I absolutely love planning a vacation. Reading blogs on the top things to do, best hotels to stay at and restaurants to dine in, and then going there to make my own little reviews.
After reading up about Cancun and learning that it doesn’t really portray the ‘real’ Mexico, plus the fact that it’s mostly lined with generic all-inclusive resorts, I ruled out going there completely. I stayed at an all-inclusive resort in Cuba several years ago and will never do it again! Feeling obligated to dine in your hotel 3 times a day seems to defeat the point of discovering somewhere new.
I read so many great reviews of Cancun’s cute neighbouring town, Playa del Carmen, so we decided to start our vacation there for a few days. It didn’t disappoint! It used to be a quaint little fishing village within the Riviera Maya, and no doubt it has still kept its charm.
We stayed at a very modern, chic hotel called Hotel Deseo. Think all white, minimalistic decor with a happening rooftop-bar and lounge area that pumped out lounge/house music until the small hours of the morning.
This all surrounds an inviting pool with black & white movies projected on a large wall behind it. The set-up is very cool without being pretentious. (I definitely wouldn’t stay here if you’re seeking a quiet, relaxing holiday. The music was loud and the rooms weren’t sound-proof, pretty much a hotel within a bar/club!) I absolutely loved it though, as I wasn’t exactly planning on sleeping much :).
View from our room..
The first night we arrived, feeling hungry, tired and looking forward to some real Mexican food, we headed to the well known restaurant called Yaxcha for dinner (8th street, between 5th and 10th avenue).
It serves traditional Mayan cuisine which was new to both of us. They have some pretty interesting food on the menu – I had grilled Ixchel shrimps covered in crispy coconut and guajill adobe pepper, served with yucca roots and coconut sauce, with apple and banana. Kind of like my main meal and dessert all in one!
Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day, so I already new exactly where I wanted to go the next morning to kick-start our first day exploring :).
I found a great blog from a girl who lives in Playa del Carmen. She had a perfect list of breakfast spots to check out, so from her recommendations we headed to a wonderful beach club called Indigo Beach (between 14th street and the beach), just minutes from our hotel.
It’s right on the beach, chairs sunken in the soft sand, sea-breeze brushing past our skin…the ideal breakfast setting! I loved how they had a selection of healthy foods too at their mini buffet, with unlimited fresh fruit juices, healthy nuts, breads and fruits to choose from.
Other great breakfast options are La Cueva del Chango (38th street near 5th avenue) and Chez Celine (34th street and 5th avenue).
One of the best nights out we had was also steps away from our hotel, I just loved being right in the middle of the buzzing nightlife. And how all the bars and restaurants are outdoors. There are some fabulous, upscale and modern places to dine in along the main street, 5th avenue.
We joked how we’ve turned in to tequila snobs having had 3 hours straight of drinking the finest tequila in a sophisticated, retro bar called Diablito Cha Cha Cha (12th street). Our barman made our night, pouring one glass after another, teaching us the age and name of each type as he went along (Añejo was our favourite). It was brilliant!
Feeling more than just a little buzzed, we only had to walk a few metres across the street to an open-air club, with people dancing the night away like there was no tomorrow.
The best night of all had to be spent on the beach at Zenzi, a great beach club lounge. We spent the night chatting for hours and hours, exchanging stories while drinking some seriously good cosmos.
Other popular spots are Blue Parrot (12th street. on the beach off 5th avenue), for a bit of salsa there’s Mambocafé (6th street between 10th and 5th avenue) or La Santanera for all night dancing.
Since we had rented a car, it was so easy and convenient to take day trips. We spent one full day in Tulum and another on the island of Cozumel.
Tulum is a so peaceful and picturesque. Visiting the ruins here is a must, as they’re uniquely located next to the ocean on a cliff edge. The ruins are scattered on a large green plateau, with huge iguanas sneaking around basking in the sun which I found pretty entertaining. The whole place felt so tranquil.
On the last day we went on a dive trip to Cozumel Island. I really didn’t expect it to be so incredible. The water was just so clear, bright blue and warm – perfect diving conditions. The visibility was just fantastic!
The ferry from Playa del Carmen to the island leaves every hour and was exactly on time which is always a relief. After a 30 min boat trip and a short walk to the dive shop, we got all our gear and hopped on another small dive boat to our dive site.
The currents are pretty strong here which adds to the excitement, although it was the pass-through’s that really wowed me. We swam through narrow cracks and mini passages through large walls of coral, passing huge lobsters along the way.
I must admit the sea-life wasn’t as impressive as for example the Red Sea or Great Barrier Reef, however the pass-through’s were a great new experience.
I don’t know about you, but something about diving seriously gives me an appetite! To top off a great day, we satisfied our stomachs with a seafood meal at a lovely restaurant overlooking the ocean. We had octopus and sea bass. Delicious!
Four days definitely wasn’t long enough in Playa del Carmen, there’s so many more dive spots and cenotes I would have loved to visit. However we had a flight to catch to Seattle which I was super excited about. All about that coming soon! 🙂
The cuisine your first day sounds absolutely mouthwatering.
The dishes were so interesting! Savoury and sweet mixed together 🙂
Great post! And thanks for the Follow. I look to seeing more stories of your travels
Hey Veronica! Love your blog & thanks so much for the little shoutout…I’m so glad you loved Indigo. It’s seriously a little slice of heaven! Hope your travels are treating you well 🙂 xx
Hi Cassie! No problem I love your blog too! Thank you and happy travels 🙂 xx