Playa del Carmen (Southern Mexico)

Playa del Carmen is a mid-sized beach town about an hour south of Cancun on the Yucatan peninsula in Southern Mexico.

Playa del Carmen beach

Night life in Playa del Carmen

While I recommend the all-inclusive hotels outside of Playa del Carmen for staying, this town is nevertheless nice for a visit. One of its advantages is a brimming night life.

The main street of Playa del Carmen

The famous Coco Bongo disco is located in Cancun and Playa del Carmen. It is a bit on the expensive side – about $70 to get in. However, it provides world-class entertainment that “puts Las Vegas nightlife to shame,” as CNN put it. This club is known for its concerts of high-quality look-alike cover bands for famous artists like Guns’n Roses.

Restaurant tips

In Playa del Carmen, the food prizes vary greatly from one restaurant to the next. On the main tourist street that runs parallel to the beach, it is not uncommon to see $30 or even $40 for a normal meal.

On my last visit to Playa, someone recommended me a fish restaurant where the locals like to eat. It is called Taraya and is located right on the beach (2. Calle North). This restaurant has some of the best fish you will ever eat and is actually quite cheap.

Taraya Restaurant

I got this 350g fish (Filet Taraya-style) for just 90 pesos, which is about $8:

Taraya-Style Fish

Good and cheap laundry services

During long trips, you also need to laundry from time to time. The laundry services are also much cheaper in Playa del Carmen than at any of the hotels. I paid $3 for 2kg of laundry and it was done for me within a day. The hotels overcharge their laundry services, asking as much as $3 for just one piece of clothing.

The Caribbean sea at Playa del Carmen