Playa del Carmen is a popular tourist destination in Mexico's Riviera Maya region. Its current growth rate is set at 7.5% per year. According to Guinness World Records, it is one of Latin America's fastest-growing communities. In 2016, the city was the tenth most popular international travel destination for U.S. travelers, and more than one million tourists passed through the city a year later.[4][5] The main airport for Playa is the Cancún International Airport, which is around 70 kilometres (43 mi) away.
The area is known for its white sand beaches, blue turquoise waters, coral reefs, surrounding rainforests, and balnearios. The downtown area of the city revolves around Quinta Avenida, a busy pedestrian thoroughfare lined with many shops, clubs, and restaurants. The weather is hot year-round. The summer and winter breaks are peak season for tourism.[6]
Geography
Playa del Carmen is located within the Riviera Maya, which runs from south of Cancún to Tulum and the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve. Playa is a stop for several cruise ships which dock at the nearby Calica quarry docks, about six miles (10 km) south of the city. The Xcaret Eco Park, a Mexican-themed "eco-archaeological park", is just south of the town in Xcaret (pronounced "ish-kar-et").
Climate
In October 2005, Hurricane Wilma passed directly over Playa del Carmen, remaining in the vicinity for two days and causing significant damage and a temporary drop in tourist arrivals. Most of the damage was relatively superficial and repaired within a few weeks of the storm. Hurricane Wilma arrived from the Caribbean Sea, passing over Cozumel before making landfall in Playa del Carmen. It then moved north along the Mexican coast, hitting Cancún especially hard.
Playa del Carmen has a tropical savannah climate (Aw) with June to November receiving most of the precipitation. Summers are hot and year-round with warm nights.
Originally a small fishing town, tourism to Playa del Carmen began with the passenger ferry service to Cozumel, an island across the Cozumel Channel and a scuba diving destination.
Safety
Playa del Carmen is generally a safe travel destination in Mexico. The town is generally secure for most tourists, except for risks such as hurricanes, sunburns, and common tourist scams. "Numbeo" reports that both the Safety Index and Crime Index in Playa del Carmen are in the low-moderate range, with scores of 50.55 and 49.45, respectively.[9]
On January 21, 2022, a tourist opened fire at the Xcaret all-inclusive hotel, killing two Canadians and wounding one other.[10]
The World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba is a PGA TourFedEx Cup golf tournament that was held at El Camaleón Golf Club between 2007 and 2023. Since 2013, it has been a full-points tournament where the winner earns full rights for a PGA TOUR win.
In popular culture
Numerous TV series have been filmed and set in Playa del Carmen. The telenovelaPeregrina takes place in Playa del Carmen. The Canadian Real Housewives of Vancouver featured Playa del Carmen in two episodes. The US series The Amazing Race was shot on location in Playa del Carmen, and The Celebrity Mole was set in that area. The UK reality series Geordie Shore featured Playa del Carmen. In the American series Spies in Disguise, the Yakuza arms dealer named Katsu Kimura lays low in a hotel in Playa del Carmen.
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