The promise of palm tree-lined beaches, crystal clear water, and margaritas might have you dreaming about a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula.
So if you’re trying to understand the difference between the Riviera Maya vs Playa del Carmen, here it is: The Riviera Maya is a coastal region in the Yucatan, and Playa del Carmen sits within it.
Yep, that’s right—by visiting Playa del Carmen, you’ll automatically be visiting the Riviera Maya.
But is Playa del Carmen the best destination in the Riviera Maya?
Not necessarily.
I’ve spent nearly one year galavanting around Mexico’s Riveria Maya and will lay the groundwork so that you understand the relationship between Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya.
Accessibility Note: If you’re a wheelchair user, we’ve put together wheelchair guides on Playa del Carmen and Tulum, both of which are in the Riviera Maya.
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Riviera Maya vs Playa del Carmen: An Overview
Short on time? I’ve got your back.
Here’s a chart to give you a quick understanding of the similarities and differences between the Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen.
| Feature | Riviera Maya | Playa del Carmen |
|---|---|---|
| On the Yucatan's coast | Yes | Yes |
| Lots of beach choices | Yes | No |
| Budget friendly | Depends | Yes |
| Atmosphere | Quiet to loud | Mostly a party town |
| Good for digital nomads | Yes | Yes |
| Seaweed issue | Yes | Yes |
Now let’s explore these points in more detail.
1. Playa del Carmen Is in the Riviera Maya
You can visit the Riviera Maya without seeing Playa del Carmen, but you can’t visit Playa without being in the Riviera Maya.
To understand why that is, let’s take a look at geography.
The internet is full of websites boasting about how long the Riviera Maya is, ranging from 75 to 100 miles long.
I’m not about to claim I know the correct number. But I can tell you most people agree that the Riviera Maya starts a little south of Cancun, around Puerto Morelos.
How far south the Riviera Maya stretches is where the real controversy begins.
Some say the Riviera Maya only runs to Tulum. Others claim it extends to Punta Allen, the biggest (but still tiny) town in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve.
Personally, I’m inclined to go with the Sian Ka’an thought process. The reserve begins at the end of Highway 15 in Tulum and extends to the tip of a peninsula, making it the perfect end to a long stretch of Caribbean coastline.
Regardless of where Mexico’s Riviera Maya ends, Playa del Carmen sits squarely within it.
So, if you’re leaning towards wanting to see both Playa and the Riviera Maya, basing yourself in Playa del Carmen is an excellent choice.
2. Beach Choices Abound in the Riviera Maya
When comparing the Riviera Maya vs Playa del Carmen, there’s no contest in terms of beaches; the Riviera Maya offers more—and better—choices.
Some noteworthy beaches in the Riviera Maya include:
- Akumal
- Playa Paraíso
- Playa Maroma
Since the Riviera Maya covers such a long stretch of Caribbean coastline, you can choose from small fishing towns (Puerto Morelos), party beaches (Playa del Carmen), nature getaways (Sian Ka’an), and even ruins overlooking the ocean (Tulum).
In contrast, Playa del Carmen offers a limited number of beaches. Most of its beaches are short, broken up by rocks, piers, and buildings.
The beaches around Playa’s tourist center are particularly crowded, and there’s little space to lay out a beach towel during high tide.
That said, if you stay in the gated community of Playacar, you’ll have access to longer and more pristine beaches. The public beaches two to three miles north of downtown Playa del Carmen are also larger.
Furthermore, you can consider taking a Playa del Carmen to Cozumel day trip to enjoy island life at some of Cozumel’s stunning beaches.
The bottom line? The Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen both offer beautiful beaches, but the “best” beach experience depends on personal preference.
3. Playa del Carmen Is for Backpackers
If you’re traveling on a budget and love the backpacking lifestyle, Playa del Carmen is an excellent choice.
Playa del Carmen is one of the most populated towns in the Riviera Maya. It’s packed with low-cost hostels, cheap bars, and street food (as long as you head a few blocks back from the beach).
I spent several months staying at the boutique hostel Selina Playa del Carmen, seated in the heart of the tourist district and equipped with a cowork space.
Should you want to steer clear of the backpacking crowd, you’ll find more family and luxury-oriented accommodations and vibes in many other parts of the Riviera Maya.
Akumal, Tulum, and more secluded resorts along highway 307 all offer 3-star and higher beach accommodations.
Tulum has a particularly unique vibe, so I recommend reading my post on Tulum vs Playa del Carmen before deciding if it’s the right fit for you.
You can also check out my post on must-know tips for visiting Akumal Beach to get a better feel of what to expect.
For the sake of full disclosure, Playa del Carmen offers a handful of upper-class hotels, particularly in and around the Playacar area.
4. The Riviera Maya Has Quiet Areas
There’s no denying it—Playa del Carmen is a party town.
You can find clubs and bars open seven days a week, and it isn’t uncommon to hear music blaring until 6:00 am.
There’s also a lot of traffic in Playa compared to other destinations in the Riviera Maya.
Quieter parts of Playa do exist, though. I spent a couple of months at an Airbnb in northern Playa del Carmen, which was less touristy and devoid of clubs. The exclusive, gated Playacar is another tranquil area of Playa.
Overall, though, if you’re looking for a quiet beach getaway, destinations in the Riviera Maya outside of Playa del Carmen are your best bet.
Personally, I’m a fan of Akumal for a quieter vacation if beaching it is your main goal, and especially if you spend the night, given that you’ll pretty much have Akumal Beach to yourself in the first hours of the morning.
Tulum is also an excellent choice if you want a quiet beachfront hotel while being a short walk or drive from restaurants, shops, and bars.
That said, the quietest and most nature-oriented area you can visit in the Riviera Maya is the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve.
Psst! Check out my guide on Is Playa del Carmen Safe? and How Safe Is the Riviera Maya? for details on how to stay safe during your trip.
5. Playa del Carmen Is an Ideal Riviera Maya Base
If you’re weighing the differences between Playa del Carmen vs Riviera Maya and know you want to do a lot of exploring, I recommend basing yourself in Playa.
Regardless of where people say the Riviera Maya starts and ends, Playa del Carmen sits pretty much in the middle of this stretch of Caribbean coastline.
Traveling to destinations within the Riviera Maya from Playa del Carmen is a breeze; an ADO bus station sits in the center of the tourist district, and buses depart frequently.
Of course, you can always rent a car in Playa and take day trips to sites within the Riviera Maya.
Just be aware that parking in Playa del Carmen can be tricky. So, consider booking accommodation that offers parking to save yourself time.
6. Digital Nomads Base Themselves in the Riviera Maya
The Riviera Maya is an excellent place for digital nomads to base themselves.
Unlike Cancun, the Riviera Maya’s neighbor to the north, the Riviera Maya tends to attract longer-term digital nomads looking to settle in and meet fellow remote working travelers.
Psst! Check out my guide on Cancun vs Riviera Maya for more details on Cancun.
I’ve worked in the two largest towns in the Riviera Maya—Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Of the two, I found Playa del Carmen more reliable in its electricity and WiFi connection.
That said, if you work at a coworking space, such as Selina Playa del Carmen or Selina Tulum, you shouldn’t have to worry about the electricity and WiFi going out since they have generators.
But if you plan on renting your own place and are worried about the WiFi going out during an important meeting with your boss, from my experience, there’s less of a chance of that happening in Playa.
For full disclosure, I’ve never worked in towns in the Riviera Maya outside of Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
However, my guess is that the remote work culture in other parts of the Riviera Maya would be limited, and the electricity and WiFi situation could be unreliable.
7. Sargassum Season Is No Joke
If you haven’t heard of sargassum, you’ll never be able to forget this word if you end up traveling to any place in the Riviera Maya, including Playa del Carmen, from May to October.
Sargassum is a brown seaweed that floats on top of the water thanks to oxygen-filled pneumatocysts.
Although sargassum is natural, the quantity of sargassum that now graces the Rivera Maya’s shores from May to October isn’t. Between fertilizer runoff from agriculture and rising ocean water temperatures, sargassum is a massive issue for locals and tourists alike.
Mounds of sargassum wash up on shore in the Riviera Maya, sometimes multiple feet high. Many hotels do their best to control the problem by hiring people to cart the sargassum away in wheelbarrows or bulldozers.
Even so, the water remains unpleasant for swimming, and a sulfur smell radiates from the beach.
To be fair, sargassum isn’t only an issue in the Riveria Maya—many Caribbean destinations and even Florida suffer from the problem.
So, if you want a mostly seaweed-free Yucatan vacation, I recommend traveling to the Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen from November to April.
Alternatively, you can visit Isla Mujeres or Cozumel during the heart of sargassum season. Since they’re islands, the east sides of Isla Mujeres and Cozumel catch most of the seaweed, leaving their western beaches mostly untouched.
Riviera Maya or Playa del Carmen—Which Is Better?
I hope you now have a better understanding of the differences between the Riviera Maya vs Playa del Carmen.
Personally, I love the Yucatan’s Riviera Maya region. It offers a diverse choice of beaches, interesting towns, and unique activities.
If you have questions about visiting the Riviera Maya or Playa del Carmen, leave a comment, and I’ll be happy to help.
I’d also love to hear your feedback after you visit this region. What were your favorite parts of the Riviera Maya? What would you do differently if you went back again?
P.S.—Are you trying to understand the difference between other destinations in the Yucatan? If so, check out my guides on Playa del Carmen vs Cancun, Cancun vs Tulum, and Cancun, Tulum, or Playa del Carmen.
Hi, thanks for this informative article. I am considering a trip to Akumal in March. We would be staying at a small hotel which seems to have a private beach area–but I am reading on TripAdvisor that the beaches are now open to the public. It sounds like years ago the area was not very crowded, then it became very crowded with people trying to see the turtles, then restrictions were placed which limited visitors to the beaches. Is this correct? What’s it like along the Akumal beach now in March in terms of crowds (and in terms of seaweed, if that can be predicted at all)? Also, Puerto Morelos sounds appealing–do you think that town or anywhere else in the area would be better fora quiet beach experience? Thank you!
Hi Lisa,
It’s true that the beaches in Akumal are open to the public. However, there’s an entrance fee to enter (they waive it for people staying at a hotel on the beach), which reduces the amount of traffic the beach gets compared to several areas in Playa del Carmen and Cancun. The good news is they don’t open the public gate to Akumal Beach until 9:00 am. So, if you enjoy early morning walks on the beach, only hotel guests will be around.
March is the high season for tourism in the Riveria Maya, so it’s a time when the beaches have the most crowds. The summer months have the fewest crowds (but also lots of heat, seaweed, and the possibility of a hurricane). I wrote an article on the best time to visit Cozumel for weather, which is essentially the same advice for Akumal, given Cozumel’s proximity.
It’s uncommon for Akumal’s beach to have lots of seaweed in March. There will still be some seaweed (it’s the ocean, after all). But even during the heart of the seaweed season, less sargassum sticks around on Akumal’s shores because the locals are diligent about cleaning it. They have the funds to do so, given the entrance fee they charge the public.
Puerto Morelos is a great option for a quieter beach experience. Its beach tends to attract more locals than foreigners, and, like Akumal, it doesn’t have malls, a club atmosphere, and other attractions that draw in crowds and keep them around. I also recommend staying at a hotel in the southernmost part of Tulum (near Sian Ka’an Reserve) for fewer crowds.
Enjoy your time in the Riviera Maya, wherever it ends up taking you!
Hi Laura, I am planning a family vacation (12 people from ages 6 to 76) in June. After reading your note about the Saragassum, would you not recommend traveling to Maya Riviera in June? We are also considering Costa Rica. Thanks in advance!
Hi Renee,
If your family plans to spend lots of time at the beach, I think visiting the Riviera Maya in June will disappoint you. Costa Rica is likely a better choice, especially if you’ll be staying on the Pacific coast. But if you plan on visiting beaches on the east side of Costa Rica, I’d double-check whether the sargassum problem has made its way there before booking your trip (I believe some areas are affected by it, though I can’t say from personal experience).
Another option if you want a beach vacation on the Caribbean side of Mexico in June is to stay in Cozumel or Isla Mujeres. Since these are islands, their eastern sides trap most of the seaweed, leaving their western beaches mostly sargassum-free. It just so happens that most hotels are located on the western sides of both Cozumel and Isla Mujeres. Of these two islands, I recommend Cozumel for a longer stay, as the island offers more to do. I’ve written a guide on the weather in Cozumel, which breaks down what to expect weather-wise per month, including sargassum trends, and is applicable for what weather you can expect in the Riviera Maya as well.
Are there whale or dolphin tours in the area? How close is it to the Sea of Cortez?
Hi Naomie,
You can book dolphin tours in the Riviera Maya, including those that start from Playa del Carmen. However, it’s not common to see whales in the Yucatan (except for whale sharks, which are fish). So, you’ll need to head to Mexico’s Pacific coast to participate in a whale-watching tour.
The Sea of Cortez is a great place to whale watch, but you’ll need to fly there from the Riviera Maya because it would take well over 24 hours to travel by vehicle. I’ve put together an article on Cabo vs Tulum, which covers some of the similarities and differences between the Riviera Maya and Sea of Cortez regions.
Hey, great info! We are coming mid March and staying at the grand bliss. We love to explore restaurants off resorts to save money, what are some of your favs around our hotel and on/near 5th ave? Also, which transportation company do you recommend? Is there grocery delivery services or stores close by?
thanks
Hi Jenn,
So glad to hear you’ll be spending time in the Riviera Maya!
I haven’t explored as far north of Playa del Carmen as you’re staying, but I have several favorite restaurant recommendations in downtown Playa. These are local, budget-friendly restaurants that serve Mexican food. You can view the article here. In addition to these more “hole in the wall” types of restaurants, I also recommend checking out Fusion Beach Bar and Inti, both of which are restaurants on the beach in Playa del Carmen.
Unfortuantely, Uber and other rideshare services currently don’t operate in the Playa del Carmen area. My guess is that the Grand Bliss can arrange a grocery delivery service for you, though it would certainly be more expensive than going to the store yourself.
The Walmart and Mega Soriana in Playa del Carmen are popular among expats living in Playa and are likely some of the largest/most well-stocked grocery stores that will be near you. Public minivans (called colectivos in Spanish) run every five minutes or so along Highway 307. So, if you don’t want to pay for a taxi to get to the grocery store, you can stand on Highway 307, flag down a bus, and hop off in Playa.
Thanx for This info!! We are thinking hard rock all inclusive. Have a few t17-23 year olds and 3 moms what hotel is the best the playa del Carmen or the riviera mya hard rock . We want the prettiest beach and lots of activities for the kids !!
Thank you !
Hi Mia,
What an exciting trip you’re planning!
Since I haven’t been to the Hard Rocks myself, I can’t comment on their differences. My gut tells me that the Hard Rock Riviera Maya would likely have a nicer beach than a hotel in Playa del Carmen. That said, for activities outside the resort, Playa del Carmen has a lot going on day and night. I recommend reading reviews of both hotels you want to stay at to better understand their possible differences.