Happy Friday y’all or should I say Wednesday for me as I type this on the plane ride home from Mexico. It’s going to be a rough two days headed back to work after nearly a week of vacation, but at least I was able to spend the last five-or so days on the beach relaxing in Mexico. I’ve had a ton of questions about my trip asking where we go in Mexico, where we stay, what to do, etc. so I figured I’d round everything up in one place for y’all!
First up, I’ll start by saying we’ve been going to Riviera Maya/Playa Del Carmen since I was in about the eighth grade. We used to stay at an all inclusive resort about 30 minutes from Playa Del Carmen called Iberostar. Iberostar was great when we were younger because it has tons of pools and restaurants, a lazy river, wave pool, beach access, just about everything. You have so much to do that you don’t need to leave the resort! Once I started to get older, we realized that the town of Playa Del Carmen was growing insanely fast, there were a ton of cool bars popping up and my dad found Playacar Palace, the resort we’ve been going to for the last eight years.
Before we get into the details of everything you should do, see, eat, etc. in Playa, let’s go over a few of the outfits I shared on my Instagram page over the last week from this trip! All details for each outfit are linked below the photos.
Since Playa Del Carmen is about 45 minutes south of Cancun, we fly into the Cancun airport and use Cancun Transfers car service to head to Playa Del Carmen. Fun fact: We’ve been using Cancun Transfers and have always had our pal Leo, so now we request him every single time. He’s the best and remembers everything about our family! One year his baby girl was born while he was taking us to the airport! Now that Southwest Airlines flies to Cancun, we typically fly Southwest down there. It’s quick, easy, and we can use our points! The Cancun Airport is opening up more terminals, so I’m sure everything will fly there soon if it doesn’t already.
As I previously mentioned, we’ve been staying at Playacar Palace for over eight years now. We started coming with friends of mine for spring break when I was in high school, and have had many family trips to Playacar. We now have been going for Christmas for the last three years and it’s wonderful. Playacar is a Palace Resort (hence the name – Playacar Palace), and it’s an all-inclusive resort meaning that your food, beverage, alcohol, etc. are all included in pricing. It’s a smaller resort with beach access, a large pool (with separated kiddie area), full service spa, gym, swim up bar, five different restaurants, three bars and a lounge. The rooms are all fairly large with glass showers, and jacuzzi style bathtubs in the room. One of the biggest perks of staying at Playacar Palace is that they give your resort credits per room for different activities. With resort credits, you can do things like golf, visit the spa (these are typically capped at a certain amount), deep sea fish, swim with dolphins, or head to a destination excursion like Xel Ha or a waterpark. I typically use credits on spa services and nicer wine at dinner.
We’ve become friends with most of the staff over the years, and love how everyone gets to know families that are staying at the hotel so quickly. Whether you’re laying on the pool or the beach, the service is pristine and you’ll always have a cocktail in your hand. Another big perk is the food and alcohol at the hotel. They have top-shelf liquor, avoiding that vacation-induced hangover (somewhat), and the food is amazing. My favorite thing is their breakfast buffet, and I always forget how much I love starting my morning with honey baked ham, grilled pineapple, and roasted zucchini! Now I’ll go over some pros/cons of the resort:
Resort Pros:
-The service is great, and you really get to know the staff at the resort
-The food is amazing, I definitely recommend the Hibachi and Italian restaurants
-They provide entertainment every night at 9:00PM from Michael Jackson impersonator shows, to mariachi bands
-They have entertainment staff at the pool all day doing activities like water cycling and water aerobics. Never a dull moment!
-Top shelf liquor that’s included
-Large rooms
-Resort credits for activities like wine tasting, golfing, spa services, etc.
-Close proximity to 5th Avenue so you can still go out to the town at night
-24 hour room service
Resort Cons:
-They’re currently touching up some things around the hotel after they shut down for construction last fall, so it’s noisy at times
-The Jacuzzi tub is in the middle of the room wide open, and I typically share a room with my brother so ours usually goes untouched
-Lacking in the nightlife department; there are times where the lounge has a ton of people depending on the season, but for the most part it’s not really a “club/bar” atmosphere
All in all I love Playacar Palace! My family is members of Palace Resorts, and I would love to venture to more of the resorts they’re opening in other places.
–Plank: Easily our favorite restaurant once we leave the hotel, this upscale restaurant is surely a treat. It offers yummy entrees like Beef Wellington cooked to perfection, Seared Tuna and Seafood Stew. It’s a little off the beaten path, down a cross street, but it’s the prettiest outdoor restaurant with fine cocktails.
–Sonora Grill Prime: A new restaurant we tried this time for my brother’s 26th birthday and one we will surely be back to, this upscale steakhouse offers a wide range and cuts of meat that they serve on a cast iron tray sizzling hot. They also offer free strawberry sorbet after your meal!
–Taco el Fogon: One small joint we discovered during a walking food tour, this taqueria has easily the BEST tacos you’ll ever have. It’s a casual environment, perfect for an after-beach snack.
–Don Sirloin: Taco el Fogon’s competition, it’s a casual taqueria that’s just as yummy and perfect for the afternoon! Pro tip: try both in one day and pick your favorite 😉
–Mi Pueblo A Mexican joint we went to a few years back that has classic food and good drinks. It’s in a small hotel that has the prettiest/most colorful decor downstairs!
–Di Vino: We came across Di Vino on Christmas Eve a few years back and I just loved it. It’s great Italian food and has a super nice bar. Definitely recommend!
–The Dirty Martini Lounge: A classic go-to for the Adam Family, this hotel bar features what it’s named – amazing Dirty Martinis. Sometimes when we go they’ll have karaoke, it’s just a fun time where it’s one martini, two martini, three martini, floor!
–The Thompson Hotel Pool Bar: This gorgeous boutique hotel has the nicest pool bar that you can just walk up to from the beach. It’s a little pricier than most smaller bars, but it’s a great environment to just sit at and look at the blue water.
–Pez Vela: Again, one of our fam-favorites, this bar has swings at the bar so we call it the “swing bar.” It’s a great place to stop at when you’re walking down 5th Avenue and grab a roadie (beverage in a plastic cup to-go).
–La Bodeguita Del Medio: Down on the other end of 5th Avenue is this classic Cuban bar that offers the best mojitos and live music at night where everyone shows up to dance. It’s SO fun and a great people-watching spot.
–Coco Bongo If you’re younger (or like my Dad and young at heart) this is definitely the place to be. Coco Bongo is a pretty wild club that features impersonation shows from different movies, shows, music videos, etc. I’ll admit, the best way to do Coco Bongo is the pricier VIP option where you have bottle service, don’t have to get up, have a front row seat for the show and experience it a different way. My dad and I have only shut the place down once, but it’s such a great time.
–Get a beach massage! Usually, if you walk down the beach you’ll find all of these little huts where massages are only $18(!!!!!) for an hour! My mom and I got two this trip, and then go and grab a beer at a beach bar after. So relaxing!
–Shopping! Playa has a ton of shopping. They have an actual mall now, but my favorite is going into the flea markets and getting trinkets. This time my mom and I got cute straw purses and these embroidered initial tassels.
–Food Tours! We did a walking food tour that wasn’t amazing back at Christmas, but the concept is definitely a fun idea! It’s a great way to find local spots and great food.
–Take a ferry to Cozumel! Right next to Playacar they have a ferry dock running ferries to Cozumel every 30 minutes. It’s a great way to see another island.
If you’re heading in the summertime you should know it’s hot as Hades. While most of our days were spent by the pool and in swimsuits, it really is hard to look cute because you will sweat! Think lightweight items with breathable fabric. You’ll most likely want some kind o that to shield your face because that’s always the first thing to burn on me! Fifth Avenue has cobble stone streets, so in reality wedges/heels aren’t ideal if you plan on doing a ton of walking. Even the nice restaurants we’ve been to aren’t super dressy, so you can get away with sundresses, skirts, etc. It’s best for men to pack a pair of slacks, just in case, especially since one of the resort restaurants has a dress code!
If you head there during the winter months, you’ll want a lightweight cardigan or jacket because it gets super windy! You can get away with long sleeved maxi dresses and tops then. Shop what I packed for my recent trip below, or you can read my full packing post HERE.
So there you have it! A go-to guide for your trip to Playa Del Carmen from someone who has been over 8 times! If you have any questions, feel free to email me as well. Do you have any fun spots you’ve been to in Playa? If so, I’d love to hear about them! Have a great day and thanks for reading!