Playa, as the locals call it, is a beach-side city located on the coast of the Caribbean Sea. You generally fly into Cancun airport then transfer to Playa, which is an hour's drive. Playa del Carmen stretches from the beach west to highway 307 and beyond, however the tourist zone is the area along the coast. Most tourist buses pull into Playa turning off the highway at Benito Juarez Avenue and drive to the downtown bus station which is located right on 5th Avenue. The ferry docks to Cozumel are located close to the bus station as well. This is the busiest spot in all of Playa.

After Cancun, Playa del Carmen is Mexico's most popular vacation destination. Canadians make up the bulk of winter tourism, with the Americans close behind. During the summer, Mexican families claim the sugary Caribbean coastline and occupy the town's many hotel rooms, timeshares, apartments, and beachfront vacation rentals. Today the coast between Cancun and Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve has been developed and christened The Riviera Maya. Formerly pristine beaches like Xel Ha and Xcaret have literally been turned into (admittedly wonderful) theme parks.

The beaches closest to the ferry docks are the busiest and you have to walk either north or south to find seclusion. Outside the tourist zone the beaches are lined with jungle. The farther away from 5th Avenue you go the cheaper things get. You also will find the best Mexican restaurants not far from 5th on 30th, which puts you in Mexican territory, out of the tourista zona. In fact, in-between 5th and 30th are all kinds of interesting stores selling everything you can think of, from live chickens to computers.

Playa's beaches are nice. Along 5th, in the tourist zone the beaches are all clean white sand, not white powder. There is some coral but not much. The seaweed and other garbage is cleaned up every day. Within a short walk to almost any point on the Playa main beach is a bar/restaurant. There are also a number of snorkeling, dive and fishing boats ready to take you out.

Playa del Carmen has everything you could possibly need on a vacation. There are lots and lots of stores. There are laundromats, hardware stores, hair salons, grocery stores, tattoo parlors, health stores, gyms, Tae Kwon Do studios, etc. etc. You can buy snorkel equipment, bathing suits, sandals, American cigarettes, booze, diapers, you name it, they've got it. And most everything is on 5th avenue or a short walk off of it.

There are also lots of bars along 5th making it a good place to party. The after hour clubs swing into action after 12:00. These clubs are located on the beach away from the majority of hotels and resorts because of the noise level. Today Playa del Carmen is the center of the Riviera Maya concept, which runs from south of Cancun to Tulum and the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve. Playa is a stop for several cruise ships which dock at the nearby Calica quarry docks, about six miles south of the city. The Xcaret Eco Park, a Mexican-themed "eco-archaeological park", is a popular tourist destination located just south of the town in Xcaret.

To drive from Cancun to Playa del Carmen would take about 40 minutes. You can get a bus or the colletivo (a mini van that is kind of like a shared taxi that picks you up and drops you off at the side of the highway) from Playa del Carmen to Cancun so it must run in the other direction as well. Buses are generally very nice and cheap in Mexico. 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.