Dreaming of a turquoise sea with fine sand? Switch your pillow for a hat and go to Playa del Carmen. Even though you have many beach options along the Mayan Riviera in Mexico, what stands out about this small-ish town is that access to the beaches is simple and straightforward.
Unlike Cancún or Tulum, you don’t have to rent a car or circumvent huge resorts to find a hidden access path to the beach, which is another reason why I’ve returned here over the years when beach time is a priority on my list.
Whether you’re looking for a party vibe at a club in the town centre or you’re longing for long walks with less crowds, Playa del Carmen has a beach for everyone.
Here are my favourite beaches, which you can easily reach by foot or bicycle from the centre, including my top picks on the north end and one of the best options in the south end.
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These are the best beaches in Playa del Carmen
Be aware that -literally- tons of sargassum, and the fetid odour that comes with it, may be an issue, especially if you visit between March and August. This doesn’t mean that you’ll find it everywhere, everyday.
It normally goes away by September but it may stick around until October and start earlier in February.
Table of Contents
Playa 72
Walk on the wide sandy path that starts at the intersection of Quinta Avenida and Calle 72 Norte (Av. Luis Donaldo Colosio) and five minutes later you’ll arrive at Playa 72.
You won’t find any crazy crowds here or any services whatsoever -bring sunscreen and water with you and mosquito repellent if you’re going at sunset-. Mornings (and weekdays) are less busy and Sunday afternoons are the busiest, but nothing like the beaches in the centre. This beautiful beach with calm water is long and wide, with room for everyone.
There are hardly any shade spots and they fill up early (another reason to go in the morning), so if you’re not planning to sunbathe, bring an umbrella.
There are a few (free) small palapas. No chairs.
Playa 72 , also known as Dog Beach, is the only dog-friendly beach in Playa del Carmen.
Playa 88
Eight blocks northwest of Playa 72, at the intersection of Quinta Avenida and Calle 88 Norte, you’ll find a paved corridor that ends at my favourite beach: Playa 88. A nice, quiet, sandy beach with a lot of space.
Right before you reach this smoke-free, Blue Flag beach you’ll see there’s a little bit more infrastructure: a few (free) accessible parking spots, an accessible ramp going over the sand, bicycle racks, and a few (free) palapas with no seats. Bathrooms, changing stalls, showers (no shampoo or soap allowed), and an information booth are open from 9AM to 5PM, albeit sometimes they close earlier.
You still need to bring food and drinks as there are no vendors.
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Playa Punta Esmeralda
Further up northwest is Playa Punta Esmeralda, another smoke-free Blue Flag beach. The entrance is at the intersection of Quinta Avenida and Calle Esmeralda.
Compared to the other two beaches I listed before, you’ll have to walk a little bit longer along the access corridor, but the scenery of the thick jungle makes up for the extra steps. Be aware that if it rains, or the day after a downpour, you’ll have to jump (sometimes step in) over big puddles.
Right before arriving at the beach you’ll find accessible parking spots and bike racks. From 9AM to 5PM, there’s an information booth, showers (no shampoo or soap allowed), bathrooms, changing stalls, and a hut with services to improve accessibility (walkers, etc.).
Here you also have to bring food and drinks as there are no vendors around.
Playa Punta Esmeralda is a long sandy beach with free palapas -no chairs- where you can catch a nice sunset and enjoy a cool feature: a little open cenote (Cenotito).
This underground spring forms a shallow natural pool of fresh water that is great for young kids or for relaxing in the water without dealing at all with waves.
If you walk north, past the curved section that has a rocky entrance, you’ll enjoy a long stretch of sandy beach and you’ll find beachfront properties that you can rent like this condo, with a rating of 9.8/10 based on more than 50 reviews.
If you walk south, you can reach Playa 88 and Playa 72.
This is a good beach to bring your snorkeling gear and look for sea creatures hanging around the big rocky section of the sea with coral heads.
SNORKELING TOUR: see more marine life with this full-day snorkeling tour from Playa del Carmen that takes you to an ocean inlet, a lagoon and a cenote. Buffet lunch included.
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You can walk to Playa Punta Esmeralda from Playa’s Centro via Quinta Avenida. It’s a little bit of a trip, although doable: about 50 minutes each way depending where you’re staying.
Alternatively, you can catch a bus or a -very uncomfortable- van travelling north on Avenida 30 to the Colosio or the Nicte-Ha area (it costs MXN$10), get off at Calle 110 Norte, and walk 5 blocks down to Quinta Avenida and then one block north to Calle Esmeralda.
You can also bike along 5th Avenue north of Av. CTM, where the bike lane starts, and where you’ll find bike share stations. I can’t tell you how well they work (we walked), but be aware that the app reviews are rather disappointing.
Playacar Beach
The south end of Playa del Carmen is known as Playacar, home to a bunch of resorts, residences, and another long stretch of sandy beach. Even though it’s not as wide as it was years ago -storms and walls built too close to the water’s edge have caused erosion- it’s still worth coming to this side to go in the water, take scenic walks, and catch the sunset.
The facilities you encounter along the Playacar strip are for the exclusive use of the guests staying at the accommodations along the beach.
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There are two ways to access the Playacar beaches on foot:
The easiest and fastest way is to walk south on Av. Benito Juárez past Parque Los Fundadores until you’re on the south side of the pier where you board the ferries to Cozumel. This is where Playacar starts.
Not far from here there’s a short section where the beach disappears (thank the local authorities for giving permission to build a wall so close to the water), so you’ll have to go in the water. This is impassable when there’s sargassum.
You’ll find an alternative access that takes you beyond this point if you walk south past the Paseo del Carmen mall (Av. 10 Sur and Calle 3 Sur), turn left into Calle Abraira de Arriba and go past the security booth to walk along Bahía del Espíritu Santo road.
About five minutes later, turn left at Delfín de Baja Mar to access the waterfront. From here there’s about two kilometres (1.2 miles) of beach along a line-up of big resorts.
When you reach the point where you don’t see hotels and resorts anymore, turn around. Several people who have walked past this point have been robbed by bandits coming out of the jungle, machetes in hand.
Public Beach at Parque Los Fundadores
Of all the beaches in Playa del Carmen’s busiest section, this one features the biggest stretch of sand.
Pros: it’s easy to access. The beach is located only one block east of Quinta Avenida and the ADO bus station (Playa del Carmen Turística).
There are some eateries around where you can get drinks and food, and a beach bar on the south tip that rents sun loungers.
The entrance to the calm and clear water is gradual and smooth, with sand instead of rocks.
Even though it gets busy -especially on the weekend-, there’s way more space than the other beaches along the town’s centre.
Cons: because of the easy access, this popular beach can be crowded. It also comes with a lot of pushy vendors and people having one too many drinks while listening to loud music.
If you’re after having a relaxing time, come in the morning.
The Beach Clubs
If ordering Margaritas from a sun lounger while a DJ plays music in the background is high on your list, Playa’s beach clubs may be your choice. The good news is that there are plenty of establishments to do so along the shore, between Avenida Benito Juárez and Calle 48.
The clubs usually charge a fee for the use of loungers, umbrellas, and the amenities, which normally goes full or in part towards consumption of food and drinks.
If you’re dreaming of long walks while listening to the sound of waves, scroll to the top of this post where I list the beaches where you can do that. You probably won’t be able to do it here as most times there’s barely any beach left between the erosion and the loungers occupying every inch of sand.
But hey, sometimes all you want to do is to lay down to enjoy the sea view with a drink in hand.
Looking for a good one? Try Martina Beach Club on Calle 44 Norte.
Playa del Carmen is a prime destination in the Mayan Riviera that offers easy access to beautiful sandy beaches, either to relax with a long walk or to be entertained in a full-service facility.
Ready to explore more beaches in the state of Quintana Roo? Take a trip to Holbox, a magical island with scenic beaches that are part of a nature reserve.
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