A Journey Into Paradise

Generally speaking, Mexico offers an excellent standard of living with a much lower price tag compared to the United States, Canada or Europe, and the cost of living in Playa del Carmen is no exception. Situated just one hour south of Cancun on the Mexican Caribbean Sea, Playa (as locals often call it) is a bustling, tropical seaside city with a cosmopolitan flair that simply can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

“Life in Playa del Carmen is affordable and provides excellent value for the money”, wrote International Living. 

Read on to see what kind of lifestyle you’ll get for your money in Playa del Carmen, Mexico! 

The small resort community of Puerto Aventuras is located about one hour south of the Cancun International Airport in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, about 35 minutes south of downtown Playa del Carmen and 35 minutes north of Tulum. Despite this fantastic location on the Mexican Caribbean Sea, not too many people have discovered Puerto Aventuras yet and it remains one of the Riviera Maya’s most beautiful hidden gems. 

Read on to learn more about this exclusive community and what it has to offer!

For many, Tulum is a food lover’s delight. From the annual food and wine festival, to delicious vegan restaurants and hundreds of excellent choices in the Hotel Zone overlooking some of the best beaches in the world, as well as in downtown (centro), where there are many other incredible places to eat. The allure of Tulum is healthy living; from spa treatments and yoga to simply being more physically active on a regular basis. So, you can probably imagine that there was a collective gasp of shock when people learned that multi-national fast food chain Burger King has opened for business in Tulum!

I will never profess to being a great golfer; many years ago I could break 80 on a good day, but now finishing the hole with the same ball I started with is considered a real accomplishment! Whether you live in the area or just want to challenge yourself against some of the best golf courses in Mexico and the world, the Riviera Maya is definitely a golfer’s paradise. 

Many people are concerned about healthcare and its costs as they approach retirement age, and that concern only grows when it involves living in a foreign country full or part time. Read on for a brief overview of what you can expect from Mexico’s universal healthcare system, but keep in mind the most important takeaway is that excellent private health insurance in Mexico is available for a fraction of the cost you pay for insurance in the US. For example, I have Metlife Mexico, and I only pay around $1,000 per year! I’m still in my early 40’s, so I’m sure it gets more expensive as you age, but you’re going to enjoy some major savings…. Just think about what you could do with all of that extra money! 

Spanning more than 80 miles south of Cancun along the Mexican Caribbean Coast, the Riviera Maya is a top tourist destination and one of the most romantic places in the world! In fact, this part of Mexico seems like it was specially made just for newlyweds looking for somewhere beautiful, safe, exotic and exciting to enjoy their first days as a married couple, and Vacation.com recently named the Riviera Maya one of the world’s top six honeymoon destinations! 

There is no doubt that downtown Playa del Carmen is a foodie’s delight. Many locals even joke that there are so many restaurants, you could dine at a different one twice a day for 18 months and never eat in the same place twice! Playa (as we locals call it) is home to restaurants of all tastes and influences. Along our world-famous Fifth Avenue, there are many great places to eat, but real gems that offer some unique dining choices are a bit removed from the main tourism zone.

Here are four of my favorite places to eat in Playa del Carmen – if you happen to visit any of these fabulous Riviera Maya restaurants, I hope you enjoy, or as we say here, Buen provecho! 

If you or someone you know is getting married, don’t let the conversation about where to hold the bachelorette party (and bachelor party, for that matter!) pass by without taking a serious look at Mexico’s Riviera Maya. In Playa del Carmen everyone can enjoy a perfect trip with friends, eating fabulous food, partying until the sun comes up and exploring some of the world’s most incredible wonders – all in the span of just a few days!

Read on to see five reasons downtown Playa del Carmen is one of the world’s best places to host a bachelorette party and forget about the usual suspects of Miami and Las Vegas! 

Whether it’s your first time coming to Mexico’s Riviera Maya or your tenth, there are so many exciting activities and things to do in the Mexican Caribbean! From Playa del Carmen all the way down to Tulum, here are six of our favorite places to go in the Riviera Maya that are sure to make your next visit unforgettable. 

Downtown Playa del Carmen will host the 2018 Riviera Maya Jazz Festival from Friday, November 30^th thru Sunday, December 2^nd at Mamitas Beach Club. Now entering its 16^th year, the annual festival brings some of today’s most important groups and soloists in jazz music worldwide to the heart of the Mexican Caribbean for three days of amazing tunes in one of the world’s most beautiful destinations. This year, the event will feature five solo singers and five musical groups, including some of the jazz genre’s most important artists.

2018 has brought more visitors than ever to Mexico’s Riviera Maya in a quest to experience the Caribbean dream, Tulum style. Home to the best beaches in the world (I mean, the Corona commercials are filmed here!!!), stunning ancient Mayan ruins and a world-class culinary scene, there’s nothing anywhere else in the world that even comes close to the now-legendary Tulum lifestyle!

Tulum was named the top trending travel destination in 2018 among young jetsetters, according to rankings published by CNBC and Earth, a millennial-focused travel and media platform with more than two million followers on social media. Why does it matter? Young people have become increasingly influential for the tourism industry in recent years, as they are now traveling more than any other age group and will continue to account for an even greater market share as goes by. 

Four urban transportation companies have announced plans to invest more than $13.3 million USD in 140 articulated metro buses that will serve a new Cancun to Tulum bus route, making it easier than ever for travelers to move about in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, which also includes vacation hotspots like Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Puerto Aventuras.

As tourism numbers continue to rise year after year throughout the Riviera Maya region, officials have announced that Tulum will become Mexico’s first sustainable tourism development zone (ZDTS). This distinction builds upon the eco-chic Tulum lifestyle that first made this idyllic beach town so popular among travelers who are interested in sustainable tourism. The new legislation will be implemented by October 15^th and the decree will help this growing vacation destination carry out a variety of new ecotourism initiatives and to participate fully in the emerging green economy.

“Tulum was chosen because it has one of the highest rates of growth”, stated Marisol Vanegas Pérez, who serves as tourism secretary in the state of Quintana Roo, where the Riviera Maya is located.

Read on to learn more about why Tulum was selected and what this new designation will mean for the entire region!