Mexico - Playa de Carmen - English version -
At least 5 full day trips, useful tips and practical advice.
Everything tested by myself.

Mexico for long-distance travel beginners

The European winter months are generally considered the best time to travel to Mexico. You can look forward to fantastic weather from November to April. Temperatures here are between 25 and 31 degrees, but feel hotter.

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexiko

For someone who has never been this far away, Playa del Carmen is a perfect place to make your first long-distance trip. It's very touristy here, the infrastructure is good and you can get everything you need. You get a taste of the Caribbean without being so far away from the action.

The Riviera Maya is generally safe, especially in the tourist areas. However, as everywhere else, you should not carry or show any valuables openly. When withdrawing money, always be aware of your surroundings or whether anyone is watching you. 

Playa del Carmen is a vacation resort on the Mexican Caribbean coast, on the Yucatán Peninsula, approx. 70 km south of Cancún. The town is known for its palm-fringed beaches and coral reefs. The pedestrian zone runs parallel to the beach and offers a variety of stores, restaurants and nightlife options, cool bars and discos. 

As a newcomer to long-distance travel, it is important to have a good “home base” from which to start your adventures. 

For the reason that you have a clean room and good food there. You don't always have to worry about spoiling your stomach with steet food. If you do get sick, you have a clean, air-conditioned room and a proper bathroom. There is also a doctor service in the hotel.

The hotel impressed us with its location in a secure residential area where not everyone is allowed to go in and out. There are checkpoints where every car, every bus, every pedestrian etc. is checked. (Mexico is known for not being the safest country for tourists) You can even go out at night without hesitation. 

The hotel is in a very quiet location within walking distance of the pedestrian zone with all its stores, the harbor, supermarkets and the party mile. We felt very safe, even in the dark.

🌴 The hotel has its own section of beach with sun loungers, a pool area with children's pool and whirlpool.

🍴 As it is an all-inclusive hotel, there is of course a buffet. 

Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Snacks are also available at the pool bar from 11 am. Every evening there is a themed buffet. Mexican, international, Italian... There is something for everyone. It is varied and freshly prepared, sometimes with show cooking.

However, the hotel also has a nice restaurant away from the buffet hustle and bustle where you can eat or book romantic dinners.

🍸 Drinks can be tapped independently at any time free of charge. Even if you don't always use it, it makes sense to always have an option to eat and drink without hesitation.

➕ A big plus point is that there are water dispensers throughout the hotel where you can fill up your bottle. There is also a jug in every room to get water for brushing your teeth etc. 

❗💧 The tap water should not be drunk and should not be used for brushing teeth. I found the service very nice, helpful and also environmentally friendly, as no plastic bottles are used.

❗❗TIP: Bring your own small empty drinking bottle from home to fill up with water for yourself when you're out and about, you never know where you'll find “safe” water. 

💸Changing money is also no problem at the hotel, there is an ATM and a currency exchange service. The exchange rate fluctuates a little, but was on average the same as in the city, where it can happen that the machine doesn't spit out any money. 1 € is 17 - 18 pesos. (depending on the exchange rate)

🎭 Of course you will be entertained in an all-inclusive hotel if that's what you want. There's beach volleyball, foam parties, darts, tequila tastings, themed evenings with a program, a theater and much more.

Treat yourself to a break at the hotel's own beach, let your mind wander and relax, that's why you're here in the Caribbean.🌴🌞🌊

On the first day, we always explore the surrounding area. Have a look around the hotel to see what you can find, take a photo of the hotel map or download the hotel's own app.

💧 Pack your water bottle and sun cream and go for a run. Just walk along the street. Into the side streets and along the beach. Wherever you like, stay a while and take in the surroundings. 

🏯 Gleich ein par hundert Meter neben dem Hotel findet ihr zwei Fundstätten für antike Maya Ruinen. Kostet nichts und ist über einen kleinen gepflasterten Weg einfach zugänglich. 

Then we are almost directly in the “city center”. The pedestrian zone of Playa del Carmen. You can find everything here. Souvenirs, clothes, bars and restaurants. Take a leisurely stroll through the alleyways, explore the city and have a good time.

💲 The prices here are comparable to Germany, high even compared to other more remote places in Mexico, the vendors are sometimes very pushy and try to lure you into their stores with avoidable offers. But you know that from other European countries.

If you are in Mexico, Chichén Itzá is a MUST on every bucket list. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and so impressive.

🤞I recommend going on your own to be independent and not tied to a tour group. As this is THE “must see” in Mexico, the tours are very full and the offers are endless. 

💲 The entrance fee is approx. 25 € per person.

💲 The ADO bus (there and back) approx. 57 € per person.

 However, if you would like to book a pre-planned coach tour, you can do so here. Make sure that hotel pick-up is included.

Tour to Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza incl. Cenote

🚌 However, you can also book a coach yourself. You will find the ADO bus terminal in the pedestrian zone in Playa del Carmen.

It's about a 15-minute walk from the hotel, so if you're in the city anyway, take a look here. 

You can also take the bus to other places such as Cancun or Tulum. Wherever you want to go. Just take a look at the timetable.

Tickets and timetables are available online or at the ticket counter.

Here you can buy a bus ticket online

IIt can get very cold in the coach, so take something to wear underneath, even if it's very hot outside. The air conditioning is on the highest setting. 🥶

The bus takes about 4.5 hours and stops in the next larger towns, Tulum and Valladolid.

Don't forget the time and be back at the bus on time for departure.

⏰ Attention: you have another 1 hour delay here to Playa del Carmen.

Once you have passed through the entrance, you can move around freely. (For group tours, please follow the guide)

🏃‍♀️ Make sure you also go to the cenote that belongs to Chichén Itzá. Walk to the end of the site past the Temple of Columns to the Astronomical Building. Leave the large, wide paths and explore the small paths too. Linger a while and enjoy the peace and quiet further back. There are not so many tourists here because the tour groups don't come this far.

This is a 38-kilometer-long underground network of caves through which you can walk, drive or swim. 

To be honest, I have never seen anything so impressive. The tour is worth every penny. 

💲 Depending on the tour, we are looking at around €110 per person.

🚲 I recommend the “Wild Tour” here. First mountain biking through the jungle in the above-ground caves and then swimming through the underground caves.

The group is small and more private - there were three of us - as most people book the standard tour. There may be more going on here and the groups are larger.

Equipment, neoprene, shoes, helmet and lamp are provided. Take your swimwear and a towel with you. There are lockers, showers and changing rooms on site.

❗ Please note that this may not include pick-up from the hotel. 

💲 The cab from the hotel mentioned above to there costs around €50. Cab fares are usually fixed prices, you can find them on boards everywhere in the city or at the hotel.

Rio Secreto Wild Tour

There are also other tours and experiences for those who are not so keen on cycling or have physical limitations.

Rio Secreto other tours

Personal cameras of any kind and cell phones are prohibited here. Each group is accompanied by a guide and its own photographer.

💲 You can buy the pictures at the end as a souvenir for what I think is far too expensive. Each picture costs around 30 US dollars or around 120 US dollars for all the pictures. The quality of the pictures is very good, but that's up to you.

Instagram des Hotels

Viva Azteca by Wyndham, A Trademark All Inclusive Resort

Playa del Carmen Archeological Site

Playacar Mayan Ruinas

Parque Los Fundadores

ADO Terminal Turística

Chichén Itzá – Wikipedia

Chichén-Itzá

Río Secreto

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Mexico for long-distance travel beginners

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