Playa Del Carmen Sights

  1. Dive Sites

    Playa is one of the best places on the coast to dive and snorkel. You can grab a snorkel and mask and dive in right from the beach, but the most spectacular underwater sites are at the offshore reefs. Playa is a popular jump-off spot for exploring the mysterious underwater caves and cenotes (sinkholes) in the region. Several outfitters in town offer instruction, certification courses, and scuba and snorkeling trips.

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  2. Xcaret

    Once a precious spot open to all, Xcaret is now a heavily Disneyfied 'ecopark.' There are still Mayan ruins and a beautiful inlet on the site, but much of the rest has been created or altered using dynamite, jackhammers and other terra-forming techniques.

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  3. Xel-Há

    Xel-Há, a once-pristine natural lagoon brimming with iridescent tropical fish, is now a private park with landscaped grounds, developed cenotes (sinkholes), caves, nature paths, several restaurant-bars and more. It's very touristy, but the lagoon is still beautiful and so are its underwater inhabitants. Most buses traveling between Playa and Tulum will drop you at Xel-Há.

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