Playa Del Carmen Mexico Map
…so you don’t get lost here…
Years and years ago my parents took me on a vacation to Mexico.
I was just a kid, and we were in a rental car.
My parents were arguing over directions.
They had this massive fold-out map, and I could see that they had it upside down.
Then you should have seen them try to fold it back up and squash it into the tiny plastic wallet.
What a disaster!
They couldn’t even find the name of the place we were going.
How things have changed! We now have Google maps!
Check it out below.
But a map is nothing if you don’t recognize any of the names on it.
So while you’re scrolling through the Playa Del Carmen Mexico map, I’m going talk you through what you can find.
Center Of The Playa Del Carmen Mexico Map
Playa Del Carmen is small.
You can see a small built-up area surrounded by jungle and ocean.
Most of the city is laid out in a grid formation. (Believe me when I say that this is uncommon in Mexico; most things are very haphazard here.)
This makes it easy if you’re not a map reading genius.
Avenues run north to south and streets (calles in local Spanish) run east to west.
The highway splits everything in two.
The area west (on the left) of the highway is a residential area called Ejido.
It’s like the suburbs.
You’ll find houses and some shopping centers.
The center of Playa Del Carmen is concentrated on the area between 30th Ave and 5th Ave.
5th Ave is sometime hard to see on the map – it’s the one that’s closest to the beach.
The main tourist area is between the Cozumel ferry dock at Calle 1 Sur and the end of the resorts around Calle 34 Nte.
It’s gets busier the closer you get to the beach.
5th Ave is where you’ll find loads of shops, bars, restaurants, and cute little hotels to stay in.
North of Calle 34 Nte, the resorts thin out, and it’s up here that you’ll find the best and quietest beaches.
It’s where I like to go to get away from everything.
An area I really love is on the south west edge of Playa Del Carmen’s center.
Along Calle 4 Nte and Calle 2 Nte you’ll find loads of authentic local bars and restaurants, particularly as you get away from the beach.
Southwest Of The Playa Del Carmen Mexico Map
South of the ferry port is an area called Playacar.
It’s an exclusive tourist resort area weaving around a golf course.
First comes the gated villas.
If you have a group of friends it’s great value to stay here.
Further south are all the all inclusive and 5-star resorts.
Keep scrolling south – it’s so much easier than having to refold a map! Next comes the tropical theme park Xcaret.
It’s Mexico’s version of Disneyland with enough cool stuff and entertainment to keep you going for a few days.
Also here is Xplor.
This is good for an adventurous day out zip-lining and swimming in caves.
Further south is Puerto Aventuras.
Come here if you’re a celebrity or have loads of spare $$$.
Continue south and you reach Akumal.
Come here for snorkeling with turtles!
As you keep scrolling south along the ocean you’ll eventually come to Tulum.
This has one of the best beaches in the world and the closest Mayan ruins to Playa Del Carmen.
Directly East Of Playa Del Carmen
Scroll to the right and you’ll see a massive island.
It’s a tropical paradise called Cozumel.
If you’re a woman who wants to get pregnant then you should visit one of the temples on this island.
It’s where the Mayans would go and leave sacrifices if they wanted a baby – kind of like a Mayan fertility clinic.
If you don’t want a baby then you can visit Cozumel for glorious beaches, swimming with manta rays, and great restaurants on the beach.
Most people go as a day trip from Playa Del Carmen.
You just take the 45-minute ferry journey from the ferry dock you see on the map.
North East On The Playa Del Carmen Mexico Map
Head north from Playa Del Carmen and you won’t find many things signposted on the map.
I think the best Playa Del Carmen beaches are in this area.
They’re always deserted, and if you’ve got wheels then make sure you take a trip up along this coastline.
This north east strip does have its share of golf courses.
Apparently that’s what some tourists choose over seeing the Mayan ruins.
North east from Playa Del Carmen is Cancun and the Cancun airport.
You can really see how the tourist strip of Cancun that’s out in the ocean is separated from the downtown area.
I prefer Playa Del Carmen because there is much more of a mix between locals and tourists.
Between Cancun and Playa Del Carmen is Puerto Morelos.
It’s a really chilled old Mexican town that makes a great day trip.
West Of The Playa Del Carmen Mexico Map
If you zoom out from the map you’ll see that there isn’t much to the west of Playa Del Carmen.
On the map it just looks like a big empty space.
But if you switch to the satellite you’ll see that it’s an immense area of jungle.
Most of the action around Playa Del Carmen lies on the main coastal highway.
But who used to live in the jungle? The Mayans!
Go west on the Playa Del Carmen Mexico map and you’ll find some of the famous Mayan ruins.
Follow the map west past Valladolid and to a small town called Piste.
It’s here that you’ll find the most popular tourist attraction in Mexico – Chichen Itza.
To give you an idea of distance, a journey to Chichen Itza will take 2.5 to 3 hours.
In a similar area, this time a little north of Valladolid, you will find some less visited Mayan ruins called Ek Balam.
These are much less touristy and you’re able to climb the pyramids.
Anything Else About The Playa Del Carmen Mexico Map
I hope this helps give you some reference points for your trip to Playa Del Carmen.
I’m just stoked that I could work out how to put a map on my website!
It’s a lot easier than those old school efforts we used to get tangled up with.
I love looking at the map, as it gets me excited about all the different places to visit.
And I’ve already visited most of them!!!
I hope it has inspired you!
Lots of love,
Rufus
It’s your turn. Is there anything you would like to add to this map? Leave a suggestion in the comments section below!
