Playa Del Carmen Is The Fastest Growing City In Latin America But Still Feels Festive And Laid Back

Playa Del Carmen, once a sleepy little fishing village on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, has transformed into one of the top five world travel destinations and is growing so fast that the Guinness Book of World Records has named it the fastest growing city in Latin America.

Travelers from around the world flock here year round to enjoy the warm, sun-drenched weather, the idyllic beaches, turquoise, clear, ocean water, its freshwater cenotes, and fine international cuisine.

I have seen this growth with my own eyes over the last ten years and it is truly incredible.

According to preliminary figures from the Association of Hotels and Trusts Promotion, the state of Qunitana Roo, which is home to the popular tourist cities of Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen and Tulum — to name a few — saw more than 1.8 million visitors this summer alone. This is an overall increase of 1.2 percent compared to the same time last year. credit

Walking down the streets of Playa Del Carmen one can hear dozens of languages spoken as tourist shop, eat, dance and sunbathe through the town and it has transformed into a city that never sleeps.

The bars, restaurants, pizza kiosks, and dance halls are open until 4, 5, and sometimes 6 am and cater to every taste for the late-night party goer. The festive mood permeates the thick, tropical air like Pied Piper's flute, pulling you in the direction of a never-ending good time.

When most people in the world are sound asleep in their beds, the Caribbean night is just getting the party started, which is why in the heat of the next days' afternoon siestas are so popular here. But as the sun sets and the cooler breezes dance through the colorfully lit streets, the night awakens to the perennial rhythms of the celebration.

Most people arrive in Playa (as the locals call it) by bus from the Cancun airport, a 45-minute ride that you can book from a booth right as you walk out of the airport and costs 78 pesos ($4.40) one-way. The buses leave every 20 minutes and have plenty of room to pack your luggage underneath them, are very comfortable, have air conditioning, a bathroom and they show a movie.

When you arrive in Playa at the main bus station you'll be right next to the Plaza and can catch a taxi or pedicab to your hotel or hostel which there are no shortages of.

If you walk back up the main street (Benito Juarez) the bus came in from there is a little chicken shack on the corner of Benito Juarez and 10th Avenue that roasts some delicious chicken. For a quarter of a chicken, a stack of tortillas, rice, roasted potatoes, a roasted green chili, salsa, and a bottle of water or a Coke, it only costs 59 pesos or $3.33.

When you first get off the bus it's good to have a place to eat, cool off and regroup. Another great deal, which you can always find by looking for places that are packed with locals, is La Mission. It's 10th Avenue between Benito Juarez and 2nd street and they have a nice courtyard in the back, good WiFi and daily specials for 75 pesos ($4.23).

It's not on the beach but the prices are reasonable so if you're on a budget you'll love it. A 3-course meal including desert and all the jamaica (Iced Hibiscus Tea) you can drink.

I personally like staying in hostels and Playa has around one hundred of them. If you're willing to share a room you can stay in most hostels for around 200-300 pesos ($11-17) per night and most of them will offer discounts for longer stays.

Hostel World has a good list of them and you can read the reviews of their guests and see what amenities they offer.

I have been staying at the Hostel Rio and was about to move to another hostel when the front desk offered me a deal I could not refuse.

I was going to look for a place and was even offered another place to stay by a friend of mine for free while I was looking, but I really like the social aspect of staying in a hostel. You meet some very interesting people at hostels, most of who are world travelers with great stories about traveling, something I could listen and talk about for hours.

After staying there for two weeks and deciding I like it, the owner offered me a 38% discount to book by the month. In about another month or two the prices for house and apartment rentals go down and the number of available places to rent increases, so it's the ideal time to look for long term rentals.

In his best Don Corleone accent, he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. 30 days including breakfast for 4500 pesos, or $254 a month. Let's see...a pool on the roof with a bar and super, ice-cold beers costing $1.40, cute girls from around the world swimming through like tropical fish in a coral reef, AC, breakfast, laundry service, good WiFi, maid to clean my room, a kitchen, and everything I need right outside my door. OK, they win. I'll do it.

It's true what they say, Mexico can be dangerous. Dangerously fun. Read more about the dangers of Mexico here

So it looks like I'll be living smack down in the middle of a party zone for the foreseeable future, but don't worry, I'll be alright. I'm a professional.

Speaking of professional, I did get a job as some of you may know, but I had to get some government paperwork in order before officially beginning so on my first day of work they gave me time off to take care of it. Thankfully, t was easier than the last time I had to do this because I have a permanent residency card now. The process was a breeze really but I took a few days off anyways. Seeing how this is Mexico, doing things manana is perfectly acceptable here.

To help relieve myself of the stress of partying so much I go for walks on the beach, swim in the Caribbean Ocean, and as my friends Van Halen like to say, I dance the night away.

I'm definitely staying in Playa for a while and invite anyone on Steemit to look my up if you're ever here.

Which reminds me. Before I came here I had a few Steemit shirts printed and many people have asked about it when they see me wearing them. Hostels are full of world travelers, as I mentioned earlier, and they find it interesting that people can earn steem blogging. I'm sure a few people are going to join after hearing what Steemit is all about. Hanging out in the hostel is a great way to recruit new Steemit users. When they join, I'll post about it and ask you all to give them a great big Steemit welcome.

Don't forget to look me up if you're ever traveling here and if you have any questions or stories to share about the area just ask in the comments below.

Thanks for reading my post. You can see a short video of Playa Del Carmen here

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