Hello,

We are visiting a 5-6day trip to Playa del Carmen this October with our 2year old. Our interests are in visiting the ruins and the scenic natural attractions of the area.

Would you consider travel to this area with a 2year old ? Are the ruins, etc accessible where we can visit with a child ? I've heard about some caves and amusement parks etc - but am not sure if we can make the most of what PDC has to offer, while traveling with a child.

Any advice, tips, recommendations, highly appreciated ! Thanks in advance.

I haven't had little children in a long time but I don't see any accessibility issues with small children at the ruins as long as you have a sturdy stroller. The heat in the middle of the day might be hard. Chichen Itza would probably be your best bet for easy, wide grassy avenues to walk on. I've see plenty of people in PDC with little children and also in the pools or at the beach. There are rarely any waves so the beach water would be pretty calm. It depends upon what kinds of activities you want to do.

Thanks colokid - our main concern was about steep climbing and steps in some of the ruins (where we would have to carry the kid), but I am not sure if this is truly a concern. Any thoughts on this ?

Our main activities would revolve around visiting some of the ruins, hanging out at the beach for a little, and some scenic drives that show off the most of the coastline and the waters. Given this, any recommendations on how we might spend 4-5 days in PDC ?

Thanks again.

You cannot climb the pyramid at Chichen Itza any longer. They closed that last January but there is certainly plenty to see there anyway. The pyramid at Coba is climable but I wouldn't recommend it with a child...it's extremely steep with the stairs close together. It is the highest pyramid in the Yucatan. At Tulum they will also not let you climb the ruins. At Coba you can take a bike or a pedicab to the ruins. The pedicab might be really fun for your child. You could drive down the coast to Tulum and then turn left out to the beach road and spend some time at the beaches down there. It's really beautiful...El Paraiso beach is one that I went to a couple of times last week. They have loungers, beach beds and umbrellas for rent with a beach restaurant that was very good. The beach there is very beautiful. In Playa Del Carmen there are many excellent restaurants. The north end of town is quieter than the south end which is more toward the Cozumel ferry pier. Are you planning on staying in an AI, semi AI, condo, private home or small hotel? They all have their pro's and con's. The north part of PDC is also known as Little Italy where many Italian's have settled and started up businesses. If you do decide to rent a car just make sure you understand the rules of the road about driving in MX which are different from here in the states.

With a 2 year old, your best bet would to probably spend most of your time on the beach. Playa's beach is fairly calm and good for kids. Make sure you get some kind of umbrella or tent - the sun is very strong. As for visitng ruins, Tulum is an easy 35 minute ride from Playa, and would be a nice afternoon trip. I suspect a 2 year old might get bored, but the Tulum ruins can be seen in an hour, and there is a great beach here. Nearby is Atkun-Chen, which is a cave you can visit. The best part for a 2 year old are the monkeys you can play with at the visitor's center. Most other attactions, such as Xcaret, and the dozens of Cenotes, are centered around snorkelling, not something you can do with a 2 year old. One thing thatt might be fun would be the ferry ride out to Cozumel.
Driving near Playa not particularly scenic, unless you explore some of the side roads that lead to the ocean(unfortunatley, many of these roads are now gated resorts). Rte 307 is the main highway, and it goes thru scrub jungle and lots of new developments, gas stations, etc. The town of Playa itself is lots of fun, and I think this is where you'll spend most of your time.

We have not yet decided about our accomodations - would like to stay in a nice resort, preferably with a private beach, nice pools, etc. But would want it to be quiet - not run over by the typical teenage-college kids (nothing against them, we just prefer a quiet place)! Any recommendations on this ?

Also, any recommendations on how we would spend 4 days in PDC (one day we'd visit Cozumel, but am not sure how we'd plan the other 3 days). I like the idea of playing with the monkeys (I'm assuming that these are tame and not dangerous) !

Any advice would help a lot ! Thanks in advance.

There are also monkeys at the RIU Yucatan and the Iberostar Quetzal/Tucan. They are wild and live in the trees. You really don't need to be worried about any college kids or the spring break like activities in Playa Del Carmen. All the AI's in Playacar are nice as are the Shangri La Caribe, Las Palapas and Gran Coco Bay. If you have four days and spend on in Cozumel. You could rent a car and go to the ruins or the beach in Tulum on another day and then spend two days in Playa Del Carmen or Playacar. There area also AI's that have great kids programs.

I would recommend Coba as another site to visit. It's spread out but the ruins are connected by some easy to bike or walk gravel paths, and the trees offer lots of shade.
Also realize that the larger resort type hotels are found on the outskirts of PDC, so you probably won't be able to get downtown on foot. However, there are many small hotels along the beach right in the downtown area.

Hi. We've been to Mexico twice with our toddler (he was 2, then 3). The first time we went to Tulum which is rather small and can be walked around fairly quickly (1 hour to 1 hour 1/2). Most of the ruins were roped off if I remember correctly. We had no problems with our son. I'd recommend going there first thing in the morning because there's no shade.

On that same trip, we went to Coba which is much bigger. The good thing is that you can rent bikes with a driver. Those particular bikes have a little seating area where you and your toddler can sit in. I sat in one with son and my husband took another bike with driver. It is comfortable and fun. The tour is then much faster and much easier on your little one. I can't remember the cost but it was not expensive at all. The walk paths at Coba are well shaded (it's still hot though!). You could climb some of the ruins when we went but only my husband did that. We didn't think it was appropriate/safe for a toddler.

When we went back to Mexico the following year, we went to Chichen Itza. It's big, no shade and there are no bikes to be rented. That one may be tougher for a 2-year-old. My son and I watched my husband climbed the pyramid there (not sure that you can still do that). I would definitely advise against doing that with a toddler.

We didn't do any of the water parks. Just did the beach and the ruins.

I highly recommend mosquito repellent during your tours of the ruins.

Thanks all for the info !

caribtraveler - if you dont mind, where did you stay ? I'm trying to find a good hotel\resort that is kid\family friendly.

On our first trip to Mexico, we stayed at the Omni in Puerto Aventuras (Riviera Maya). It's not huge and glitzy. It's a small, intimate hotel (only 3 floors with 30 rooms). We loved it. The beach was beautiful, shallow for quite a while, with clear blue, calm water (perfect for little ones). If you think this is something you might be interested in, I can post a link with our pics.
Here's the hotel website:
http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel...Aventuras.aspx

We've never stayed in PDC, but I believe it offers a lot more in terms of activities and restaurants if that's something you're looking for.

For our 2nd trip, we split our stay between Cozumel and Cancun. We stayed at the Presidente Intercontinental Cozumel (great snorkeling off the beach) and the Omni Cancun. Loved Cozumel, wasn't so crazy about Cancun (too busy for us).

Just a note that when we stayed at the Omni Puerto Aventuras, we had the option of doing all inclusive or not (nto sure if that's still an option). We did not and were glad we didn't. There are lots of little restaurants near the hotel, plus we thought the hotel food was just okay.

COllege kids tend not to stay in PDC (they stay in the cheaper hotels in cancun), so that shouldn't be a problem at any PDC resort.

I think more and more college kids are choosing to go to PDC ... my son and friends did this May, and met lots of others. However, the other kids tended to be from Canada and S. America, not the U.S. PDC is really a bustling place these days...I actually found Cancun much quieter!

The best advice possible is to know where you are going and to research the safety and security issues. Mexico is a third world nation and must be recognized for their lack of standards.
It is important for travelers to be informed of perils that exist. There are many references for you to visit. One in particular is www.brentmidlock.com

I would recommend Riu Palace Riviera Maya. If you want nice accommendations, good location, nice pool, beach, and value good service this is the place for you. I noticed lots of young families there.