Playa del Carmen is a coastal town in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, located on the Caribbean Sea one hour south of Cancun. Located in the Yucatan Peninsula, it’s well known for its beautiful beaches and coral reefs, as well as its many resorts, and a downtown area with a lively pedestrian zone. We fell in love with Playa del Carmen when we visited, and it ended up being our favourite destination on our Mexico trip! The town is laid back and very walkable, it has the best plant based food of anywhere we went, and there is so much to do nearby. Day trips can include a ferry ride to the beautiful island of Cozumel, a short drive to the town of Tulum and it’s incredible cenotes and Mayan ruins, and so many incredible beaches and spots along the Riviera Maya. If you’re looking for an amazing experience in Mexico, keep reading for our lesbian guide to Playa del Carmen!
What To Do
Downtown Playa del Carmen
The town of Playa del Carmen is right on the Caribbean Sea, and has a really great vibe. It’s very walkable, and the Quinta Avenida pedestrian street stretches from Calle 1 to Calle 40, just a couple blocks off the beautiful beach. Fifth Avenue is filled with restaurants, shops, and nightlife, and there is so much to do. There are upscale shopping centres, hundreds of places to eat and drink, and many spots to go out in the evening. Off the main pedestrian strip there is more of a laid back vibe with a mix of locals, expats, and travellers. Overall the town has a great energy and we absolutely loved it. Be sure to spend plenty of time exploring downtown Playa del Carmen, and you won’t be disappointed.
Playa del Carmen Beaches
The beaches in Playa del Carmen are all public, and all stunningly gorgeous. There are stretches of coast where you can relax that are very tranquil and quiet, other spots with beach clubs and DJs if you want a social and energetic vibe, and beaches with a mix of locals and travellers if you’re looking for more of a community feel. There is truly something for everyone! If you’re looking for white sand beaches lined with palm trees and sparkling turquoise water, you will find it in Playa del Carmen. Some of the most popular and well known spots include Playacar Beach, Mamitas Beach, and Parque Fundadores. Enjoy!
Day Trip to Cozumel
The best day trip to take from Playa del Carmen, is definitely to the island of Cozumel. It’s only a short ferry ride away, and is a beautifully, mostly undeveloped island in the Caribbean Sea. Mostly popular due to it’s cruise ship port, Cozumel is an ideal spot for snorkelling and scuba diving, and has an incredible national park and coral reef. In the city centre of San Miguel, there is plenty of great shopping and restaurants, and the rest of the island has a lot of fun activities including eco parks, submarine tours, catamaran sailing, private boat cruises, paddle boarding, and more. If you’re looking to do an easy snorkel, there are several spots close to the city where you can snorkel off the beach. We went to Sunset, which is a short drive or a bit of a walk from San Miguel, and you can rent snorkel gear and explore the reef. It was an amazing experience and definitely a highlight of our trip! There are two ferry companies with service to Cozumel from Playa del Carmen, and the crossing takes between 30-45 minutes depending on conditions. You can easily fill up a day on Cozumel, or spend several days exploring the island and taking in it’s many sights and activities. Either way, it’s a must do.
Riviera Maya
Playa del Carmen is located on a stretch of Mexico’s coast that has a lot of towns worth visiting. There are many beautiful beaches, and plenty of small villages if you’re looking to experience some authentic Mexican culture. You can do guided tours of this region, or rent a car and drive it yourself. There is plenty to see and makes for a unique day trip from Playa del Carmen.
Where to Stay
Playa del Carmen has tons of great options for places to stay depending on what you’re looking for. Everything from all inclusive resorts, to boutique hotels, to apartment rentals, and all of them are great choices. If you’re looking for a more upscale hotel experience, most of the big resorts in Playa del Carmen are located along the beach near the city centre and stretching into Playacar. If you want to be near the action of downtown, there are many boutique hotels near Fifth Avenue, the main pedestrian street that runs through town, with lots of shopping, restaurants, and lively nightlife. If you’re looking to enjoy more of local’s experience, you may want to look at an apartment rental. There are plenty of amazing Airbnb accommodations and vacation rental properties that are located all over the city. You can find some great apartments in the centre of downtown, as well as near the beach, and in the quieter residential area of Playacar. We stayed in both a wonderful boutique hotel on the beach in downtown Playa del Carmen, as well as an Airbnb apartment on the North end of Fifth Avenue, and both were great experiences. If you’ve never used Airbnb before, click here to save on your first stay! If you’re looking to book hotel accommodations, our favourite tool is Hotels.com. It’s easy to search within a certain price range, and filter for the amenities that you like. They also have a great reward system – for every ten nights you book, you receive one night free.
Where to Eat & Drink
We didn’t expect Playa del Carmen to be such an incredible spot for vegan food, but it surprised us by being a plant based powerhouse! Our favourite spot for breakfast is The Pitted Date, and great lunch spots include La Senda, BIO – Natural Organic Restaurant, and Nectar Peace & Love Food. 100% Natural was an easy spot for dinner, and our absolute favourite find was a fully vegan 1950s diner called COMET 984. While you’ll have no problem finding casual cafes and restaurants in Playa del Carmen, there are also plenty of upscale dining options, especially around the Fifth Avenue pedestrian street. There is plenty of seafood, Mexican fusion, and other cuisines that will be sure to please everyone. You will not be disappointed with the food scene here!
Lesbian Friendly
This area of Mexico is very laid back, open minded, welcoming of travellers, and ultimately LGBTQ+ friendly. We had zero issues travelling to Playa del Carmen as a lesbian couple, as it’s a popular gay destination and we felt very comfortable. Both locals, expats, and other travellers seemed very welcoming, and we didn’t receive any unwanted attention during our visit. We walked around holding hands, showing affection, and in no way felt the need to hide our relationship. We referred to one another as our wife, and were out and open at all times.
Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Mexico for nearly 150 years, and they’ve had discrimination protection nationwide since 2003. Playa del Carmen is located in the state of Quintana Roo, which legalized same-sex marriage in 2012, and it’s a very popular destination for LGBTQ+ travellers. Click here for more on how lesbian friendly Mexico is.
While there isn’t a prominent lesbian “scene” in Playa del Carmen, we found that the area in general is very inclusive, and there is some gay and gay friendly nightlife. If you’re looking for a spot to have a drink in an LGBTQ+ space, the official gay bar of downtown Playa del Carmen, is Club 69. There are also plenty of spots that are more mixed but gay friendly, including Coco Bongo, and La Cueva del Maya T. Similar to other cities, the bar scene caters primarily to men, so lesbian travellers may choose to go out to more mainstream bars and clubs as they are likely to be inclusive and welcoming. If you’re looking for other LGTBTQ+ friendly spots near Playa del Carmen, there are some other great spots in this area! Follow these links for our lesbian guides to Cancun and Tulum.
How to Get Around
Walk
Playa del Carmen is very walkable. Quinta Avenida pedestrian street, stretches for forty blocks parallel to the beach, and is completely shut down to car traffic. The rest of the downtown area is very easy to explore on foot, and we found it easy to enjoy the central area without needing a vehicle.
Taxi
For shorter trips around the area, taxis are a great option. There is no Uber in Playa del Carmen, but you can easily flag a taxi if you need one. We found drivers to be friendly and taking taxis in the area felt very safe. Know where you’re going, know how much it should cost, and you should have no issues.
Rent a Car
Depending on what you want to do in Playa del Carmen, renting a car could be a great option for taking day trips and exploring outside the city. Renting a car definitely gives you more freedom, but of course you need to determine your own comfort level and only do what you feel is safe and comfortable for you. We recommend doing your own research and deciding what is the best option! If you do rent a car, be sure to find out how much liability coverage is included in the rental. Unlike renting a car in Canada or the US, the minimum liability coverage required by law in Mexico is quite low, so often the coverage that’s included in the rental rate is only for a few thousand dollars. We opted to pay for supplemental liability insurance, because the base coverage would definitely not be enough to cover us in the event of a serious accident. You can purchase supplemental liability insurance through the car rental company itself, often for around $20 a day, or you can get coverage through a third party insurance company in advance. If you are using collision damage waiver (CDW/LDW) insurance through a credit card or other third party, confirm that it covers you internationally and in Mexico specifically. We brought a letter from our credit card insurance provider that stated we were covered in Mexico to avoid issues when picking up the vehicle. The roads around Playa del Carmen are well maintained and easy to drive on. Do some reading about driving in Mexico and be sure you feel confident with the local rules, but we found things to be orderly and easy to manage. We went through several police checkpoints, which were stress free, and we were always waved through with a smile. When we filled up with gas, we were sure to be attentive and assertive, and didn’t have any problems there either. All gas stations are full serve in Mexico, so we ensured the pump was set to zero before the attendant started pumping. We also made sure that the amount we were asked to pay matched the amount on the pump, and we thoroughly counted our change. Please note that it is customary to give a small tip to attendants in Mexico, especially when they provide an extra service such as washing the windshield.
Ferry
To get to the island of Cozumel, you can take either the Ultramar Ferry or the Winjet Ferry. The services are very similar, and both leave from the ferry pier on the South end of downtown. Tickets are reasonably priced and you can buy them either online or in person before boarding. On your way to the island you can enjoy stunning views of the water, and the crossing takes between 30-45 minutes depending on the conditions.
Has anyone else fallen in love with Playa del Carmen, Mexico? Let us know in the comments!
2 comments
Hello ! I wants to congratulate you on you PDC post, it’s very well put and researched, I am very happy you felt welcomed and at home. As a local and also a guide for 10 years in the region, I would highly recommend this post to anybody thinking of coming to Playa. Thank you for taking all the effort and time to visit Mexico out of all other choices out there, we take hospitality seriously here!
Always feel welcome in this magical land.
Cheers
Angela
Thank you so much! We had such an amazing time visiting Mexico, and would highly recommend it as a convenient destination from Canada and the US. We can’t wait to return and explore more of the region and more of the country! There is so much to see and do!