Playa del Carmen is a great option for a chilled-out Mexican vacation. Its location in the middle of the Riviera Maya is wonderful not only for access to great beaches but also for all the incredible day trips it offers the curious visitor.  Let’s take a look at how to create your perfect 5 days in Playa del Carmen itinerary. 

Of course, if you’re going to be in the area longer than 5 days then there is more than enough to keep you entertained, too.

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When is the Best Time to Visit Playa del Carmen?

🔆 Nov – April is the dry season

☔️ May – Oct is the hot and rainy season when you can expect regular short sharp showers. Towards the end of this period it’s also possible to see storms and hurricanes although they’re not common

💲💲 High season is December – April (including spring break)

⭐️ Why not aim for a trip between April/May when high season is ending but the rains haven’t set in yet and the temperature hasn’t yet soared

Celebrations to be Aware of

📌 Día de los Muertos – End of October – Early November

📌 Christmas – 25th Dec

📌 Carnaval – generally in February but every town has slightly different dates

📌 Spring Break  – variable but March / April generally

📌 Semana Santa (Holy Week, around Easter) – variable but March / April (Mexicans don’t tend to be super religious around Semana Santa. They like to head to the beach to chill out)

📌 Día de la Independencía – 16/17 September

Where to Stay in Playa del Carmen

For many, a trip to Playa del Carmen means sitting in an inclusive resort sipping cocktails by a tranquil pool. Of course, this is absolutely possible (and fabulous), but don’t forget that there are plenty of awesome non all-inclusive hotels in in Playa del Carmen too. Some of our trips to the area have been to all-inclusives but we’ve also stayed in rented apartments and regular hotels too. Use this interactive map to find your perfect hotel.

Whether you’re looking for adults only, the hotel with the best water park, or even an apartment in the residential Playacar, you’ll find everything ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

What do with 5 Days in Playa del Carmen

📌 If you aren’t planning on sitting by the pool and not moving, or merrily wandering between beach clubs, there’s really a great deal to see in Playa del Carmen and the surrounding areas.

🚗 If you want to see something of the region, then the ideal is renting a car and driving yourself around. You could, of course, rely on taxi drivers, tours or the ADO bus too but the easiest is definitely having your own rental car. 

The idea with this itinerary is that I’ve provided 5 days worth of activities and you do them in the order that works best for you. Some people like to take a day or so to acclimatise by chilling on the beach or by the pool while others prefer to throw themselves straight into the activities. Whichever type of traveller you are, this mix and match itinerary will work for you.

➡️ If you’re visiting Playa del Carmen with kids, be sure to check my article about kid friendly activities in the area

​Arrival Day!

Once your luggage is safely stored in your hotel room, why not head out to explore Playa del Carmen and get the lie of the land.

⭐️ One of the most wonderful things about Playa del Carmen is how walkable it is. You will most likely be able to walk from your hotel to 5th Avenue (the heart of the downtown area) and the beaches.

🏝 Head to the beach to see how delicious that gorgeous white sand feels between your toes as you walk towards the perfect Caribbean turquoise waters.

Take it easy today, don’t plan to do anything but meander, stop off for a drink at a beach bar, grab a taco (or three) at El Fogon and chill. Your holiday activities really start tomorrow.

Day 1: Playa del Carmen Day

After a relaxing breakfast either in your hotel or at any one of the plethora of excellent restaurant options in downtown Playa del Carmen, head to the beach to sunbathe, read a book, enjoy a dip in the ocean.

Breakfast Suggestions

🍓🥭 Healthy – Healthy & Fresh

🌮 Mexican – Dona Paula (cheap and cheerful but regularly touted as THE best Mexican restaurant in Playa del Carmen)

🏝 Beach Club Option – Mandarino Beach Club

🏝 As far as beach options go, if your hotel doesn’t have a dedicated beach, I recommend heading down to Calle 88 and Playa Punta Esmeralda and enjoy the atmosphere as you relax here under the palm trees.

⭐️ Mandarino Beach Club is located right here – a day pass gives you use of their pool and sun loungers to really kickstart your vacation.

Afternoon Break from the Sun

Visit the Frida Kahlo museum and check out the local artisanal stores along Fifth Avenue (La Quinta Avenida) – the main street for shopping in Playa del Carmen. Stop off for an ice cream and to watch the Voladores on Parque Fundadores. 

Voladores means the “”flying men” and this is actually thought to be an ancient fertility ritual that has been performed by several groups across Mexico for many centuries. 

Evening Option

🍹 If you’re into beach bars then Coco Bongo is THE most famous and popular spot in Playa del Carmen. 

🍽 If you’re more into good restaurants than bars, check out La Cueva del Chango.

Day 2: Tour Day

On your tour day choose between the idyllic island of Cozumel or swimming with sea turtles from Akumal Bay.

Cozumel

Take the ferry from the port by Parque Fundadores to the gorgeous island of Cozumel to enjoy the wild and free beaches there. Cozumel town is one of four pueblos magicos in Quintana Roo and there are some great restaurants to explore.

🐠 The Mesoamerican Reef sits just off the coast of Playa del Carmen meaning this region has some of the best scuba diving opportunities in the world. 

🤿 If you’re a diver you’ll have some great dive options here including drift dive opportunities.

If you’re not a diver, you can take a glass bottom boat or even a submarine over the coral reefs from Cozumel. 

📍 Don’t forget to check out the ruins on the island before you leave. 

Note: Cozumel may just be a short trip across the water from Playa del Carmen but it can be choppy. Take sea sickness meds if you’re prone. 

⭐️ Check out the incredible tour options to Cozumel from Playa del Carmen ⭐️

Swimming with Sea Turtles in Akumal

Take a tour (or drive yourself) to Akumal Bay to snorkel with sea turtles. 

If you’re driving yourself to Akumal, after parking, find yourself a registered and approved tour guide (because yes, you really must have someone guide you in the water if you want to be ethical about swimming with these magnificent creatures). 

➡️ Read more about swimming with sea turtles in Akumal

​Lunch in Akumal – There are restaurants on the beach that are a great option for lunch and a relaxing chelada (spicy beer) or if you don’t feel like eating here, across the road in Akumal pueblo there are also decent choices. 

😎 After lunch, carry on down the road a little way to Yal Kú Laguna, an incredible spot to relax some more and have a swim in a lagoon or nip into Dos Ojos cenote for a swim in one of the incredible cenotes that dot the Yucatán Peninsula.

By the time you get home to Playa del Carmen after this magical day you’re going to be ready for a margarita on the beach.

⭐️ Check out the awesome tour options from Playa del Carmen to swim with sea turtles in Akumal ⭐️

Day 3: Playa del Carmen

​📍 Take a food tour of Playa del Carmen 

📍 Visit the three small Maya ruins in Playa del Carmen as a pre-cursor to your trip to the most famous Mayan ruin of all time on day 4. 

⭐️ Check out the food tour options in Playa del Carmen ⭐️

Day 4: Chichén Itzá Day

You really can’t come to the Yucatán Peninsula and not visit Chichén Itzá, that would be madness. Not only is it a modern wonder of the world but it’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s crowded and busy for a good reason: it’s magnificent.

Chichén Itzá sits at #1 on my list of the top 10 best ruins to visit on the Yucatán Peninsula. Do you want to see what else makes the list?

📌 The famous Mayan pyramid is known in Spanish as “El Castillo” and this is the first thing you see upon entering the site. Do take the time to explore the rest of the site though as the ball courts are amazing to see and there are even two cenotes on site that you should try to find. 

Chichén Itzá is located in the small town of Piste, just outside Valladolid in Yucatán State. It’s around a 2 hr drive from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itzá along the well maintained toll roads.

🚗 If you’re driving yourself then I recommend starting out as early as you can because beating the tour buses is always a good idea. The site will be quieter, with fewer crowds that way. If you’re there at the same time as the crowds though, it will be fine. Chichén Itzá is amazing no matter what. The site is huge, there’s plenty of space for everyone. 

⭐️ Most people, whether on tours or self-driving, like to combine Chichén Itzá with a cenote and a stop in Valladolid.

Lunch options around Chichén Itzá

I recommend either having lunch in a local restaurant in Piste, heading to a cenote such as Yokdzonot where you can also have lunch, or having lunch in Valladolid.

Day 5 Final Day 

This could be either a chill out day or a final tour day depending on how active you feel. 

Activity options

Rio Secreto – take a guided swimming tour through a magical underground river system (photo above)

Day trip to Tulum to see the ruins

Cenote Day trip – self drive or a tour (read more about cenotes here)

Adventure Park such as Xcaret to go wild on water slides and zip lines.

​Leaving Day

Don’t cry too hard, please. You’ll make me sad too now that your 5 days in Playa del Carmen have come to an end. If you vacation is over then it’s time to head back to Cancun Airport, handily located just over an hour away from Playa del Carmen.

➡️ Book your airport transfers now

If you’re moving on to another location, then that’s exciting and let’s keep talking!

Where Can you go from Playa del Carmen?

➡️ South to Bacalar and then inland to Calakmul and Campeche on the other side of the peninsula

​➡️ Inland to get to know the colonial cities of Merida or Valladolid, the incredible array of cenotes and Mayan ruins in Yucatán before heading to the gorgeous and gentle beaches of Yucatán. 

The good news is that you can always come back!