Fondly referred to as  "playa"

"Playa", as the locals call it, is a beach-side city located on the coast of the Caribbean Sea. Most visitors fly into Cancun airport then transfer to Playa, which is an approximate 40 minute drive.  Playa del Carmen stretches from the beach west to highway 307 and beyond, however the tourist zone is the area along the coast. The ferry docks to Cozumel are located close to the bus station just off of 5th Avenue as well.

5th Avenue [Quinto Avenida] is the main street that runs parallel to the ocean. It's around 500 meters from the water and is known as "Playa del Carmen's Pedestrian Walkway".  Along 5th Avenue you will find numerous stores selling interesting items as well as many restaurants, bars  and hotels. There are clothing stores selling the latest trends from Europe as well as Cuban Cigar and Rum stores. There are banks, money exchanges, pharmacies all over the place. Playa is not that big and everything the vacationer might need is within the tourist zone. In fact, you can walk up 5th Avenue in about 45 minutes and the vibrant atmosphere is reminiscent of a carnival and excellent for people watching. 

At night 5th Avenue comes alive. Couples and friendly groups, all dressed up, head out for dinner and cocktails.  International bohemians walk the strip and many know each other - it's a friendly place. The after hour clubs swing into action after 12:00 and most can be found along the beachfront.

Intersecting with 5th Avenue are streets that all lead to the beachfront.  Along many of these streets are dive-shops, convenience stores, hotels, tour operators, Internet cafes, currency exchanges, and more restaurants.  Off 5th on any of the intersecting streets that head away from the beach, you will begin to find Mexican restaurants as well as numerous Italian cafes.  All the beaches in Playa are open to the public and Playa's beaches are wonderful.  Within a short walk to almost any point on the Playa main beach is a bar/restaurant.  The beaches closest to the ferry docks are the busiest and you have to walk either north or south to find seclusion. Outside the tourist zone the beaches are lined with jungle.

Activities are plentiful, including diving, snorkeling, parasailing, sky-diving and just about anything else you may wish to tackle, Waterparks such as XelHa and Xcarat are nearby as well as XpuHa, a natural protected lagoon renowned for excellent snorkeling.  Numerous Mayan ruins are easily accessible as are trips into the jungle and cenotes (underwater rivers and caverns). Playa offers it all.