Recently, I went to Playa Del Carmen, MX. Although the area is popular for their all inclusive resorts, we opted for a condo since we knew we wouldn’t spend much time in our room or at a resort. We stayed 1 block from the ever popular and touristy 5th Avenue and 1 block from the beach. The location was great except a few fishing boats were docked at the beach which gave off an undesirable fishy smell.
The week was filled with numerous outdoor activities from playing at Xcaret to visiting Chichen Itza. Xcaret is basically an amusement park for all ages, but since we have nothing like it in the US, we thought we’d give it a try. I had a great time exploring the nature and culture the park had to offer. Swimming in the underground river and with dolphins was a first for me. Although swimming with the dolphins was a unique experience, I wouldn’t recommend doing it at Xcaret. First, they don’t allow any cameras in there. Second, buying the pictures and video for $240 usd is pretty much highway robbery. I would've loved to commemorate my swim, but opted for a wood sculpture of dolphins instead. The free Mayan show in the evening is a musical journey through Mexico’s culture. We paid for the dinner which was an additional $55 usd which included food and all you can drink. The food was a less than desired, but we had a great seat for the show. If you purchase your tickets online for Xcaret 7 days in advance, you can save some money. I would opt out of the transportation unless you are staying far far away. If you purchase the transportation, you could wind up sitting on the bus for an hour and then get shifted from bus to bus before arriving at Xcaret.
On the spur of the moment, we decided to climb Coba since it was the closest ruin we could climb; who doesn’t want to climb an ancient ruin? Coba means ‘waters stirred by the wind.’ Coba is still largely unexcavated. I hope in the near future more of Coba is open to the public as I would love to return and explore some more. Coba consists of shaded dirt roads that wind into settlements that include ball courts and the infamous Nohoch Mul pyramid which is the highest pyramid in the Yucatan peninsula. I highly recommend renting a bike verse walking since it is long walk to Nohoch Mul and then it’s 120 steps to the top!
From Coba, we drove to Akumal Bay which was a cleaner bigger beach than by my condo. We had high hopes of snorkeling with the sea turtles which Akumal Bay is known for, but unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate that day.
The next day we left early for Chichen Itza to beat all the tour operators and the afternoon heat. It is approximately 1½ hours from Playa Del Carmen if you take the toll road. Once there, we hired a private guide. He gave us an in depth history of the Mayan ruin. If you go there without a lot of knowledge of El Castillo and the ancient city, then spend the extra money on a guide. The towering El Castillo pyramid is filled with symbolism from ts’ four sides contain 365 steps (1 for each day in a year) to the 52 panels (for each week in a year.) Inside, El Castillo is an another temple, but I was told only presidents can enter. It’s hard to imagine the civilization was built over 1000 years ago and all the knowledge the Mayans had!
The third ruins we visited were the Tulum ruins which was my favorite. The ruins were more reminiscent of the Roman Forum than Coba and Chichen Itza. Tulum differs by all other Mayan ruins because it stands majestically on a bluff facing the Caribbean Sea. Tulum has a number of interesting structures with the Castillo as the most prominent structure perched atop a cliff. The view a top is spectacular! Plus, there’s a beach with stunning green-turquoise waters so after you explore the ruins, go down the beach; you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
My favorite activity was swimming in a cenote. There are over 6000 cenotes in the Yucatan. Cenotes are sinkholes that form when the roof of a cavern collapses. Mayans believed these formations were entrances to the underworld. In these hidden locations, you can swim in mineral-rich waters in enchanting underground caves that basically transport you to a serene place in time. We snorkeled through the crisp clear waters in underground caverns with stalactites, stalagmites, fish and a few bats; it truly was magical!