Top Things to Do in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, a vibrant international beach city in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, has a lot going for it as an exciting getaway, short or long. We’ve had some quick, fun trips here and a few more extended ones. Either way, we offer some tips on what to do besides just being on the beautiful beaches in the Caribbean Sea. Travelers might not all know about our discoveries.

This resort city, simply nicknamed Playa, offers so much more than the great beaches. We’ll give you a few ideas of things to do when you’re not lounging on the sandy beaches. These include finding a quiet nature preserve park to view birds, watching a nightly show of Indigenous dancers at the iconic statue at Portal Maya, chasing amazing food and music, and lots more.

When you take an easy bus ride on Ado from the Cancun International Airport to Playa del Carmen, you arrive in the heart of the seaside city. Visitors from the north especially enjoy the warm climate any season. It’s a pleasant adjustment for us from New York City. Of course, we love Mexican food. A surprise was finding so many ethnic cuisines, from Indian to Italian.

From our week at a wellness retreat, we learned that Playa also has “ruins,” and we dare you to find this archaeological site of Xaman-Ha just behind the upscale beach area of Playacar, a short walk from the ferry that goes to Cozumel. We joined friends for a fun picnic of tropical fruits near the Playa del Carmen ruins that most people don’t know about. Our friend Grant Campbell showed us a beautiful hidden bird sanctuary called the Xaman-Ha Aviary. This exquisite area is so quiet and inspiring. We were in awe at the bird sightings and snapped a plethora of pictures. We saw pelicans, toucans, flamingos, and macaws and walked the trail around a pond in the forest. On the Jason Rupp channel on YouTube, you can see our experiences in the awesome aviary. The incredible video can be searched at “Nobody Goes Here in Playa del Carmen.” (Well, no one was there when we went!)

We can recommend going to some of the many barbershops and salons in Playa for a “new you.” There are numerous videos on the Jason Rupp Travel & Pamper channel of him getting pedicures and manicures for $10, even haircuts and shaves for $5. He loves “going local” for these deals.

Another tip besides getting pampered would be to take in some of the considerable entertainment in Playa from late-night disco/house band, tango, and salsa dancing to experiencing local culture. We can recommend watching the Mayan culture shows on the seaside at Portal Maya. This site’s 16-ton bronze sculpture is 16 meters high and impressive by day or night. It is open to visit all day until midnight. The free shows at Parque Los Fundadores are honoring the heritage of the Mayan civilization.

Many bars and restaurants host musicians. You’ll also find plenty of street performers. La Vagabunda is a restaurant that features a fun schedule of musical performers, from folk to jazz musicians, who are easy to meet. You might even get to play or sing a tune if you ask. Carla was allowed to video tape her professional jazz musician friend Sukie Rae playing a number on her flute. Lido Beach Club is another favorite of ours, with its roster of live music.

Playa is considered safe in the tourist zones. As New Yorkers, we always find it interesting that the popular street to walk up and down is Fifth Avenue. It’s one of the things to do other than sit on the beach. You’ll find so much to see and do at any time of the day or night. Any of the bars or restaurants here are great meeting points. Shops are great for buying or browsing and seem almost endless. At one, we stocked up on colorful beach spreads that we still use.

Playa is central to visiting attractions in either direction on day trips. You can take an excursion easily purchased from one of the many travel kiosks. Or you can plan your own day trip to places such as Tulum to see the ruins or enjoy the beautiful beach; or to Puerto Morelos, where many like to snorkel and see where local Mexicans have their holiday. For a lovely break from the busy tourist town, visit the charming white chapel by the sea, “Nuestra Senora del Carmen” translated, “Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.” English mass is on Sundays and visitors are welcome anytime.

One of our favorite day trips was to Xcaret. A splurge, Xcaret is well worth every bit of what you might spend for the day. It’s a feel-good day we can never forget that included taking photos of flamingos, wandering around with curiosity … and best of all going through a “cave” in a river ride and ending up near the ocean. It was just in time for a delicious lunch buffet with the most food and food stations one can imagine! There was much to see and do at this attraction and our day ending up with a fabulous grandstand night show finale of dancing, history, and entertainment. It was easy to catch a van back to Playa and find our hotel. On our retreat, we learned about all the “cenotes” in the area and explored many of them on different days.

Expats love Playa as a place to connect and get some work done. You might meet them in one of the many little coffee shops. They are from all over the world. Anyone can go to friendly expat gatherings. We found an evening one we liked that meets weekly from 7 to 10 pm Thursdays on the roof deck of the Be Playa Hotel. It’s fun, and you’d enjoy one of their pina coladas or other specialty cocktails. There’s a little table where you can sit and put your feet in the pool and sip your drink. Finding new places to eat or have coffee or hot chocolate and Mexican-made banana muffins and pastries is always fun. We even organized a group of friends for vegan hot dogs in a 50s-styled diner, Comet 989. It’s easy to make outings with new-found friends. One time, we gathered people to compete for Tuesday evening (7 to 10 pm.) trivia at Buzos Restaurant-Bar for Laura’s Quiz Night; another night it was to get laughs at a stand-up comedy event.

We are always looking for healthy food options, and we found them at places such as Bio Natural and Organic Natural restaurants. Other options are the Weekend Market in the Town Square and the “Mercado” area’s cafes, near 7th Street between 10th and 15th Avenues, for deals on food.

Don’t forget the grooming places that are dotted all over Playa. Jason made many YouTube videos for his Jason Rupp channel while getting haircuts, shaves, and massages. Prices are reasonable for getting pampered. Everyone enjoys barbershops and salons, particularly when they can get a break from the hot daytime sun. Also, look for great food; it’s everywhere! We found such tasty, healthy Mexican food.

We hope you find our suggestions helpful for things to do if you come to Playa for a getaway.

Jason Rupp and Carla Marie Rupp are freelance travel journalists.

They are reached at.jasonruppy@gmail.com and carlaruppy@gmail.com.