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Introducing Playa Del Carmen
Playa del Carmen, now the third-largest city in Quintana Roo – its population more than doubled over the past five years – is the hippest city in all of the Yucatán Peninsula. Sitting coolly on the lee side of Cozumel, the town’s beaches are jammed with super-fit Europeans – they let Americans in, too, if they meet the weight requirements! The waters aren’t as clear as those of Cancún or Cozumel, and the beach sands aren’t quite as champagne-powder-perfect as they are further north, but still Playa (as it’s locally known) grows and grows.
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With daily cruise ship visitors, Playa is starting to feel like a mass-tourism destination, but it retains its European chic, and one need just head two blocks west of haughty-taughty 5 Av to catch glimpses of real Mexico.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
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