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Where to goLa Quinta AvenidaLa Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue), is the city's main tourist artery and is filled with small sidewalk cafes, restaurants, and bars.  | | Quinta Avenida |
The live music coming from the open air restaurants often causes people to stop to listen, and the smells of delicious foods will make you hungry.
Aviary or aviarioLocated in the Playacar complex, the aviary houses different species of birds including sparrows, ducks, toucans, pelicans, flamingos, and other exotic birds from the Riviera Maya. There is an entrance fee of $60 pesos ($6 USD), which is used to feed the birds and to maintain the aviary. Most of the birds are free to roam except for some endangered species. They are housed in an enormous cage where the birds have the ability to fly. Local birds also stop in for some free fresh fruits. Due to its lack of publicity, many people leave Playa del Carmen without knowing this gem exists.
Archaeological sitesPlaya del Carmen is home to two small ruins located inside the Playacar complex near the beach. To get there, walk by the beach, south of the ferry dock, and pass the Continental Hotel. Just past the hotel, turn toward land and they are right there. There is no entrance fee
Museo Mexicano | | Museo Mexicano |
The Museo Mexicano is the first museum in Playa del Carmen. It first opened its doors on March 25, 2003. The museum offers visitors the chance to gain a better appreciation of the customs, traditions, and lifestyles of the Mexican people from the Yucatan Peninsula and elsewhere in Mexico.
The majority of the museum inhabits a single, large room filled with exhibits from different periods of Mexican culture. As you enter, you are first presented with the three green crosses the Mayan’s called “Las Tres Cruces de San Juan Chamula” (The Three Crosses from San Juan Chamula). The village of San Juan Chamula is located in the state of Chiapas and is still inhabited by the native Mexicans whose descendents first wore the crosses as charms for protection. The crosses represent life, death, and the heavens.
Of special note is the Altar del Dia de Muertos (The Altar of all Dead People), which Mexicans traditionally display only on the 1st and 2nd of November. The altar is used to welcome spirits of loved ones who are now dead. Food, water, flowers and candles are placed on the altar as offerings to help make the spirits’ long journey to our world easier.
There is also a separate room with a scale model of a capilla (chapel) from La Iglesia de San Juan Chamula (The Church of San Juan Chamula). The Indians who built the church fused their beliefs with those of Catholicism. Worshipers saw Jesus as the sun, and Mary as the moon. The traditional music and the smell of incense make the experience even warmer and more calming.
The museum also has exhibits dedicated to children and national heroes, masks used in rituals and celebrations from all around Mexico, coin collections, plants used by shamans to heal people, fruits and grains native to Mexico, copies of some archaeological pieces, and more.
The Museo Mexicano is open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Saturday and 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Sundays. The owner, Alfonso Rocha Cortez, offers guided tours in Spanish, English, French or Italian. There is an entrance fee of $60 pesos (US$6) for adults. Children under 12 are free. The museum is located in the heart of Playa del Carmen on Calle 6 by Avenida 25, just four blocks from the beach.
BeachesThere really isn't a specific spot to pick, since every single foot of beach in this town is beautiful. If you want something less crowded, however, just walk any direction until you find it. From the ferry dock, try heading north and walk around 1km (1/2 mile) from some less crowded spots. For some other nice beaches you can take a 20 or 30 minutes drive south to Akumal, Xcacel and many others. See the "Riviera Maya" section for more details.
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