Take Me to Playa del Carmen

 My husband and I married 3 years ago in April and spent our 9 day honeymoon in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.  Perfect vacation getaway would be an understatement here. For one, I hate flying long distances due to some back issues.  From where we are, Cancun is a 2 hour flight and Playa del Carmen is about 20 minutes outside of Cancun.  So it seems that you are there before you know it. 

The ocean along the YucatanPeninsula is crystal clear, gorgeous blue making Playa del Carmen a perfect spot.  It is surreal how blue it is to me, a Texas native that grew up with the brown waters of the Gulf of Mexico.  The sand along the beach is also warm and white.  The tides are mild here so it is not ideal for surfing.  There is also an abundance of coral reef, making the beach more beautiful to look at and very much alive with tropical fish.  On the quieter days we walked into the ocean from our resort and snorkeled there.

We visited the ancient Mayan city, Tulum.  Tulum is situated on a cliff over the most beautiful sprawl of beach I have ever seen.  Iguanas are everywhere here, quiet lizard guardians positioned like statues along the ancient architecture.  After walking the Tulum ruins under the hot sun we took a dip in the ocean and it felt amazing. 

 Cozumel, an island only a 20-30 minute ferry ride away is famous for snorkeling and scuba diving and many people take day trips over there.  We opted instead, for a full day at Xel Ha; a beautiful snorkeling and water activity site, considered one of the largest natural Aquariums, where ocean water meets fresh water along Riviera Maya.  That day time flew by as we drifted along the beautiful water and swam down to coral to admire the beautiful sea life.  All creatures seemed friendly and the more intimidating ones, kept a safe distance.  We also jumped off of cliffs into the river and took breaks drifting along the river on tubes.  I recommend Xel-Ha to anyone! 

The resort we stayed at was also phenomenal with beautiful beachfront rooms, impeccable service, delicious food, and plenty to do. My husband loves to relax, while I am more active. Marriage is a compromise so on the days we did not do outings, we would do an activity like kayak, or snorkel and then lounge on the beach. The resort provided these beach beds right on the shore with canopies for privacy. We preferred to sit in Adirondack chairs with the water tiptoeing up the shore under our feet and a cocktail in hand. The staff brought whatever you wanted or needed: food, drinks, reading material, and sunscreen. It was perfect!

Playa del Carmen is not considered one of the more quiet retreat towns in Mexico, but I thought it was definitely more low key than Cancun. There is nightlife, shops, and restaurants outside of the resort but there were 5 restaurants on the property as well as cocktail lounges, patio bars, and shows so we really did not venture out at night much.

 Pack your own toiletries.  A big misconception is that things are cheap in Mexico.  Many of the shops that surround the resorts mark up basic toiletries considerably.  You are better off buying your SPF60 at home and packing it in your luggage. 

Wear a hat.  People do not generally put sunscreen on their scalp.  They simply don’t think about it.  Like me, you are probably not accustomed to spending that amount of time in direct sunlight so save your scalp and wear a fabulous sunhat or cap.

Bring a lot of one dollar bills for tipping.  Generally your best bet is an all-inclusive package that covers your room, drinks, and food but the staff more often than not goes the extra mile to make your stay amazing and tipping here and there really goes a long way. 

Be smart when carrying your money, but don’t be paranoid.  Our resort offered a safe with a personalized code.  We left anything valuable in the safe and only carried set amounts of cash with us for treats or tipping.  My husband purchased one of those hidden flat money satchels that he wore underneath his shirt.  There is crime in Mexico so caution is good, however paranoia can ruin your experience. 

When deciding where to stay in Mexico do your research.  I looked at several sites including trip advisors where people review everything.  Bare in mind, the resorts sometimes write reviews.  Also, 4 bad reviews out of 200 doesn’t make the place awful.  There are always sour grapes in the bunch that are terrible to please.