Where is Playa del Carmen?
45 minutes drive time south of the Cancun airport on Mexico’s Caribbean coast known as the Maya Riviera.
Which airport do we fly into?
Cancun is the easiest, airport code CUN.
When is the best time to vacation in Playa?
Playa del Carmen is now a year-round destination.
The busiest months are December through April.
June, July, and August have become popular months, almost a mini-high season now.
May, September, October, and November are the slowest months but also growing in popularity. November is our personal favorite month.
When is the rainy season?
June through November, usually consisting of short, afternoon showers.
There is a risk of tropical storms/hurricanes during these months.
Isn’t summer hot?
Summer is hot with average high temperatures of 90º F, but not any hotter than Florida in the summer. Air-conditioning is becoming more prevalent.
Are most vacation homes located on the beach?
Most homes are located 1 to 4 short blocks to the beach.
Only a few beachfront homes are available for vacation rental.
How far in advance should we make reservations?
For Christmas, New Year’s, January, February, and March,
we recommend 10 to 12 months in advance.
For May through August, we recommend 6 months in advance.
For September through November, we recommend 1-4 months in advance.
Does Playa del Carmen have a good selection of restaurants?
100's of restaurants are located in about an 200 square block area offering about 15 different cuisines ranging from real Mexican to Thai.
A lot of restaurants offer sidewalk dining along Playa’s famed pedestrian-only Fifth Avenue.
Grocery Stores?
Walmart, Sam's Club, Chedraui and several others plus the local version
of convenient stores are easily accessible. You will need a taxi or rental car
to conveniently going to WalMart or one of the other large groceries.
Can we drink the local tap water?
No, because of high mineral content. Most homes and condos provide bottled, purified water
as part of the rental. Some of the newer condo-hotel properties have purification systems.
Restaurants prepare both food and ice with purified water.
Are there a lot of things to do?
More than you could ever do in one lifetime, from watersports to ecology parks to Mayan ruins to shopping to colonial cities.
What if we do not speak Spanish?
Don’t worry about it. Most natives in the travel industry speak English and other languages.
If you get to an area where people do not speak English, well that’s just part of the fun. The locals are friendly and helpful.
Is Playa del Carmen safe?
Yes, Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya are safe. Playa del Carmen has both
regular police and tourist police whose job is to assist tourists. As with just about
anywhere, don't go looking for trouble (such as buying illegal drugs), and use common
sense: lock the doors and windows when you leave your condo or villa, lock valuables
in the trunk of your rental car when you park somewhere, don't leave valuables on
un-guarded your dining table, try to stay reasonable sober, observe the traffic laws
including speeding,
and don't flash cash and jewelry.
Should we exchange dollars for pesos?
We recommend that you exchange dollars for pesos in town. It is much easier to look at a price in pesos and pay in pesos than trying to do the mental exchange calculations on the spot. There are plenty of exchange windows. Some of the tourist attractions only take pesos.
Do we need a rental car?
You do not need a rental car in Playa del Carmen and there are good tour operators you can
use for day trips. However, we personally always rent a car for the independence to
sight see outside of Playa and for grocery shopping.
We can arrange transportation to and from the Cancun airport. Taxis are also available, just confirm the rate before getting in.
Are your property listings paid advertisements?
No. We have specifically selected and inspected each property.
We meet with the property managers several times a year and speak with them weekly.
What should I expect when I rent a villa or condo?
Each home or condo will be clean, well-maintained, and well furnished, but
overall quality does range from moderate to deluxe.
Each home or condo is individually furnished by the owner so furnishings vary.
Each home has a well-furnished kitchen, towels and linens are included, and maid service is
provided either 3 or 6 days per week depending upon the property.
