Playa Del Carmen Clubs
…some places that will bring out your wild side…
I’m usually like, “I didn’t just move to Mexico to get drunk out of my mind and dance until 6am.”
Nobody ever seems to ask about the beaches, the Mayan pyramids, the cool activities, or even the funky bars.
They just want to know where you can party and where you can find the hottest women.
I never even used to hit the clubs when I was living in the States (that’s because they’re not very good, Rufus…)
But in Playa Del Carmen, I seem to end up in a club almost every other night.
There is just so much to choose from.
So here’s the rundown on Playa Del Carmen clubs.
The List
➊ Coco Bongo – Vegas-style Madness
➋ Mandala – Upscale Hotties
➌ Coco Maya – Beach Babes
➍ Palazzo – Has a cool name
➎ La Santanera – Eclectic Mix of Everything
➏ Blue Parrot – Beach Swings and Fond Memories
➐ Mezcalinna – Dance, Dance, Dance
➑ Fusion – Typical Club Vibe
Playa Del Carmen Clubs Map
Here is a map that will give you an idea of how close and convenient all these clubs are:
Where Are The Best Playa Del Carmen Clubs?
Playa Del Carmen has a nightclub area on 12th Street.
This is where you’ll find loads of places that stay open until the small hours of the morning.
Most people start the night on 5th Avenue and then follow the noise or the crowds to the clubs later on.
However, there is also another club area on 10th Street that is more my style. You will not only find several clubs, but also some kick-ass bars whose crowds always spill out onto the street as it gets later and later.
There are also some great options right on the beach as well as some clubs that are tucked away and for the ‘in the know’ cool crowd.
Really, you need to explore on your own. However, both 10th street and 12th street are great places to start. Remember: both of them started late at night, so don’t expect huge crowds at the bar until 11 p.m.!
Dress Code, Rules, Costs, Style: Tell Me More About Playa Del Carmen Clubs
In regard to style, Playa Del Carmen is a pretty chilled place.
You don’t need to get overly dressed up, and you certainly don’t need to bring your best shiny shoes.
Just wear whatever your comfortable in.
Comfort is king here.
However, some of the clubs have a very cool vibe, and you can see that people are wearing some pretty expensive threads.
Technically you need to be 18.
But as long as you don’t look like a baby-faced school kid, you won’t likely get carded.
Cover charges really vary on what night it is.
You can enter many clubs for free.
However, many of them put on special nights with certain DJs –and charge entrance.
When you do pay it’s generally not more than $10 USD (with the exception of Coco Bongo, but drinks are included in the cover).
Drinks in the clubs are usually pricier than in the Playa Del Carmen bars, but they’re not over the top, especially if you stick to local spirits and don’t order premium imported brands.
Get On With It And Tell Me About The Best 8 Playa Del Carmen Clubs!
I like a bit of everything, so I tend to cruise around different clubs.
However, most people can look at this list and immediately see a club that’s made for them.
Playa Del Carmen Club 1: Coco Bongo
The biggest and most famous Playa Del Carmen club, Coco Bongo, is usually packed every weekend.
It’s huge, and offers great visuals and effects like confetti streamers and movie clips being played around the club.
They also put on shows (many are Vegas-style shows) and have different dance floors offering a little bit of everything.
You can’t really go wrong with Coco Bongo, although it gets a little OTT and monotonous if you go too many times.
Particularly as the cover charge includes all your drinks – great if you’re there all night, not so good if you just pop in for an hour.
Coco Bongo Phone Number / Contact Info / Etc:
👤 Contact Person: ALWAYS ASK FOR A MGR – AND GET HIS/HER NAME – IF RESERVING FOR A LARGE GROUP!
📞 Phone Number(s):
📱 MX Number: +52 (984) 803-5939 ✆ – CLICK TO CALL ON MOBILE
📱 MX Toll Free (if in MX): +52 01 (800) 841-4636 ✆ – CLICK TO CALL ON MOBILE
🌎 Website: www.cocobongo.com.mx/en
✉️ Email: cocoplaya@cocobongo.com.mx
👥 Facebook: www.facebook.com/cocobongoshow
⏰ Hours: Varies by season. CALL FOR YOUR TRAVEL DATE INFO!!!
💰 Prices: REGULAR TICKET: Monday – Thursday: $60 USD, Friday & Saturday: $65 USD; GOLD TICKET: Monday – Thursday: $125 USD, Friday & Saturday: $145 USD
📍 Location: Corner of 10th Avenue and 12th Street
Playa Del Carmen Club 2: Mandala Club
There’s a cosmopolitan crowd, and you can mix it up by chilling on the mezzanine or partying to dance hits.
Mandala is probably Playa Del Carmen’s best looking club, although it doesn’t offer anything unique when it comes to music.
Mandala Phone Number / Contact Info / Etc:
👤 Contact Person: ALWAYS ASK FOR A MGR – AND GET HIS/HER NAME – IF RESERVING FOR A LARGE GROUP!
📞 Phone Number(s):
📱 MX Number: +52 (998) 883-3333 ext 138 ✆ – CLICK TO CALL ON MOBILE
🌎 Website: www.mandalanightclub.com
✉️ Email: reservasonline@grupomandala.com.mx
👥 Facebook: www.facebook.com/MandalaPlaya
⏰ Hours: EVERY DAY 9:30 PM – 5:30 AM!!!
💰 Prices: 100 peso cover. Drink prices reasonable for club prices. Drink prices vary tremendously by type of drink.
📍 Location: Very near 1st Avenue & 12th Street – Club District. Hard to miss.
Playa Del Carmen Club 3: Coco Maya
Bang on the beach this is a place for some serious all-night partying.
It’s attracted some world renowned DJs and acts, and there is little better than partying with your feet in the sand.
Check the line ups because Coco Maya isn’t pumping every night.
Still, if you hit it on the right night it can be the highlight of your vacation.
Coco Maya Beach & Night Club Phone Number / Contact Info / Etc:
👤 Contact Person: ALWAYS ASK FOR A MGR – AND GET HIS/HER NAME – IF RESERVING FOR A LARGE GROUP!
📞 Phone Number(s):
📱 MX Number: +52 (984) 803-5687 ✆ – CLICK TO CALL ON MOBILE
🌎 Website: www.cocomayaplaya.com
✉️ Email: info@cocomayaplaya.com
👥 Facebook: www.facebook.com/CocoMayaNightClub
⏰ Hours: EVERY DAY 9AM – 6PM & 8PM – 6AM (closes for two hours in evening and reopens at 8PM)
💰 Prices: NO COVER. Good drink prices. Reasonable service & reasonable prices throughout.
📍 Location: Beach & 12th Street – Club District. Directly across from Blue Parrot Beach Club. Ask anyone in the area for directions.
Playa Del Carmen Club 4: Palazzo
Pumping tunes? – Check.
Loads of hot women on the dance floor? – Check.
Cheapish drinks? – Check.
Palazzo doesn’t do anything special, but it does all the basics you could need from a nightclub.
Always a good choice if you’re not sure where to go.
Palazzo Night Club Phone Number / Contact Info / Etc:
👤 Contact Person: ALWAYS ASK FOR A MGR – AND GET HIS/HER NAME – IF RESERVING FOR A LARGE GROUP!
📞 Phone Number(s):
📱 MX Number: +52 (984) 106-2269 ✆ – CLICK TO CALL ON MOBILE
🌎 Website: www.palazzodisco.com/playa-del-carmen
✉️ Email: UNKNOWN – UNKNOWN@palazzodisco.com
👥 Facebook: www.facebook.com/PalazzoDisco
⏰ Hours: ONLY Thursday – Saturday Nights 10:30PM – 6AM
💰 Prices: Usually 100 pesos cover, but sometimes more depending on entertainment. Fairly expensive drink prices. Exciting environment.
📍 Location: 1st Avenue & 12th Street – Club District.
Playa Del Carmen Club 5: La Santanera
A more elite and exclusive venue (although everyone is allowed in), La Santanera is where some seriously hot women hang out.
Chill in the lounge on the top floor or head for the light shows and the packed dance floor.
Around the bar there are some small VIP areas with beds and curtains.
However, you need a few $$$ to gain access to them.
They have different DJs every night, ensuring the atmosphere and music stays fresh.
La Santanera Night Club Phone Number / Contact Info / Etc:
👤 Contact Person: Ask for manager…
📞 Phone Number(s):
📱 MX Number: +52 (984) 803-2856 ✆ – CLICK TO CALL ON MOBILE
🌎 Website: http://lasantanera.com
✉️ Email: info@lasantanera.com
👥 Facebook: www.facebook.com/lasantanera
⏰ Hours: 10:PM – 6:AM Tuesday – Sunday; OPEN ON MONDAY DURING HIGH SEASON ONLY
💰 Prices: No cover until midnight; 200 pesos after midnight
📍 Location: On 10th Street, between 5th Avenue & 10th Avenue
Playa Del Carmen Club 6: Blue Parrot
It was named “one of the best ten bars in the world” by Newsweek Magazine in 1998, and the location is stunning.
You couldn’t have a dance floor much closer to the Caribbean waters.
The music policy is a bit mixed.
Sometimes it’s underground DJs and electronic house, while other times it’s the big party hits from the last few decades.
Blue Parrot Beach Club Phone Number / Info:
👤 Contact Person: Andy (owner)
📞 Phone Number(s):
📱 MX Number: +52 (984) 206-3350 ✆ – CLICK TO CALL ON MOBILE
🌎 Website: http://www.blueparrotplaya.com
✉️ Email: andy@theblueparrotplaya.com
👥 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueParrotPlaya/
⏰ Hours: Seasonal; call for details
💰 Prices: Slightly higher than typical 12th street prices because of beach location. BUT…runs daily and weekly specials to draw partygoers. Check website/Facebook page for details.
📍 Location: On 12th Street and the beach
Playa Del Carmen Club 7: Mezcalinna
Obviously this place offers lots of different mescals by the bottle.
Which gets you really hammered.
While many Playa Del Carmen clubs follow a tested formula, Mescalina offers something different, including a bass-heavy dance music soundtrack.
Most people have a great time here.
Some people love it that much that they spend every night here.
Dance, drink, dance, drink, dance, drink…there’s not much to Mezcalinna but it works!
La Mezcalinna Phone Number / Contact Info / Etc:
👤 Contact Person: NA
📞 Phone Number(s):
📱 MX Number: +52 (984) 803-1101 ✆ – CLICK TO CALL ON MOBILE
🌎 Website: http://www.lamezcalinna.com
✉️ Email: EMAIL UNKNOWN & UNLISTED ON BOTH FACEBOOK PAGE AND WEBSITE
👥 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaMezcalinna/
⏰ Hours: OPEN EVERYDAY (Monday – Sunday), 9:PM – 4:AM
💰 Prices: CALL FOR DETAILS; Changes daily and dependent on season and nearby events
📍 Location: On Corner 12th Street and 1st Avenue
Playa Del Carmen Club 8: Fusion
A change of pace now as Fusion is more for live bands playing salsa, rock, and traditional music.
Famed for its converts and performances it’s a good place for a night out with your other half, rather than getting lucky with a random chick.
Fusion Beach Bar/Grill & Hotel Phone Number / Contact Info / Etc:
👤 Contact Person: Mgmt changes frequently in cities like Playa
📞 Phone Number(s):
📱 MX Number: +52 (984) 873-0374 ✆ – CLICK TO CALL ON MOBILE
🌎 Website: DON’T HAVE WEBSITE!!!
✉️ Email: amigosfusion@gmail.com
👥 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FusionHotelMexico/
⏰ Hours: Thursday to Saturday – 8:AM – 2:AM; Sunday to Wednesday – 8:AM – 1:AM
💰 Prices: Reasonable For Beach Location
📍 Location: On Corner 6th Street and the Beach
What About Other Playa Del Carmen Clubs?
Of course there are far more than these.
Brahma is another big club, but I find it gets pretty cheesy, and they rip you off at the entrance and the bar.
Some of the upmarket hotels also have exclusive clubs with live bands, like Canibal Royal Beach Club and Wicky’s Beach Club.
What I’m trying to say is that there is loads of choice!
Probably the best nights out are had by just taking an open mind and heading into any bar / club that takes your fancy.
So go out and enjoy the Playa Del Carmen clubs!
I will see you at one of them soon…
Lots of love,
Rufus
It’s your turn. Do you have any information or advice about the club scene here? Please leave it in the comments section below!
Hey Rufus, I love the website! I’m using it to find out information for my upcoming wedding.
I have a question for you. My younger sister is going to be one of my bridesmaids. She is 17 years old and I read the drinking age is 18 in Playa Del Carmen.
Do you think she will be able to get into the clubs in Playa Del Carmen, or do you think she’ll get carded and won’t be able to drink with us?
Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Maggie
Magical Maggie,
First of all, thanks for the comment, and congratulations on your decision to have your wedding here in Playa Del Carmen! There are a lot of weddings here every year. I’m sure you will have a great time exploring the city with your sister and the rest of the wedding party. You’ll find lots of opportunities for entertainment around every corner in Playa Del Carmen – especially in the clubs here!
In regard to your sister getting into the Playa Del Carmen clubs, you should not have any problem at all. While the legal drinking age in all of Mexico is 18, it is rarely enforced (unless someone looks very, very young). There is an old saying in Mexico that goes something like this, “If you are big enough to sit upright on a stool at the bar, you’re old enough to order a drink.” Consequently, I don’t think she’ll have any problems. I’ve never seen anyone get carded here.
Moreover, if she did get carded and one club wouldn’t let her in, there are many others that she could try getting into. The competition between clubs is fierce here, so most of them ALWAYS want more patrons. Obviously this works to your advantage because they would NEVER turn down a large group!
On the other hand, even if she does happen to get carded at the door of a club, they may still allow her in with the provision that she doesn’t drink while inside. If this is the case, the rest of you could just sneak her drinks because nobody really cares who is drinking in a Mexican club!
Finally, and for lack of a better way to describe it, getting married in Playa Del Carmen is not cheap and carries a sort of prestige with it. Thus, if your sister is with a wedding party, the club will automatically assume that she is going to be good customer and spend a lot of money. Again, this would work to your benefit because they would likely assume the same about your entire group and all the money they will lose if they turn her away.
Most importantly, I would not worry about it whatsoever. If she doesn’t get into one club, she will get into another one. I promise!
Again, congratulations on your upcoming wedding, and don’t forget to send me some photographs so that I can add them to the wedding section of this website!
I hope to see you in your wedding gown soon, and if any of the groomsmen don’t show, drop me a line and I’ll break out the tux and bowtie!!!
Lots of love,
Rufus
Are the clubs safe for tourists ?
John,
Should not have a problem at any of the clubs. It’s been pretty quiet here lately, but that is because there was a shooting about 5 miles out of town. The news says that the shooting happened here in Playa Del Carmen–psrtially true. However, the truth is that it happened in an area of town where virtually zero tourists go and that I labeled as a no-go zone three years ago.
Don’t believe the hype. Come here. Go to the clubs. Enjoy your visit.
Hope to see you here soon…
Take care,
Rufus
Thanks for the info Rufus!
You are welcome, John. Hope to see you at one of the clubs in Playa Del Carmen soon…..
Rufus
Hi Rufus,
my daughter is getting married there next year and wants everyone to go out to a club after… guesstimating about 40 people. Where is the best place for a wedding to go out to still in their wedding attire?
Mechelle,
Congratulations on deciding to have your wedding in Playa Del Carmen! It sounds like there are going to be quite a few people attending the wedding, so it should be a lot of fun with everyone getting together in Paradise!
In regards to your question about which club would be best to accommodate your wedding party, there are several different clubs in downtown Playa Del Carmen I would recommend.
First of all, because your wedding party is fairly large, you are going to need a club that is reasonably good-sized.
Second of all, if you do decide that you don’t like a particular club, it would be great for you to have the option to move from one club to another.
Considering both of these situations, I would recommend that you go down to 12th Street (Calle 12). 12th Street is where all of the large Playa Del Carmen clubs reside. You will have a choice between several different clubs, and they all are big enough to service your entire group. If you want to see where this is on a map, click on the following link.
Playa Del Carmen Club Area Pin
This will take you to he pinpointed area where you can choose which club do you want to visit. I think there around 4 on the corner.
Finally, because you are a large group, you have a lot of buying power. I would strongly recommend that you organize with the club’s beforehand so that you can purchase your drinks at a discounted price and also receive a discount on admission.
If you would like, I know of someone who has wonderful connections with the Playa Del Carmen clubs and can get you packages and big discounts for your group. Feel free to contact me if you so desire.
I hope this helps, and I hope your wedding turns out incredibly well!
Lots of love,
Rufus
I’ll be heading to Playa del Carmen in early July for 5 days and I have heard it has a European feel as alot of Europeans spend their holidays there. I like to wear thongs while at the beach and soak in the sun and wondered if it will be okay for me. Plan on spending a day or so possibly at Mamitas Beach club.
Steve,
I would not recommend wearing thongs unless you are a female. Even though it’s legal, you may have an encounter with the police.
Rufus
Hola Rufus! What are your thoughts on Playa Del Carmens situation as we slowly approach the winter season? Are clubs opening up, and do you think it will be worth visiting in Oct-Dec this year given the current situation (assuming things don’t change much)?
Joseph,
The clubs are open now. Things are going to be a little bit slower than normal until this coronavirus completely blows over. However, you can still have a wonderful time while you’re here in town.
I think the people that you will meet while you are traveling towards the end of this year are a little bit more hardcore than the normal tourist. So there are multiple ways that you can look at it.
Bring the party yourself and if you happen to meet other people who are into parting, so be it. I think you will find that there are a lot of people like you who want to have fun and our sick and tired of staying home despite the risks of traveling.
Let me know how it goes, and if I’m in town, I’ll go out with you for a beer!
Rufus