Looking for an escape to a beach in Mexico then check out Playa del Carmen. Located on the Mayan Riviera, about an hour's drive from Cancún, Playa del Carmen is more laid back than Cancún. Once a small fishing village Playa del Carmen, or Playa as the locals call it, started its transformation into a coastal resort town with the arrival of the ferry service to Cozumel. Visitors who came to dive the waters around Cozumel soon discovered the beautiful beaches of what has come to be known as the Mayan Riviera. Even thought Playa del Carmen is now a city with over 200,000 people it stills retains much of its original charm.
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| Playa del Carmen Beach at the Mayan Palace © Spaswinefood |
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| Playa del Carmen Beach at the Mayan Palace © Spaswinefood |
Deciding on accommodations, restaurants and spas
Playa del Carmen offers a complete range of accommodations. While the area is famous for its large scale resorts you will also find boutique hotels. However, with so many choices it is a tough to decide on where to stay. Most of the Mayan Riviera resorts are all inclusive. We decided on the Mayan Palace, a large scale 338 acre resort. We chose the Mayan Palace because of good overall reviews and the fact it offers the non-inclusive meal plan option. Finding a Mayan Riviera large scale resort that does not require the purchase of an all inclusive meal plan is rare.
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| Playa del Carmen Beach at the Mayan Palace © Spaswinefood |
We found the Mayan Palace to be a great place, just to kick back and relax for a week. In fact it is just perfect for someone wanting the full services of a large scale resort, otherwise you should select a boutique or smaller hotel in town. The Mayan Palace resort is right on the beach. It has luxury swimming pools, restaurants, shops, spa and much more. During our stay we checked out most of the restaurants and the Brio Spa. We did manage to find a few good wines while we were there. But, of course we they have great margaritas.
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| Brio Spa at the Mayan Palace © Spaswinefood |
In Playa del Carmen you will also find a complete range of restaurants and spas to meet all your needs. If you are looking for a very unique dining experience then you might check out Alux where you can dine in a cave. While you will find day spas in the town of Playa del Carmen most major resorts have full service spas. However, some visitors like to check out in town day spas, which are often cheaper than at the resorts. LocoGringo, Playa Info, Playadelcarmen and Riviera Maya are online sources to help you get the most of your Playa del Carmen trip.
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| Destination wedding set-up at the Mayan Palace © Spaswinefood |
It is a popular area for destination weddings. We did see a few during our stay.
Getting to/from Playa del Carmen
Most visitors to Playa del Carmen will arrive and depart at the Cancún International Airport. The
Cancún International Airport is the second busiest in Mexico. You will have no problem getting flights to and from major North American and European cities. Car rentals, taxis and shuttle services are also easily available.
Staying safe in Playa del Carmen
Since healthy and safety is often concern for travelers to Mexico do not forget to check sources that provide good information such as Luna Blue's PlayaZone, Tripadvisor, Virtual Tourist and USA Today. I also recommend that you check U.S. Department of State for the latest update before you travel.
We enjoyed our week in Playa del Carmen. It was a great break from our road trip. When we left Playa del Carmen we headed towards Chetumal, Quuintana Roo where we crossed into Belize and onto Guatemala. I invite you to join me in my travels in Mexico and elsewhere in search of the best in Spaswinefood.
Sharon
August 2012
© Spaswinefood
Thank you, a very magnetic pull..I wanna go! Leonard
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