Playa del Carmen. Worth it?

Mrs CA and I have a trip booked at a resort down there, and we’re thinking about maybe renting a charter for a day and getting out on the water.
Should we? Any recommendations?


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For just getting out on the water, you can grab the ferry to Cozumel. If you want to snorkel or fish, there are plenty of charters and tours to choose from.

The snorkeling is amazing down there. We used to go to Akumal each spring, but have stopped as the small fishing village is now over run with day trippers and a new resort.

Consider walking to Half Moon Bay instead of Akumal Bay to snorkel. It’s much quieter and still not bad.
Here’s some info - https://www.solmayarentals.com/snork...bay-akumal.asp

Yal Ku Lagoon is nice if you get there early and leave early. It can get very crowded.

Many of the cenotes have become private and now charge to park and swim.

The Mayan ruins at Coba and Muyil are not as crowded as Tulum or Chichen Itza.

Don’t be afraid to explore. We found the locals very open to visitors, if you are polite and appreciative.

PDC does have some areas that are not best for tourists, but certainly not like Jamaica, DR, etc.

(Sorry no fishing beta) Ahhh.. Playa. I was down there regularly for about 5 straight years, a decade plus, ago.
Loved the place until the cruise ships actually made it a port of call which briefly ruined it until some hurricane came through and the ships didn’t stop there anymore, (or for a length of time). I’m sure they’ve come back, but hope not. Totally ruined the vibe.
I did fish there a time or two, but it was with one of those locals with the boats on the beach and we hand lined.
Playa was the perfect mix of luxury for the girlfriend, but with a bit of dirty Mexico, funky little town.

Hate to hear Akumal has been over run. Very cool snorkeling, and there was a very cool Cenote in the vicinity where you could see the outlet bubbling up in the ocean.

Sorry to hijack...but how safe is the place now? I always thought it was somewhat removed from the cartel scene, but I saw reports of some bad shit happening down there in the last few years.

My uncle goes down there and seems to enjoy it but he typically just stays at the resort!

Sure, why not?

I take it you don't fly fish? If so, I could recommend some things.

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Originally Posted by plugboots

Sure, why not?

I take it you don't fly fish? If so, I could recommend some things.

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I’m open for such info!

Well what do want to know? There's good fly fishing in the lagoon North of Cancun, (with a guide or 2), there's some guides that run out of Cozumel, and there are guides that will pick you up in Playa, (I'm sure, since they will do pick-ups in Cancun), and take you down S. past Tulum to fish Ascension Bay. Then, of course, there are the lodges/guides out of Punta Allen for Ascension Bay. You can google this, but I've fished out of 2 places in/near Punta Allen. Then there's Holbox for tarpon.

Also, if you're going after June, head north and snorkel with whale sharks. That would be a better way to spend some time on the water.

Went there with the wife a couple of years ago. There's plenty to enjoy about a place that is sand and sea. But the beaches have way more to offer. Some shores are lined with black or pink sand instead of white. Some spots have shipwrecks, stunning rock formations, or wild pigs who share the water with tourists.

We had a great time over there.

So the wifey and I decided on a short tour with a group that the resort recommended.
Easy trip. Shuttle picked us up at the front desk and dropped us at the marina where we met with our guides. One other couple in the boat, and they turned out to be also from Alberta.
Water was rough, day before was black flagged. Mostly bottom fishing. Wifey put a patch on the night before and didn’t get sea sick. We caught a few fish, had some fun, and she has decided that she would like to do that again.

Which brings me to the reason I wanted to go out on a touron fishing trip. I wanted to see how my wife would do on a boat. I’ve been wanting to go back out and do a salmon charter off Haida Gwai again, and I’d like to take my wife. But if she couldn’t handle open water when it’s 30* put, there is no way she would do it when it’s 7*.
I mentioned this to her on our way back to the resort, and she agreed that it would be fun. Mission accomplished.


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