Playa del Carmen Mexico is a little cozy city with a spirit that will remind you of a typical Mexican village but with the hotel infrastructure developed to the high standards of eco tourism and many restaurants. Playa Carmen Mexico is one of the biggest and fastest growing developing cities on the coast of the Mexican Riviera.
During the existence of the ancient Maya civilization Playa Carmen Mexico was called “Xaman Ha” which means “North Water”. Mayans were travelling across this city in order to get to Ihchel temple which was situated on Cozumel island. In the 16th century Xaman Ha were half conquered by Spanish conquistadors as well as many other Mayan colonies.
Did you know that there are many ways of spelling the name of the city but only one is correct. Here are the variants: Playa de Carmen, Playa Carmen, PdC, Carmen de Playa, Playa in Carmen. The only one correct is: Playa del Carmen.
At the beginning of the 20th century a little fishing settlement was build on the territory of the future town of Playa de Carmen Mexico. The main income for the citizens of this little village was coming from manufacturing coconuts and natural wood chewing gum. Playa del Carmen begun turning into the city after 1908 when the government with Porfirio Diaz started a company which main purpose was colonize all the coast of Yucatan peninsula.
Until the middle 80s Playa Carmen Mexico remained a little village with less than 1500 inhabitants and today more than 150 000 people are living here. Indeed a really fast growing city.
Playa del Carmen’s government is trying hard to save spirit and external view of the town that still reminds us of a little village. Exactly because of this, it is forbidden to build buildings higher than 3 floors.
Highly increasing popularity of Playa de Carmen Mexico is also due to it’s very convenient location on the crossroads of different touristic directions along all the coast of the Riviera Maya. Not far from here is located a famous eco park Xcaret, extreme park Xplor where you can feel yourself as you are taking part in some adventure movie; another park Xel Ha. Beside all this an hour from Playa you can admire one of the most famous Maya ruins – Tulum and Coba and the best cenotes are located on the road from Playa to Tulum. Right from Playa Carmen Mexico you can get to Cozumel island that is the home of the second world largest coral reef. Very often Playa del Carmen is called the heart of the Riviera Maya.
Now a little about what are the best things to do in Playa del Carmen.
First of all is to visit all possible beaches in the city or maybe you can put a bit of restriction and visit only best beaches in Playa. It is hard to find out this because all of them are fantastic. The most famous beach is playa Mamitas where music festivals and shows often take place.
Like in every city in the world in Playa de Carmen the main attraction is the center of the city. Which is both attractive in the daytime and night time. Shopping, souvenirs stores, best restaurants and clubs all these you will find in the center of Playa.
Not far from the downtown is located an amazing territory – Playacar. Nowadays it’s becoming more and more popular especially among people who are planning to spend autumn and winter in Mexico enjoying the beautiful beaches, tropical nature and Caribbean sea. Very often it is called hotel zone Playacar and here you can find villas, hotels, condos and apartments for rent. The territory is protected 24 hours a day so you will feel safe and won’t worry if you decide to take a walk late in the evening.
Comparing to Cancun Playa del Carmen is more quiet and cozy. So it is one of the best tips while choosing where to spend your vacations. If you prefer loud and more active vacations then the best choice for you will be Cancun. If you prefer more calm surroundings and especially if you are searching a family resort where you will enjoy sunny days with your kids then Play de Carmen Mexico is your best choice.
