Krissy Sedivy of Wanderlust Duo knows a thing or two about traveling. Here are her must-read Playa del Carmen tips for those heading to the Mexican beach paradise.
The better half of Wanderlust Duo, Krissy Sedivy, has become de facto coordination expert for all things travel during their adventures… Krissy has developed a real knack for traveling on a budget by finding the cheapest or free airfares and locating the most comfortable accommodations for the buck, all while keeping the bumps and bruises to a minimum. Her Playa del Carmen tips are guaranteed to help your trip go smoothly.
Krissy’s Playa del Carmen Tips:
1. Buy the big water.
When traveling to the beach towns of Mexico, expect afternoon temps in the pleasantly warm to stifling hot range. Add the spicy local foods, salty ocean water, and prerequisite tequila shots, and you’ll need to drink lots and lots of water. Do yourself a favor and grab one of the giant, five-gallon jugs of water from a grocery or convenience store when you arrive. Although the giant jug is very heavy to carry, the same price as a large water bottle, and you’re gonna need it. You can thank me later! 🙂
2. Watch where you walk.
With construction project popping up on every block, Playa del Carmen seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. Infrastructure updates must be still on the way because many of the sidewalks are broken, uneven, or all-together non-existant. Who wants scuffed flip flops? Keep an eye out for that cracked concrete!
3. Check Out Beach Club Lido.
If being pampered for an afternoon on the beach is your thing, you can’t miss Lido Beach Club. Friendly servers, great food, cheap beer buckets, with no extra charge for the beach chairs? Winner, winner.
4. Eat on the south end of 10th Avenida.
Quinta Avenida or 5th Avenue is the popular pedestrian street spanning the length of Playa del Carmen’s beach. It can range from busy to overcrowded, depending on the time of day. In turn, restaurants are notably more expensive with slower service than some of the lovely establishments one block west on 10th Avenue. If you want cheap, authentic Mexican food, start at 10th Avenue and 1st Street.
5. When paying in cash, use pesos instead of dollars.
The exchange rate is currently about 18.6 pesos to 1 dollar. Just about everyone in Playa will gladly accept dollars, but expect a lousy conversion rate at closer to 10 pesos to the dollar.
6. Use antibacterial vegi-wash.
You may have already heard that drinking the water can make you sick in Mexico. Keep this in mind if you’re planning on cooking, and pick up a cheap bottle of antibacterial vegi-wash at the store. Believe me, this tip could be a vacation-saver!
7. Weather apps are “No Bueno”.
If you think that weather forecasts are poor in the US, weather apps like weather.com might leave you even more frustrated in Mexico. When planning your beach time, use a marine conditions website like Myweather2.com for better accuracy.
8. If visiting Cozumel from Playa del Carmen, purchase one-way ferry tickets instead of round-trip.
There are up to three ferry companies running every day from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel and back. They all take turns, and if you buy a roundtrip ticket, you must wait until the same company is ready for departure. Buy a one-way ticket, and jump on the first ferry available when you’re ready to return.
9. For souvenirs, think “Package Deal”.
In Playa del Carmen a package deal will always get you a better price. The stores generally sell the same tequilas, sombreros, and Mexican rugs. Find one store that has everything you’d like to purchase, and put on your negotiation hat! My experience says to offer 1/3 of the asking price and settle in the middle. Good luck!
10. No alcohol sales after 5pm on Sundays!!!
Possibly the most important of my Playa del Carmen tips? That’s right, make sure to buy your Sunday-night alcoholic beverages before 5pm. You’ve been warned! 😉
