Playacar: An Overview

Just south of Playa del Carmen, off Highway 307, at km 285, the large-scale, gated resort community of Playacar surrounds the ancient Mayan ruins of Xaman-Ha and is comprised of resort hotels, condos, private residences, shopping plazas, restaurants, a golf course, activities centers, and one of the most pristine stretches of beach in the whole Riviera Maya.

The creation of Playacar was the single most important event in the development of large-scale tourism in the Riviera Maya. Before that, travelers were content with small locally owned hotels, relatively few services, and European plan (no meals included) rates. Aside from a few standouts, accommodations were generally simple affairs, with basic amenities and very few luxuries but a strong feeling of tradition and harmony with the surroundings. Strict density restrictions in Playa del Carmen made the town less than ideal for large resort development, which had allowed the town to grow slowly and organically, unlike the rampant development seen in Cancún.

In the early 1990s, though, things started to change. Mexico’s real estate conglomerate Grupo Situr purchased a huge plot of barren beachfront land just south of Avenida Juárez and christened it Playacar, a term deemed more marketable and English-friendly than the name of the town itself. Since it was out of the jurisdiction of the development restrictions, the Riviera Maya had its first opportunity to build international-class hotels, which needed a larger scale and higher volume of guests to turn a profit.

Today, there are more than a dozen large resorts owned by international corporations and averaging some three hundred rooms each. Unlike the small inns and guest houses of a few years ago, these resorts offer a vast array of services and luxuries, including imported linens, efficient air-conditioning, abundant hot water, water-sports centers, on-site scuba training, dry-cleaning service, Jacuzzi tubs, tennis courts, swimming pools, and kids’ clubs. Most are operated as all-inclusives, where guests pay one price that includes accommodations plus all meals, drinks, and activities. Many hotels have on-site gourmet restaurants, multiple bars, and even amphitheaters and nightclubs.

The area has become a playground for tourists from the United States, Canada, and Europe. It is an extremely popular wedding and honeymoon destination, and the resorts are quite adept at catering to vacationing couples with welcome amenities (fruit baskets, chilled champagne, flowers), special dinner reservations, and couples’ spa treatments. Other common Playacar visitors are families and budget travelers with flexible schedules, who compare prices weekly, waiting for a bargain. Frequently, these travelers will choose their resort based on what special offers are available and tend to be less loyal to the brands or specific hotel properties. Others have had a good experience at one of the resorts and become avid ambassadors for it, claiming that its services and amenities are unbeatable. These travelers wouldn’t dream of staying anywhere else and pride themselves on returning year after year, sometimes bringing gifts for their favorite bartenders and waiters.

The main road through the complex, Xaman-Ha Avenue, is made of cobblestone and is lined with manicured tropical plants and an occasional actual Mayan ruin, lending a timeless quality to the otherwise modern resort community. The road parallels the beachfront and splits Playacar into two sides. Phase I, along the water, features a nearly solid line of hotels, though they are mostly low-rise buildings of two and three stories surrounded by tropical vegetation, so the area does not feel overdeveloped or crowded. Phase II, on the other side of the avenue, includes the golf course, hundreds of vacation villas and private homes, and several hotels that are not directly on the beach. These hotels shuttle guests to a beach club, so even though their rooms don’t front the beach, their guests are still able to have a beach vacation. Craft stores, restaurants, bars, and tour agencies are housed in various shopping plazas along Xaman-Ha and at Plaza Marina, near the ferry dock. Mosts guests, however, either take their meals on-site at their all-inclusive resorts or venture into the neighboring town of Playa del Carmen to experience the abundant dining options offered along Quinta Avenida and throughout town. Shopping, nightlife, and other tourist attractions can be found in Playa as well.

During the day, the beach bustles with activity. Some guests stroll along the water, play volleyball, sail, kayak, windsurf, swim, Jet Ski, and enjoy the plethora of activities while others seek respite in a lounge chair or hammock and read and snooze to the warm breezes. To the north of Playacar is the town of Playa del Carmen, reachable by bicycle (loaners available at most hotels) or a short taxi ride. To the south is a mile-long stretch of deserted beach decorated with massive boulders, which starts at the Gala Resort and ends at the Xcaret resort and ecopark.

Guests at Playacar resorts can spend an entire week without leaving the complex and have all their needs and whims catered to. Others, however, like to visit Playa del Carmen in the evening to go shopping, stroll the tourist plazas, try some local foods, and enjoy the nightlife.

More:
Playacar & Riviera Maya Hotels
Airport Transportation
Tours & Activities