Hitting the beach in Playa del Carmen...but is this Mexico or USA???

Groovy shops on Playa's seemingly endless pedestrian mall - Fifth Avenue.
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Arriving in Playa del Carmen is an interesting experience. On the one hand we were delighted to arrive at the beach after 2 months away from the coast. On the other, it felt like we had left Mexico far behind as the hordes of mostly American tourists filled the streets and the sands.

Playa del Carmen is a beautiful Carribean coastal strip and it has the buzziest pedestrian thoroughfare one block back from the beach called Fifth Avenue. (5 Norte). If you walk past the hotels and the ferry pier to Cozumel, you can find a quiet stretch of white sand with glorious turquoise water and no crowds. This was where we spent most of our three days here. Even in winter the water is so warm, the boys spent hours non stop playing and swimming in the water. Our little beach was right next to the very exclusive looking Fisherman's Beach Club, where guests lounged on lounge chairs and had beach service for meals and activities. Something off putting to our egalitarian Aussie ways, but at least in Mexico the beaches are not private - (although many of the hotels here make it virtually impossible to gain access unless you are a guest).

Playa del Carmen is a beautiful Carribean coastal strip and it has the buzziest pedestrian thoroughfare one block back from the beach called Fifth Avenue.

A windy morning at Playa del Carmen's main beach.
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We booked ourselves on a snorkelling trip out of Cozumel Island but after breakfasting on bananas and running to be at the pier at 7.40am, our snorkelling trip was cancelled as the winds were too rough and seas too choppy. It was still good at the beach though.

Eating in this town was very pricey, as was pretty much everything, so we improvised with chicken, cheese and baguettes in our room, bought from nearby Mega and Wal-Mart. The irony is that this Coastal area including Cancun, bills itself as a shopping destination and has tax free shopping for all. We worked out that despite no tax they were charging 2 to 3 times as much for Mexican handicrafts etc as you would have had to pay elsewhere, so although there were some gorgeous looking boutiques and shops, our money belts stayed firmly closed. Even a 5 litre bottle of water costs nearly double the cost of any where else we've beenin Mexico.  However, as most travellers to Cancun and Playa del Carmen do not go beyond the beach strip, this is their only chance to pick up on some cool Mexicana souveniers.

If we were to come here again we think it would be pretty cool to rent a beachside casa and hire some bikes to ride around on for the week, and lap up the atmosphere. You didn't need to dine at the expensive restaurants. There is a good vibe here despite the Americanisation and the water and beach is very nice.