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 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 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. http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/Playa_del_Carmen/ en-us Copyright 1998 e-TravelMedia.com/CaribbeanMag.com Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:17:18 EST Playa Del Carmen is located on what's named the Riviera Maya or sometimes called the Mayan Riviera. This area stretches from Cancun all the way south to Tulum. Geographiclly speaking the entire area is part of the Yucatan Peninsula. * The state is called Quintana Roo. * The Yucatan peninsula is an area that swoops up toward Florida. It is only approx. 500 miles from Miami, Florida. * Latitude/Longitude at the Cancun airport is: 21* 02' 000" lat. 86* 53' 000" long. For great street maps of the area check out: http://www.cancunmap.com/ http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/Playa_del_Carmen/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:17:18 EST Not only does Mayan Riviera have the warm sun year-round, but the average year-round temperature is 80°F (27°C) and hardly humid! But during the winter the temperature can go down to a warm 65°F (19°C) at night. And in the summer temperatures can be as high as 100°F (38°C). Not to worry, the ocean breeze keeps Mayan Riviera comfortable, compared to other areas of Mexico. November through February is the best time to go since that's when the sun shines the most days. And during the "rainy season" from July-November, rainfall is rare even then. The busy winter tourism season, when prices reach their peak, overtakes the area from mid-December to April. This time of year is attractive not just because it's winter in North America and Europe, but also because it's not raining and the heat isn't so muggy. May, the end of the dry season, and June, the start of the rains. Tropical Storms: It is rare for Riviera Maya to get hurricanes, but it is a fact of life. Hurricanes tend to move slowly enough for people to avoid danger, and there is a 3-day warning system in the area that will advise you of the situation. Hotels and villas are experienced in keeping guests safe and happy during one of these storms. So, you should not worry about vacationing during this season when many times you get the best deals and the best weather. High travel season is August and December to Easter. Low season is all other months. http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/weather/Playa_del_Carmen/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:17:18 EST Buy Mexican auto insurance! Yeah I know your credit card may cover some of this in the states but not always in Mexico. If you do get in an accident it will be worth the few extra bucks you end up paying for the insurance. Driving is on the right hand side of the road just like in the USA. Be aware that many roads are not in the best of conditions after you leave Cancun. Though Highway 307 has been improved greatly over the years beware to the tope! Most secondary roads will not be in good condition. Driving at night should be avoided if possible: cars without lights, drunk drivers, cows in the road, drunks in the road, no reflective lines on the highway, potholes, etc. Always be aware of livestock. Gringos call them "speed bumps", in Mexico they are called tope (TOE-pay). Tope are common even on some major roads so keep your eyes on the road as they are nearly invisible but very tall, which can rip off your muffler. There are not a lot of gas stations in the Mayan Riviera. There are gas stations at Puerto Moreles, Playa del Carmen and Tulum (also one on the island of Cozumel). To be safe, don't let your tank get down below 1/4. Credit cards are NOT accepted at PEMEX, the state run gas company. http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/car_rentals/Playa_del_Carmen/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:17:18 EST Restaurants and Dining: Mexican food is one of the tastiest and most varied in the world. Tortas (flour tortilla wraps) form the basis of its cuisine, which features grilled meats with spicy sauces, salads, legumes and a variety of delicious fruits. Octopus, calamari and shrimp, marinated in lemon, grilled, fried in bread-crumbs or served in sauce, as well as freshly caught spiney lobsters in the coastal regions, are other examples of available dishes. Highlights of Mayan Riviera dining include pork-based dishes such as "Cochinita Pibil" (baked marinated pork) and "Poc-chuc" (mixed grill), steamed tamales, "Tikin-xic" (fish marinated in anchiote and sour orange) and a wide variety of shellfish. These and other more international specialties can be found in the restaurants of the Mayan Riviera and on Fifth Avenue of Playa del Carmen. http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/restaurants/Playa_del_Carmen/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:17:18 EST