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[renriq]

Hello everyone!
First off, this is a very informative and fun site to be in. Thank you.
My wife and I are heading to Playa Del Carmen on July 30th. We can't wait. We are staying at the Riu Playacar. We have decided not to do any major tours (Tulum, Xcaret, and such). We just want to lie on the beach and get to know Playa for the 5 days and 4 nights we will be there. Pretty much taking it easy and having fun is our goal.
Any comments and/or suggestions are welcomed.

[Dallas91]

Welcome to the Forum!
The area has FANTASTIC beaches so you will have a great time just Veggin' on the beach.

[KevKaos]

Originally Posted by renriq

Hello everyone!
First off, this is a very informative and fun site to be in. Thank you.
My wife and I are heading to Playa Del Carmen on July 30th. We can't wait. We are staying at the Riu Playacar. We have decided not to do any major tours (Tulum, Xcaret, and such). We just want to lie on the beach and get to know Playa for the 5 days and 4 nights we will be there. Pretty much taking it easy and having fun is our goal.
Any comments and/or suggestions are welcomed.

You don't have to do a major tour to check out Tulum though. We left by taxi at about 8:30 in the morning and got there by 9:00am (but we were closer than you will be). We hired a private guide for about $35 dollars. Entrance was something like $4.50USD per person, the under 12 kid was free and paid $3USD to take in the video camera. Spent about two hours on site including the tour which was VERY informative. We were back to the resort for lunch. Just a thought in case you wanted to try Tulum. Either way, welcome to the forum.

[Dallas91]

Originally Posted by renriq

Hello everyone!
First off, this is a very informative and fun site to be in. Thank you.
My wife and I are heading to Playa Del Carmen on July 30th. We can't wait. We are staying at the Riu Playacar. We have decided not to do any major tours (Tulum, Xcaret, and such). We just want to lie on the beach and get to know Playa for the 5 days and 4 nights we will be there. Pretty much taking it easy and having fun is our goal.
Any comments and/or suggestions are welcomed.

Well, since you did solicit comments/suggestions........
One trip to 5th Avenue while you are there to sample some local cuisine or grab a drink would be worthwhile. Would not take up much of your day and is worth the trip.
KevKaos' recommendation regarding Tulum is another good one. Let's you see some great culture without putting much of a dent in your beach/lounge time. The wife and I were of a similar opinion that we wanted to spend majority of the time ON THE BEACH. So, we scheduled 1 Tour and 2 trips to 5th ave (6 full days in Playa) and we managed to have Plenty of beach time.
Most important thing is to do YOUR thing and enjoy your vacation.

[purpleprincesTX]

Well hello fellow Texan! Welcome to the forum. You'll love it, like the rest of us.

Please take a minute to click here and vote for TX!

[KevKaos]

Originally Posted by Dallas91

Well, since you did solicit comments/suggestions........
One trip to 5th Avenue while you are there to sample some local cuisine or grab a drink would be worthwhile. Would not take up much of your day and is worth the trip.
KevKaos' recommendation regarding Tulum is another good one. Let's you see some great culture without putting much of a dent in your beach/lounge time. The wife and I were of a similar opinion that we wanted to spend majority of the time ON THE BEACH. So, we scheduled 1 Tour and 2 trips to 5th ave (6 full days in Playa) and we managed to have Plenty of beach time.
Most important thing is to do YOUR thing and enjoy your vacation.

Let's see, on this past trip (7 nights), we did a snorkle tour (1st time I got to see the sea turtles), one night on 5th ave (including Playapalooza '06 at the TQ), a dolphin swin at Puerto Aventorus and the afore mentioned half day trip to Tulum. We still had LOADS of beach and pool time. Even went sailing a few times. I have one recommendation, and I am sure that some people will disagree with me on this. I would try to go to Tulum before going to Chichen Itza. Don't get me wrong, Tulum ruins were fantastic, but they are not as ornate as Chichen Itza. They explained to us that was because the Mayans were somewhat in their decline when Tulum was built which was something like 600 years later (I may be wrong on those years though).

Side note on the Tulum trip. If you are a Coke-Cola freak like me and love nothing more than a really cold Coke when its hot, have no fear. There is a tiny little shop in the side of the building where you buy your tickets to enter Tulum ruins. They had really COLD Cokes for I think $10pesos. Also, do make sure that if you have a video camera, you do not leave the ticket window until you have the video camera pass in hand. We didn't do that even though we told the clerk that we had the camera. We got to the next gate, and couldn't get in without the pass so I had to run back to the window. When I got back, a bunch of busses had let their tours out and there was a long, long slow moving line. The clerk at the other window would not even listen and pointed me to the next window. I found a nice english speaking familiy that agreed to get the pass for me as they got their tickets. While waiting with them, one of the tour guides heard us talking and since his partner was at the front of the line getting their groups tickets, got me my video pass. Thank you Tour Guide if you are out there.

[Nerak936]

Although your plan to laze on the beach sounds fabulous, I would highly recommend that you do the Tulum & Beyond Tour with Playa.Info. It's a full day, but you'll get to see and tour Tulum (with a very knowledgeable guide, swim in two different cenotes, and also enjoy a wonderful lunch on a GORGEOUS beach in the Tulum area. While hanging on the beach for a week sounds great, you might get a little stir-crazy (I know I would), so booking this tour for sometime during your week would be a nice way to break up the week.

The Playa.Info tours are GREAT. Small groups and a really good time!!!

[Dallas91]

Originally Posted by Nerak936

Although your plan to laze on the beach sounds fabulous, I would highly recommend that you do the Tulum & Beyond Tour with Playa.Info. It's a full day, but you'll get to see and tour Tulum (with a very knowledgeable guide, swim in two different cenotes, and also enjoy a wonderful lunch on a GORGEOUS beach in the Tulum area. While hanging on the beach for a week sounds great, you might get a little stir-crazy (I know I would), so booking this tour for sometime during your week would be a nice way to break up the week.

The Playa.Info tours are GREAT. Small groups and a really good time!!!

That's why it's a "to each his own" thing. With only 4 days, I wouldn't want to anything more than half a day. A full day trip would be pushing it. I am a beach slug. Just put me under a palapa where I can drink a Sol and venture out into the sun every hour or so. I can literally do that all day and be content. But, since we had a visit that was a little longer, we did have time to do Chichen Itza which was an ALL DAY thing (13 hours round trip). Glad I did it, but also glad we only did 1 full day excursion.

I should note though, to Neraks' suggestion, that tour gets Rave reviews.

[Nerak936]

Originally Posted by Dallas91

That's why it's a "to each his own" thing. With only 4 days, I wouldn't want to anything more than half a day. A full day trip would be pushing it. I am a beach slug. Just put me under a palapa where I can drink a Sol and venture out into the sun every hour or so. I can literally do that all day and be content. But, since we had a visit that was a little longer, we did have time to do Chichen Itza which was an ALL DAY thing (13 hours round trip). Glad I did it, but also glad we only did 1 full day excursion.

I should note though, to Neraks' suggestion, that tour gets Rave reviews.

I didn't read the initial post closely enough - didn't know it was just 5 days/4 nights.

But.... I still think that even though the Tulum & Beyond Tour is a full day, it's a truly wonderful day! (David and I did it in February 2005, so I am talking from first-hand experience.) We enjoyed it even though we'd both been to Tulum before (it was my 3rd time there, David's 2nd), and getting to swim/snorkel in the cenotes was such a treat. The beach where they set up lunch for you is absolutely gorgeous. There were maybe 12 of us altogether, and even the van was fun - beer/soda/snacks - never went hungry and had lots of laughs. To be able to sit back and relax and not worry about renting a car or how to get from Point A to Point B made it a wonderfully fun and relaxing day for us. Mitch is a wonderful tour guide, making everyone feel welcome and in the mood for a good time. We never felt rushed. We spent just enough time at each destination, including that gorgeous beach.

[KevKaos]

Originally Posted by Nerak936

Mitch is a wonderful tour guide, making everyone feel welcome and in the mood for a good time. We never felt rushed. We spent just enough time at each destination, including that gorgeous beach.

Never been on a tour with Mitch, but I did meet him at Playapalooza '06 and he was one of the nicest guys I have ever met.

[renriq]

Thanks to everyone for the comments and suggestions. We are looking forward to getting to know Playa so I ordered a map from Can Do maps from www.cancunmap.com of Playa Del Carmen. I read that it is a handy and informative tool.

My wife Carmen and I are really looking forward to this trip. We just went to pick up the papers from the travel agent.


Can't wait.
Raul & Carmen

[Nerak936]

Originally Posted by renriq

My wife Carmen and I are really looking forward to this trip. We just went to pick up the papers from the travel agent.

Can't wait.
Raul & Carmen

It just seems so much more REAL when you get the "goods" from the TA, doesn't it??!!! Hope you have a wonderful time, renriq!!!

This time I only have e-mail docs for our trip. Seems strange..... but that's the way of the world these days!!

[renriq]

You are so right, Nerak.

It seems like times are a-changing indeed. I did notice that we only got less than a page and a half of information and instructions on where to go and what to do. No plane tickets. A few years ago, we took a carnival cruise and we had an envelope full of tickets and vouchers.

Oh well...less paper work to deal with.

[Nerak936]

Originally Posted by renriq

You are so right, Nerak.

It seems like times are a-changing indeed. I did notice that we only got less than a page and a half of information and instructions on where to go and what to do. No plane tickets. A few years ago, we took a carnival cruise and we had an envelope full of tickets and vouchers.

Oh well...less paper work to deal with.

Odds are that before next Saturday morning arrives, I'll have one of those nightmares where we're at Logan Airport and some uniformed airline person is telling me, "NO! You can't go to Playa!! You have NO tickets!!! Go home!!"

But we've gone this route before (no paperwork), and all was fine. But you're never entirely sure until the lady behind the counter finds your name in the computer and hands you your boarding passes!!