Playa del Carmen a Disaster
They’ve long since rebuilt after the hurricane, and then some. It is the “then some” which is the problem. Playa del Carmen just goes on and on. It is overdeveloped with tourist resorts, a total disaster for a real traveler.
The guide book says “Unlike Cancun, Playa del Carmen does not have a strip”. Well, maybe it didn’t have a strip, but it does now. At least it is a pedestrian strip, not a car strip. Many blocks of indistinguishable restaurants that don’t look the least bit appealing to me.
The south end is described as “kitchy” in the guide book, and so it is. The north end is described as “low key”, but this is no longer true. What was the north end is now an intensively developed series of tourist traps. It seems to consist of a solid line of hotels along the beach, backed by kitchy restaurants along the pedestrian walk way.
I prefer the kitchy end, if those are my only two choices. At least the kitchy end is backed by a regular Mexican commercial district where you can buy normal Mexican food in normal Mexican restaurants.
Comments (2 comments)
[…] There are quite a few things I like about this hotel. I was first attracted to it because it is near the Ek’ Balam Ruins, which are well worth visiting, and not very well known. It is in a typical small Mayan village. How often can you find somewhere to stay in a typical village with just a few tiny houses? The hotel itself is wonderful - very relaxing and just a great place to hang out. It was the second place I stayed on my recent trip to the Yucatan Peninsula (the first place was in Playa del Carmen, which is not my kind of place, and about which I have little to say). […]
Doug’s Travels » Archives » Hotels in Yucatan and Campeche, Mexico / January 24th, 2007, 11:28 pm / #
[…] There are quite a few things I like about this hotel. I was first attracted to it because it is near the Ek’ Balam Ruins, which are well worth visiting, and not too busy. It is in a typical small Mayan village. How often do you find a place to stay in a typical village, with just a few tiny houses? This is part of what travelling is all about! The hotel itself is wonderful - very relaxing and just a great place to hang out. It was the second place I stayed on my recent trip to the Yucatan Peninsula (the first place was in Playa del Carmen, which is not my kind of place, and about which I have little good to say). […]
Doug’s Travels » Archives » Eco Genesis - A Great Hotel in Ek Balam / June 30th, 2007, 11:55 am / #
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