DESTINATION > PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO
Portal Maya
Xcaret bio park
Chichén Itzá
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO BY SUSAN ELNICKI WADE
A long the east coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula just south of Cancun lies Playa del Carmen, a gorgeous seaside town and relative newcomer to the Caribbean’s coveted list of must-see destinations. For years dating back to 1,000 A.D., Mayans used this spot to launch canoes for the 30-mile journey to Cozumel. Some went to the island to trade mainland commodities such as honey or produce. Women paddled there on religious pilgrimages to visit the temples of Ixchel, Mayan goddess of fertility. After the Spanish arrived in 1518 and decimated the indigenous population, Playa settled into a quiet fishing village surrounded by endless beaches and tropical foliage. Life here began to change in the late 1950s when Jacques Cousteau visited and released a documentary about nearby Mesoamerican Reef — the second largest reef in the world that stretches for almost 700 miles offshore of Mexico, Belize,
Guatemala and Honduras. Cousteau’s film shined a light on the menagerie of aquatic life ranging from coral and turtles to hundreds of fish species, and soon divers from around the globe flocked to this underwater paradise. In 1967, the Mexican government started pouring millions of pesos into the “Riviera Maya,” a massive development plan to transform the Yucatan Peninsula’s coastline into a world-class travel destination. Jungles were cut back, cement was laid for roads and airports, and hotels and restaurants appeared along the waterfront. In 1970, a wooden dock was built in Playa offering ferry service to Cozumel, and the village grew into a bustling resort town. Even though Playa is one of Mexico’s fastest growing cities, its streets and neighborhoods have retained their coastal charm. Strolling down the main drag, La Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue), presents a cornucopia of casual to gourmet eateries,
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