What and Where is Playa del Carmen?

Playa (as most people call it) is located south of Cancun about 45 minutes on the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo. It is an eclectic beach town with influences from around the world. You can see these influnces in different kinds of cuisine that is offered and the different languages that you will hear walking down the street. Playa is a vacation destination for people all over the world, not just the US, and that is one of the many things that makes this town unique.

Playa is an interesting town that is very opposite of touristy Cancun. There are no buildings over 3 stories (unless you bribe the planning and zoning people) which makes it feel more like a village than a tourist spot. The hub of the tourist area in Playa is 5th Avenue, which is a pedestrian walkway with several shops, bars, and restaurants. Anything and everything you want to do is located on or near 5th. As you head west of 5th you begin to get out the tourist area and that is where you find the real gems of Mexico…the food! East of 5th you will hit the beach and all the beachfront hotels and beach clubs.

There are several maps available online if you like. A great map that you can purchase and bring with you that will show you everything in Playa is made right here in Iowa. Check here.

Click here for a great interactive map. Here is the map that we made for the welcome bags.

Here is a map of the main tourist area of Playa (click map for larger view). The red star marks the location of the Luna Blue Hotel:

Here are a few pictures from 5th Avenue and many more here.