Mexico- Playa Del Carmen?

I will actually be in Playa at the same time. Playa is by far my favorite town in the Yucatan.

My last trip was in April, the Riu's are great and not that far from town. You will really enjoy your stay at the Palace. I don't really know what the other people are talking about, Playa is nothing like Cancun. You will enjoy Playa, it is a lot more laid back than Cancun. Playa has one main street just a block off the beach. (5Th Ave.) On 5Th you will find plenty of shopping, restaurants and small bars.

There are several eco-parks that are fun. Xcaret which is only about a 5min. taxi ride from Playa. If you go there, take a taxi and buy your tickets at the gate. It will save you money to take a taxi, because it is so close. The all-inclusive ticket is a good choice the buffet is very good at Xcaret. Do not buy the meal at the night show, it was really awful! The night show is great you should take in the show!

Playatrips.com is a good source to check out some of the tours. Xel-Ha/ Tulum tour is also a great tour. Chichen-Itza tour is an all day tour and it is about two hours away from the coast, I can tell you it will be very hot at Chichen-Itza. It is quite a site, and the all-inclusive tour is nice.

Restaurants, I know most of the time you will eat at your hotel, but if you decide to eat in Playa it's not cheap on 5Th. (They do have fast food places McD's, Subway, BK, ect.)There are a few local places I like, El Fogon is very good and cheap. Just ask a taxi driver. You can check out Tripadvisor.com and look up Playa Del Carmen, click overview, scroll down the page you will see a black box that says, "Inside Playa Del Carmen" and you can check out the dining scene and other useful information.

Playa is located directly across from Cozumel, the ferry boats cost $20pp round trip. Cozumel is worth going to one weekend night.(live bands in the town square) There is a nice little restaurant "La Lobsteria" very good food and really romantic patio dining (tell taxi driver). It may be a point maker, my wife loves this little place. The food is a bit cheaper in Cozumel.

Finally, if you have any interest is scuba, I highly recommend taking an open water class in Playa and getting certified in the crystal clear warm waters of the Caribbean. There is some of the finest diving in the world right there. It is very safe and one amazing experience. One dive and you will be hooked.

Take insect repellant, and plenty of one dollar bills for taxis and tipping. Tips are cheaper in Mexico than in the U.S. 10% is a great tip at restaurants.

No matter if you just relax or take advantage of the tours, I would venture to say your trip will be fantastic!

Playa del Carmen is no longer the sleepy fishing village it was in the early 90s. If you are staying at the Riu Palace you are going to be outside of PdC, in a large resort "cluster."

I just checked the Riu Palace site and I found it amusing that they have a picture of Tulum when you click on the Playa del Carmen link. Tulum is 35 miles south, and even that area is expanding rapidly.

Playa is still a good town to shop in and you can still get some bargains, and there are still some funky bars, but it is turning rapidly into Cancun "del Sur". I'd be willing to bet that the entire Riviera Maya (from Cancun to Tulum) will be one long strip of resorts by 2015. The area is booming and no longer "quaint."

I first visited Tulum in 2004, and was impressed at how the town still had it's picturesque charm. We went through PdC on the way, and stopped and shopped on the way back. It was a lively town (you get the ferry to Cozumel from there). I took my wife back to Tulum in 2006. We went through PdC again and I hardly recognized it. Due partially to Hurricane Wilma, EVERYTHING was under construction. The area is growing at a phenominal rate.

It's a pretty neat place. Drinking age in Mexico is 18, but there is lots to do in Playa del Carmen anyway. The beaches, especially the public one in town, are beautiful. Also, there are a lot of neat street vendors, authentic restaurants and other cultural things, as well as a considerable amount of Americanized shopping.

Congratulations man and have fun!! im mexican from the north, and i hope to go to cancun next year, anyway, my tip is, get drunk all day<!!

Hola

You can take a different tours :

visit: www.mayanbeel.com