How to Experience the Best of Mexico’s Playa del Carmen

Mexico’s Riviera Maya stretches for 80 miles along the sun-soaked Caribbean coast, running south from Cancún’s high-rises to the ancient Maya ruins of Tulum. It’s an idyllic swathe of palm-fringed white sand lapped by turquoise waves, dotted with lively coastal towns, open-air cenotes and Maya archaeological sites. At its heart is laid-back Playa del Carmen, once a sleepy fishing village and now a vibrant beach town. It's ideal not only for lazy beach days and sunset margaritas but also for immersing yourself in ancient cultural sites and sampling traditional dishes. Here are five ways to experience this vibrant corner of Mexico.

Feast on Local Flavours 

A combination of Yucatán traditions, Caribbean seafood and inventive chefs has created a thriving food scene in Playa del Carmen. This is a town where street stalls whip up zingy tacos, beach shacks grill freshly caught fish and high-end restaurants serve ambitious tasting menus. Local favourites include tacos al pastor — corn tortillas filled with achiote-marinated pork topped with fresh pineapple, onion and coriander — as well as crispy tostadas, topped with lime-cured ceviche or diced tuna.

Modern Yucatán cooking also puts a contemporary twist on time-honoured dishes, from guacamole sprinkled with grasshoppers to lobster-filled salbutes — small, fried corn tortillas. These flavours can be found at all-inclusive resort Paradisus Playa del Carmen, whose restaurant offering includes two traditional Mexican spots. At one, Cielo, visitors can learn how to make quesadillas; at the other, Blue Agave Taqueria, they can tuck into tacos. Smoky mezcal, another local favourite, can be sampled nearby at one of the resort’s bars.

Discover the Natural World

Beyond Playa del Carmen, mangrove forests, lush jungle and freshwater cenotes create a patchwork of unique ecosystems teeming with wildlife. One way to delve deeper into this natural landscape is on a Paradisus Playa del Carmen tour of nearby Río Secreto, an underground river and semi-flooded limestone cave filled with dramatic stalactites and stalagmites.

The region’s eco-parks are equally rewarding. Thirty miles south of Playa del Carmen, Xel-Há is centred around a crystal-clear lagoon. Swimming and snorkelling are the main draw here, but its flora is just as captivating, with jungle trails winding past a nursery of native plants.

Further south lies the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, a Unesco World Heritage Site home to jaguars, pumas, West Indian manatees, spider monkeys and hundreds of bird species. Out at sea, meanwhile, the reefs off Playa del Carmen form part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef system, a kaleidoscope of colourful fish and coral.

Get Active Outdoors

Playa del Carmen is a playground for active travellers, with experiences ranging from zip-lining across the jungle canopy at Xplor Park, an adventure theme park, to snorkelling with green sea turtles in nearby Akumal. Another highlight for visitors young and old is exploring one of the region’s cenotes. Thousands of these natural freshwater sinkholes are scattered across the Yucatán Peninsula, with hundreds around Playa del Carmen alone. Once believed to be sacred Maya portals to the underworld of Xibalba, they’re now popular spots for swimming, snorkelling and diving. 

Along the coast, Playa del Carmen offers just as much adventure. Paddleboard at sunset, try your hand at kitesurfing or parasailing, or head out with a local captain on a deep-sea fishing charter. Families can pack plenty into a day at Xcaret Park, from swimming through underground rivers and snorkelling alongside stingrays, to racing across the water on a speedboat and exploring the dedicated Children’s World.

Delve Into Local Culture

There’s far more to the Riviera Maya than sun and sand, with Playa del Carmen offering plenty of opportunities to experience the region’s culture. At Paradisus Playa del Carmen, guests can experience local traditions through workshops with artisans and private cooking classes.

The region’s Maya heritage runs deeper still: cenotes hold significant cultural importance, having long been associated with Chaac, the god of rain, while archaeological sites dot the landscape. Playa del Carmen has a handful of small Maya ruins, but it’s worth making the 50-minute drive to Tulum to see the only Maya city built on the coast. Its clifftop temple, El Castillo, teeters dramatically above the turquoise sea, while dozens of wild iguanas lounge on the ancient limestone walls.

Relax the Maya Way

The Maya practised wellness long before it became a buzzword, developing a holistic approach to healing that's still practised throughout the Yucatán. Today, the Riviera Maya offers an idyllic setting in which to slow down and reconnect with nature — something embraced at the YHI Spa at Paradisus Playa del Carmen.

Here, the resort’s ‘wellness designed by destination’ philosophy comes to life through treatments that blend ancient Maya heritage with modern spa rituals. Choose from body and facial therapies using Mexican honey, essential oils and local botanicals or unwind with a four-hand massage accompanied by pre-Hispanic music. Beyond the spa, the resort runs jungle yoga classes overlooking the clear waters of a cenote.