Nov 17 2009
Ten Things To Do In Playa Del Carmen
Playa Del Carmen, commonly known as Playa, is a beachside city on Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Formerly known as Xaman-Ha, which means, ‘waters of the north’, the city offers a unique way of life. Mayan culture, gourmet food, and love for environment are an integral part of its life style. Playa is an international vacation spot and receives tourists and visitors from all over the world. There is a lot to do here along with many unique tourist attractions to visit.
Following are some of the top leisure activities and some must-see places on a vacation in Playa De Carmen:
Beaches: Playa is a beach lover’s dream destination and boasts of great beaches. Owing to the leisure activities one can get indulged into at its beaches, the place serves as the best vacation spot for tourists seeking relaxation. Playa is all about spending time on the beach, eating and drinking in-between shopping and lazing around. Moreover, the proximity of most of the hotels to the beach also makes it quite convenient for beach mongers.
Shopping is surely another must-do thing at Playa. The most popular place to be, in Playa, is the Fifth Avenue or ‘Quinta Avenida’ as the locals call it. There are several shops, eating joints, restaurants, hotels etc. along the fifth avenue.
Rocking Nights: One must visit any of the beachside bars here. The place becomes very lively at night, when all the bands start performing traditional Mexican, salsa, or reggae. The after hour clubs also have shows by fire dancers, bongo bands etc.
Archaeological Sightseeing: Playa offers a wide-range of unique experiences for being the home of Mayan culture. Thus, a trip to Playa De Carmen will remain incomplete, without a visit to Mayan ruin sites. They are located at many of these locations, Tulum, Xel-Ha, Coba, Punta Laguna, Valladoid, and Chichen Itza.
Xel-Ha also has a fresh water bay, merging with the sea that houses amazing sea creatures. This can amaze lovers of adventure sports like snorkeling and swimming.
Caves: Who can miss the caves and spring water cenotes, while in Playa? One such must visit location is Aktun Chen Dry Cave. They are stunning caves, under the ground having stalactite and stalagmite formations. The Mayans used these caves to protect themselves from extreme weather conditions.
Cenotes: There are magnificent fresh water cenotes at Aktun Chen Dry Cave, which also offers extremely unforgettable experience in the form of activities like, swimming, snorkeling, and diving.
Natural reserves: There are a large number of biosphere reserves like the Sian Ka’an Biosphere reserve with abundant flora and fauna. Then there are jungles like Punta laguna which boast of a large variety of animal life and Pac Chen Jungle where serving traditional Mayan meal. Xcaret is a Mayan Eco Disney world, where both the young and the old can enjoy.
Golfing is yet another activity that you must go for in Playa. Playacar is an expansive golf course, where tourists can play golf for an all inclusive fee.
Skydiving is available for adventure enthusiasts at Sky Dive Playa.
Find Escorted Playa Del Carmen Tours from Grayline
Thus, Playa Del Carmen has something for everybody. Visit the place for a fun-filled and memorable vacation. If your group is looking for one of the best Playa del Carmen Restaurants visit Wicky’s on the beach!