Enjoying the rooftop pool, hot tub, and bar at The Reef 28.
LENGTH: 12 Minutes
Edited July 9th, 2020.
This Christmas, instead of exchanging gifts, we decided to spend our money on a trip to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. We knew we wanted to do a short trip and sadly, our Southwest Companion Pass was going to expire at the end of 2019. We decided to visit one of their tropical destinations and we were going to simply pick the best flight deal.
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We were flying round trip out of Jacksonville, Florida, where we were visiting family. We found flights to Cancun for $87 per person (+ 18,000 points total) - an excellent deal that we couldn't pass up. We know people who have been to this area many times and love it, but it was never really on our list. Overall, we enjoyed the warm weather, good vibes, adventure, relaxation, and we're happy that we made it happen!
After flying into Cancun, we got in a taxi and headed straight to Playa Del Carmen - a coastal resort town in Mexico, along the Yucatán Peninsula's Riviera Maya strip of Caribbean shoreline. In the state of Quintana Roo, this area is known for its palm-lined beaches and coral reefs. We spent a total of 4 nights and 5 days exploring the area.
We tried to negotiate our taxi fare a bit and paid 1,072 pesos (equal to $57 USD) one-way to get to Playa del Carmen - about an hour ride. This was the only taxi fare that we had the option to pay with a credit card because it was actually a taxi company and not a private taxi. We had them charge the card in the local currency, pesos, because that's typically the way to ensure there's no scheming going on, as long as you've done your conversions. Also, we used our Chase Sapphire Reserve, which earns 3X on travel and does not charge foreign transaction fees.
Travel Tip: Check the sunrise and sunset times beforehand so you can enjoy the beautiful landscapes in great lighting. You're on an Eastern coastline, so the sun rises out of the ocean and of course there aren't nearly as many people on the beach at sunrise.
Lodging:
Our lodging situation was quite interesting. We were trying to make this a budget-friendly trip, so we first considered a couple nights of Couch Surfing. (Many people have not heard of this and I should probably write a blog about it.) Anyway, we were not having much luck and just decided that since Mexico is fairly inexpensive, we can just find a cheap place and plus, we'd likely be out exploring all day. Another great way to save money is to book a hostel. Hostelworld.com offers a variety of different options to choose from!
AirBnb seemed to have plenty of good options too, but we actually had a gift card for Hotels.com, so we decided to book through there. We ended up booking our first 3 nights at Hotel Majestic Playacar for $48.67 per night and it actually looked pretty nice and included breakfast! On the day before our flight out, I called the hotel to ask about their airport shuttle, only to find out that they did not pass a recent utility inspection due to faulty fire alarms and had to temporarily close down and couldn't house us.
Thankfully, because I booked through Hotels.com, in a situation like this, they will find you a "similar" place to accomodate you and will cover any potential overage in the cost. The rep on the phone looked up 3 new options for us within a short radius. The first option was The Reef Playacar. After a quick search, I realized that all of the options were way nicer and more expensive than our original booking and our initial frustration turned to hope and excitement!
IMPORTANT UPDATE JULY 9th, 2020!
One of our followers on Instagram commented on an old photo from The Reef Playacar with some disturbing information. She apparently had $15,000 STOLEN FROM HER SAFE in her room at The Reef Playacar.
She said their room had air conditioning issues and that people were in and out often trying to fix it for a couple days. Apparently there are no cameras in the hallways here and only in a few common areas. The administration is not sharing any of the information about the investigation and have not been very understanding and unapologetic which leads her to believe they are trying to possibly cover for their people and hope she will forget about it.
Apparently the Ministry of Tourism called this customer and told her that in February there was a similar incident at the Reef 28 location where money was stolen from a safe.
We are not sure what exactly to make of all of this, especially considering we had a great visit at BOTH of these locations, but we felt it was important to share this information as we would hate to recommend a place and have something terrible like this happen.
Also, it's a good reminder to keep your valuables close, try and carry little cash and keep your wits about you.
We said The Reef Playacar would be great and she booked it for us for 3 nights for our initial payment of $145.95! A $700 value! Then, when we arrived, we were told our room had a leak and that they would actually send us to their sister property, (The Reef 28), in downtown Playa del Carmen for our first 2 nights. Because of this inconvenience, they offered to upgrade us to the all-inclusive package, so we were happy! Bottom line, just roll with the punches, hope for the best, and make the best!
The Reef 28 - The upscale, 120-room Reef 28 is a hip adults-only hotel with an optional all-inclusive package for food and drinks. It's located just a few minutes' walk from the beach and popular 5th Avenue. Our favorite things were the rooftop pool, hot tub, and bar!
Jenna during sunset enjoying the rooftop pool.
The Reef Playacar Resort and Spa - From the moment you arrive at The Reef Playacar, you’ll see why they're one of the best family-friendly, all-inclusive resorts in Playa del Carmen. It is nestled among brilliant gardens, trees, and waterfalls in an exclusive gated community with a beautiful private beach.
Hotel Club Yebo - Located downtown, only 100 yards from the beach in Playa del Carmen, this modern hotel features a pool, kitchenettes and is close to the city's popular 5th Avenue. It is great for travelers seeking, exploration, relaxation, romance or exciting family fun.
Airport & Taxis
When leaving the Cancun International Airport you have options to Taxi, Bus, or Shuttle to Hotel or AirBnb. Travel Tip: Get enough cash out for your taxi rides (some of the taxi companies at the airport take card, but the private taxis are cash only) and don't forget that some fares are negotiable. In the towns, there are many fare charts and you can check exactly what a ride should cost.
Water Activities:
Beaches - There are a few points in the city at which you are able to access the beach if you aren't staying in a hotel with private beach access. From the north end of Playa del Carmen, there is CTM near Canibal Royal Beach Club and The Elements. Right down from the BRIC offices on Calle 38, there is a nice stretch of beach to spread the blanket on.
Mamitas Beach Club at Calle 28 offers beach beds and lounge chairs for rent and includes pool access. Lido Beach Club is located near Calle 12 and offers a perfect beach vibe with good food and music. Zenzi is another amazing ocean front beach club and bar that features live music throughout the day and into the night.
Sunset on the beach at The Reef Playacar.
Swimming with Sea Turtles in Akumal - This tranquil bay is protected by a portion of the Mesoamerican Reef System, where sea turtles, stingrays, a variety of coral and reef fish make their home. Before going, we read this very helpful blog.
This was actually one of our least favorite experiences on our trip and honestly, we could have gone without it, but let me explain. The two primary reasons that we could've gone without, are that we don't like the feeling of potentially being taken advantage of and the water was very cloudy.
We made it onto the beach around 10 a.m. (a bit later than we wanted) after paying $5 per person to access the beach through the Dive Shop. Legally, this is a public beach, but unfortunately there's no way to access it for free because they've built businesses around it to charge access fees. We did have valuables on us though, and our access fee did get us a locker, bathrooms and showers, so we were cool with it.
We have our own snorkel gear, and did not want to pay to have a "guide" lead us, so we just swam out on our own and were eventually forced to turn around because we didn't have a life jacket (which I find to be silly considering it's calm water and we can swim just fine). But I will say that a life jacket will make it slightly easier to stay more parallel to the ocean floor so you don't stir up the sandy bottom.
We did see one massive turtle, but I felt like I was invading it's space because I had to be very close to see it in the cloudy water. Below is a raw, unedited image of the beautiful creature and then below that is the same image, with a lot of editing for fun. These are frames from a video I took with my GoPro Hero 7 Black.
Unedited frame from a video.
And here's the cropped and edited photo to try and make it look decent.
Now, had we come here very early and paid to rent a life-jacket and/or for a guide to lead us out, maybe this would've been a more positive experience, but after our amazing FREE experience in Curacao, we're a bit spoiled with high standards now. If we were there longer, I potentially would've considered returning earlier in the morning and trying again, potentially with a guide, or at least a life jacket.
Enjoying one of our last nights in Playa Del Carmen,
Cenotes - Definition: a deep natural well or sinkhole, especially in Central America, formed by the collapse of surface limestone that exposes groundwater underneath, and sometimes used by the ancient Mayans for sacrificial offerings. Creepy, I know, but they're really neat!
If crowds aren't your thing, you may want to go early and some are much more popular than others. They're quite cold though, and underground, so midday would make sense for sunlight and temperature.
Anyway, an hour or two should be plenty of time to explore, snorkel and jump from modest stone ledges into the refreshing waters. We went to Cenote Calavera, in Tulum, and it cost about $5 USD.
Jeremy backflipping into Cenote Calavera.
Jumping into one of the smaller holes. So fun!
Our taxi driver dropped us off at around 2:15 and because it's not right there in town, we actually had him come back to pick us up at 3:30. Chances are, a taxi would've eventually driven by, but we felt better asking him to come back for us and thankfully, he did.
These are some of the top cenotes in Playa Del Carmen:
- Cenote Eden
- Cenote Cristalino
- Cenote Calavera
Swimming around in the cenote with our Seavenger goggles. We brought our own snorkel gear for this trip and we used Seavenger. They have the best snorkel goggles and flippers! We highly recommend them. Check them out here!
Puerto Morelos - Puerto Morelos, a peaceful village on the Mayan Riviera, is a place to experience the genuine Yucatan. Puerto Morelos makes an excellent base if you’re looking for someplace quieter than glitzy hotspots like Cancun and Playa del Carmen. It's a great spot to go snorkel along the Mesoamerican Reef - the 2nd largest barrier reef behind The Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Puerto Morelos from the air with my DJI Mavic Air.
Snorkeling here was actually quite last minute and maybe a bit of a gamble because it was on the same day we flew home. We woke up that morning, packed up, checked out of our hotel in Playa del Carmen, and took a taxi to Puerto Morelos.
We had the driver drop us off right by the pier and we happened to be right in front of Seven Days Snorkeling. We met the friendly tour outfitter, Feliciano, and he agreed to keep our luggage safe in his little outpost while we snorkeling.
We paid 1000 pesos total (about $53 USD) to take a boat ride out to the reef and snorkel for about an hour, which was plenty. Being that this was in December, we actually were a bit cold after a half hour in the water, but it was still great and we would do it again!
Look at the sun rays beaming down on these Bone Fish!
Top Photo: Blue Striped Grunt Fish. Bottom Left: Bubble Tip Anemone. Bottom Right: Conch Shell
Puerto Morelos Pier from the air with my DJI Mavic Air.
This picture was taken on the dock after we got done snorkeling. Can you see the marks our goggles left on our faces? LOL
Things To Do:
Selvatica - The word Selvatica means jungle. The Adventure Tribe Amusement Park includes zip lining, atving, cenotes, and snorkeling. There are certain tour packages you can choose from and we chose the "Off Road Polaris". You can also plant seeds that grow into trees!!
We chose to drive a polaris around the jungle as it splashed us with mud.
Tulum Ruins- They open from 8-5. It is a massive property with temples and buildings and has a private beach. Bring suits/snorkel gear, bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and water. You'll need about an hour for the ruins and 1 hour for swimming. You have three options to visit Tulum: Rent a car and drive, ride in the colectivo (a Mexican minibus popular with locals) or join a tour. Each has its own advantages. Start early and get there before the midday heat. Travel Tip: Don’t go on Sunday because it's free for Mexican citizens and is overcrowded.
Night Shows - Simply spend the evening in Playa Del Carmen watching the Mayan dancers perform along the streets of 5th Ave.
People Watching - Head to 5th street and find a nice shady spot to sit back and watch all the different types of people go by.
This was after we were people watching in downtown.
Bike Riding - Rent bikes and give yourself a tour around town.
Safety:
A lot of people ask; "Is Mexico safe?" In our experience, we felt safe our entire trip. There are police officers all over the place. We rarely traveled anywhere late at night. We used common sense, made specific plans, always had charged phones, and did not feel uncomfortable in the slightest. We were always in fairly touristed areas, so that is all we can speak on, but it was great.
We loved taking sunset strolls along the beach.
Restaurants:
Click here for ways you can volunteer in Mexico.
Adios, Mexico!
Playa Del Carmen is a beautiful, quiet vacation paradise that has now become the #1 destination in Mexico. We hope you enjoyed our blog post about Playa Del Carmen and enjoy your travels!
Sitting in our hotel lobby of The Reef 28!
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