Sand and Water
Sheltered behind the island of Cozumel, Playa del Carmen welcomes international tourists all year to its Caribbean-caressed white sand stretches.
You wouldn’t come to Playa del Carmen if you didn’t love the playa. Each section of the pristine beach has its own name. You’ll hear much about Playa Mamitas in particular, not because its sand is whiter or softer, but because of the abundance of attractive, bikini-clad women -- some keeping their European tradition of sunbathing topless. (This practice is not common in Mexico and is frowned on by some locals.)
Between your Spanish school and your oversized towel laid on any Playa sand, you might not feel the need to go anywhere else. But if you’ve had enough sunning, there’s a whole ocean of activities in front of you:
- Snorkel just 100 meters off the coast among tropical fish, sea turtles, and other fascinating aquatic animals and plants that live on the world’s second-largest reef. You can even earn your PADI certification for open-water SCUBA diving.
- Just swim in the aqua-blue agua of the Caribbean!
- Go sport fishing. Troll for marlin, wahoo, dorado, and sailfish.
- Take the ferry to Cozumel, where you can shop, eat, dive (some of the world’s best!), or play golf.
- If golf is your game, you’ll also want to play some holes at Playacar, at the south end of Playa del Carmen.
In Town
Option #1: Study Spanish at one of our centrally located Teach Me Mexico language schools, of course! (I mean, that is why you’re in Playa, right?) Learn the basics, brush up on that high-school Spanish, or become quite conversational in español.
Then go forth and practice, practice, practice! Although your language school will also provide plenty of opportunities outside the classroom to practice too, from there you can walk to praticar your new language skills at shops, restaurants, cafés, and the beach.
- Shop along Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue). These two miles (3.2km) of pedestrian walk offer everything from chic boutiques to souvenir shops, and fortunately some sidewalk cafés to take a break in too.
Eat. Which is hard not to do well in Playa del Carmen. The international plus national resident community in town equals a wide range of cuisines and price options. Mayan, European, Asian, and South American food all fuse here to tickle your palate. There’s even a Little Italy!
You’re at the beach. Think lobster. Or pizza. Or lobster pizza!
- Go clubbing, show off those new moves from your salsa classes, or sip your preferred drink with family or friends in a relaxed beachfront lounge.
- Catch a Las-Vegas-style show almost any night, or enjoy cultural events like the jazz, film, music, gastronomic, or Italian festivals that occur every year.
Out of Town
One of the great things about Playa del Carmen is its location -- and we don’t just mean the beach. Rather, from this central point on the Riviera Maya, you can easily visit the best of the Yucatan, or certainly a lot of it!
Ruins
Only about a half-hour south of Playa del Carmen, Tulum’s amazingly in-tact, walled ruins sit majestically on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean. If you have only one archeological afternoon to spare, Tulum would be the place to spend it.
Just as the Maya flourished in the Yucatan, so does the evidence of their ancient civilization. Less than an hour away, the ruins of Cobá, the largest of all Mayan cities, wait for you to explore them. And in only about two hours, you can get to Chichen Itza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and perhaps the most famous Mayan structures in all of Mexico.
Parks
We don’t mean the kind with benches and pigeons. We mean adventure! Think zip lines, caving, kayaking, snorkeling, or riding horses or ATVs.
Swim with dolphins, fluorescent fish, or even sharks at Xcaret eco-archeological park, just 10 minutes from your language school in Playa del Carmen. Not a fan of fins? No problem! Spy a monkey on an island just for them. Let a cloud of butterflies envelop you in their sanctuary. Have a ball playing a pre-Hispanic game. Round up some action at a rodeo. Cleanse your skin and your soul at the Mayan-themed sweat lodge and spa. Eat up a show and your savory nouveau Mexican dinner. Try a copa of red at a wine tasting. (Yes, Mexico actually even exports the stuff!)
Or relax in the lagoons, caves, and rivers of nearby Xel-Ha, also run by the Xcaret folks. You can snorkel here too. Bring your children to the education and entertainment areas just for them, spelunk in a grotto, walk or bike the extensive trails, attend or participate in a sports event, or umm the afternoon away in yoga class.
Ride horses on the sugary beach at Punta Venado. Or don your swimsuit to swim through the chilly waters of stalactite-and-stalagmite-decorated grottoes at eco-parks Kantun Chi or Aktun Chen. (See about cenotes below.)
But if you want to see the unadulterated Yucatan, its flora and fauna in their natural habitat, head not too far south to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. This protected coastal jungle harbors rare jaguars and manatees, among other native species. Find the manatees from a small boat or kayak, and don’t forget your binoculars!
Cenotes
Pronounced seh-NO-tays, these cold, freshwater sinkholes pepper the Riviera Maya. You’ll think it’s just a swimming hole in the ground, but don’t be fooled; underneath lie webs of connected caves and tunnels, formed from erosion of the limestone back in the dinosaur days.
Some have other activities built around them and some are stand-alone. Almost all have snorkeling gear available, and some even rent SCUBA gear.
Nearby Cities
Can’t get enough shopping? Take a day-trip to Cancun to get your fill of the bigger, highly commercial beach city.
If you have the time, get a taste of colonial Mexico only five hours away in Merida. Considered the cultural capital of the entire peninsula, indígenas walk alongside students, professionals, shop owners, and Mexico’s affluent elite in the city’s narrow streets, markets, and plazas.
Your Spanish language school in Playa del Carmen can arrange the above trips for you. Just ask!
Other Activities in Playa del Carmen
Your school in Puebla also offers additional fun ways to practice your newly learned Spanish, such as salsa dancing, cooking, cultural workshops, and more.
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Celebrate Cinco de Mayo, commemoration day of the Battle of Puebla (1862), by learning some real Spanish -- not just the word cerveza -- south of the border. Be in impressive, colonial Puebla itself by then, or somewhere else in Mexico, to join the fiesta. Tell us where you want be!.