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Mexico - Quintana Roo - Playa del CarmenGeneral Information about Playa del CarmenInformation | Interactive map | Spots | Search Directory | Forecast weather
Playa del Carmen or Playa as it is called by the locals has acquired international fame in the unprecedented short span of just ten years. Until recently, was called Xaman-Ha, it was a meeting point for the Mayans to attend their ceremonial appointment with the goddess Ixchel on the neighboring island of Cozumel, that was a small fishing village. Now Playa del Carmen is the second most important tourist destination in the Mexican Caribbean. The story of Playa mirrors the story of the northern Yucatan. For a very long time, very little happened. Fishing was the business, and few people made their way to the area. Things began to change in the mid 1970s, after the resorts of Cancun opened. More travelers began passing through Playa del Carmen as they made their way down the coast to Tulum or caught the ferry to the nearby island of Cozumel. Those who settled in for a longer stay tended to be backpacker-style vacationers seeking a beach and inexpensive lodging. But in the past decade, tourism along the Yucatan coast (the so-called Riviera Maya) has kicked into a higher gear, and Playa has been one of the biggest areas of growth. Playa del Carmen, magic, eclectic and yet steeped in tradition is the doorway to those who want to enjoy the natural beauty and culture of the Mayan World, explore the region, mingle with its people and discover the parks of the Riviera Maya. Today, the new alternative to traditional tourism is eco-adventure travel that offers everything from walks through exuberant jungles to millenary cenotes (sinkholes) and Mayan villages, cave diving in the underground river system to solitary lagoons, refuge of monkeys and other marvelous wildlife. If you prefer seaworld-ish kind of tourist parks you could visit one of the numerous parks like Dolphin Discovery (View Info), Xel-Ha, Xcaret or Aviario Xaman-Ha (View Info / View Map). Playa del Carmen nowadays is the fastest growing town in Mexico.
Revision 1.03 (Playa del Carmen - Quintana Roo - Mexico) |
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