Things to do in  Playa del Carmen

Marcos drove us to our destination and provided water and friendly conversation. The handoff between Viator and E-Transfers needs some work but we got there in the end. All is well. We paid for a round trip, so we will have to see if that goes smoothly. We are happy to be here in Playa del Carmen.

Abbi was in time, great sense of humor and spoke English. He was a safe and courteous driver and I will definitely ask for Abbi as a driver next time I go to playa del Carmen

They picked us up from our hotel at 7am in Playa Del Carmen. Had to travel 2 hours to get to Holbox. Nobody spoke English in Holbox. Had to share a golf cart with other people when it said we get our own. Food for lunch was ok. Made it back to hotel around 10pm.

Very early start, but well worth it. Got picked up at meeting spot in Playa del Carmen at time given. Tried to pick up at two other hotels but guests were no shows (likely slept in). We then met the main bus along the highway from Cancun. New bus so that was good and only about 20 people total so good sized group. Marco explained everything to us before we got to Chichen Itza. We were the first tour bus there and got in as soon as the site owned. Lots of chances to take photos without crowds of people. Marco provides a lot of historical info, along with some humour, so it was good to stay with him. If that isn't your thing, he gave the option of exploring on your own and meeting the group when it was time to leave. Good we were early as the parking lot was packed with buses as we were leaving. Next stop was at Yaxanuh, a smaller, but older site being restored and funded by the owner of Amigo Tours. Good to see the difference and good to see Amigo Tours doing something good for the Mayan people. Our next stop was the buffet lunch and as promised by Marco, there was no wait and we got started right away. Finally, our last stop was Cenote Saamal. As we kept to schedule, things worked out perfect. The tequila tasting was good and when we headed into the cenote, there was never more than 20-25 people in it. Not the dozens and possibly hundreds with a later tour. It was a long day, but am glad we did it. Marco is a fantastic guide and ensured we were well informed and we kept on schedule. Highly recommend this tour, unless you plan to party late into the night beforehand.

A great walking tour of Playa del Carmen, hosted by Enrique. We were met with a welcome Guava drink and given some local history knowledge before getting away from the main strip. Food stops included Quesadillas, Mole and Enchiladas, a couple of (delicious!!) Tacos and Ice Lollys. All of the food stops were super yummy and gave us an authentic taste of the local food. From small restaurants to taco stands and canteen dining. Enrique was friendly, with lots of fantastic stories and set off at a gentle pace in the heat of the day! We also got to see some of the amazing street art in the neighbourhood and had pictures taken throughout. We really enjoyed the introduction to the fruit and veg markets and tasting some local sweet treats. A must do tour for all ages!

Early access tour to Chichen Itza with a Amigo Tours is a must. The 5am start was worth it if you want to miss the crowds and get some awesome pictures. Amigo Tours were very professional with their communication and our driver turned up on time. A big thank you to our tour guide Marco who was great throughout the day and was very informative and passionate about the Mayan history and culture. Very impressed that Amigo Tours is investing in a new archeological site close by which we got to visit. The only slightly disappointing thing was the lunch experience, but this did not detract from the excellent visit to Chichen Itza. The Cenote was a refreshing break! before our journey back to Playa del Carmen. Would certainly recommend this tour to friends and family.

Bus came to lobby door of hotel. Florencia Esteves was a very kind, knowledgable Guide. Can be tough to hear him at times due to situations, but he really made this a special trip for me and my gf on our 3 year anniversary. He went above and beyond to be patient, kind, and honorable. Never felt tricked or taken advantage of. Always felt safe & secure with my belongins. Always felt in good hands. This is an all day tour. It was well worth the money. Paid $7usd for coba (do it). Picked up others along the way (11 total in our small bus). There was about 10 in the other bus coming too (same tour). Yes free entrance through this tour to Tulum, Coba, Cenote, Lunch, Stores, etc. It’s legit! 1. Tulum 11-1:10pm. It’s quick, but i recommend snapping pictures as guide talks to you. You will not go everywhere with guide. There is a moment where you can go off on own—utilize it to see everything (15min max). Guide will wait a few extra minutes for ppl to return before leaving through exit on other side. Note* we had a couple that didnt come back within 10min past meeting point so we began to leave. They met up with us at van before departure. I would recommend asking what time to meet at bus and utilizing this moment to leave Guide. Too much waiting for others. Just leave. Meet @ Bus. Tell Guide this. Be courteous. Lunch-cenote-shaman location: 2-3:50pm: Shaman does mayan welcome in Mayan Village in Zona Archaelogical by Cenote. 1. 2:30pm Lunch - Delicious. 2. Mayan village (shaman/healer $26usd—$500 pesos). Pancheta-Mexican shaman spirit of qotemoc. Not enough time for this, but you could. Shaman will bless purchased items for free but gotta tip. Very cool experience. Do it. We bought a bracelet & necklace. Blessed it. Cool! 3. 3-3:30pm Swimming in cenote: zona de archaelogical de coba. AMAZING! Be quick. Upgrade when Guide says to. Saves time. 4. Coba 4pm-5:15pm: ruins. Beautiful! Paid for the optional upgrade ahead of time for $16usd/$300pesos to skip line, jump on bike at coba. Bike lets you see more faster without lines since ahead. Do it! Omg do it. So much to see & its a mile walk. No time to walk and see it all. Bike was great & fast. Worked well on dirt bumpy road. Trust me! If athletic and dont mind a few bumps its best. 5. 6:30-7:40pm: Playa del carmen on way back. Shopping district/street. Lots of restaurants. Some street food. Be fast on your own. See more. The 25pesos for pizza slices are the best bang for buck. 6. ✅Optional: Upgrade early with tour guide for free tequilla/drinks at bus from guide, Life jackets @ cenote (otherwise $) so save time, Bike rental in coba (otherwise $) so save time. It is 300 pesos / $16usd (card). Saves time/money. We loved it! UPGRADE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Save time and money. They will feee you Tequilla or drinks through your time near tour bus. It was the way to go.

So we didn’t actually get to go to Chichen Itza English Tour, Buffet Lunch, Cenote,Tequila tasting & Valladolid. We were told the archeological sight closed down the day we were supposed to go and they gave us the option to either reschedule or go to Tulúm, Coba, Playa del Carmen, and a cenote. We didn’t want to reschedule so we accepted that offer and it was a great time! We were with Esther’s group and Mina. She had so much information it was great. I loved how you can see that they took pride in their heritage, was excited to share the history and the experience was rich with culture. The ruins at Tulúm were BREATHTAKING! I would definitely recommend going on this excursion, as well as bringing a hat, Sun glasses, and sunscreen. I think everyone had a great time, they made sure to check on all of us and ensured we were well cared for.