Hi All,
I was about to book a well deserved trip to Playa Del Carmen today unitl several co-workers informed me that there is no beach to speak of. From what I can see on line, North of the PDC pier looks OK. We are beach lizards, so a good beach and the luxury of ocean wading is important to us. Has any one been there recently, and can you shed some light on this for me?
Cheers

There has been some beach erosion in Playacar just south of PDC because of some storms moving through in Nov. but the beaches are not a static thing and will move becoming larger and smaller depending upon a variety of factors. The beaches in Playa Del Carmen itself are fine. My husband was there last week and said it was a little larger than when we were there in Jan. I'll be back down on the 24th and if anyone wants any specifics just let me know..I'll have some time to look about. The hardest hit of the erosion areas are in the Playacar area north of Viva Azteca so even some of the resorts in the south part of Playacar are also just fine.

If you are going to have a rental car, you will have so many options of fabulous beaches. The PdC beaches are fine but certainly not the best in the area.

If you want to snorkel from land, Akumal's Half Moon Bay is about 20min south of PdC - easy drive.

The beach south of Tulum along the Beach Road are just fabulous. Park at one of the restaurants about 1/2 way down the Beach Road and you'll have access to some great uncrowded beaches. (about 30min south of PdC)

If you want a beach completely to yourself, continue on the Beach road to the reserve and then go another 15min or so and you'll come to a hotel/visitor center. They have a trail cut through the marsh that takes you to a wild beach that you will most likely have completely to yourself (granted there are no amenities and the beach isn't raked - but it is just you and the waves)

There are many others if you want to explore.

We were amazed at recent photos of the beach at Royal Hideaway, there seems to be hardly any beach there as compared to when we visited five years ago! The beach in Playacar was narrow then and crammed with beachchairs so you had to walk in the water when you walked the beach but now it seems non-existent. We also stayed at Shangri La Caribe which is north of PDC and the beach there is much, much better -- much wider and much less crowded but as you walk down the beach to the Gran Porto Real and downtown it gets very narrow again. I did not care for the Playacar area as it is one huge AI after another and just too many people for too little beach. My advice is to stay North of PDC for better beach or go farther south toward Tulum.

The RIU Palace Mexico and south in Playacar are still fine which includes the RIU Yucatan, Iberostar Quetzal/Tucan, and Sandos. The RIU Tequila is across the street from the Yucatan and uses the Yucatan beach. The north beach in PDC is nice also but the beach at Shangri La in Jan was smaller than normal. It has come back a bit since then. Beaches can literally change overnight.

Just returned from Tulum. The beach along the hotel strip is fabulous. This is coming from a person who before Tulum thought he did not like beaches. They are broad, perfect soft white sand and very clean.