Playa del Carmen

I’ve just come back from 2 weeks in Playa del Carmen and have to tell you about my amazing holiday. If you are looking for winter sun, this is the place to be, even at the start of November we were experiencing temperatures of over 30°c every day, which was a very welcome change from the British winter. Bliss!!!

The hub of the town is the Avenida 5, a pedestrianised street which runs parallel to the beach and stretches right across the town. This is the place to come if you want to go shopping and there are plenty of bars and restaurants where you can get inexpensive Mexican dishes and of course sample the local cerveza.

The big attraction in Playa del Carmen is the beautiful beach. This was my first experience of the Caribbean Sea and I was blown away by the stunning white sand and warm water. Even in the summer, this would be a world away from England. If you are interested in water sports this is a great place to be and there are lots of different activities available including sailing, snorkelling and scuba diving. One of my holiday highlights was taking the bus to Turtle Beach, just 15 minutes away by bus we snorkelled with adult turtles during the day and saw baby turtles being released in the evening which was amazing!

Before I visited Playa del Carmen, I was expecting my holiday to be based around the beach, but I was really surprised at how much there is to do along the Mayan Riviera and Yucatan Peninsula. Attractions like the Chitchen Itza, one of the new wonders of the world are easily accessible and definitely worth visiting. Although, personally I preferred the Mayan ruins at Coba. These aren’t as well preserved as Chitchen Itza, but are among the few ruins that you can still climb up. You need a strong head for heights, but the view over the jungle is well worth it!

If you get the chance, I’d also recommend a visit to one of the many cenotes in the area. These natural limestone sinkholes were created over thousands of years, through the collapse of water filled caves. They now contain crystal clear water and make great swimming spots!

I really fell in love with this beautiful part of Mexico and can’t wait to go back!

Phillippa