Playa Del Carmen Airport

…the almost useless little local strip here…

Remember when you were a little kid and everyone’s always asking you what you’re going to be when you grow up?

Some people are saying something idealistic like fireman, astronaut, or football player.

One kid in my class kept saying that she was going to be a mermaid.

A mermaid?

Why?

So you can be in a Disney film and be the image that many confused boys masturbate over???

I always said I wanted to be a pilot.

Not like one of those dudes in a massive plane with loads of stripes on his shoulders.

No, I wanted to be Tom Cruise from Top Gun.

I wanted to pull ridiculous stunts and have hundreds of hot chicks swooning over me.

Now that’s a real career!

It hasn’t really worked out that way.

But when I see the Playa Del Carmen airport I keep remembering my childhood dreams.

 

Tell Me More About The Playa Del Carmen Airport

Don’t be thinking that you’ll be flying to Playa Del Carmen on an international flight.

The Playa Del Carmen airport is very small and doesn’t have any scheduled flights.

It’s an airport for private pilots and air taxis.

It’s also where the skydiving planes take off and land.

The Playa Del Carmen airport is just south of the famous pedestrian-only street (A.K.A. 5th Avenue), on a strip of land just between Playacar and downtown Playa Del Carmen.

That makes sense, as Playacar is where the high rollers usually stay.

It’s even got its own airport code – PCM if anyone is interested.

It’s just a bare and simple space.

And when I see it, I picture myself taking off in a fighter jet.

I’ve even bought myself some aviator sunglasses, but I never really wear them.

Who Hangs Out At The Playa Del Carmen Airport?

Well,… me…especially now that I’ve got the sunglasses and I’m blasting the Top Gun theme song out of my stereo.

But also lots of military.

They don’t seem to fly any planes out of the Playa Del Carmen airport, but they’ve got a strong presence here.

It must be annoying if you go skydiving when the crazy military planes are flying around.

You’ve got this amazing video about jumping out of a plane and then the first few shots are of the Playa Del Carmen airport and some scary looking army dudes.

My guess is that the Playa Del Carmen airport could be a prime drug smuggling spot.

Come to think of it, drug smuggling is what this country’s black market is all about.

Check up on me in five years, and I’ll have met all the wannabe up and coming Pablo Escobar’s coming through the airport here.

Only kidding, I’ll probably be sitting at home watching the Little Mermaid.

Who Uses The Playa Del Carmen Airport?

If you’re coming on vacation to Playa Del Carmen, then you’ll almost certainly be landing at Cancun International Airport.

It’s easy to get from Cancun to Playa Del Carmen, just check out this page for all the different options.

It’s also very cheap to travel between these two cities.

You can even take an air taxi from Cancun to Playa Del Carmen!

If you happen to have a private plane, then you might be landing at the Playa Del Carmen Airport.

The runway is only 700 meters long, so it’s not going to work if you’ve got a presidential size jet.

If you’re landing your private jet, then type in 20.622 / -87.082 into the GPS.

Wait…do planes use GPS?

I’m not much of a pilot am I?

The main reason most people will be at the Playa Del Carmen airport is if they’re going skydiving.

Hopefully, you’ll only use the airport once.

Imagine going skydiving and then still being in the plane when it lands.

You’re going to get a lot of abuse for pussying out of that one.

Playa Del Carmen Air Taxis

You think of Mexican taxis and you think of some dodgy battered car with a chain-smoking moustachioed driver.

But from the Playa Del Carmen airport, you can take an air taxi.

This is the coolest thing I’ve heard about for months and can’t stop banging on about it.

They have this small Cessna 206 plane that seats six passengers.

And they just fly around Quintana Roo taking passengers to their destinations.

Just imagine…taking a taxi at 16,000 feet!

Obviously air taxis are a little pricier than the four-wheeled alternatives.

An air ride from Playa Del Carmen to Cancun is going to cost you over $500 USD.

But that seems like a pointless journey.

How about Playa Del Carmen to Chichen Itza by air taxi – just $800 USD and you’ll get glorious overhead views of several Mayan pyramids.

In fact, if you’ve got loads of cash, why not rent a Playa Del Carmen air taxi for the whole day.

Just cruise around, drink tequila, and pretend to be a movie star.

Does Playa Del Carmen Have Plans For A Bigger Airport In The Future?

Playa Del Carmen is in the heart of the Riviera Maya and is at the center of a huge government plan to increase tourism in Mexico.

The whole coastline is being developed, and there will come a time when the Cancun International Airport isn’t big enough to handle all the traffic.

They are planning to build an express rail service to start taking passengers from the Cancun International Airport to other destinations in the Riviera Maya.

It would make sense to develop the Playa Del Carmen airport, but I’ve not heard anything about it.

A New Airport Being Built In Tulum?

There are, however, reports of the government planning to build a new airport in Tulum.

These reports are typically Mexican.

Some government official said something, and most people take it as the gospel truth.

But when a Mexican government official says something they usually mean the opposite – or nothing at all.

Mexicans rarely do what they say they’re going to do.

However, I think an airport in the south part of the Riviera Maya is a great idea.

Building a new international airport in Tulum would mean that there would be an airport in both the north and south ends of the Riviera Maya.

This will help the authorities open up tourism across the whole region.

An airport in Tulum would also help in case of emergency.

If a hurricane is hitting Cancun, then the flights can be redirected south.

It’s also still good for Playa Del Carmen.

It will mean that there will be two international airports within one hour of Playa Del Carmen.

Is it true?

Nobody knows.

Especially because an official from the Department of Communications and Transportation said that the airport project has been canceled and no new airports are going to be built in Mexico in the foreseeable future.

His official line was that tourist infrastructure would be focused on the new rail service.

Bureaucratic nonsense if you ask me.

Important Info About The Playa Del Carmen Airport

So I’m driving past the Playa Del Carmen airport, aviators on, thinking about Top Gun, and it dawned on me that if I’m going to become a pilot, then I’ve got to meet some pilot friends.

I’m also going to need some back-up aviators for when I lose these on the beach.

Never give up on your dreams.

Except if you’re like the other kid at my school who insisted that he was going to be a dog when he grew up.

So in the hope of finding some new pilot friends, I’ll finish with some bullet points that cover all the crucial Playa Del Carmen airport info:

  • Playa Del Carmen airport code = PCM
  • Latitude / Longitude = 20.622147 / -87.082016
  • Playa Del Carmen airport doesn’t have any scheduled flights
  • There is one runway and it’s 700 meters long
  • Airport taxis are super cool; take one from the Playa Del Carmen airport
  • Drug smugglers should take note of the large military presence at this airport
  • A cheaper way to use the Playa Del Carmen airport is to go skydiving
  • If you see a strange looking man in aviators hanging around the runway you’ve found me…

I hope to see you here soon!

Lots of love,

Rufus

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Do you have any tips, advice, or inside information about the airport here? Please leave it in the comments section below!

5 comments on “Playa Del Carmen Airport

  1. nice writeup. I’m a small plane owner from US and I came down for a 4 day vacation. Unfortunately I flew down commercially, but I’d like next trip to be me and my small plane. I’d like to get more airport info, but for some reason my aviation app, got confused with PCM with a small airport with the same name in Florida, plant city municipal. I’ll stop by and see if I see you hanging around.

    • Agile Andy,

      Thanks for the comment. I’m happy to hear that you are a pilot. My dad was a pilot. Our family had a Cessna 172 Skyhawk in the backyard growing up. However, the plane didn’t see many hours in the sky after my mother & father left California and we moved to Minnesota (I was only a few years old at the time). Unfortunately, he sold it when I was around 16, but I did fly in it a lot when I was quite young. Don’t remember much, but I’ve heard stories/seen pictures.

      If you do plan on flying your plane down here, make sure you have the correct permissions and paperwork. Mexicans are sticklers when it comes to bureaucracy, and I’m sure they would love a reason to impound, bury in paperwork, and then auction off your plane!!!

      Talk to you soon, Andy, and I hope you enjoy your trip!!!

      Rufus

  2. Hello, so I was sitting at the pool today in Playa Del Carmen and an old war plane went zipping by. The sound of it was thunderous & impressive, which got me wondering…I would love to go flying along the coast in it. So is that a private owner out of the Playa Del Carmen airport or a tour company? Is it something I could pay to do? Would you happen to know? Thanks

    • Beneficent Brian,

      I’m not sure about the airplane. As a matter of fact, I think I heard something from inside my apartment like you described today. Maybe it was the same plane. I thought it was one of the construction workers driving like a maniac on a local back road.

      In any case, I have neither seen an old military-style plane flying around the city, nor have I heard of any tour like this.

      However, I do know that because of the proximity to Cuba, the coast here is heavily watched by the military. What you saw may have been a modern-day military aircraft – Mexican style!

      If I hear of any sort of opportunities like this, I will let you know. Please do the same! Also, if you get a picture of this crazy aircraft, don’t forget to send me a copy!

      Take care,

      Rufus

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