Playa del Carmen Beach

Address:Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

The vibrant and thriving Playa del Carmen beaches have rightfully earned the reputation of being some of the most alluring and appealing and have become one of the top vacation destination spots in the world. Locals as well as tourists enjoy spending time on sections of the smooth, sandy white beaches that stretch for several miles along the Riviera Maya.

The beach is divided in downtown Playa del Carmen by a pier where a ferry departs almost hourly to Cozumel Island. This is where the town's main beach is located and is often a place that groups and families will set up and spend the day swimming, frolicking in the water with children, playing a game of beach soccer and grilling up some delicious local seafood.

Head south from the downtown area to find Playacar Beach. While beaches in Mexico are public, this section of beach abuts the private and gated resort community of Playacar which makes entrance from the street side a bit difficult so it's best to enter from the beach side. Here, large houses as well as all-inclusive resorts line some of the widest stretches of beach. The further from the ferry pier you travel, the quieter and more secluded the beaches become making for some peaceful and tranquil beach going. The beach chairs typically found along Playacar Beach belong to the resorts or private homes and are not for public use. But visitors can bring their own and umbrellas and set up for the day on what many consider to be some of the quietest and most magnificent stretches of Playa del Carmen beach.

Head in the other direction, north away from the ferry pier and find beachfront condos and hotels interspersed with a variety of beach bars, restaurants and clubs. For those seeking a festive daytime atmosphere head to Mamitas Beach Club, the trendiest and most popular place in Playa del Carmen for the chic and sophisticated to see and be seen. Relax on one of the comfortable loungers or dance the day away in the nightclub like setting.

Further north from Mamitas Beach is Coco Beach home to Canibal Beach Club and a more peaceful atmosphere. Here visitors are apt to find less crowds, more locals and some of the best snorkeling spots around. There are multiple companies also set up all along the Playa del Carmen beaches offering opportunities for jet ski rides, para-sailing, paddle boarding, kite surfing lessons and scuba diving trips.

The island of Cozumel sits about six miles directly off shore of Playa del Carmen and typically serves as a barrier making the waters of Playa del Carmen calm and tranquil, perfect for swimming and a variety of water sports. But with an increasing number of visitors to the city of Playa del Carmen there is a continuing desire to keep the beaches safe. New lifeguard stations have recently been installed and there are frequent police patrols throughout the day. Resorts, homeowners and guests all work to keep the beaches clean and free from debris ensuring preservation of the environment and a pleasant beach experience for all.