A Week in Playa del Carmen

We spent our first wedding anniversary in Playa del Carmen. We decided that year that it would be our tradition to take a memorable vacation every year to celebrate our anniversary. It was our way of ensuring we carved out time for just us two each year – kind of like an investment in our relationship. The prior year, we spent two glorious weeks in Europe for our wedding and honeymoon so we knew we had to pick a place that we could realistically do in a week and one that was budget friendly for our first anniversary – Playa del Carmen fit the bill. We decided not to stay in an all-inclusive hotel and instead, opted for a boutique hotel in the downtown area. I must say, I’m so glad we made this choice. This gave us an opportunity to really see the area and dine at countless amazing restaurants during our stay.

We planned three big excursions during our stay. First up was a day trip to Tulum. Wow! This place is absolutely stunning. The water is extremely blue and the sand is pristine white. And to top it off, the area is filled with so much history. The Mayan ruins were a sight to see. They were in absolute pristine condition.

Another other big exclusion consisted of a daylong trip to Akumal for lunch and snorkeling with sea turtles, snorkeling Y’all-Ku Lagoon, snorkeling in a cenote, cliff jumping, zip lining and canoeing. We were hosted by a young guy from Mexico City. He was a real treat. He educated us on so many things about the area and he is the one responsible for introducing us to the Michelada which quickly became one of our favorite drinks!

We had the most amazing lunch at a beachfront restaurant call La Beuno Vida in Akumal. We enjoyed fish tacos and of course Micheladas. We also enjoyed snorkeling with sea turtles in the nearby ocean.

We enjoyed snorkeling in Yal-Ku Lagoon. The lagoon is a private piece of property with stunning landscape and amanzing underwater views. It felt like we were swimming around in a natural aquarium.

Lastly, we made our way to the city of Chemuyil to visit The Jungle Place, a spider monkey conservatory. We had so much fun! While I just got my hair pulled, David seemed to be a big hit with girls (we only interacted with female monkeys as the males are too aggressive).

We also did some horseback riding on the beach. This was my first time on a horse realizing a dream I’ve had since I was a kid. Needless to say, I loved it!

We spent the rest of our days hanging out at the beach and enjoying some of the nearby beach clubs. We also had a amazing meals every night along 5th Avenue.