Playa del Carmen, here I come!

[raina79]

So I finally did it! I booked my flight to PDC. I am heading there for 10 days - March 9th through 19th. YAY!!

I have searched the forum for dive reco's, and there seems to be alot of great things said about Diablo Divers. I have contacted them, and am awaiting a response. Does anybody have any other recommendations? I am interested in outfits that DO NOT run "cattle boats"! This is important to me.

I would like to do a combonation of reef dives, cenote dives, and possibly a day trip to Cozumel. Does anyone have any ideas of how I would best go about this day trip?? Stick with a PDC dive outfit, or head over on the ferry and dive with someone there?

Also, most importantly, I could really use some advice on where to stay.....I see many cute little hotels, but I am wary of choosing just anything. It would be nice to hear good experiences from others. We are looking for a small cute hotel, near the beach and 5th Ave, price range $50-$100 US a night (preferably somewhere in the middle of that!).

Any advice or recommendation you can give me would be muchly appreciated! I've been reading everybody's trip reports for the last year and I'm so excited I finally get to go myself!

Thanks!

 

[bikefox]

Tank-Ha and the Maya Bric hotel offer some good deals that give you everything you listed. Great location and good dive op. It was a great setup and very convenient. One warning however, the hotel is very simple. It has a great location and is very clean, but it is certainly not a resort. No TV, phone or alarm clock. Just a couple of beds, a lamp, and a bathroom. The grounds are well kept with a small pool and restraunt. Tank Ha runs a good operation. They limit their boats to 8 divers and visit a variety of locations. I would use them again.

 

[raina79]

Oh, and I forgot to say I will be travelling with a non-diver, so staying somewhere that is not all dive-oriented would be nice.

We don't mind simple....though afew amentities would be nice.

 

[wedivebc]

I am heading there in 3 weeks. We will stay at Mom's Hotel and dive with Protec. This is my second trip with them. The dive shop is connected to the hotel and it is a 1st rate operation.

 

[divingjd]

Tank Ha is a good operation. I would second the recommendation for them. Abyss is pretty good too. You really won't find any "cattle boats" in PDC - they are all small boats. For just a little more than $100 a night, you can get a standard room at a very nice little hotel just a block off Quinta Avenida: Hotel la Tortuga. We stayed there last January and it was great.

 

[Spratman]

You cannot go wrong with Dennis at Diablo Divers. Probably doesn't hurt that he's Canadian either . He can set up your dive schedule for other than cenotes and you just HAVE to dive those!

Happy diving!

 

[joeabroad]

I second the recommendation of Abyss--small, personable, professonial. Even better, they now own a small hotel, the Hotel Casablanca on 1st Ave right off the beach, and have relocated there. Have a look - www.abyssdiveshop.com. They're also Canadian, by the way.

 

[yak]

Check out Playa Maya or Hotel Fusion, both small inexpensive hotels on the beach in PDC.

+1 for Dennis.

 

[coach87]

Thanks for the good gouge!!! I am heading to Playa in March and will stay at Tortuga.

Just tagging along on this tread.

Coach

 

[Chocoholic]

Try Tripadvisor.com they have all kinds of info RE: hotels - location, price, amenities, and local area details. Have fun.