Playa del Carmen Directory
Playa del Carmen Overview
Once a sleepy fishing village, Playa Del Carmen has become a gateway to the Riviera Maya experience. Overlooking a beautiful white sand beach, this vibrant and rapidly growing town is a 45-minute car ride south of the Cancun airport or a quick ferry ride over from Cozumel. Playa del Carmen offers a Mexican laid-back charm mixed with a Caribbean flavor that leaves a traveler wanting more. 
Beach in Playa del Carmen
Immediately south of Cancun along Highway 307, is the area popularly known as the Cancun - Tulum Corridor. The road runs parallel to the Caribbean and almost every turnoff to the left affords access to a magnificent site - be it a pristine white beach fringed by palm trees, a Mayan ruin surrounded by jungle, a sleepy fishing village or a luxury waterfront development. The best way to explore the area is by car, although bus service between downtown Cancun and Tulum is efficient.
Our routes take us to the land of the ancient Maya and their modern day descendants, a unique journey both in time and travel. We travel through the varied countryside into ancient worlds of Tulum, Coba, Chichen Itza, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, to view the colorful inhabitants, lush jungles, and remote regions of a once-great civilization whose demise is still cloaked in mystery.
Playa del Carmen, Mexico boasts miles of sandy, palm lined beaches, bordered by the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean. Dozens of varied restaurants and hotels are available to meet any budget or taste, and a tranquil and serene atmosphere and attitude that you won't find in tourist meccas like Cancun or Cozumel. Hit the beach and enjoy many watersports from windsurfing to scuba diving, jetskiing to peaceful snorkeling. Lie on the beach and tan, or boogie the night away to live music at a local hotspot. Take a short daytrip and visit Mayan ruins nestled in the jungle at Coba, or overlooking the Caribbean at Tulum. Visit the natural aquariums at Xel-Ha, or the nearby park at Xcaret.
In Playa and its surrounding environs you'll discover some of the worlds best diving and snorkeling. The waters are crystal clear, boast incredible visibility, and a diversity of marine plant and animal life forms in size, shapes, and colors that will astound the pro and novice alike.
Please note that coral reefs are extremely fragile and vulnerable. The lightest touch of hand or flipper can destroy years of growth. So please, DON'T TOUCH!! 
5th Avenue Playa del Carmen
Stroll along the new pedestrian walkway, 5th Ave., and discover fine dining and great shopping opportunities. Take a day trip and have an adventure...centoes, snorkeling, ruins, swimming and lagoons! Our restaurants run the gamut from fresh seafood to T-bone steaks. Traditional Mexican, Yucatecan, French, and Italian dishes are all offered. Tacos and fresh pizza, spaghetti or grilled shish kabobs... lobster and shrimp... tropical fruit drinks and salads... Whatever your taste, chances are you can find it here in PLAYA!! In the Area: Xel-Ha is an extense natural formation, made up of a group of inlets, lagoons, sinks holes and caves, that are fed by a mixture of subterranean rivers and springs that make XEL-HA the worlds largest natural aquarium. XEL-HA also offers one of the highest quality dolphin swims in the world. Click here to continue... XCARET, which means "little inlet" in Maya, owes its name to the small body of water filled with magnificent clear blue water and hundreds of tropical fish who happily approach swimmers.
The inlet is the ideal place to learn how to snorkel since there are no waves or current, and it is only about 3.5 feet deep. Click here to continue... The Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, one of Mexico's largest parks, covers more than 1 million acres of coastal jungle or about 20 percent of the state of Quintana Roo's land. This virgin wilderness is home and sanctuary to innumerable species of tropical flora and fauna, of which, the jaguar found here is counted as one of the many protected species.
Playa del Carmen Facts
Emergency Numbers
Throughout the country, the number to call for any police emergency
is 18-39-54; to reach the fire department call 14-20-50; for any medical emergency, call the Red Cross at 15-20-55.
Electricity
110 volts, 60 cycles, same as in the U.S.
On the beach
Swimming in the Caribbean presents a danger from undertow, but if you follow the flag system you should have no fears about swimming in the beautiful glasslike water.
Green Flag -- Water completely safe for swimming, but use commonsense.
Yellow Flag -- Water somewhat rough. Swim with caution.
Red Flag -- Water very rough. Swim with extreme caution. Stay near the water's edge.
Black Flag -- ... more
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Playa del Carmen Accommodations
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