playadelcarmen

mexico / Playa del Carmen
related: rivieramaya

Playa del Carmen lies halfway between [|Cancún] and [|Tulúm] on a coastal strip that combines jungle, mangrove swamps and white, sandy beaches.

Playa del Carmen also offers a variety of outdoor activities. Snorkeling and scuba diving on the Great Mayan Reef have been popular for decades. There is also kayaking on the Pájaros River near the mangroves.

Playa del Carmen is named for Our Lady of Mount Carmel, who is the patron saint of Cancún. Her feast is celebrated on July 16.

CRAFTS
Playa del Carmen is a great place for Mexican crafts. Boutiques and vendors on the street vendors carry everything from colorfully embroidered dresses to imaginative jewelry.

ARCHAEOLOGY
A post-classic archaeological site is Xamanhá.

URBAN STATS
The cosmopolitan town has become a city with the highest urban growth in the country. It is the third largest city in Quintana Roo, after Cancún and Chetumal.

CAVE DIVING
In 2007 cave divers identified what is possibly the longest underground river in the world. The waterway extends through two limestone systems for 95 miles and connects two cave systems. British diver Stephen Bogaerts and fellow diver Robbie Schmittner from Germany, spent four years exploring the area looking for a connection between Sac Actun and Nohoch Nah Chich, the Yucatán's second and third longest cave systems. The divers believe that the river may connect to two other major systems, which would add an additional 125 miles to its length.


 * LOCATION -- **Playa del Carmen is located 68 kilometers (42 miles) south of [|Cancún] .


 * SPANISH LANGUAGE SCHOOLS ** - Playa del Carmen is home to [|Solexico Language and Cultural Center] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">, Avenida 35 s/n between 6 and 6 bis, and <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000099; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-decoration: none;">[|Playa del Carmen Spanish Institute] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">, Calle 14-bis between Avenida 15 and 20, Local 2A.