I'm having a hard time convincing my husband to return to Mexico. We've been to P.V., Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan but never to the Gulf side of the country which I hear is very different. I'm mainly interested in PDC. Please tell me - is it all that different and why?

The biggest difference will be the awesome blue water. We have been going to Playa del Carmen for 14 years and would be more than happy to answer any questions. Just e-mail me.

Monica is right about the water. It's a clear blue, like a swimming pool, and I think it's warmer too!

True about the water, also, the weather is consistantly better year round. The Yucatan was basically cut off from the rest of Mexico until the sixties. It has developed a unique culture, cuisine, history, and feel. About half of the population speak some form of Mayan. Many must learn Spanish as a second language. The feeling of the population as being Yucatanean rather than Mexican is strong. At arms length from Playa are many fabulous Mayan sites (eg. the great city of Chichen Itza). If you prefer to stay only in Playa while on vacation though, I have to agree with your husband.

You could stay on the Caribbean coast at Playa del Carmen (take the ferry to Cozumel from here) or further south in the Tankah/Tulum area for more peace and quiet and a good location for visiting the ruins of Tulum and Coba. Many beautiful cenotes in this area also. As Kenneth suggests, I would also schedule in a 1 or 2 night trip to include Chichen Itza and Merida or Valladolid. I also strongly recommend renting a car for the trip. Very convenient for visiting unique beachfront restaurants and getting off the beaten path. Here are a few web sites for some places of interest in the area.<BR><BR>beachfront villa in Tankah<BR>http://CasaTropical.com<BR><BR>Hidden Worlds snorkel & dive tours of cenotes (segement of IMAX film done here)<BR>http://hiddenworlds.com.mx/<BR><BR>Aktun Chen (dry caves)<BR>www.aktunchen.com<BR><BR>Maps of Riviera Maya Can-do Maps <BR>http://WWW.cancunmap.com/<BR><BR> Check out this web site for tours lead by the Friends of Sian Ka'an group. It is a non-profit organization and tour guides are usually biologists. Very informative tours lead by a very worthwhile organization. <BR>Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve<BR>http://www.cancun.com/siankaan/<BR><BR>photo of tankah's cenote'<BR>http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian/issues98/apr98/diver_jpg.html<BR>

Hi, jessie,<BR> We first went to P.V. in '96, but the next year we went to Playa del Carmen, and we would never go back to the Pacific coast again. The Yucatan has a ton of history, the Mayan ruins, the Mayan people, gorgeous beaches, excellent snorkeling, and much more of a true rainforest feel. the Yucatecan culture is very unique. Even in the resort area north of Merida, on the Gulf coast, there is awhole different feel. I strongly recommend it.<BR>ja