I went to Playa del Carmen on a business trip. Yes those things happen in real life, like the medical conferences in Mauritius. Since I had never been to Mexico before, I decided to arrive a few days earlier to explore the area. I wasn’t sure what to expect since resort cities are not my typical destination choice. However, I dreamed to discover the archeological treasures of Yucatan.

The ride from Cancun’s airport already gives you an idea of the intense touristic activity of the region: all you can see along the highway is an endless succession of massive hotels, the famous “Riviera Maya”. I had chosen to stay in the city centre of Playa del Carmen and my hotel La Semilla turned out to the best surprise of this trip ! You can read here my full review of this lovely little boutique B&B.

The neighbourhood around the hotel is nice and quiet, but also very close to Playa del Carmen’s main street: la Quinta Avenida or according to me “Hell Avenue”. Walking along that street was one of the worst tourist hassle experience I ever had. You cannot take one step without being asked to eat in a restaurant / enter a shop / take a taxi / book a tour / buy a souvenir… it just never ends !

It is hard to believe that Playa del Carmen once was a peaceful fisherman’s village. I personaly found the town quite tacky and unpleasant. The beach was pretty but not as much as on the postcards, however the Caribbean Sea is really warm ! The weather in September was hot and humid with a mix of sun and frequent showers.

At night I decided to give the town another try and took the other side of the Quinta Avenida which looked much quieter. At first I thought it was a nice walk far away from the crowd and noise.. but I ended up having one of my biggest travel scare after being followed by three guys in a deserted street ! After a quick meal I came back to my hotel quite frustrated by this first day.

Hopefully the following morning I had booked a tour to Chichen Itza, which was the moment I truly was waiting for. Since I didn’t have a lot of time and I don’t drive, I booked an organized tour on Viator. I rarery use this type of coach excursions and this reminded me of why. First of all a lot of time is lost for hotel pick up at several Playa del Carmen’s locations, and then even more to drive to Cancun where you join the main group. Then, it is the beginning of a very long coach ride during which the guide will try to sell you a Mayan calendar customised with your birth date or a bottle of tequila with your picture on it. Of course the trip wouldn’t be complete without a compulsory stop to a giant souvenir shop full of made in China Mayan artefacts. That giant sombrero was tempting but didn’t fit my suitcase !

By late morning we finally arrived at the first site of interest of the day, the Ikil Cenote. Cenotes are natural pits filled with water and there are thousands of them all around the Yucatan Peninsula. Bring on your bathing suit and towel because the best part of the Cenote is that you can swim in it! It is a beautiful experience, especially when you look up to see the light illuminating the water and the lianas dangling from the ceiling.

The lunch took place in a nearby restaurant or rather a tourist factory serving very basic food. The meal was followed by a “folkloric show” where women and children dance carrying beer bottles on their head. I felt almost uncomfortable having to watch this.

At last, we reached the archeological site of Chichen Itza, a large pre-Columbian city built by the Maya people. The highlight of the place is the iconic Kukulcan Pyramid. Kukulcan is a Mayan god also known as the “Feathered Serpent”. Twice a year, he manifests himself during an incredible light phenomenon which takes place on the March and September equinoxes. The body of a snake, created by the shadow of the sun, appears on the pyramid. It places itself perfectly to connect with the head of the animal which is carved into the stone. It was a complete coincidence, but I visited on the day of the Automnal equinox. Unfortunately the sky was too cloudy so it didn’t work, apparently the weather conditions are much better in March. Nevertheless, learning about this story and waiting for Kukulcan was truly magic !

There was thunder in the air which added to the eerie atmosphere. It reminded me of that episode of Tintin , where the hero is saved by a sun eclipse which appears just at the right time and scares off the Incas, another people which worshipped the sun. The Mayan mythology and history are fascinating. Just thinking of the level of knowledge in astronomy and architecture they had reached is astonishing… so much that some even believe they were in connection with extra-terrestrials who shared with them some alien technologies. If you want to hear more about those theories (or have a good laugh) I suggest you the show Ancient Aliens, it is one of my guilty pleasures…

After our guided tour, we took the road back towards Cancun, with a quick stop in Valladolid. This colonial city has a beautiful cathedral, however we got only a glance of it in 15 minutes… Definitely too short but we still had a long way to go, and everybody was freezing because of the air conditioned in the coach (bring a sweater !). We arrived late at night and still had to be transferred back to Playa del Carmen… where I was more than happy to find my bed !

I absolutly recommend Chichen Itza, it is a must see that should be on every traveller’s bucket list. But if you have the time and the possibility to do it on your own by renting a car or taking a regular bus line, I’m sure you will enjoy it even more.

About Playa del Carmen, I guess it really depends of what you are looking for. If you are a group of friends who wish to go the beach and party then go for it. But if you are a solo traveller looking for a more authentic adventure, then it may not be your cup of tea. However it can be a convenient base to explore the area. I will probably come back this year for the same event, and there are a lot of other places in Yucatan which I am curious to discover such as Tulum, Cozumel, Coba, Merida… Viva Mexico !