Playa Del Carmen is a beautiful coastal resort city in
Mexico, within the Solidaridad Municipality in the Mexican State of Quintana Roo. The city has a beautiful location in the Riviera Maya strip along the Caribbean Sea, making it a principal tourist city in eastern Mexico with numerous tourist activities to be indulged in.
Playa Del Carmen is home to stunning beaches, complete with rows and rows of palm trees, beautiful coral reefs, and rocky shores of white sands and turquoise-blue waters. Beach activities include swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, tubing, jet skiing, sunbathing, banana boating, fishing, and canoeing, among numerous others. The many sinkholes, popularly known as cenotes, provide visitors with more outdoor fun activities.
Beautifully-manicured golf courses like the famous Playacar Golf Club and El Manglar Golf Club offer more sporting and relaxing activities in the city. Other activities include hiking, horse-riding, and game watching in the vast Xcaret eco-archaeological park. More themed family fun and zip lining activities can be accessed from the iconic Xplor Park nearby.
A visit to
Playa del Carmen is incomplete without a shopping experience in the large malls and stalls around town, featuring all manners of goods and souvenirs. Afterward, mealtime is fun in the many restaurants and eateries along the Quinta Avenida stretch, along with clubs and discotheques for a memorable nightlife.
When to visit Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen experiences a tropical climate that is classified as Aw in the Köppen climate classification. The general weather features warm to hot summers with ample rainfall and mildly cold winters that are moderately dry.
The highest rainfall is received in
October when the rain gauge collects as high as 284.3mm (11.2") in precipitation from approximately sixteen days of rain. The least rainfall is experienced in
March, with a low recording of 28.3mm (1.1") in precipitation, and not more than three and a half rainfall days. The wet season, between
June and
November, may experience weather-related hazards like flooding and thunderstorms. Hurricanes, too, are prone to attack the city, given the experience over the recent years, and visitors are advised accordingly.
The temperature remains warm and pleasant all year long, featuring highs of 30.6°C (87.1°F) and lows of 21.1°C (70°F) on average. Extremely hot days are rare, as the temperature barely goes above 35°C (95°F). Snowfall and extremely cold days are equally rare because the winter temperature never drops below the freezing point.
Playa del Carmen can be visited anytime during the year because the weather is warm and pleasant throughout. The peak of Playa del Carmen's travel season is experienced during winter, from
December through
January, during spring, between
April and
May, and during summer, from
July through
August. The seasons feature excellent weather for outdoors and numerous fun events around downtown Playa del Carmen. Autumn may bring a few interruptions as it is rainy on most days.
Numerous events are held in Playa del Carmen. On varying dates between
February and March, the city holds its annual carnival, celebrated with multiple parades and colorful decorations. In November, Playa del Carmen celebrates the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival, attracting crowds of spectators and participants from across the world. Another popular event is the BPM Festival, when the people come together to enjoy live music shows from renowned DJs in January.