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I've never visited Mexico and I'm planning to go this September for a week.
My first stop will be 3 days in San Miguel de Allende, which I'm excited about.
I planned to spend the second half of my time off in Playa del Carmen. I was really excited about it last year...but now not so much. I mostly want to vacation in a part of Mexico that has beautiful beaches, not too over-the-top-touristy/party-like (ie Cancun), and has areas that are safe for me to venture out to alone to experience local scenery and food. In other words, I want to take a little time to walk around where the locals shop, eat in places that are mostly locals, and maybe even go to a place where locals dance/hang out/party one night. Lastly, I liked the idea that Playa isn't too far from Chichen Itza ruins, which I really wanted to see...
I have no problem being around tourists (as I'm one lol)...I just want to be in a place where there is a good mix. I think what's got me second guessing Playa is because 3 facebook friends of mine posted pics of their vacations there this year so far. My old boss just went there last week, and I found out a friend of a friend is also going soon. I guess I failed to realize somehow just how popular it is, which of course must be a good thing. But as I travel a little bit more I'm starting to want experiences that aren't 'too' too generic and have at least a healthy dose of the real surrounding area's culture.
I have to book my flights soon (within the next 2 days) and now I am considering Mazatlan instead, and am open to other options as well. Only issue is I'm not sure I'd like Mazatlan's beaches due to the side of Mexico it's located on.
Does Playa del Carmen have what I'm looking for or should I venture out elsewhere? FWIW, I'm a 36 year old single female that will be doing this entire trip alone and this will be my first time ever in Mexico....
Nothing wrong with Mazatlán or La Paz for that matter. Both places will have their share of tourists. Mazatlán for the Honeymooners from Mexico City or Centro Mexico (saw this many times on my past over night visits there)
Either place....stay away from the obvious Tourist hotels and save some money at the hotels locals stay at.
Best would be to go with another lady friend.....someone to converse with since the chance of talking with the locals will be not happening unless you speak some Spanish at a Taco place etc.
After 22 yrs here in Mexico have been to most of the places except Cancun which is a trap for those from Florida.
Nothing wrong with Mazatlán or La Paz for that matter. Both places will have their share of tourists. Mazatlán for the Honeymooners from Mexico City or Centro Mexico (saw this many times on my past over night visits there)
Either place....stay away from the obvious Tourist hotels and save some money at the hotels locals stay at.
Best would be to go with another lady friend.....someone to converse with since the chance of talking with the locals will be not happening unless you speak some Spanish at a Taco place etc.
After 22 yrs here in Mexico have been to most of the places except Cancun which is a trap for those from Florida.
Originally the Playa del Carmen 'leg' of my visit was supposed to be with 2 other young ladies; we've been talking about it since Feb and 2 weeks ago they dropped out of the trip. I don't want to delay buying tickets any longer so I'm moving forward and going by myself. If by chance someone else wants to come between now and Sept that would be great, but I'm not counting on it at this point.....
Does Playa del Carmen have what I'm looking for or should I venture out elsewhere? FWIW, I'm a 36 year old single female that will be doing this entire trip alone and this will be my first time ever in Mexico....
Go to Playa del Carmen, you don´t regret! is a lot better than any other beach resort in Mexico.
I'm confused on a few things... you say "entire trip" as though it's a long sabbatical, but it's only a week long. Also, what's wrong with the west side of MX? The Pacific Ocean is warmer than the Atlantic. Other than that, the ocean is the ocean. You go in, you get wet, you come out, you dry off. And if you're not leaving til Sept., why do you have to book your trip today?
For a crazy good time that nobody will believe, come to Mexico City. Sure, it doesn't have the sand and the sea, but there are few tourists here (esp. from non-Latin American countries), you won't be hearing English on the street, and the quantity of policemen (doing nothing) make this the safest bet in the country! Viva DF! jeje
Playa del Carmen is a nice city. You can walk, bike or scooter in town to get to most places you need.
There are many tourists from all over the world but you can stay a few blocks away from 5ta Avenue
to avoid the crowds. It is a safe & walkable city. There is plenty of police presence as they ride on bikes,
scooters and patrol cars. There are public yoga and aerobics classes at the park and near the beach.
It is a very active city and as such you can find almost anything you need.
Transportation wise there is the ADO bus just outside the Cancun terminal that will take you to Playa del
Carmen in less than an hour for $9 US. Out of Playa del Carmen there are hourly ferry boats to Cozumel island.
Is Playa del Carmen cheap ? after having given up Goa and Beize I'm planning next winter a 3 week holiday in Mexico, landing in Cancun, avoiding the "high mile", going directly (by bus ADO) to Playa del Carmen, then after a few days relaxation hopping into a bus to visit the Colonial cities of Merida and Campeche, eventually ending up on the Mexico High Plateau in gorgeous Guanajuato (where I would rent a flat for a week), is it feasible ?
In Playa del Carmen you can find all kind of hotels, from big name resorts to Little cheap hotels, but as any tourist destination you have to pay a Little more, far south, 3 hours from Cancun you can find cheap towns like Mahaual or Xcalak.
Yes you can take a bus to Merida and then to Campeche and later to Guanajuato, there are buses for everywhere if you have time, go for it.
Playa de Carmen was great 10-15 years ago. Today it's the fastest growing city in Mexico. So fast, in fact, that it is struggling to provide sanitary services to its booming population and the ecological water drainage system there doesn't help much.
The beach in town is subject to erosion and human waste pollution problems. And this year they are having a large Sargasso seaweed problem all along the Riviera Maya coast. It's possible that that may have lessened by this time of year.
For a young, first-timer you might just love the elbow-to-elbow touristy hoopla the town has become. Hard to say.
I suggest booking something away from the main downtown beach, for sure.
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