Playa del Carmen attractions

Built around the cenotes and jungle of the Riviera Maya, the Kantun Chi Ecopark is a subterranean playground of cenotes, underground caves, and grottoes. Filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and ancient columns, it offers a unique way to explore the dramatic natural scenery and learn about the region’s long Maya history.

Set in dense jungle south of Playa del Carmen, Xenses Park offers outdoor adventure with a multisensory twist. As well as a zipline, lazy river, and waterslide, the park also uses optical illusions, natural exhibits, and interactive features to get your adrenaline going, making it a top choice for thrillseekers of any age.

Explore the life—and contextualize the legacy—of Mexican surrealist artist and feminist icon Frida Kahlo at Playa del Carmen’s Frida Kahlo Museum (Museo Frida Kahlo). At one of the city’s first cultural spaces, learn about Kahlo’s work, illness, and tumultuous relationship with Diego Rivera by way of interactive and sensory exhibits.

Filled with crystal clear water and lined with limestone stalactites, Cenotes Sac Actun is the world’s largest known underwater cave system. The freshwater cave is home to colorful fish, bats, and animal fossils. Sac Actun is simultaneously one of the most impressive and least crowded cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Located just off the ferry dock, Fundadores Park (El Zócalo) is the center of Playa del Carmen. This beachside park sits along Playa del Carmen’s famous Fifth Avenue, and it’s the main square from which the rest of the tourist area branches out. From El Zócalo you’ll have a gorgeous view of the ocean and easy access to the beaches.

Playacar is a gated community just south of Playa del Carmen, Mexico, which is known for its all-inclusive resorts and private beachfront villas. It's ideal for those who want to stay right on the sand and still be close to the excitement of Fifth Avenue. Playacar’s wide and not-too-crowded beaches are some of the nicest in Playa.

At Xpu-Ha’s Xotik-Ha EcoPark outside Cancun, test your courage on a treetop ropes course and swim and snorkel in Cenote Minotauro, a labyrinth of subterranean rivers and caves studded with stalactites and stalagmites. The park includes snorkel gear, catamaran rides, and kayaking near some of the Yucatan’s best beaches and lagoons for snorkeling.

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef stretches just off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula all the way down to Honduras. It's the largest coral reef in the western hemisphere and half the length of the Great Barrier Reef (the world's largest). Also commonly referred to as the Great Maya Reef, it’s a must-see for nature and wildlife lovers.

Just off the coast of Cancun, Isla Mujeres is home to a dive site known as the Cave of the Sleeping Sharks. Discovered in 1969 by an island resident, the cave is home to sharks that appear to be “sleeping” instead of constantly moving like they typically do. It’s a mysterious natural wonder that has baffled some divers and marine biologists.