Playa del Carmen is a young city full of life and energy just 45 minutes south of the Cancun international airport and 45 minutes north of the city of Tulum.   Playa del Carmen is ideally located along the Mexican Caribbean coastal stretch known as the Riviera Maya. The ancient Mayans were called Xaman-Ha which in their language means ¨water from the north.¨ it has become one of the cities with the fastest growth and tourist influence and it’s known mainly for its paradise like beaches with white sands and turquoise waters, and all the fun sports that take place in this area.

With a strong European influence and stringent building code restrictions, Playa del Carmen retains its old world charm and is the hub of social activity all year round.

The real growth of Playa del Carmen started at the beginning of the 20th century when the inhabitants from other regions of Mexico, mainly the peninsula of Yucatan, due to the insecurity generated by the castes battles, began to migrate to this region seeking better opportunities. The first activity that attracted this migration was the exploitation of gum and wood. Later, it is believed that many of these workers decided to become independent and began to work as fishermen. It is this way that the population in Playa del Carmen began to consolidate.

The rapid growth and major economic activity this city had in the following years, was always considered as part of Cozumel, and it wasn’t until 1993 that by the Supreme Decree the county of Solidaridad was created as part of the state of Quintana Roo to which Playa del Carmen is named head. Once it was considered a city, it had its first political leader, Esteban Quiam Lopez, who was one of the first to promote its development, streets and business openings. This encouraged the people of playa to name him as the ¨founder¨.

In the last two decades, the development of Playa, as it is known worldwide, has changed its focus, changing to a city whose economy is based on the tourist industry, taking advantage of its majestic beaches and its tropical vegetation, that are creating the necessary infrastructure to make this one of the main tourist spots in Mexico and Latin America.

Playa currently has 60,000 permanent inhabitants, which represent 50% of the total county population (according to the II Conteo de Población y Vivienda in 2005). The male female ratio is equal, and as it has been mentioned, close to 75% of its economically active population is employed in the tourist and commerce field. The county of Solidaridad has about 4,240 squared kilometers (8% of the state) and its population density represents one of the fastest growing in the whole country.

Today millions flock to the “Riviera Maya” annually to experience a piece of its warmth, beauty and relaxed ambiance. The local people are some of the most cordial and loving in the world. With its great beaches, year round tropical weather and richness of culture, Playa del Carmen is now and is sure to continue to be one of the world´s hottest tourist destinations.

The activity in the city of Playa del Carmen is concentrated mainly around 5th Avenue, on which, most night clubs, restaurants and stores are located. Currently the area named Playacar is developing rapidly, with the objective to keep increasing the number of hotel rooms. There are currently more than 23,500 guestrooms able to lodge the more than 2 million people per year that come to visit this young fascinating city of the Mexican Caribbean.

THINGS TO DO IN AND AROUND PLAYA

Shopping has to be Playa's biggest attraction. “La Quinta” is a pedestrian mall lined with little shops and malls. Bargaining is expected here.

Skydiving is available on the beach just south of the ferry dock at Sky Dive Playa.

Playacar boasts an excellent golf course. It is a little pricey, but well worth the fee, as it includes food and a cart.  Worth trying once.

Tres Rios Ecopark is located 10 minutes south of Playa del Carmen. Explore nature in this tropical reserve.

Cenotes: natural limestone and coral wells that lead to underground rivers, caverns and cave systems. They provide fabulous views of stalactite and stalagmite formations, halagtites, rim pools and a rainbow of coloured tropical fish.

Aktun Chen: In the jungle between Akumal and Xel-Ha. Beautiful underground dry caves with stalactite and stalagmite formations and a spectacular  fresh water cenote. You might even be lucky enough to see spider monkeys. Poisonous and non-poisonous snakes can be seen at the serpentarium. Open 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Entrance fee.

Deep Sea Fishing: Sport fishing boat charters for day or half day excursions. For more information on Sport Fishing see:

Excursions on horse back through the jungle and along beaches.

Pac Chen Jungle Tour: Enjoy a traditional meal cooked the Mayan way at an authentic Mayan community tucked away in the jungle. This expedition includes canoeing and rappelling.

Punta Laguna: Spend time with spider monkeys and howler monkeys in their natural habitat. You can trek in the jungle and travel Punta Laguna by boat. Birds, deer, turtles and crocodiles are among the other wildlife to be seen. Punta Laguna is northwest of Coba.

Xaman-Ha Aviary: Home to exotic birds including scarlet macaws, flamingos and herons. Xaman-Ha is in the development of Playacar.

Yal Ku Lagoon: Swim and snorkel in the fresh water of this aqua coloured lagoon in Akumal. Entrance fee.

Akumal: Akumal is located just south of Playa del Carmen and is the place in the region for snorkeling. Akumel has beautiful beaches, restaurants, dive shop and Yal Ku Lagoon is located there as well.

Tulum is located between the crystalline white-sand beaches of the Caribbean Sea and the lush tropical jungle, the only Mayan city that was ever built next to the ocean. It is located in the Yucatan peninsula in the southeastern Mexico state of Quintana Roo and borders the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. It is 145 km south of Cancun.

Tulum is divided into three distinct areas, the hotel zone, a small town and a splendid archaeological site. The hotel zone boasts some of the finest beaches in the world. Many are still considered virgin. The zone employs a simple architecture that evokes an utmost respect for the environment. Its quaint hotels and rustic thatched-roof cabanas were built to virtually blend into the natural surroundings.

The town is actually one main avenue where all the commercial and social activity takes place. It features handcrafts, grocery shops, small restaurants and basic services such as the bus station, bank and post office. In the area called “Zona Maya” and in the small neighboring towns, the local Maya townsfolk still maintain their ancient language and customs. Most continue to live in traditional thatched-roof palapas. Their main economic activities are fishing, palapa building and the creation of handicrafts and rustic furniture, among others.

Tulum’s breathtaking ancient walled Maya city is ideally located overlooking the Caribbean Sea atop a 12-meter-tall cliff. It encompasses the vestiges of one of the most exquisite cities ever built by the ancestral Maya people. Other important archaeological sites lie close at hand, such as Cobá, located 42 km northeast of Tulum, and Chichén Itzá, which is found 19 km in the same direction.

Blanketed in natural beauty, the area boasts a prodigious jungle that keep a series of natural sinkholes, called “cenotes” by the ancient Maya. These cenotes provide dozens of locations for Tulum’s world renowned cave diving opportunities. Year after year, its never-ending and peaceful beaches receive thousands of sea turtle’s that chose this paradise to lay their precious load of eggs.

For many years, Tulum has been the pilgrimage destination for millions of travelers seeking physical and spiritual relaxation. The possibility of practicing meditation and yoga or taking a traditional Maya Temazcal steam bath are also part of the ever-growing allure it offers its visitors.

Unequivocally, Tulum is truly the nirvana for eco-tourism and archaeology, the destination for nature, sun and ancient history lovers.