Fun in the Sun!

Try to think of a typical day in your Spanish class. Now imagine learning Spanish just 5 minutes on foot from beautiful white sand beaches and turquoise blue Caribbean water as far as you can see. It sounds like paradise because it is! Playa del Carmen, Mexico was the most beautiful place I can imagine for a Spanish course.

I just returned from a trip there, had a great time and was so impressed with how fun-loving, friendly, welcoming, and laid-back the people were – I loved it. But who wouldn’t love a Caribbean location where you can also explore fascinating Mayan ruins, visit water parks, and try all kinds of water sports?!

On my first evening in Playa del Carmen, I took a stroll along 5th Avenue, or “La Quinta” as the locals refer to it – the main commercial, pedestrian boulevard in the city. Here you will find no shortage of sidewalk cafés, charming Mexican handcraft shops, lively bars, night clubs, and a range of restaurants wide enough to satisfy anyone’s appetite! And once you’re done exploring ‘La Quinta’ you should try 30th Avenue between Constituyentes and 34th Avenue which also has a great selection of incredible restaurants with authentic Mexican cuisine!

Playa del Carmen is also THE vacationland for students or experts of water sports, including, but definitely not limited to, kite-surfing, wind-surfing, sailing, snorkeling, para-sailing, fishing, and jet skiing. I couldn’t get enough of watching some of the expert kite-surfers out there – cruising along the coast at high speeds while jumping over white-capped waves – what a rush! You also must try snorkeling or scuba-diving here, as it gives you the opportunity to explore the colorful, rich marine life of the world’s second largest barrier reef, the Great Mayan Barrier Reef. I saw amazing fishes, starfish, crabs, and all kinds of anemones! However, with the amazing weather Playa del Carmen has year round, you could never be blamed for preferring to just kick back and relax on the beach, it’s always fun to be a spectator and snap some photos of these adventure-seekers in action!

I really appreciated that the school in Playa del Carmen organized so many and activities and excursions for us. It enabled me to experience so much more of the Yucatán peninsula and Mexican culture than I may have done if I’d been left to my own devices. I saw the most amazing sites, (Chichen Itza to name just one!), and had all kinds of fantastic adventures (kayaking through mangroves anyone?). Take advantage of the activity program, the school’s location, and your Spanish lessons, and you will be sure to want to stay forever – I really did!

Beth (USA)