Playa del Carmen

城市概覽

Playa del Carmen is less internationally recognized than its northern sister city, Cancun. However, this comes with many added benefits. Unlike Cancun, which has a reputation of being incredibly touristy, Playa del Carmen retains an authentic Mexican feel due to its smaller size despite still being a tourist destination. Also, Playa del Carmen can be far less crowded and hectic than Cancun year-round. The resorts and hotels are also much newer in Playa del Carmen. To summarize, anything one can find in Cancun, be it gorgeous beaches, great nightlife, or delicious cuisine - one can also find in Playa del Carmen, but in a much more authentic and relaxed environment.

Quinta Avenida, also referred to in English as 5th Avenue, is the main tourist thoroughfare in Playa. It is a pedestrian only, cobblestone lined street which spans approximately 20 blocks. Along 5th Avenue you will find a variety of restaurants, bars, clubs, shopping opportunities and various overpriced services. In Playa, nearly everything starts from this street. If you have more local fare in mind, head a few avenues inland (they are counted in jumps of five, the next one besides Fifth Avenue is Tenth Avenue) and prices as well as the number of gringos tend to fall. Towards the south there is a gated community full of Airbnb rentals and hotels called "playacar". You might be able to just walk in, but security will stop cars and possibly pedestrians at the entrance gate.

如何抵達

By plane The main airport for Playa is Cancún International Airport (CUN IATA). You could also check flights to the Cozumel airport (CZM IATA), which is much closer than CUN, or the new Tulum International Airport (TQO IATA), which is almost 2 hours by taxi or bus from Playa.

From the Cancún airport to the city center From all terminals of the Cancún International Airport depart ADO buses directly to Playa del Carmen. The price is M$240 (pesos) (Sep 2023). Purchase a ticket right before exiting the terminal or at a kiosk right at the bus. Buying it in pesos will save you a few dollars. Tickets for children are half-price. The ride takes about 50 minutes. The buses arrive in the Terminal Turistica of Playa del Carmen. Private transfers are another way to get from Cancún's International Airport to your hotel, condo, or beachfront home in Playa Del Carmen or Playacar, and can be booked online in advance. Once you wander outside of the terminal into the crowd of transfer service agents, if you have booked ahead of time, feel free to tell other agents which service you are looking for. The agents look out for each other and will likely point you in the right direction. It can be extremely crowded, so you are better off asking for help rather than wandering around looking for the right agent and getting in the way.

From the Cozumel airport to the city center Take a taxi for the 2.5 km to the Cozumel ferry terminal. From there take a boat to the center of Playa de Carmen for US$13 (Feb 2022). More details are stated further below in "By boat". In front of the nearby Terminal Turistica are taxis which bring you to your accommodation.

By bus The 1 ADO Terminal Turistica is right in the heart of Playa del Carmen on 5th Ave. The ADO buses from the airport only arrive in this Terminal. Upstairs are a Santander and BanBajío ATM. And there is the 2 ADO Terminal Alterna in the city center at Calle 12 Nte & Avenida 20 Nte. ADO buses from destinations further away like

當地交通

Orientation Because the layout of downtown Playa is a rectangular grid, getting around is very easy. The main east-west street, Avenida Juárez, connects Highway 307 with the town square, El Zócalo, near the beach. As it does so, it crosses several numbered north-south avenues that run parallel to the beach, all of which, interestingly enough, are multiples of five. Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue), the closest to the beach, is closed to traffic from the Zócalo to Calle 6 (and some blocks beyond, in the evening). Almost the entire town is north and west of the town square, El Zócalo. The east-west streets parallel to Avenida Juárez are numbered Calle, with even numbers to the north of Juárez and odd numbers to the south. The other main east-west street Avenida Constituyentes is located where you would expect to find Calle 18. To the south of the downtown is "Playacar" a golf-course development of private residences and a dozen resort hotels.

On foot Playa is pedestrian friendly town and you can basically walk to everything. The heat may be a problem, however. The main north-south pedestrianized street, 5th Ave, does not allow cars except in the early morning hours for deliveries. On 5th Avenue are many hotels, restaurants, and small shops. The north-south thoroughfare Avenida 30, five blocks west of 5th Ave, is where the large stores are located. To walk from the town square, El Zócalo, and Avenida Juarez to Avenida Constituyentes takes only about 10 minutes.

By bike A bike is a fun alternative to walking; there are a number of bike rental shops at the north end of 5th Ave. Bike paths exist on some streets but it seems to be totally random which ones get them and which don't. Where they exist, they are generally segregated from foot and motorized traffic and in a state of good repair.

By e-hailing There is no e-hailing service which serves Playa del Carmen.

By car Car rentals are readily available at a number of locations at the north end of 5th Ave. Lar

必看景點

1 Portal Maya. Oceanfront bronze statue and archway 2 La Quinta Avenida. A pedestrian street. 3 Parque La Ceiba. 4 3D Museum of Wonders. 5 Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen. 6 Playa del Carmen Lighthouse. Small Maya Ruins around the "Playacar" gated community.

As the town is part of the 1970s master plan to develop the eastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula as a tourist hotspot and barely existed as a hamlet half a century ago, the small Maya ruins are everything regarding historical architecture.

體驗活動

Skydiving Skydive Playa are based at the airport.

Charter fishing You may see many boats on the beach in Playa del Carmen waiting for a deep sea fishing charter. Most of these boats are unlicensed and provide the bare necessities. They are generally small "pangas" which may or may not even offer shade. The equipment is generally sub-par. The professional charter fleet is in Puerto Aventuras which is about 10 km south of Playa. Puerto Aventuras is the oldest and nicest marina on the Riviera Maya. The protection is so good that the Cozumel Ferries park there in bad weather. There are numerous charter boats available from 29 ft (8.8 m)-47 ft (14 m). For not much extra money (if any) you can upgrade to a private boat. Just walk past the charter boats and you will find private boats. These boats are privately owned by affluent owners who maintain them with an open check book. Some of them offer their boats for occasional charter. The extra effort is well worth it.

Private yachts and vessels With the closest