I will be renting a car and driving from Playa down to see Tulum and Coba this Friday. Any suggestions for where to have lunch? Or for supper in Playa?

Also are there any Cenotes that would particularly interest someone that wasn't planning to swim? drive caves?

Keith

If you like Cuban, try supper at La Bodeguita del Medio. It is a lounge and restaurant serving Cuban cuisine located just off 5th Avenue in the mall near the ferry pier. The pier where the ferry to and from Cozumel docks is located on the south end of town at the base of the town plaza. The top of the town plaza is bordered by the 5th Ave pedestrian walkway. If you stand at the top of the plaza on 5th Ave and face the ferry pier, La Bodeguita del Medio will be to your right in an upscale mall-type complex at the end of 5th Ave.

My fave for meals in PDC is Babe's on 10th St just off 5th Ave.

You could eat in Tulum Pueblo somewhere along highway 307. Don Cafetos is always good (on the east side of 307) and Charlie's is great (west of 307 on the south end).

There are a couple of restaurants near the entrance of Coba.
I really don't recommend any of the restaurants along the Coba Rd in the villages. We tried one once and it wasn't good at all.

There is one dry cave - Aktun Chen that does tours. Otherwise, most cenotes are mostly for swimming or diving. They are nice to look at, though.

Tulum lunch - Mezzanine - awesome food, amazing view, great atmosphere. Also good is Zamas. (Both on the beach road.)

PDC dinner - Yaxche - Mayan, Babe's - Thai/Vietnamese, La Casa del Agua - Romantic fine dining

Downtown Tulum has a few interesting places to eat, most are very casual. For real local Mexican, Don Cafetos is fun. Charlies is popular with American and European ex-pats - great fish. In Coba, there is a very good local Mexican place downtown, just across the road from the lake, outside the entrance to the Club Med. You can sometimes see the crocodiles from your table. Playa has lots of good places to eat. Ajua, just off 5th, is lots of fun (the waiters are a bunch of comedians), and the food is quite good. Limones on 5th is a very pleasant place for dinner. If you tire of Mexican, there are a few good Italian places on 5th above 10th. Bruno's may be the best of them.

"Jarocha" on Constituyentes in Playa right near the Pemx station.

Down-to-earth but very good seafood!

Locals place.

Thank you for the response. It has been a big help!

Keith

Actually, "Bamba La Jarocha."

i did the same thing you are talking about. was staying at spa palace. rented a car and bolted to coba first thing in the morning. climb to the top of the pyramid as early as you can...i went up the pyramid about 210lbs, came down about 195lbs! pinche calor. you must climb the pyramid though. on the way back from coba, stopped at the grand cenotes (about halfway back to the coast and right off the road). not much to do there, only spent a little over an hour swimming. then went back to the coast and cruised around tulum. beach is sweet there, crowded, but sweet. not much to say about the food. just snacked on what the locals eat...and a snicker.

I've been "training" for the climb. It is 19 steps up to the second floor at work and I am faithfully climbing them 25 times through each week day.

Do you recomend doing Coba first?

Everything thing I read says to be at Tulum as early as possible, and at Coba as early as possible.

Keith

Tulum gets much more crowded than Coba, and Coba is much larger, so i would do Tulum first. Since a woman died falling down the Chechen pyramid a few weeks ago, I wouldn't be surprised if the stairway up the Coba pyramid is fenced off. If not, the climb is not really that difficult, and there is a safety rope.

Keith,

Thank you so much for your submission. I read your complete trip report to Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Coba. Lovely photos and really appreciated your opinions regarding the place and prices you visited. I have been to Cozumel 9 of the last 11 years and will be returning in April. I am bringing my sister and my 16 year old neice this year and will visit Playa del Carmen and Tulum as well. Enjoyed seeing the place after Emily and Wilma and can not wait to get back. I have some great photos of the kids presentation at Carnival in 2004.