Playa del Carmen vs. Something Quiter
 

I am planning on going to the Mexican Riviera over Christmas with my parents and my boyfriend (we are in our 20s and my parents are in their 60s)
We are looking for a nice place on the beach, with some shops/restaurants but not very touristy or crowded. Is playa del carmen extremely populated? Or is it not that bad? Where are the best beaches for swimming and walking? What about staying in Tulum or Akumal? We really want to avoid the crowds, but we don't want to be completely isolated.

Sorry I meant more quiet!!

Compared to Cancun, Playa del Carmen is very quiet. Compared to Tulum or Akumal, it's large and busy. I enjoy PDC for it's large variety of restaurants and hotels. Lots of great small hotels on the beach. The beach in town is narrower than at the big resorts, but I find it pleasant to watch the people strolling by.

Another option you might look at is Isla Mujeres. Just a short ferry ride from Cancun, but a very different atmosphere. North Beach has great swimming and a couple of nice hotels. We're spending a week there in early December, it will be our first 'over night' there, before we just visited on day trips from Cancun. It's a small island, neat little town. Islamujeres.net has a wealth of information about the place.

I 'second' Isla Mujeres. Great place. Real laid back but some bars for nightlife, and good shopping and food. Great hotels that are 'hidden' away so you get your peace and feeling of isolation, but only a 5-10 minute walk from the main street with many restaurants and shopping....Playa Media Luna and Hotel Secreto. They are next to each other on a stunning little beach. Not good for swimming, but good for wading and shell hunting and NEVER more than a half dozen people around. And, only 5 minute or less walk to the best swimming beach on the island. These two hotels are small, Secreto has only 9 rooms and Media Luna has about 20, so many times you have the ocean front pool to yourselves. And rooms at both are full ocean view. For more 'isolation' but only 10-15 golf cart ride from town, try Villas las Brisas.
I would say Isla is somewhere between Playa Del Carmen and Akumal as far as tourist.

Familiar with all places mentioned.
Isla Mujeres is THE place for you
visit isla-mujeres.net
look on left tool bar--tons of info
A visit to the island will give you a chance to be a genuine "islaholic"
We also do a 26 page "newbie" brochure on the island which we e-mail oout on request. Non-commercial--no strings.
just [email protected]

Go to Isla Mujeres. Most relaxing, laid back vacations I've ever had. You can walk practically everywhere. On our last trip, we stayed at Villa Rolandi. We loved it. We've also stayed at the north beach. The beach there is wonderful. It's like a gigantic pool. Playa del Carmen has a different kind of charm. It seems to be a little more trendy, etc. Isla is just so laid back!

You might want to look at the brand new Secrets Capri resort. They are offering really good deals right now. I'm planning a family trip for the same time and almost booked there but didn't b'c it is adult only, and my brother-in-law is 16. Good luck.