Just arrived and wondering what safe and fun things to do in Playa del Carmen. I got you covered. Tourism is important here and so the government is being very strict on the protocols businesses have to adhere to if they want to open and serve the public.
On this list of fun things you can do in Playa del Carmen, Mexico right now, I’ve listed activities with the least risk and recommended companies I trust with your safety.
Quick Tip: I highly recommend booking all of your Mexico transportation with GottoGo. You can search for buses, shuttles, ferries, and Flights on their website. What I love most about them is their customer service. I know these guys personally from living in Guatemala, and they look after their customers.
If anything happens and you get delayed and miss your bus, you can just call them, and they are always there to help. If you book through them, you will pay a little more than booking in person at the bus station. But it’s worth it for the ease and security. Click here to search for transportation in Mexico.
Visit a Cenote
The beaches may be closed, but the cenotes are not! They have a 30% capacity but there are lots of options to choose from so if one is full you can just try another. If you don’t have a car then your best bet is to hop on a colectivo towards Tulum and stop at one of the cenotes on the way.
But honestly, I wouldn’t be getting on a collectivo right now unless I had to. I took one form Cancun to Playa del Carmen a few weeks ago and there wasn’t much social distancing going on, plus the AC isn’t great and you will have to be in the mask the whole time.
Instead, call my friend Vanessa and rent a car from Turismo Channel, tell her I sent you and she will give you a good price. If there are a few of you going it really won’t be expensive. She also has an amazing tour to visit 5 Cenotes and a secret beach if you prefer to book on a full-day tour and make the most of your time.
Hit play on the video below to see some of the tour highlights.
The best way to contact Vanessa to rent a car or book on the 5 cenotes tour is via WhatsApp, just click this link and make sure you tell her I have referred you for a special Claire’s Itchy Feet price.
If you do rent a car then you have way more options so maybe consider Puerto Morelos.
QUICK TIP: Book your tours, rental cars, and transfers through my local contacts
I’ve been working with Living Dreams Mexico for years and they are who I send all my family and friends to when they visit the Riviera Maya. I really can recommend them enough for private tours and experiences. They have solid 5* reviews on Trip Advisor and Google from almost 4000 reviewers! You can view all their tours here.
If you’re looking for private airport transfers and rental cars then Vanessa and Oliver from Turismo Channel are personal friends of mine and I can 100% recommend them to make an inquiry click here and complete the form. Someone will be in touch within 24 hours.
Go to one of the Xcaret Parks
Visiting the parks is still high on my list of things to do in The Riviera Maya right now, especially as once inside you can be pretty free to enjoy your day. They are also at 30% capacity so no waiting around or big crowds now is the perfect time to go!
They had to do a lot of work to be able to open again and you can read about the safety measures here. They also have some great offers on right now so you can get your all-inclusive ticket even cheaper. It’s also easy to social distance, just go with a group and stay together.
And that make things even easier, you can stay at Hotel Xcaret Arte and get all-inclusive access to all of the Xcaret parks.
Here are some links to the current Xcaret park offers.
Get your 15% discount booking online.
Get your SUP on with Aloha Paddle Boarding Club
This is one of the most fun, and of course, safe things to do in Playa del Carmen is stand-up paddle boarding with Aloha. I mean really, what can be more fun than stand-up paddleboarding in the Caribbean sea? What I love about Aloha is you can enjoy a session as a tourist or if you are a local person then you can join their club and get incredible discounts on SUP in Playa del Carmen if you go regularly. It works out cheaper than a guy membership and it’s way more fun, and far easier to social distance!
The most popular session is always the sunrise session, so if you want to go for sunrise you need to book in advance, especially during the high season.
Go Horseback riding in Playa del Carmen
I did this recently and I loved it! I went riding with Tsimin Ha it was a 20-minute car ride outside Playa and they can pick you up, so no need to worry about that. There are a few different places for horseriding in Playa del carmen, but this one is one of my favorites. They were very professional and we were even given an earpiece and a safety cap to wear. Before we went horseback riding in the jungle they made sure we knew what we were doing on the horses, a first for me, normally they just get you up there and away you go.
After being cooped up for months in quarantine I can’t even tell you how nice it was to get on a horse and go riding through the jungle. Social distancing is easy here so it’s a pretty low-risk activity!
Get a Day Pass to one of the all-inclusive resorts in Cancun
Don’t let the closed beaches put you off, just get a day pass for one of the big resorts. You can then use the pool, access their beach, plus eat and drink as much as you can for the day. Right now I’ve seen day passes for Cancun for as low as $600 MX which is about $30 USD, normally you can’t get a day pass for less than $100 USD!
Take a trip to Isla Mujeres
Another one of the amazing day trips from Playa del Carmen I’ve had recently was sailing on a private Yacht from Cancun to Isla Mujeres. It was dreamy, and thanks to the 30% occupancy rule plenty of space for laying about and posing for Instagram photos haha.
I did a trip with Tribeca Viajes (Facebook) and once we arrived at Isla Mujeres they took us to Hotel Beló Isla Mujeres day club. We got to spend time hanging by their rooftop infinity pool before eating some food and then coming back. Highly recommend the tour, or staying at the hotel for a few nights!
If you are interested in this tour then contact Vanessa Via WhatsApp remembering to tell her I sent you for a special Claire’s Itchy Feet discount! Alternatively, fill in the form below and someone will get back to you within 24 hours.
Go Diving in Cozumel
Another great activity you can do during COVID in Playa el Carmen is scuba diving, although I don’t recommend diving in Playa del Carmen, instead head over to Cozumel, where the diving is way better!
ScubaTony is the company I recommend and I know they have been working super hard to keep divers safe. The boat capacity s 4 (unless you are a group in which case it can be 6) so you can keep your distance from other divers, and if you are renting equipment from them they include the price of the mouthpiece in the cost, and this you can keep. Once you are under the water you are probably in one of the safest places you can be right now.
If you are looking for somewhere to stay in Cozumel check out these deals
Go Cenote Diving Playa del Carmen
If you don’t want to make the trip from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel, then consider diving in a cenote instead. I recommend diving with Koox in Playa del Carmen or Tulum, they also have discounts right now on most of their diving tours.
Snorkeling in Puerto Morelos
Last but not least, head to Puerto Morelos for the day. The beach there is open and snorkel tours are running. Get there early and get breakfast at El Nicho then book a spot on a boat with lighthouse tours. Once you are back on dry land head over to My Paradise beach club and chill there for the rest of the day. I have a full guide to Puerto Morelos you can read here. You can book a private snorkel and cenote tour to Puerto Morelos with Living Dreams Mexico from Playa del Carmen if you prefer to have everything arranged for you.
Did You Get Travel Insurance Yet?
The Insurance companies I recommend are Hey Mondo, Safety Wing, and Travel Insurance Master
Hey Mondo is great if you are looking for a great value flexible policy. They offer single-trip cover, annual multi-trip cover, and long-term travel cover. Safety Wing is great value, with monthly coverage starting at $39. It’s super easy to use, and it just renews each month. I currently use them as they offer me free cover for my son as part of my policy. I also use Travel Insurance Master for short trips.
Read my full travel insurance post here, where I go into detail about all companies.
Interested in booking a private tour to Puerto Morelos?
Fill out the form below and someone will get back to you within 24 hours.
As more things start to open up here in Playa del Carmen, I’m sure I’ll think of more things to add to this list. Have fun and most importantly, stay safe!
Looking for somewhere to stay in Playa del Carmen?
Also, I wrote a whole guide to Accommodation in Playa del Carmen you can read here.
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Polo
Tuesday 19th of January 2021
Hi Claire! awesome blog!! I'm going to Cancun next week and im planning some day trips. We already booked a tour to visit Isla Mujeres and probably we'll try to go to Playa Del Carmen to have dinner.