6 best day trips from Playa del Carmen

Day trips compared

The day trips

20 km · About 45 minutes by ferry

1.Cozumel

Mexico's largest Caribbean island is famous for its reef walls and drift dives in the Cozumel Reefs National Park. Snorkellers, beachgoers and families can visit Chankanaab park or rent a car or scooter to circle the island's wild east coast.

Getting there

Passenger ferry from the Playa del Carmen pier

Best for

Beach, Families, Couples

65 km · About 50 minutes by colectivo or car

2.Tulum

The clifftop Maya ruins of Tulum overlook a turquoise cove, and the town's beaches and cenotes such as the Gran Cenote are close by. Arrive early to beat the heat and tour groups at the archaeological site.

Getting there

Colectivo, ADO bus, Tren Maya or car

Best for

First-timers, Culture, Beach

37 km · About 30 minutes by colectivo

3.Akumal

A sheltered bay where sea turtles graze on seagrass in shallow water, with regulated snorkelling zones, plus the Yal-Kú lagoon for calm snorkelling among fish.

Getting there

Colectivo along the highway, or car

Best for

Families, Beach, Couples

110 km · About 1.5 hours by car

4.Cobá

A jungle Maya city with long ancient causeways explored by bike or pedicab and the tall Nohoch Mul pyramid, often combined with nearby cenotes on organised tours.

Getting there

Car, tour or bus via Tulum

Best for

Culture, Families

190 km · About 2.5 hours by car

5.Chichén Itzá

The best-known Maya city of the Yucatán, with the pyramid of Kukulcán, the great ball court and the Sacred Cenote. Most tours combine it with Valladolid and a cenote swim.

Getting there

Tour, car or Tren Maya

Best for

First-timers, Culture, Families

80 km · About 1.5–2 hours by road and ferry

6.Isla Mujeres

A small island off Cancún with the calm, shallow Playa Norte, golf-cart tours around the island and Punta Sur's cliffs. From about June to September, whale-shark snorkelling trips leave from the island.

Getting there

Bus or car to Cancún, then ferry from Puerto Juárez

Best for

Beach, Couples, Families

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Tell the colectivo driver your stop; pay in pesos when you get off.
• The Tren Maya has a station on the edge of town with services to Cancún airport, Tulum and inland towards Valladolid and Chichén Itzá.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask