What Playa del Carmen is
An hour south of the airport, and the answer for a lot of people who assume Cancun is their only option. Smaller, walkable, and built around a single pedestrian street rather than a strip of resorts.
Fifth Avenue, and what is either side of it
Quinta Avenida runs parallel to the beach for several kilometres and is pedestrian for most of its length. It is the spine of the town: restaurants, bars, shops, and a constant flow of people.
- The middle stretch, around Calle 12, is the busiest and loudest.
- North, past Calle 30, gets calmer and the restaurants get better and cheaper.
- South, towards the ferry, is where the town does business.
- The beach is one block east of Fifth almost everywhere, which is what makes this town work without a car.
The trade-off against Cancun is straightforward: less beach frontage, far more town. If you want to walk out of your hotel and be somewhere, this is the one.
Using it as a base
Playa sits in the middle of the Riviera Maya, which makes it a better base than Cancun for anyone planning to move around.
| From Playa del Carmen to | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cozumel | 35 min | Ferry from the town pier. |
| Tulum | 50 min | Ruins, cenotes and the beach road. |
| Akumal | 25 min | Turtles in the bay, best early morning. |
| Puerto Morelos | 25 min | Quieter, with cenotes inland. |
| Chichén Itzá | 2 h 30 | A long day trip, but doable. |
| Cancun airport | 50–60 min | Direct on Highway 307. |
Eating and drinking
- The further north on Fifth you walk, the better the value gets. The first few blocks from the ferry are the most touristy.
- Go one or two streets inland from Fifth for where people who live here eat. Avenida 10 and 15 have proper taquerías at a third of the price.
- Cochinita pibil, sopa de lima and panuchos are Yucatecan and worth seeking out.
- Fish and ceviche are the obvious call, but check that the place is busy — that is the only quality test that works everywhere.
As on every page here, we take no commission from any restaurant or hotel. The only thing sold on this site is the airport transfer.
Getting there from the airport
This is the one route where the ADO bus is genuinely competitive, because it goes to the middle of town rather than a station on the outskirts.
- ADO bus — around $36 USD per person, 1 h 15, straight to the downtown terminal near Fifth Avenue. Excellent solo, expensive for four. Routes and times.
- Private transfer — flat price per vehicle, door to door, driver waiting. The maths flips in its favour from about two people upwards.
- Taxi — possible, and the most expensive of the three for this distance. What it costs.
- Hire car — makes sense if you plan to explore. Read the insurance rule first.
One hour from the terminal to Fifth Avenue
Flat price per vehicle, door to door, with the flight tracked so a delay does not cost you the ride.
From $35 USD one way