Getting to Playa del Carmen
Places to Visit in Playa del Carmen
Get the most out of your holiday with places to visit Playa del Carmen including insider tips from Casago. Discover the area’s most treasured beaches and popular sightseeing attractions with our guide to the best places to visit in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Beaches
Playa’s palm-lined beaches are some of the most magnificent on the Yucatan Peninsula. Featuring sparkling blue waters and miles of postcard-worthy views, these are some of the top Playa del Carmen beaches for splashing in the waves and unwinding under the sun.
Parque Fundadores
Parque Fundadores or “Founding Fathers Park” is a focal point in Playa del Carmen and a center of cultural activity. Bordered by Avenue Benito Juarez to the north and 5th Avenue to the west, this lovely park has a pirate-themed playground for kids, street vendors selling snacks and handicrafts, plus a nice selection of restaurants and shops. On any given day, you might catch a dance or musical performance by local artisans. This downtown beach gets crowded during holidays and weekends, and is a fantastic spot to relax, people watch or take part in a game of volleyball or soccer.
Calle 10 Beach
Revel in the beauty of the Caribbean’s stunning turquoise waters at Calle 10 Beach – another hot spot for sun lovers. This enticing stretch of shoreline is perhaps most famous for its abundance of trendy beach clubs — chic venues where you can enjoy live music while sipping on a frosty drink. Zenzi, El Pirata and Lido are among the area’s favored places to hang out. With most visitors patronizing the clubs, the rest of the beach is practically empty, so if you crave a quiet day by the surf, Calle 10 is an excellent option.
Mamita’s Beach
Mamita’s is arguably the liveliest of all Playa del Carmen beaches, drawing a younger crowd of party-loving 20-somethings. This beautiful, wide beach is the site of the annual BPM music festival and features two popular beach clubs that serve up delicious food, drinks and entertainment from the world’s top DJs. If you’re interested in watersports, this is the place to be. You’ll find Jet Ski and banana boats for rent, and there are parasailing and catamaran tours on offer.
Sightseeing
Playa del Carmen is packed with amazing sightseeing opportunities that showcase the Mayan Riviera’s immense natural beauty.
Places to Visit Rio Secreto
Welcome to the magical Mayan underworld of Rio Secreto – an underground river covered with thousands of stalactites and stalagmites. National Geographic rates Rio Secreto as one of the planet’s top 10 caverns, so be sure to add this eco-excursion to your bucket list! Admire geological formations dating back millions of years as you swim and hike through this dramatic natural wonder. Tours last approximately 3.5 hours and include wetsuits, lifejackets, a tasty Mexican lunch and informative guides.
Cenote Chaak Tun
The Yucatan Peninsula is dotted with thousands of gorgeous cenotes, or natural sinkholes formed in limestone bedrock. On the outskirts of Playa del Carmen, you can explore the translucent fresh waters of Cenote Chaak Tun, which is made up of three enormous caverns. Local operators offer tours that include either swimming, snorkeling or scuba diving. Since the water averages around 22 degrees, wet suits are provided! This family-friendly tour also features interesting details about Mayan cosmology and culture. Tip: bring a waterproof camera and keep an eye out for bats.
Parks & Attractions
Does your dream vacation include swimming with dolphins or zip-lining through lush jungle canopy? If so, earmark a day trip to one (or all) of these Playa del Carmen eco-parks.
Xcaret Theme Park
Xcaret Park is rated one of the best ecological parks on the Riviera Maya. Featuring world-class restaurants, cultural performances, dinner shows and tons of water-based activities, this theme park is a wonderful destination for the whole family. You can spend an entire day at Xcaret, swimming in underground lagoons, observing local wildlife, enjoying dolphin encounters or watching a mesmerizing horse show. There’s a huge butterfly pavilion and a Mayan village at this sprawling park, located a few miles south of Playa.
Xplor Park
Prepare for an action-packed day of thrilling adventure at Xplor Park! Zoom over the treetops on one of two zip-line circuits, plow through jungle on an amphibious buggy and then float or swim along the clear waters of an underground river. Every part of your jungle adventure promises adrenaline-pumping fun for both children and adults. Day passes include a massive buffet lunch, unlimited snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. Bring a towel, a change of clothes and wear closed-toed water shoes. And most of all, get ready for a wet and wild day!
Xel-Ha Park
Xel-Ha Park is an oasis of emerald lagoons and natural inlets, providing the perfect backdrop for a variety of aquatic activities. Located 20 miles south of Playa, this natural park is a unique family attraction that invites you to explore underwater caverns, swim with tropical fish and dolphins, bike along jungle trails or try your luck with SNUBA (a combination of snorkeling and diving). Xel-Ha creates a Disney-esque setting, whether you choose to snorkel down the lazy river, take a glass bottom boat tour or get up close and personal with exotic flora and fauna. After working up an appetite, you can choose from four on-site restaurants at this all-inclusive park.
Enjoy the best places to visit in Playa del Carmen with CasaGo, Mexico’s leading vacation rental and property management specialist. For immediate assistance, we invite you to contact our friendly associates today!
Other Travel Information
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Cancun International Airport (CUN) is the closest international airport to Playa del Carmen, at about an hour away. The Cancun airport serves major international airlines from across the world, making it one of the most accessible options for flying to the Yucatan. From Cancun, travelers need to take a transfer to Playa del Carmen, generally via a pre-booked shuttle, ride share, or the most popular and economic ADO Bus service directly from the airport.
In addition, the Tulum International Airport (TQO), in operation since March, 2024, is 2 hours from Playa del Carmen. There are more than 10 domestic and international flight currently flying to Tulum, with direct flights from more than 15 cities.
Most activities in Playa del Carmen revolve around the area’s gorgeous beaches and aqua blue waters, where fishing, diving and snorkeling are excellent year-round. Playa also plays host to several international events, including the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival and Carnival. If you’re interested in local nightlife, there are many trendy rooftop clubs where you can dance all night and party in style. Enjoy your time in Playa with this list of things to do:
- Shop, wine, dine and people watch on La Quinta Avenida
- Visit the ruins and unspoiled beaches of Tulum
- Enjoy a variety of water sports on Playacar beach
- Swim, snorkel or dive in the deep blue Cenotes (natural sinkholes)
- Snorkel with sea turtles in Akumal Bay
- Revel in the wild stage shows at Coco Bongo nightclub
- Take a boat trip to Cozumel Island
- Zip-lining, swimming and cave diving at XPlor Adventure Park
- Explore the beautiful caves of Rio Secreto
- Go cave or wreck diving
- Take a romantic sunset sail aboard a luxury catamaran
Yes! The expansive shoreline stretching along Playa del Carmen offers several family-friendly spots along over two miles of soft sandy beaches. Top beaches include the quieter Punta Esmeralda on the northeast end of town, as well as the more lively Playa Mamitas, and the main beach just blocks from the popular la Quinta shopping area. There are numerous access points to the central beach.
Calle 10 Beach
Revel in the beauty of the Caribbean’s stunning turquoise waters at Calle 10 Beach – another hot spot for sun lovers. This enticing stretch of shoreline is perhaps most famous for its abundance of trendy beach clubs — chic venues where you can enjoy live music while sipping on a frosty drink. Zenzi, El Pirata and Lido are among the area’s favored places to hang out. With most visitors patronizing the clubs, the rest of the beach is practically empty, so if you crave a quiet day by the surf, Calle 10 is an excellent option.
Mamita’s Beach
Mamita’s is arguably the liveliest of all Playa del Carmen beaches, drawing a younger crowd of party-loving 20-somethings. This beautiful, wide beach is the site of the annual BPM music festival and features two popular beach clubs that serve up delicious food, drinks and entertainment from the world’s top DJs. If you’re interested in watersports, this is the place to be. You’ll find Jet Ski and banana boats for rent, and there are parasailing and catamaran tours on offer.
Mexico’s Mayan Riviera is one of the most visited parts of the country, welcoming millions of visitors each year. As a top tourist destination, local safety measures help ensure peace of mind for travelers while enjoying the area’s beaches and historic sites. In general, visitors to Playa del Carmen are encouraged to exercise caution while traveling, and stick to well-lit areas after the sun has gone down.
Seaweed (sargassum) is a natural occurrence and tends to peak on some of the beaches in the Playa del Carmen area during the summer months. Since the arrival of seaweed is unpredictable, this can happen as early as April or extend through August. Seaweed is generally cleaned off the beaches quickly, while some beaches may have more seaweed than others. It’s also worth noting that not every beach gets seaweed.
Winter is the peak season in Playa del Carmen, with great weather and clearer beaches (from seaweed), and more people. Travelers can expect hot and humid weather along the Mayan Riviera during the summer, with July being the warmest. Similarly, the rainy season on the Yucatan peninsula generally extends from June thru early October, with frequent though brief showers. Summer months are less crowded, though visitors can expect more seaweed on area beaches.
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