Playa del Carmen, Mexico

One of the hottest destinations in Mexico plays host to Culture and Sunshine

Located about 40 minutes south of Cancun, Playa Del Carmen is fast becoming one of the hottest destinations in Mexico. Playa, as the locals call it, is a beachside city on the coast of the Caribbean Sea that still maintains its quaint fishing village charm even as it’s grown into a luxury resort town.

The beaches here are superb. In the tourist zone along 5th Avenue, beaches are cleaned every day, and there are snorkeling, dive and fishing boats ready to take you out for a day at sea. Everything you need is within walking distance in the heart of town, including pharmacies, souvenir stores and clothing shops. The further from the main tourist area you get, the cheaper things become.

You can spend your days swimming in the crystal-blue ocean or touring ancient Mayan ruins—Tulum and Coba, two famous sites, are both located within about two hours of Playa. It’s easy to book a ride to the ruins as well as secure a personal tour guide once you land in Playa, but you can do it before you leave at bestday.com. If you’ve got children, treat them to a day at Xcaret Eco Theme Park, where they can swim with dolphins and explore an underwater river.

Don’t plan on dieting while you’re in Playa del Carmen! The Mayan Riviera has an enticing variety of international restaurants, and a number of top restaurants serve local delicacies. Europeans, especially Italians, flock to the region on holiday, so there are a number of Italian restaurants in the area. You can find the best seafood in town at the Blue Lobster, but if you’re craving tacos, check out Los 3 Carboncitos. You can even find Argentinean food in Playa at the Carmencita.

Nightclubs stay open until the early morning hours, but if you only have time to hit one, the place to see and be seen is the Hotel Deseo Lounge. The rooftop bar comes complete with beds to lounge on while sipping margaritas. If you want to dance the night away, hit La Santanera Lounge, where the DJ spins everything from Reggaeton to lounge until the wee hours of the morning. The town is hip and trendy with local Mexicans mixing with the influx of tourists, and there’s plenty of “eye candy” out at the clubs for both men and women.

High-end resorts and small quaint hotels are sprinkled along the shoreline and mega-resorts are located just outside of town. If you opt to stay in Playacar, a cab ride into the heart of the Playa will run you about $8.00. If you plan to stay in town, be sure to find out how close you are to the nightclubs. The music goes until 4:00 or 5:00 A.M., and some rooms are located directly across from the clubs.

Country Code for Mexico is (52) and the city code for Playa Del Carmen is (984)