Everyone loves to soak up the sun in Cancun, but Mexico has so much more to see!
- Playa del Carmenmeg’s my name / Birthday Photos / CC BY-NC-ND
1. Plan your Itinerary
Before you land in Mexico, have an itinerary in place. You may want to stay in one location and venture out to different locations each day. Playa del Carmen is located about 30 minutes south of Cancun and is an excellent location to use as a base to explore the Yucatan Peninsula. One of the highlights of the trip will be a day trip to visit the ancient ruins of Tulum set against the exquisitely beautiful backdrop of the turquoise colored Gulf of Mexico. The ruins are home to iguanas who lazily bask in the sun, affording numerous photo opportunities.
2. Safety
It is recommended not to rent a car in Mexico because of the relaxed driving laws. If you are involved in an accident, it is possible that you might end up in jail without adequate legal representation. Traveling by taxi is cheap and you can ask them to wait for you if you are planning to be a short time at a location. Make sure you only drink bottled water.
3. Food
There are some wonderful restaurants in Playa del Carmen such as a restaurant named, Yaxche. You could try Mayan cuisine, with dishes such as fish wrapped in banana leaves or a wonderful “flaming” ice-cream desert made with coffee, brandy and Mayan liqueur called Xtabentun. This is a wonderful honey-anise flavored drink. Just be wary of eating food from street vendors, this can cause a traumatic case of food-poisoning if you’re not careful!
4. Traveling Locally
Playa del Carmen is a wonderfully colorful town right on the Gulf of Mexico. If you are staying in Playa you can walk almost anywhere. In the evening when the sun goes down the streets come alive with musicians and street vendors, even exotic animals that are with their owners at their booths. We saw an animal we had never seen before which turned out to be a coatimundi, which lives in the Yucatan jungle.
5. What to take – be prepared! It is very hot in the Yucatan in the summer months. Take plenty of sun protection, a hat, insect repellent, good walking shoes and an extra pair of sunglasses. Of course you will want your camera and a day excursion backpack to collect souvenirs and to carry plenty of water.
6. What not to miss!
Playa del Carmen is the ferry port for ferries to the island of Cozumel. If you enjoy snorkeling make sure you plan to snorkel when you are in Cozumel. There are many snorkeling packages to choose from. The beautiful reefs and colorful fish are not to be missed. Just remember to put a dry set of clothes in your backpack. If you want to sight see while you are in Cozumel you can quite cheaply rent a taxi which will take you on a tour of the island.
Another must see while in Playa del Carmen is to take a taxi or bus to Xel Ha, a beautiful inland lagoon water park. You can float lazily down the river to the ocean on a tube, or discover the jungle on foot or bicycle. You will see wildlife, such as iguanas, or you can choose to snorkel and see beautiful fish and large sting rays!
Whether you want to soak up the sun on the white sand beaches lapped by turquoise blue waters or explore jungle ruins, visiting the area around Playa del Carmen is the trip of a lifetime.
This is article is contributed by Madoline Hatter. Madoline is a freelance writer and blog junkie from ChangeOfAddressForm.com. You can reach her at: m.hatter12 @ gmail. com.
