Wondering if someone can give me some more information on how authentic Playa del Carmen. We didn't care for how touristy it was in Cancun and would like a different experience.

I know the area is somewhat touristy and since we'll be in a group we are planning a stay at a larger resort, but would really like to experience some local culture too. Is Playa going to be too Americanized? Does the area off 5th avenue have more of a "Mexican" feel. Can you find places that play Latin Music or is it all very Americanized at the local bars?

any suggestions of places to go? We would also like to see the ruins?

I have heard July is hot but is it really that awful?

Thanks.

I really love Playa de Carmen. Yes, it is a bit Americanized, but nothing like Cancun. I at least feel like I have left America when I visit Playa. There are some local as well as more american places. I think it's a great place to go with a group as there is something for everyone. There are a few beach clubs that have tourists and locals too. We stumbled upon a true salsa bar (only because the people we were with spoke fluent spanish). It was as authentic as it gets and fantastic, but it would be difficult to do without some spanish fluency. We stayed at the Royal (not my usual type of resort), but it was great for a girl's getaway where we had no worries. We just bought a few lite meals out to experience something different. We never left Playa, so I can't help you with that. We were there in May and the weather was amazing. I'm sure the weather depends on where you are coming from. I really love the town and plan to go back this year.

My last overnight in Playa (passing through from Belize) I had the feeling the place was becoming a bit too much like South Florida.

Parts of 5th Avenue have almost a European feel, lots of Italian restaurants and such.

The last time I really stayed in Playa del Carmen it was easy to find Mexican culture, simply by getting a very few blocks off 5th Avenue. Wonderful small restaurants with great food, no English spoken, really cheap. I hope those places are still there.

If you aren't stuck on going to a large resort, consider Isla Mujeres.

Is Isla Mujeres less touristy than PDC? Are the beaches there better or equivalent to the ones in PDC?

I love Playa. Go to 5th Avenue for souvenir shopping and then go a couple of blocks over and it has a very local feel. You'll know you're in Mexico. We go to the Yucatan several times a year and always go south of Cancun. We love the whole area from Puerto Morelos to Tulum. But we stay away from Cancun. Not our thing.

Isla is getting more touristy as the years go by. A couple of large condo complexes going up. Still retains some of the feel of a Mexican fishing village though.

If you want to do much touring around, I'd stay around Playa del Carmen. If you just want a low key place with a nice beach, go to Isla. It isn't impossible to do tours from Isla, but it's more of a hassle.

Playa Norte on Isla has major erosion problems at the moment.
However, much of the sand has re-appeared on the west side of the island.

Authentic? It depends what you mean. Playa was not developed as a resort for Americans with all the architecture and cuisine they would be familiar with. No mega story hotels to warehouse spring breakers and less of the fast food franchises one finds in cities back in the States.

However, Playa is not simply a traditional Mexican pueblo. For starters, it sits on the Caribbean Sea. People from Central Mexico look somewhat with amusement on the "Playaense." They think that people who live on the ocean are a little too funloving and a little too casual. And indeed, the lure of the beach is the overwhelming influence in this area. The attitude and culture here is more tropical than Spanish.

Traditional Mexico can be found outside of Playa's resort zone. Great food, neighborhoods, churches, markets and events reflect Mexico's heritage and culture. And while the resort zone has grown over the years, it has not become a mini-Cancun or tried to be a copy of an American city.

As such, the architecture shows the influence of all of the cultures that have come together in Playa: Spanish, Caribbean, European, and North American. The food, dress, and behavior of the locals reflects this melting pot.

As for music, you can't walk down Fifth Avenue without bumping into a mariachi band (traditional mariachis wear the caballero/cowboy outfit and usually have a large brass section) or ranchera musicians (usually dressed in simple white shirts and a cowboy hat and play acoustical guitar and bass). You can also hear great Latin jazz at the Bodeguita del Medio. Hipper, younger sounds from both Europe and South America can be found in the late night clubs.

As such, we think Playa is kind of unique. We always say it's a city of the world.

Of course, traditional Spanish colonial Mexico is still close by in the form of Mayan ruins and in the nearby colonial towns of Valladolid, Merida and Felipe Carrillo Puerto.

July can be very, very hot, but that makes a great excuse to go swimming in the Caribbean Sea. And in the evening, the breezes off the beach tend to cool things down a little. Remember, it is part of the rainy/hurricane season, so make sure to have travel insurance, just in case.

For some ideas on places to go and things to do, take a look at the Activities section of our blog, PlayaZone: http://playazone.wordpress.com/category/activities/.

Tony & Cheri
Luna Blue Hotel & Garden
Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Tony & Cheri are a terrific resource concerning PDC, and they run a great property in town. Take their recommendations to heart.

As for July, we were in PDC this past August and, though hot, it didn't seem much worse than NYC in August (likely not as bad) and, in PDC, you walk around in shorts and have water to jump into in every direction.

Sure PDC is a bit touristy but most well known beach destinations in Mexico are nowadays. Just head off the main drag a block or two and you are "back in Mexico."

Make sure you visit Dr. Taco for shrimp tacos for a quick lunch; they were terrific and inexpensive. Also, a day trip (it can be done in a long morning actually) to Tulum is also well worth a visit. The ruins are in a spectacular setting.