Cancun

Travelers' Takes

Rates and Deals

Playa del Carmen

More Photos
Carmen
Carmen
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
2
Reviews
3
Photos
Sort by: Most Recent|Positive|Negative|Most Useful
1-2 of 2

Playa del Carmen

  • May 31, 2005
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Lefko26 from Chico, California
It’s a wonderful Mexican town with lots of shops and a beautiful beach. There are lots of shops along the street where you can barter and find fun things, but there are also some nice shopping centers and malls. While walking around, you get a nice view of the aqua ocean between the buildings.

We spent some time lying on the beach. As you walk along, people try to "sell" you a spot under an umbrella or at a lounge chair. We swam in the ocean and walked along the beach, taking in all the sights.

From journal Cancun (Puerto Adventuras), Mexico

Editor Pick

Playa Del Carmen

  • May 30, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Carmen from Fairfax, Virginia
Playa Del Carmen

I've got to say that I was super-impressed with Playa del Carmen (translated Carmen's beach), which is about 45 minutes south of Cancun off the main road. I just felt that it looked more like you were in a beach in Mexico, whereas Cancun looked like you never left the US. I'm not in the spring-breaky crowd either, so that could be part of it.
I thought that the beach was much more user-friendly. The waves weren't as harsh as in Cancun, the wind wasn't blowing as hard, and the current wasn't as strong. The beach had a little more character and charm. There are chairs along the beach to rent, but at 40 pesos, we just figured we'd sit on the towels we brought along.
Though it doen't have a boardwalk, Playa del Carmen does feature a road, closed off to vehicles, for shopping. Called 5th Avenue, it's the place to practice your haggling skills. It's a little intimidating at first, with everyone calling for you to come be their best friend and come look at this and that. But if you don't get pulled in, you can find some beautiful items at good prices. If you don't like the price, walk away, they'll likely come down some. And if you pay full price, but love what you bought, than it's worth it, right? All of the merchants accepted American dollars, but change is given in pesos. No one that I talked to accepted credit cards. At the time we were there, the exchange rate was about 9 pesos per dollar.
Check out this website for more information. I found it very useful. http://playadelcarmeninfo.com/

From journal Bienvenidos a Cancun

Sort by: Most Recent|Positive|Negative|Most Useful
1-2 of 2

Compare Cancun Rates

1. Enter travel information

City

2. Select websites to compare rates

Each selected website will open a new window.

Cancun Travel Deals