RE: Playa Del Carmen Vs Cancun 1st February Advices
This won't be a very comprehensive report but I will go over some stuff I learned from my 4 days in Playa del Carmen. I was there about 2 weeks ago.
The current USD/MXN exchange rate is 18.48 and it has fluctuated around that number in recent weeks. Mexico is also a very cheap country for anyone coming from somewhere like the US or western Europe.
Housing
Most of the action in Playa del Carmen is on Avenida 5a between Benito Juárez and Calle 34 North. Anything close enough to that area should be fine, and there are many AirBnB options. However, if traveling solo, I would strongly recommend finding a good hostel unless you're very outgoing. Otherwise, it can be hard to meet people and it's actually really easy to get bored in the city after a while. If I were to do anything differently, it would have been to look harder for well-located hostels with single rooms. Some hostels that I saw were Hostel 3B and Hostel MX, but I'm sure there are many others with good location, common areas, and activities for the guests.
It shouldn't be hard to find anything, AirBnB or a hostel, for under 50 USD a night if booked in advance.
Transportation
If you're going to Playa del Carmen, you'll likely be coming from the airport in Cancún. ADO bus has a direct route to Playa del Carmen for 1910 MXN (about 10 USD) one way. The bus drops off at the station at Benito Juárez and Avenida 5a. It's also possible to take a taxi from the airport which apparently runs 500 MXN (about $27 USD). Without stops, it's about a 50-60 minute ride from the airport with either choice.
There are plenty of taxis in Playa del Carmen, but you'll be overpaying if you get them from the sitios or bus station. Simply walk over Avenida 10a and hail a taxi to save pesos. Doing this I paid 50 MXN as compared to 100 MXN from one of the sitios.
Food
At most of the good-looking restaurants on Avenida 5a, you'll be paying American prices. However, there are restaurants on the side streets and really all over Playa del Carmen. It's not hard to find cheap food in this city. And like many other places in Mexico, it's possible to eat well and not feel broke at the end of a meal.
Safety
This is an interesting topic because of the events that have happened the past 2 years. In 2017, there was a shooting at Blue Parrot and just recently there was an explosion on one of the ferries that go to Cozumel. In fact, just before I left for Playa del Carmen, the US State department issued a warning for American travelers.
That being said, I didn't feel threatened anywhere I went and there is a massive police presence around the city. On Avenida 5a, there will always be guys offering drugs, massages, and other stuff for sale, but you can ignore them and you won't have an issue. Just don't get angry or anything and you'll be fine. Be alert and aware of your surroundings as you would be anywhere else.
Tourism
The city has seen a larger inflow of tourists in recent years. It's not on the same level as Cancún but the area is quite busy and has a range of lodgings from hostels to high-end hotels near the beach. Many of the tourists are Europeans, Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, Argentinians and other South Americans, so there's quite a bit of diversity.
The age range is also quite diverse. There’s a mix of both younger and older people as well as people with or without families. From mid-morning to well into the nighttime, there is foot traffic on Avenida 5a.
Girls
I don’t recall seeing too many stunners but there were a nice mix of people with different looks. The majority were hispanic and white but I did see the rare black girl or Asian girl. Most bangable girls ranged from 5-8 I would say.
Online game
I had limited success with this and other people have mentioned that it didn’t work so well for them in the city. It’s definitely not something I would count on here.
Daygame
If you’re one of those people who like to do approaches in crowded areas, then you’ll like Avenida 5a. However, keep in mind that many of the girls that walk by also get approached and catcalled by all the salespeople and drug dealers that hover around the pedestrian strip. Playa Mamitas had a lot of people every day I was there so some beach game is possible, but the best way I found to meet people during the day was through one activity.
Volleyball
There are three volleyball nets on the part of the beach at the end of Avenida Constituyentes. I played at one of these sites during the afternoon and almost always met some cool people. And not infrequently there would be girls who would show up. They ranged in attractiveness, but I found this to be the best way to meet girls during the day and then spin it into a meet up later. I strongly recommend this for people who are less outgoing or traveling solo. It’s a perfect environment for socializing.
Nightgame
So here’s the deal with night game. There are two main areas to go out and it's possible to go out every night although more activity will be present on the weekends. The latest closing time is 4 AM.
If you want go to excessively loud clubs with throngs of people (mainly tourists), then all the places you want to go—La Vaquita, Mandala, Abolengo—will be in the vicinity of the intersection of Calle 12 Norte and Avenida 1a. The only clubs not at the intersection are Palazzo and Coco Bongo. Coco Bongo has a 55 USD cover but the other places will typically charge between 200-500 MXN depending on the time of the night. It’s best not to go to these places alone and go with girls since the doors are a little restrictive. As usual, dress well and you’ll stand out, although I don’t find these clubs to be very good for getting girls since they’re crowded and it’s impossible to hear anything.
Some bars can be found on Calle 10 Norte between Avenida 5a and Avenida 15a. Most of these places are populated by locals but aren’t very spectacular overall. L’Ambassade was decent but the talent (as was usually the case) wasn’t anything home to write home about. Actually, the bar scene is this city flat out sucks come to think of it.
One place I will mention is Dirty Martini, which is awkwardly located near all the loud bars on Calle 12 Norte. It’s not a good place to meet any girls but it’s a good place to bring a girl you’ve already met or just meet some locals and expats that are in the area. The staff was also really nice and I enjoyed talking to them whenever I was there.
Overall, I’d say night game in Playa del Carmen is nothing special and I wouldn’t expect much.
Verdict
If I were to go to Playa del Carmen again, I wouldn’t spend more than 2 nights and I would definitely stay in a hostel unless I were with a group of guys. The place gets boring real quick and it can actually be tough to build solid interactions with people who are in constant vacation mode. I heard good things about Tulum but I never saw the town itself and only went into the area to see the ruins (well worth the visit). This is an area of Mexico I’d like to give another shot, but for now it’s on the backburner.
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