Playacar and Playa del Carmen
Where to eat, swim, and go out
Glenn lives here. These are the tables, beaches, cenotes, and days out he sends his guests to. The list is his, kept short on purpose.
Playacar is quiet after dark, and the best swim or ruin is usually a short drive. Tell him the mood you want, for the day or the night, and he will point you to the right door.
Restaurants
A meal worth leaving the house for, from Playacar to Fifth Avenue.
Listed from the lighter spend to the expensive one.
About MXN 250–350 a person
Mu. Burgerhouse
Burgers · Avenida 40
The easy meal. Smash burgers and a casual room, when nobody wants to dress for dinner.
About MXN 310–500 a person
Perché No
Italian pizza and pasta · Playacar
A neighborhood Italian in Playacar. Fresh pasta, a proper oven, and pizzas that stay in the MXN 150–200 range.
Pizzas about MXN 195–295
Casa Sofia
Italian pizza · Centro
Pizza first. Classics sit near MXN 195, and the richer pies climb toward MXN 295.
About MXN 300–500 a person
Romeo
Italian trattoria · Centro, Calle 4
A trattoria between 10th and 15th Avenue. Handmade pasta and pizza, with a check that still feels fair.
About MXN 300–500 a person
Off The Vine
Mediterranean, wine · Playacar
A wine bar with food made for sharing: tapas, pizza, cheese, and jamón. A glass stays modest. A plate of ibérico does not.
Mains mostly MXN 250–500
Osteria de Roma
Italian · Centro, Calle 6
A sit-down Italian, not a pizza counter. Antipasti start near MXN 220, and a shared antipasto board is the expensive opener.
Mains about MXN 370–440
Po Thai
Thai · Quinta Avenida
Wok plates on Fifth Avenue: pad thai, curries, and dumplings. One main is a meal.
A long lunch, not a steakhouse bill
Zenzi Beach
Beach restaurant · Beach, Quinta Avenida
Feet in the sand at the end of Fifth Avenue. Come for the beach as much as the plate.
A steak night, below the big rooms
Bendita Costilla
Argentine grill · Avenida 30
Ribs and the parrilla, Argentine style. The bill steps up from the trattorias and stays short of Harry’s.
Steakhouse prices, kept more local
500 Gramos
Italian steakhouse · North of town
Grill and Italian plates, off the tourist strip. A steak dinner without the Quinta Avenida markup.
About MXN 490–1,000 a person
Bovinos Steakhouse
Steakhouse · Calle 12 and 10th Avenue
A full steakhouse, with seafood on the same menu. This is a planned dinner, not a walk-in pizza.
Mains often MXN 350–750, steaks higher
Alux
Cave dining · A cave, west of town
Dinner in a cave. Mexican and seafood plates, and you are paying for the room as much as the food. A New York steak on the menu is MXN 1,300.
MXN 1,000 and up a person
Harry's Steakhouse & Raw Bar
Steakhouse and raw bar · Quinta Avenida
The expensive night. Steak and a raw bar on Fifth Avenue, for a celebration rather than a Tuesday.
Bars
Drinks, terraces, and the rooms that stay easy into the evening.
Listed from the lighter spend to the expensive one.
A beer and a plate, no cover
The Admiral Sports Bar & Grill
Sports bar · Near Playacar
The lightest stop. Screens, a grill, and a drink that does not require a ticket.
Casual drinks, no ticket
Santitos Bar
Beach bar · Beach, Quinta Avenida
A beach bar at the sand end of Fifth Avenue. Come for a drink with your feet toward the water, not a show.
Fifth Avenue drinks, still a walk-in
Bar Loco
Bar and grill · Quinta Avenida
A bar and grill on the avenue. Louder than the Admiral, and still a night you can start without a reservation.
Cocktail prices, not beer prices
Dirty Martini Lounge
Cocktail lounge · Calle 10, Quinta Avenida
Martinis and a lounge on Calle 10. Tuesdays are two-for-one. A round here costs more than a beer at Santitos.
Clubs
Where the night goes when you want music and a crowd.
Listed from the lighter spend to the expensive one.
A door charge, not a show ticket
Santino Playa
Nightclub · Quinta Avenida
The smaller club. Dancing on the avenue, with a door charge that stays short of a Coco Bongo ticket.
Entry about USD 25, open bar from about USD 60
Mandala
Beach nightclub · Beach, Quinta Avenida
The big club between Fifth Avenue and the sea. Entry alone is about USD 25. A regular open bar is listed from about USD 60, and a premium pass from about USD 110.
Tickets from about USD 80–90
Coco Bongo
Show club · Quinta Avenida
The expensive night. A ticketed show with acrobats, a band, and an open bar on the regular ticket. This is the one that costs more than walking into Mandala.
Beaches
Sand close to the houses, and the beach clubs worth the walk or the ride.
The first five are the beaches. Then the beach clubs.
In Playacar
Playacar Beach
A long walk · South of the ferry pier
The beach by the houses. White sand, a long walk, and quieter than downtown.
30–40 min south
Xpu-Há
A beach day out of town · A wide bay
The beach day when you want to leave town. A wide bay, and restaurants on the sand.
North end of town
Punta Esmeralda
A cenote on the beach · Northern Playa
A local beach, and a favorite with families. Fresh water from a cenote meets the sea.
North end of town
Playa 88
A simple beach · Northern Playa
A plain beach day. Fewer clubs and vendors than the beaches in the center.
15–25 min north
Xcalacoco
Quieter than town · Palms, and rocks at the edge
Quieter, under the palms. Some stretches have rocks where the water meets the sand.
The classic club day
Mamita's Beach Club
Beach club · Calle 28
Loungers, pools, and DJs. There is a family side and an adults-only side.
A loud day with friends
Martina Beach Club
Beach club · Calle 44
Pool parties and DJs. The one to pick when the group wants the day to stay lively.
Close to the center
Encanto Beach
Family beach club · Calle 40
The family club, a short walk from the center of town.
30–40 min south
La Playa Xpu-Há
Beach club · Xpu-Há
The club version of the Xpu-Há day. Food, loungers, and live music on that wide bay.
Calle 28
Lola Beach Club
Beach club · Mamita's beach
Food and drinks on the sand, in the same stretch as Mamita’s. Central, and simpler than a full club day.
Cenotes
Fresh water a short drive from Playacar, for a swim that is not the sea.
The first four are the closest. Then three parks. Then the ones about an hour south.
25–35 min
Jardín del Edén
Open-air, snorkeling · Also called Ponderosa
The one to choose if you only swim once. A large open pool in the jungle, and the snorkeling is the point.
25–35 min
Cenote Azul
Open-air, easy swim · South of town
Turquoise water and shallow edges. An easy swim. Go early, before the day fills it.
25–35 min
Cenote Cristalino
Clear water and a small cave · Next to Azul
Clear water, a rocky rim, and a short cave. Easy to pair with Azul on the same drive.
15–25 min
Chaak Tun
Guided cave swim · The closest cave
The cave to choose when you do not want a long drive. A guide takes you through the underground rooms.
25–35 min
Kantun Chi
Several cenotes and a river · A park
More than one swim. Several cenotes on the same grounds, and an underground river if you want the longer stay.
30–40 min
Chikin Ha
Snorkeling, several cenotes · A park
Clear water for a snorkel, and more than one cenote if the group wants to stay.
40–55 min
Aktun Chen
Guided cave · Near Akumal
An underground cenote near Akumal. The rock is lit, and the snorkel is guided.
50–65 min
Dos Ojos
Cavern snorkeling · Toward Tulum
The cavern swim. Clear blue water and the formations under the surface. This is the one for a mask, not a quick dip.
50–65 min
Nicte-Ha
Open-air, water lilies · Toward Tulum
An open cenote with water lilies. Go for the quiet and the light, not a cave.
55–70 min
Taak Bi Ha
Guided cave snorkeling · Toward Tulum
The farthest of the ten. An underground cenote with clear water, and a guide if you want the snorkel.
Day trips
A full day out of town: ruins, a bay, or a longer drive down the coast.
Listed from the lighter spend to the expensive one.
Half a day
Sea turtles and a cenote
Snorkeling · Half day
The short one. Snorkel with sea turtles, then a swim in a cenote, and you are back before dinner.
A day south, pickup included
Tulum, the jungle, and a village
Ruins, a cenote, and a village · South, toward Tulum
Tulum without the long turtle stop. The ruins, a cenote, a stretch of jungle, and a village, and the ride from the house is included.
A full boat day
Isla Mujeres by catamaran
Snorkel, buffet, and an open bar · A boat day north
Sail north to Isla Mujeres. The day includes the ride, a snorkel stop, a buffet, and an open bar.
A full day
Tulum ruins, a cenote, and sea turtles
Ruins and two swims · A full day south
The long Tulum day. The ruins, a cenote, and time in the water with the turtles. Plan on being out from morning until late afternoon.
A longer boat day than the catamaran
Isla Contoy and Isla Mujeres
Beach and snorkeling · Two islands
Contoy is the quiet island. Mujeres is the stop with the town. The day is snorkeling and beach time on both, so it runs longer than the catamaran alone.
A full day, two tickets
Río Secreto and Tulum
An underground river and the ruins · South
Walk through Río Secreto, the underground river in the jungle, then continue to the Tulum ruins. You pay for the cavern and the archaeological site.
A full day, lunch and the ride included
Chichén Itzá, Valladolid, and a cenote
Ruins, a colonial town, and a swim · About two hours inland
The inland day. Chichén Itzá, a swim in a cenote, and a stop in Valladolid for a Yucatecan lunch. The ride from Playacar is part of the day. You can also drive it yourself if you would rather set the pace.
A park day, lunch and drinks included
Xplor
Zip lines, caves, and rafts · About 15 minutes south
The adventurous park. Zip lines, amphibious vehicles, caves, and a river you float. This version includes lunch and drinks. It is the one for a group that wants the rides, not the night show.
Park entry from about USD 149 online
Xcaret
Rivers, wildlife, and the night show · About 15 minutes south
The family park. Underground rivers, a beach, turtles, and a Mayan village. This day adds the ride from the house and the cultural show at night. A basic adult ticket is listed from about USD 149 online. The night-only ticket is less.
The expensive package
Xcaret, Xel-Há, Xplor, and Chichén Itzá
A two-day combination · Two days
For a stay that wants the parks and the ruins without planning each ride. Xcaret, the lagoons at Xel-Há, the rides at Xplor, and a day at Chichén Itzá. It costs more than any single day on this list.
Golf
The course in Playacar, and where to play when you want a morning on the grass.
Listed from the lighter spend to the expensive one.
An hour indoors, not a green fee
The Bunker Golf Bar
Indoor golf · Calle 68, Bosque Real
Simulators, not a course. You play famous holes on a screen, with a drink, when the weather or the schedule will not give you 18 holes.
A listed 18-hole round about USD 108
PGA Riviera Maya
18 holes and a 9-hole par 3 · Toward Tulum
The far one, about 35 km south, inside the Bahia Principe complex. Robert Trent Jones II. The fee includes a cart, water, tees, and a small bucket of range balls. Clubs are extra.
USD 179 in summer, USD 209 in winter
Iberostar Playa Paraíso
18 holes, P.B. Dye · Playa Paraíso
About 20 km north. Prime time is USD 179 from June through October and USD 209 from November through May. Twilight is less. A cart is part of the round.
USD 250 for 18 holes
Hard Rock Golf Club
18 holes, Robert von Hagge · Playacar
The course in Playacar, a few minutes from the houses. An early tee is USD 200. Nine holes at twilight are USD 180. Club rental is extra, about USD 50–68.
About USD 269 for 18 holes in high season
Gran Coyote
18 holes, Nick Price · Corasol
South of town, in Corasol. A high-season 18-hole time is listed around USD 269 with a cart. Twilight is about USD 219. A caddie is required, and that fee is extra.
USD 375 at prime time
El Camaleón
18 holes, Greg Norman · Mayakoba
The expensive round. Greg Norman’s course at Mayakoba, about 10 km north, and a former PGA Tour stop. Twilight is listed around USD 280.
Shopping
Fifth Avenue, and the quieter stops when you want something to take home.
The first four are the walk on Fifth Avenue. Then the two malls for everyday shopping.
The main street
Quinta Avenida
An evening walk · Downtown pedestrian street
Boutiques, beachwear, jewelry, and souvenirs. Go in the evening, when the street is the walk.
A short walk from Playacar
Paseo del Carmen
Open-air mall · South end of Fifth Avenue, near Playacar
International fashion brands in an open-air centre, at the Playacar end of Fifth Avenue.
In the middle of the avenue
Quinta Alegría
A central mall · Fifth Avenue and Constituyentes
Clothing, beauty, and accessories, without leaving the center of town.
One walkable block
Calle Corazón
Shops and restaurants · Fifth Avenue, Calle 12 to 14
Fashion, beauty shops, and restaurants on the same short stretch of Fifth Avenue.
North of downtown
Plaza Las Américas
Everyday mall · Avenida 115
Chain stores, a supermarket, and a cinema. The errand, not the evening stroll.
The practical stop
Centro Maya
Groceries and services · Highway 307, near Playacar
Groceries, services, and a casual meal, on the highway beside Playacar.