part of this post.

Here are the hotels I can recommend in Playa del Carmen:

Macondo 5th Ave - airbnb/aparthotel with a beautiful rooftop deck and pool, it has spacious and modern rooms, the views were great and the location
Marvick Hotel - affortable boutique hotel, located in the center, it has a small pool & it’s a great option for the travelers on budget
Petit Lafitte - beautiful and upscale hotel located right by the beach
Terrasse Hotel - very nice & modern hotel in a boho style, nicely located in the center of Playa del Carmen

How to get around Playa del Carmen & Riviera Maya?

As I mentioned above, you’ll need a car to explore all the best spots located near Playa del Carmen. You will need it to go to most of the beaches and cenotes, but it’s also possible to use the public transportation. We rented the car in Playa and it costed around $50-60 per day, which was great! There are many small car rental companies, we used Price Car Rentals.

What to visit in Playa del Carmen?

Watch sunrise or sunset at Playa Punta Esmeralda

It’s a hidden local beach located in Playa del Carmen. Playa Punta Esperalda is well known among the locals. The beach is very picturesque and it has lots of palm trees. We walked there from the city center, and it was such a nice and easy walk, it took around 30-40 min. If you’ll be traveling by car, the small beach access road is set right on 5th Avenue near Calle 100 Norte, and you can park your vehicle along the access road. Please know that the parking fill up early in the day, It was packed in the morning. I think that it’s easier to walk there or take a taxi.

Take a walk on the 5th Avenue

On 5th Avenue, you can find lots of shopping centers with international brands, restaurants, bars, night clubs and souvenir shops. It’s a pedestrian avenue that runs through the city and it’s considered to be the heart of it. It’s the center of the nightlife and it’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in Playa del Carmen. It’s very busy and loud, but it has a unique vibe and it’s worth a visit. You can also find there lots of coloruful houses and murals.

Xpu-Ha Beach

This wild and beautiful beach is located only about 30-40 min drive from Playa del Carmen and it’s perfect for a day trip. It’s one of the most beautiful beaches that I’ve seen on the Riviera Maya. We went to the very end of it and it was almost empty with crystal clear waters. You need to pay around $100 pesos for the entrance, but it’s definitely worth the experience. There are some beach bars & restaurants.

My favorite beach near Playa del Carmen, Xpu-Ha

Cenote Azul & Cenote Cristalino

Cenote is a natural sinkhole willed with water, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater. We can find many of those natural beauties in the Yucatan Peninsula. Cenote Azul is a beautiful cenote with different shades of blue, located near Playa del Carmen. It’s my favorite cenote that I visited in the Riviera Maya. It’s possible to swim and snorkel in its refreshing water, but remember not to use sunscreen, creams and sprays before entering to the cenote and to take shower (it’s important to protect all the wildlife there, many people forget about that). The entrance fee to Cenote Azul is $140 MXN pesos ($8) and to Cenote Cristalino is $200 MXN pesos ($10) as of 2023.

Explore colorful murals & street art in Playa del Carmen

Street art & colorful murals are spread out all over Playa del Carmen. Stroll around the streets and explore colorful murals, it’s such a fun activity.

Where to eat and drink in Playa del Carmen?

The culinary scene in Playa del Carmen is simply amazing, you can find there cuisines from all over the world. I went to many restaurants there and most of them were great. You can find there many healthy, vegan options as well. My friend, Domi (@domi_travelstories), is a local guide and photographer who lives in Playa del Carmen, and she recomended me a bunch of places. Here’s a list of my favorite places where to eat and drink in Playa del Carmen:

Las Hijas de la Tostada (delicious fish tacos, tostadas & sea food)
Chiltepin Marisquillos (great Mexican food & seafood)
Tom Yam Gung Thai Food (delicious affordable Thai food)
Que Huevos (great for breakfast & lunch, it’s a Mexican Cuisine)
Trattoria del Centro (Italian food, great pizza & pasta, I loved their Hugo Spritz)
Zitla Ceiba (amazing breakfast, lunch, dinner ; Mexican Food)

I hope you enjoy this travel guide to Playa del Carmen. If you would like to follow along my adventures and see more pictures & stories form Mexico, please head over to my Instagram account @sarowly. Pin this post for later or share on your social media if you like it ;)