Our last trip took us to Coz which we loved but the beaches look great along the Riveia. Are there any new resorts heading south that have quiet seculed beaches? We snorkel so clean quiet water is a must. The water close to Playa del Carmen is not that clear. We will have a car so going a little further down the highway can be done.
Can be small or large.

The brand new Fairmont Mayakoba looks amazing...when I saw it, I was very sad we didn't stay there!

Bellac, I am interested in your comment about the water not being clear in Play Del Carmen. I am looking at going to Mexico this year and trying to determine where. I was thinking of Playa as cancun is too big and full of night life which we don't need. but i wanted the clear carribean water (that is why I am not going to the other side to Puerta Vallerta).

Azul Blue Resort and Spa is in Tulum on the beach and is new. That is south of PDC. There are also many nice cabanas down there and the water is lovely. The only reason I've seen the water cloudy in PDC is when there are people in the water. The snorkeling is not great in PDC though.

On a recent trip advisor review the people claimed the snorkeling was great right off there hotel. They stayed at Sunscape Resort. Perhaps that is not in PDC.

here's a link to look at sunscape on tankah bay and the water in front of it: http://www.locogringo.com/maps/tour/sunscape-t.html

Virginia,
That is a great website~Thanks. The report from tripadvisor.com was from Puerto Adventuras(sp?) facility. They recommened bringing ones own gear as you are only allowed to rent them once during the stay. They snorkeled on the beach from there hotel and said it was just great. Bellac looks like they want something more secluded in area.

Sunscape is an isolated resort south of Playa Del Carmen. It is between the Freedom Paradise which has now changed hands and what used to be Caletah Tankah. Caletah Tankah beach club is no more...has been sold and is now closed. The beach there is good for snorkeling but would not be one of my first picks. Your best bet for snorkeling the RM is to find the place that you want to stay and then take a taxi, collectivo or drive yourself to go snorkeling. Akumal has some wonderful snorkeling and there are many places to stay there. Locogringo.com has a lot of info on Akumal.

has anyone snorkeled in playa Del carmen?

We probably won't snorkel everyday, so that probably wouldn't be the main reason to pick where we go.

we will do one or two excursions etc. But just curious if anyone has.

There really isn't much snorkeling in PDC. You can but won't see much - the reef is just too far out. You can take a boat out to the reef from PDC - we did that last year and they took us up the coast and we jumped off the boat by the reef. You can also arrange a trip through playadelcarmeninfo.com for snorkeling tours. Just snorkeling off the beach though won't be all that exciting.

You should stay at Riu Palace Riviera Maya or any Riu resort. We went snorkelin at Xel-Ha.

If you want somewhere quiet, but a short drive to places of interest and great restaurants look into renting in Tankah or the Tulum area. There is also the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (just south of Tulum), Tulum, Coba and Muyil ruins and Tankah has a beautiful cenote plus good ocean snorkeling right off the beach. Having a rental car is a good idea for traveling around on your own schedule and is very inexpensive compared to taking taxis, much more convenient than using the bus.

Carole
www.casatropical.com