PLAYA DEL CARMEN Playa del Carmen is one of the most attractive destinations in the Mexican Caribbean. Located in the heart of the Mayan Riviera, 68 km (42 mi) south of Cancun, it has an ideal subtropical climate with an average temperature of 25º C (77º F) and sunny days throughout most of the year. During the summer, the maximum temperature can reach 35º C (95º F).  In Playa del Carmen you’ll find beautiful beaches looking out onto the Caribbean Sea, which are ideal places to relax or do all kinds of water sports: snorkeling, windsurfing and even kitesurfing – a new and exhilarating extreme sport that combines surfing and parasailing. For those who like scuba diving, there are boats departing from the docks which offer exciting outings to the Great Mayan Reef, the second largest coral reef (system) in the world. There you can dive at depths of more than 10 meters (33 feet) among multicolored fish and coral that has existed for more than 500 years. Near Playa del Carmen you can discover Playa Paamul and Playa Paraiso, two beautiful beaches with calm waters and gorgeous ecological parks: Xcaret and Xel-Ha. Also nearby are numerous sinkholes where you can do rappelling and cave diving while exploring the amazing depths of underground river systems.
Come nightfall, we recommend that you take a stroll along Quinta Avenida, one of Playa del Carmen’s most happening areas. The avenue is lined with restaurants, bars, cosmopolitan nightclubs and a shopping mall with exclusive boutiques, clothing stores and jewelry shops. BEACHES At Playa del Carmen you’ll find beautiful beaches with calm turquoise-blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. At these beaches, you can do all kinds of activities, relax and bask in the sun as you listen to the soothing sounds of the sea and take in the incredible scenery that the Quintana Roo coast offers. Playa Paamul – Located 20 km (12 mi) south of Playa del Carmen off Highway 307. This beach has fairly calm waters, allowing you to snorkel and do other activities. You can also relax in cozy cabañas nestled in the jungle. Playa Paraiso – Located 20 km (12 mi) north of Playa del Carmen, this beach is surrounded by lush jungle vegetation, making it the ideal spot to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle . Nearby you’ll find an all-inclusive hotel powered by solar and aeolian energy. SCUBA DIVING Playa del Carmen has many marvelous spots to go snorkeling, scuba diving and even cave diving. Along the Great Mayan Reef, the second largest coral reef system in the world, you can dive among hundreds of multicolored fish and discover coral formations that have been around for more than 500 years. At the sinkholes (ponds connected to underground river systems) located in Playa del Carmen’s environs you can explore various caves and caverns full of stalactite and stalagmite formations, allowing you to take in sights of rare beauty that few people will have the opportunity to see.  Zona de Cenotes. This sinkhole zone is located west of Playa del Carmen. In this region you can dive among underground sinkhole formations such as those at Chac-Mool, La Ponderosa, Dos Ojos, Nohoch-Na-Chich, Gran Cenote, Car Wash, Chikin Ha, Taj Mahal and Angelita. In Playa del Carmen you’ll find touring companies that will teach you how to dive in sinkholes. Parque Ecologico de Xpu-Ha. Located 32 km (20 mi) southwest of Playa del Carmen. At this place you can go snorkeling and scuba diving along the reefs off the coast. In its coves you can observe hundreds of multicolored fish. Xel-Ha. Located 47 km (29 mi) south of Playa del Carmen off the Cancun-Tulum Highway 307. This is an ecological park where you’ll find coves, sinkholes (ponds connected to underground river systems), lagoons, caves with subterranean rivers and springs that empty into the sea. Open daily from 8:30 to 6:00. Tel. (998) 875-6000 www.xel-ha.com. At this ecological park you can go swimming and snorkeling on an impressive tour that allows you to admire underwater life in crystalline rivers and well-lit caverns. You can also do the Sea Trek, an exciting adventure tour that gives you the opportunity to witness marine life without having to be an expert scuba diver. Parque Ecologico Tres Rios. Located 11 km (7 mi) north of Playa del Carmen off the Cancun-Tulum Highway 307. At this ecological park embedded in a subtropical jungle you can have the memorable experience of a close encounter with nature. The park is closed due to remodeling, but will reopen its doors in summer 2006. This ecological park has eight sinkholes where you can scuba dive with experienced guides. Among its services, the park offers diving classes for all skill levels and ages. Xcaret. Located 8 km (5 mi) south of Playa del Carmen off the Cancun-Tulum Highway 307. At this place, among many other attractions, you’ll find archaeological ruins of one of the most important ceremonial centers of Mayan culture. You’ll also see plenty of natural beauty such as caves, underground rivers full of colorful indigenous fish, and a reef aquarium. Open daily from 8:30 am to 10:00 pm. Tel. (998) 883-0470 . www.xcaret.com. Here you can go snorkeling and scuba diving on an unforgettable tour through 600 meters (nearly 2,000 feet) of caves and tunnels. Open daily from 8:30 am to 10:00 pm SPAS  Playa del Carmen has various places where you can enjoy a relaxing massage or treatments that follow ancient Mayan traditions, such as the pre-Hispanic temazcal steam baths. The professional staff at these top-notch spas also offer facials and herb-based moisturizing treatments.
Aventura Spa Palace – Located 30 km (19 mi) south of Playa del Carmen off the Cancun-Tulum Highway 307. As part of this exclusive hotel’s services, you’ll find a spa area where you can enjoy beauty and health treatments such as hydrotherapy, antistress massages and reflexology. There’s also a medical examination center. El Dorado Royale & Spa – Located 31 km (19 mi) north of Playa de Carmen off the Cancun-Tulum Highway 307. In this hotel you’ll find one of the most complete and exclusive spas in the Mayan Riviera. It offers excellent antistress massages, reflexology and Shiatsu. You can also treat your body to the unbeatable experience of the spa’s milk- and mud-based facial treatments or exfoliations. You’ll feel instantly rejuvenated. Gran Porto Real Resort & Spa – Located at Avenida Constituyentes 1, between Calle 10 and Quinta Avenida. This spa offers the best package deals, which include massage therapy, reflexology, Shiatsu and aromatherapy. It also has a sauna, exfoliation service, and facial and body treatments using mud and seaweed applications. Ikal del Mar – Located 5 km (3 mi) north of Playa del Carmen off the Cancun-Tulum Highway 307. This spa offers holistic treatments including pre-Hispanic temazcal steam baths, saunas, Jacuzzis, massages and facials, among others. Maroma Resort & Spa – Located 20 km (12 mi) north of Playa del Carmen off the Cancun-Tulum Highway 307. Its facilities offer massages and healing treatments such as reflexology, Reiki, cranial and sacral therapy, and much more. Occidental Royal Hideaway Resort & Spa – Located 3 km (2 mi) north of Playa del Carmen off the Cancun-Tulum Highway 307. It offers massages, body and facial treatments, thalassotherapy Scottish showers and Reiki, among other services. Paradisus Riviera Cancun – Located 34 km (21 mi) north of Playa del Carmen off the Cancun-Tulum Highway 307. It has numerous services with personalized attention in body and facial treatments, Shiatsu, hydrotherapy, Scottish showers and Roman baths, among others. GOLFING  In Playa del Carmen and its environs you’ll find beautiful golf courses surrounded by lush vegetation. All of them offer the necessary services to enjoy a day on the links.
Club de Golf Playacar – Located on Paseo Xaman-Ha, Manazana 26, in the Playacar neighborhood. Designed by Robert Von Hagge, it has an 18-hole, par-72 course. Tel. (984) 873-0624 or (984) 873-0480 Club de Golf Puerto Aventuras - Located in Puerto Aventuras at Km 269.5 off the Chetumal-Puerto Juarez Highway. It has a nine-hole, par-36 course designed by Tom Lehman. Tel. (984) 473-5109 Moon Palace Golf Club – Located at Km 36.5 off the Cancun-Tulum Highway, 10 minutes from the Cancun airport. It has an 18-hole, par-72 course designed by Jack Nicklaus. Tel. (998) 881-6000 |