Armileni

Hi there!

Aussie girl planning a weeks trip for two in Mexico in the first week in March. Can anyone please give some suggestions of an ideal place to visit which would include great beaches and ruins? Preferably not a built up area...

I'm flying in from Las Vegas, how long is the flight there and what city would I fly out from to get there?

Also, what's the weather like in March?

Thanks,

A-L

suze

Akumal or Tulum. You'd fly into Cancun. Weather in March should be beautiful.

robertino

I agree. And with a whole week, you'll be able to see Chichen Itza too.

suze

If you want some time where it is a little more built up for shopping, bars, restaurants, you could include Playa del Carmen.

Armileni

Thanks for all your feedback!!

I think I'm swinging towards Playa Del Carmen...it seems to have the best of everything and especially with only a week there. Let me know if you have any suggestions with PDC...anything would be appreciated!!

suze

I've not been but hope to get to PDC soon (I always go to Vallarta on the west coast side).

But I didn't mention it first because you said specifically "not a built up area"... and PDC is a hussle & bussle kind of town of fairly good size.

Fra_Diavolo

I would think twice. As noted, Playa is very built up these days, its famed Fifth Avenue a gauntlet of tacky shops and hustlers touting restaurants and tours. It does have the best restaurant and nightlife scene in the area, if that is what you're looking for, but if you want to avoid the built up areas, avoid Playa.

sumi

We spent a week in Mexico (also in March) and based ourselved in Playa del Carmen and loved it. We flew in/out of Cancun, rented our car from one of the big international companies (National, I think), armed ourselves with the Fodor's guidebook and just explored the area.

We took a 'road trip' to Merida and spent a night there. We stopped at Chichen Itza (a must see) and Valladolid and a few other small towns. We pulled off to see the cenotes along the way and swam in the underground cenotes. We loved Merida; spent hours wandering through their central market.

We also drove down Quintana Roo and stopped at Tulum, Xel-Ha and some beautiful, uncrowded beaches.

We had a few meals in town but our preference was to wander the small side roads and find the open-air restaurants where all the locals were eating -- usually grilled steak or chicken, tortillas, roasted onion, half an avocado and a slice of lime. Great stuff.

We also did one snorkeling tour to Cozumel. This was the only organized tour that we did and I wouldn't do it again. I would just take the ferry to Cozumel and find a snorkeling boat on my own -- there are tons of them around the dock. If you're a diver, the diving around Cozumel is very good (I ran out of time and also had my 9 year-old son with me.)

The weather in March was perfect; we didn't have any rain at all but I was told that it had been very stormy the week before and the ferries to Cozumel didn't run for two days.

We only spent a couple of "shopping" hours in town (after getting off the Cozumel ferry.) Yes, it's pretty touristy but I think it's still a pleasant town. No serious shopping, however. I'd stick to T-shirts and maybe novelty tequila and vanilla.

LunaBlue

We think Playa Del Carmen is ptretty special..but then again we live here and have a small hotel here so we aren't exactly objective. However we do take offense at the idea that our little city is tacky or too large.

The resort area of Playa runs parallel to the beach for approx. 20 blocks north and south, and approx. three blocks east and west. In this area you will find restaurants, clubs, cafes, bars, music, and shopping. The entire area can be walked from one end to the other in about 20 minutes.

The main path through Playa's resort area is 5th Avenue which is a pedestrian walkway. It is lined with cobblestones, overhung with trees and greenery, and features very fine sidewalk dining and drinking in the European fashion. Cute and hip? Yes. Tacky? No, we don't think so.

Since Playa is in the exact middle of the Mayan Riviera (btween Cancun and Tulum) it is also cental to daytrips for snorkeling (the largest coral reef in the world...next to Australia , is just off shore), to Ruins (Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza are all within easy driving/tour distance) and great beaches all up and down the coast...some party beaches where you can dance in the sand until dawn,, some where you will have the place to yourself.

For a look at a more personal side of Playa, and some of the activities around here we think are fun, check out our blog: http://playazone.wordpress.com/. And check out a website owned and operated by locals living in Playa Del Carmen: http://intheroo.com/. You can get lots of great ideas there.

Have fun.

Tony and Cheri
Luna Blue Hotel and Garden

suze

Tony and Cheri, I meant no offense. Playa del Carmen looks beautiful!

But was not what came to mind when someone specifically said they want "not a built up area".

LunaBlue

Suze...no problema!

We were a little more put off by the "tacky" reference than your comment about size.

Playa does have a rep for being a growing city and a busy new Meropolis. What most folks don't realize is that Playa is mostly expanding on the other side of the main Highway as new housing and shopping for locals is being built. But the resort zone next to the Caribbean Sea is still a fairly walkable area.

Playa is holding to it's rule of no building being more than 4 stories tall...thus avoiding the mega hotel zone syndrome of Cancun.

We have found that many people who don't want "built up" are talking about Cancun. And many people find Tulum to be a little too isolated (of course there are always differences in personal choices). We think of Playa as an nice middle ground atlernative to "too busy" and "too quiet". But like we said before...we aren't exactly objective. We love it here!

Tony and Cheri
Lunsa Blue Hotel and Garden

virginia

armileni, we spent a couple weeks in the area last october. we stayed near tulum on tankah bay beach but i'd like to suggest you look at akumal. it's central to everything and not built up as pdc is.
you can take a brief look at: http://www.locogringo.com/akumal/
this page will show you most of the available lodging: http://www.locogringo.com/dynamic/lo...l&type=any

locogringo has the same info on it's site for the entire maya riviera, including pdc. also info on each ruins, all the activites available and dining.

we particularly enjoyed snorkeling at yal-ku lagoon in akumal. then we had a fun lunch at lol-ha and drinks at la buena vida. friends stayed at the akumal beach resort and liked it a lot. (snorkeling right in front, good swimming and easy walk into town).
we also enjoyed a day at xel-ha eco marine park.
re air: spirit airlines and united both have good flights from vegas to cancun. spirit has a red eye through ft. lauderdale, florida that takes just under 10 hrs. for $385 and united goes through las angles - 8 1/2 hrs for $399. these are roundtrip prices. don't know if your headed back to vegas or not. found these fares at www.kayak.com

for cancu,mex & area weather in first 2 weeks march: http://www.wunderground.com/history/...atename=Mexico

Fra_Diavolo

"We were a little more put off by the "tacky" reference than your comment about size."

Well, what can I say? That's the way it looks to me. Lots of tee-shirt and souvenir stalls. Touts outside the restaurants luring the unwary. People shouting at you to come and take their tours. Not even a decent zocalo when I was there a couple of years back.

So if someone asked me for a place to hang out, party and sleep it off on the beach, I'd recommend Playa. But since the OP asked for "not a built up area" I didn't think Playa fit the bill. If she only wants to avoid high-rises, I suppose it would do.

suze

Well, no matter what was said in the original post, sounds like Armileni has decided PDC might be right for them..

"Tacky" is a funny word, like "honkey tonk"... some of my favorite places are called that... Waikiki, Puerto Vallarta,Key West. And that comment only makes me MORE interested in Playa del Carmen, along with the kind post from Tony and Cheri.

Fra_Diavolo

suze --

Then have a wonderful trip. Different strokes, as they say . . .

suze

I'm not going anywhere. I was just trying to help answer Armileni's questions.

Fra_Diavolo

A thousand pardons, I beg. I misunderstood.

"'ve not been but hope to get to PDC soon . . . "

suze

oh for goodness sakes, i think this is not helping Armileni at all.

i do hope someday to get to PDC, how "soon" remains to be seen.

lo siento...

Armileni

All your feedback is much appreciated...I will be looking into all your suggestions tonight and make my decision this weekend!

Kind Regards,

Armi-Leni

saracancun

Hola AL,

I hope is not late but if you dont want to se a bouilt area you should see or stay at Punta Allen, beatiful almost virgen little town, the road is little hard its part of the beuty, this is a place for relax, nice place to eat the most fres lobster quiet place for march the best this is not a very turistic area (thank Good still can have this places) it will be little hard to find trasnporatation but try to [email protected] they know the best of the area.