Looking for an authentic vacation to a Caribbean destination? Looking to enjoy Microsoft desktop sceneries in person? Playa del Carmen of Mexico just might be your place of interest! With plenty of beaches and outdoor activities to choose from within resorts or even outside of it, Playa del Carmen is a fantastic vacation destination that will allow you to just get away.
Playa Del Carmen:
If Mexico is your interest of destinations, there are plenty of places to choose from that have plenty to offer for your stay. Cancun, which is less than an hour north of Playa del Carmen, is a great destination. But, has been known to have become a popular tourist destination as of recently. Given that, Playa del Carmen has seen a tick up in popularity, but the tradition and culture of Mexico is far more visible and in other words more authentic. While I was here, many of the residents referred to Playa del Carmen as the Europeanized area while Cancun is more American, with many American restaurants to show for. The reason we picked Playa del Carmen as our destination was in the proof, very rich in culture, away from the crowd of Cancun and yet still many options of hospitality to choose from.
All-inclusive resorts:
While in Playa, there were an abundance of choices when it comes to all-inclusive resorts. My family and I were debating on which direction we should go, whether that was a resort, or a place within the city. And after a lot of research and decision making, we decided an all-inclusive resort would be a more memorable time. And did that decision ever pay off! Our resort was just one of the many highlights of our Mexico trip. With all expenses paid for, that meant food, drinks, shows and outdoor activities were all for free. Not only did that alleviate the stress and time having to go to the grocery store, but it also made you feel like a king for how much the resort tailors to you as a customer.
Snorkeling:
On our trip to Mexico, snorkeling was on the absolute tip top of our list to experience. Not only was snorkeling in general, but one that was truly authentic and away from the crowd of tourists. So, we decided to go out of Playa del Carmen and to a smaller town south by the name of Puerto Morelos. And man did we have an experience! Our snorkeling trip consisted of two other families from Miami and one from the Netherlands which consisted of roughly ten people. Our tour guide business was in a small restaurant right on the water of the Caribbean and was full of gorgeous views of white sand and turquois colored water. Not only did they offer a snorkeling guide, they also had a small restaurant business. So, after the few hours on the water, there was a lunch meal waiting for us in their store! The tour took us around the Great Mayan Reef (which is over 600 miles long) for almost three hours and was nothing short of spectacular. With the reefs below us, all kinds of fish and aquatic life was present as we swam with our snorkels in awe. Our tour guide told us we might have a possibility of seeing barracuda and he was actually right! I saw up to a pack of four of them as they looked on at us from a distance. Not only was the experience one of a kind, it far exceeded our expectations of an authentic experience that we could relish with just our family and a few others. Snorkeling in Mexico is a common adventure with plenty of options to choose from. So, if Mexico is your destination for a vacation getaway, snorkeling is highly recommended from me!
Iberostar:
As I said above, my family and I decided on the all-inclusive resort to spend our week at in Playa del Carmen. Options of where to stay at were abundant, so research was thorough. But, choosing Iberostar was a game changer. From the obvious observation of quality, Iberostar in Riviera Maya was in no other ways to put than a 5 star experience. Our specific resort owned a strip of a beach that is for just our resort and it was nothing short of beautiful. Various restaurants such as steak dinners, authentic Mexican food, and endless buffets of all the foods you can possibly think of. Breakfast, lunch and dinner with multiple buffets open every day of the week and the food was exquisite to be completely honest. Along with food heaven, if you are interested in bars, they have swim up bars in multiple locations, bars on the beach and at the restaurants as well. As well as those lovely things, they have shows of music, magic and comedy every night in their outdoor theatre. My family and I went to the 80s rock concert where the band played tons of hit songs by bands such as Kansas, Motley Crew, Journey and many others! The amount of aspects to our resort that I have listed is just the start. There were so many fun and enjoyable things to do in our all-inclusive resort that made our Mexico trip an unforgettable experience just from the perspective of Iberostar!
Beaches:
Growing up in Texas, I have plenty of memories of Texas beaches. Galveston, Rockport, Port Aransas and Corpus Christi, all great beaches and fantastic experiences, but nothing even compared to Caribbean beaches. From the countless memories of Texas beaches, the one thorn that stuck out to me was the murky water. The water tends to be a green/brown mix of a color that to some people may not be very appealing to look at. But in Mexico, the beaches are something of a treat! To be completely honest, I have not experienced something quite like that scenery, except maybe on a computer desktop. The sand is the closest to the color white as you can possibly get, while the water is a beautiful turquoise. Not only are the colors just amazing, the water is clear as a bell! I know, I know some may be thinking that’s not such a big deal, but for the beaches that I have grown up with, it was a spectacle to me. The beaches in Playa del Carmen were just exquisite to say the least and an unforgettable experience that if anybody is interested in should jump on an opportunity in a heartbeat.
Not only did our trip to Mexico blow all of us away, our activities and adventures are a good reason as to why it did. If you are ever planning a trip to Mexico, some of these activities are something you should check into. The opportunities are endless and the experience is unforgettable!
Joel's Airline Travel Blog 