PLAYA DEL CARMEN, once a simple Mexican fishing village, has mushroomed in the recent years with tourism - its streets are now packed with tourists from cruise liners, on the many all-inclusive packages and on day-trips from Cancún. This is now ranked as the fastest growing city in Latin America, having doubled in the past few years - the jewel of the Mayan Riviera as many refer to it.

This is also the closet ferry dock for visits to Cozumel Island.  There are many options of affordable lodging, varied restaurants, and aquatic activities.

Visitors here will encounter a rich style of bohemian, artistic and natural life, which is is typical of this culture.  Due to the increased tourism, prices have been forced up as a result and designer shops have started to move in.  From our visits and discussions with everyone, it is still lower key and on a much smaller scale than Cancún, and attracts a predominantly younger crowd. Most of what happens here happens on the beach, where the sea is extremely clear and the sand awesomely white.  Inland, the main center of activity is one block back on Av 5, which has been pedestrianized across five blocks from Playacar to C 6. Here, a multitude of dive shops offer diving and snorkeling trips and you can stock up on clothes, crafts and exquisite jewelry from all over Mexico and Guatemala - at a price, along with various shops to buy souvenirs and gifts.

We didn't get a chance to try out the water here but they say that the Caribbean reef off shore is the basis of Playa del Carmen's white sand beach. That you can arrange a Scuba diving or snorkeling trips any day of the week, any time of the year. For the snorkelers and divers, they say that Playa del Carmen's reef is home to some very beautiful tropical fish, including the edible species like mahi-mahi, snapper and lobster which are served fresh in Playa del Carmen's many international restaurants.

This is a year-round resort environment since the weather in Playa del Carmen is nice year round.  It never gets cold and the Caribbean is warm year round. You can fish, visit Mayan ruins, ride a horse on the beach or just relax in the sun anytime you want to visit.