First time to Mexico, Playa de Carmen - lots of questions

[Tamas]

Planning a trip, this march, to the Mayan Riviera - Playa de Carmen, Hotel Riu Lupita and wanted to get some input on the following please, from people that have been there or have good insight.


*dive operator in the area? does the hotel have one or do you know of any other that does pickup from the hotel
*what sort of dives? any wrecks?
*how far is the beach to the other hotels? which hotel has the best beaches?
*is there a gym at the hotel? (any of the other hotels?)
*how safe is the area in the evening/night? GF runs and wanted to know if she will be safe
*food at the hotel? any good "native" food (not McDonalds) around the hotel?
*excursions to the ruins? must do's? how/where to book?
*vaccinations required? Hepatitis?
*do's and don'ts?
*what is the local currency? what currency is most widely used?

Please provide as much info (and as detailed as you can) as we are Mexico virgins - dove in other parts of the Caribbean, Bonaire...etc just never been to Mexico.

 

[ednedfred]

Good questions, I'll be back in Playa for my 6th visit in February. I'll answer as much as I can:
1. I have always used Abyss Dive shop in Playa. Great shop whether you want to dive the ocean or cenotes. Here is their link: Playa del Carmen Diving with The Abyss Dive Center
2. Most of the diving is relatively shallow coral dives (90 - 110 feet max.). Coral is nice, however not nearly as nice as Cozumel (more later on that). Lots of good fish on most sites. Baracuda reef, Green Wall and Sabalos are a few of my favorites. There is a wreck in 90 feet of water, the Mama Vina'. It is a 60 foot wreck that's fun to experience once. Saw the largest baracuda that I have seen there in the back cabin. Make it a point to dive at least two cenotes when you are in the area. They are amazing.
3. If I remember correctly, you are about a mile from downtown. Most beaches are really nice along the area. I like the activities in front of the Blue parrot Hotel, good bar too.
4. Not sure if your hotel has a gym, however there are several in town for a daily fee. One is located a block from the Gran Porto. Not sure of the name.
5. Generally the area is safe. We take our kids down every year. Late night can be spotty depending upon where you find yourself.
6. Vaccinations required? None that I know of. We are current on hepatitis, however.
7. Peso, normally 10 to 1 U.S. dollar. Many cash stations all over Playa. I stay away from money exchangers in the airport.
8. Day trip - take the ferry over to Cozumel and dive with Blue Angel. There are two ferry's that run between Cozumel and Playa and a day trip is really fun and relatively inexpensive. Here is Blue Angel's site: blueangel-scuba.com

Also, this site is run my a family in Iowa (I think) and they sell maps with great fun stuff to do for either Playa or Cozumel. We buy a new one every year as restaurant reviews, etc. change. Here is that site: Mapchick.com home page

Have fun and i hope this helps a bit.

 

[cavew0man]

Planning a trip, this march, to the Mayan Riviera - Playa de Carmen, Hotel Riu Lupita and wanted to get some input on the following please, from people that have been there or have good insight.

Please provide as much info (and as detailed as you can) as we are Mexico virgins - dove in other parts of the Caribbean, Bonaire...etc just never been to Mexico.

Couple more comments/suggestions for you:

*dive operator in the area? does the hotel have one or do you know of any other that does pickup from the hotel
- I'm not familiar with if/who the dive op in the hotel is, but there many excellent independent shops in Playa, take a look through the Mexico forum and you'll get tons of recommendations. Your location in Playacar is basically right in town, even if you end up taking a taxi, it won't cost much.

*what sort of dives? any wrecks?
- Not to be missed, if your skills are up to it, is a cenote tour. There is also a wreck out of Puerto Morelos which I think is a little tougher but more interesting dive than Mama Vina.

*how safe is the area in the evening/night? GF runs and wanted to know if she will be safe
- pretty darn safe.

*food at the hotel? any good "native" food (not McDonalds) around the hotel?
- Don't know about the hotel, but again, you are in Playa del Carmen and there are loads of choices. A good forum to look for recommendations is Playa del Carmen, Mexico's Virtual Guide Book : Playa.Info Lots of local expat recommendations.

*excursions to the ruins? must do's? how/where to book?
- You can book excursions right at your hotel, although you might have some luck prebooking them online for cheaper. For ruins, Chichen Itza is, of course, the really well known one. It's a long day on a bus, the site is really groomed and commercialized, but it's good. My cousin paid about $100 US last week for the tour.
- The Tulum ruins are about an hour down the highway, smaller, and the only site in the area that is on the coast. Very nice.
- Coba is much closer than Chichen Itza, has the tallest pyramid in the area, and is still half covered in jungle, as it has only been partially excavated. Myself, I like it better than Chichen. Take bug spray.

*do's and don'ts?
- Don't walk down the middle of the road! Pedestrians do not have the right of way. I haven't run one over yet, but it's been close.... Oh, when you are leaving the Cancun airport, after you cleared customs and everything, the people trying to help you in the booths on either side are mostly trying to get you to a timeshare presentation.
If you want to use your Canadian cell phone while you're here, at least if you are on Telus or Rogers, call them before you leave to have the roaming activated.

*what is the local currency? what currency is most widely used?
- Local currency is the peso, about 13-14 pesos to the USD right now, 11-12 to the Canadian dollar. Yes, there are ATM's all over the place, and Scotiabank is actually one of the larger banks here.
US dollars are pretty commonly used on price lists for dive shops, and some (no finger pointing here!) will charge you a pretty outrageous exchange rate to pay in pesos. Adding a surcharge to pay with a credit card is common practice in all sorts of businesses.

Have fun.

 

[driftwood]

Planning a trip, this march, to the Mayan Riviera - Playa de Carmen, Hotel Riu Lupita and wanted to get some input on the following please, from people that have been there or have good insight.


*dive operator in the area? does the hotel have one or do you know of any other that does pickup from the hotel
*what sort of dives? any wrecks?
*how far is the beach to the other hotels? which hotel has the best beaches?
*is there a gym at the hotel? (any of the other hotels?)
*how safe is the area in the evening/night? GF runs and wanted to know if she will be safe
*food at the hotel? any good "native" food (not McDonalds) around the hotel?
*excursions to the ruins? must do's? how/where to book?
*vaccinations required? Hepatitis?
*do's and don'ts?
*what is the local currency? what currency is most widely used?

Please provide as much info (and as detailed as you can) as we are Mexico virgins - dove in other parts of the Caribbean, Bonaire...etc just never been to Mexico.

Hi Tamas,

You already got the best tips so far, Playa del Carmen, Mexico's Virtual Guide Book : Playa.Info. Also be sure to get the maps from Can-Do Travel Guides. They will be the best money you spend on your vacation. Same people as mapchick.

Riu Lupita is located in Playacar and is pretty much surrounded by the golf course. It is the only AI not on the beach in Playacar. The beaches are about a mile away and all are well maintained in Playacar. Riu has several hotels on the beach so you should have privileges there. Same applies for the gym. Ask the hotel when you get there.

Playa is safe unless you are incredibly stupid. Your GF should be fine running along the beach in Playacar. Personally, I would have her avoid a dark deserted stretch of beach (south of Playacar).

Playacar is AI intensive so no local eats for miles. Try El Fogon and HC Monterrey to eat with the locals (Ave 25 and Constituyentes).

Look at the tours offered by playainfo. They are a great way to get around and a fun way to spend the day. They use vans with around 12 people instead of a big bus. Do one early in your trip and ask the guide where to get local for good eats. Cave Woman gave you a pretty good list of Mayan sites and what to expect. I would add Ek Balam to the list. If you only see one, make it CI.

Since this is your first trip to Mexico, DO NOT rent a car. The rules of the road are different from where you drive. Also, if there is a problem, you as a visitor are at fault. Do take the time and enjoy 5th Avenue in Playa and just because you are staying in an AI don't feel like you have to eat there every meal. El Fogon and HC Monterrey have excellent food for less than 100p a plate and right across the street if the Mega (Mexican super grocery/department store). Spend a half hour there to see where the locals shop (and what they pay).

Local currency is the Pesos. It just took a pretty big drop against the US dollar and 13-14 Pesos to the dollar is about right. Don't yell at me for this one, I am just the messenger. If you convert Canadian dollars, you will get screwed. Convert to US dollars before you leave or use an ATM to get a decent exchange rate. When we were there in May, the Canadian Dollar was roughly on par with the US dollar. At the currency exchange booths, 20-30% less for the Canadian. You are in Mexico, so you will always get a better deal when you use Pesos and cash is still king in Mexico. Most small shops/restaurants don't take plastic, but that is changing.

Hope all this helps and be SURE to order the maps. They are pure gold.

 

[Tamas]

Awesome guys, thanks for all the suggestions/comment.....Please keep them coming

 

[Ed Hatfield]

Ed from London, Ontario. I'm looking for dive buddies for this March. Cavew0man is a relocated Canadian - if you check her other posts she knows the area pretty well. Can't go wrong with at least one cenote trip (GF a diver?), if not the day trip to Coz might not work out unless she doesn't mind being left behind on her own. I will be there the first two weeks of March - I'm sure Cavew0man would join us for a cenote dive if she's available. I'll PM you.

 

[psumike]

My favorite dive operation in the area is Dive Aventuras, they are south of Playa 15 minutes, but run a shuttle. They are friendly and safe. I've dove ocean and cenotes with them on 3 trips now.

Dive Aventuras Mexico scuba diving vacation packages Puerto Aventuras

Mike

 

[Tamas]

Ed from London, Ontario. I'm looking for dive buddies for this March. Cavew0man is a relocated Canadian - if you check her other posts she knows the area pretty well. Can't go wrong with at least one cenote trip (GF a diver?), if not the day trip to Coz might not work out unless she doesn't mind being left behind on her own. I will be there the first two weeks of March - I'm sure Cavew0man would join us for a cenote dive if she's available. I'll PM you.

Definitely looking to do a cenote dive or two - if for not the cave/cavern at least the gear will be clean

GF dives as well, so if diving in Coz is better then we shall do that.

 

[dive pro]

Highly recommend Playa Country Boy (jason on this forum) and Dennis Weeks (pez de diablo on this forum) best there is in the Mayan Riviera

 

[driftwood]

Riu Lupita is located in Playacar and is pretty much surrounded by the golf course. It is the only AI not on the beach in Playacar. The beaches are about a mile away and all are well maintained in Playacar. Riu has several hotels on the beach so you should have privileges there. Same applies for the gym. Ask the hotel when you get there.

Absolutely wrong, the Riu Tequila is also not beach front. Sorry, missed that one. We generally stay in PDC not Playacar.