We're thinking about renting a condo in PDC and wondered about eating at restaurants in town. Do they wash their salads etc with purified water? We do not want to get Montezuma's revenge. The AI option always seems to address that issue. Thanks.

I stayed in PDC for a week last May and ate in a different restaurant in town every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner...as well as drank cocktails in various bar and beach clubs, etc. I didn't have one bit of illness during the entire trip. With that being said, I did take pepto pills before meals, just to be on the safe side. Not sure it was necessary, though.

This is just my opinion, but PDC has so many wonderful restaurants and nightlife options, I would not hesitate to take advantage of all the area has to offer. If you or anyone in your party has a sensitive tummy, just pop a pepto or two beforehand.

Enjoy Playa..it's one of my favorite places on earth! If you want any specific restaurant ideas, let me know.

Have been to PDC twice - never had any problems. Most of the restaurants in the 'touristy' area state on their menus that all produce is washed in a sterile solutuion.

We go to PDC frequently and are in the process of having a condo built. Having said that, we have eaten out many, many times and love the variety..especially the authentic Italian at the north end of town. Dr. Taco, El Fogon and El Serape are also excellent. The AI route was the first place we tried several years ago but the food options get bland and we ended up eating in town anyway. Renting a condo is a good option if you are close to town and the beach. The north end of town is the place to be right now and there are lots of rental options there. I looked at renting a condo last year when we were looking for our own and decided against renting in Playacar (which is right next to PDC) simply because the beach access was limited and too far to walk from many of the condos. It is a beautiful place though. Most of the AI's are in Playacar although a wonderful AI choice in PDC would be the Royal Porto Real or a partial AI at the Shangri La Caribe (beach front cabanas).

Sorry to hear you've fallen victim to the common myth that AI resort food is somehow safer. The food all comes from the same places, the workers come from the same labor market, the people who train them do as well... Sometimes one hears even travel agents advising people that resort food will (evidently by some magical power) be a safer bet, but it just isn't true.

Indeed there are more restaurants on the streets of Playa del Carmen who have passed the strict governmental hygiene training programs -- some are Yaxche, Casa del Agua and Blue Lobster, but there are more -- than restaurants in AI resorts that have done the same. And some argue that the practice of leaving food out for extended periods in a public area for the masses to pass by and pick over may even be reason to believe the opposite.

Just my $.02. Hate to see unfounded conventional wisdom be reinforced!

Steve