Please Note: The first part of each answer is general – the * is information specific to our condominium and those who will be staying there.
Do I need a passport?
Must I have shots before I
leave?
Should I exchange
money before I leave the states?
What about Customs in Mexico?
How do I
get to Playa from the airport in Cancun or Cozumel?
Can
I use credit cards, debit cards and exchange my dollars in Playa?
How can I communicate with
those at home?
What type of
clothing (and other things) should I take?
Can I drink the water?
Where can I eat in Playa?
How much and who do I tip?
Do I need to speak Spanish?
Can I get around Playa
easily without a car?
Can I go topless on the beach?
YES!!! For US citizens a passport is now required. On
the airplane you will be asked to fill out a tourist card.
Customs will keep half and return the other part to you.
Keep this with your travel documents as if you lose it you will be fined
upon departure. To enter from the
US you need a
passport. If you have a minor child
traveling only with one parent – you may need a notarized form stating
permission. Check with your travel
agent or airline to verify this information.
I have no information for those entering from countries other than the
US.
** For those of you staying at Las Palmas as your destination you will fill in the following information Destination: Las Palmas Condo City: PDC State: Q.R.
Must
I have shots before I leave?
No
shots are required. Some people who plan to travel to remote areas do get
hepatitis and malaria shots. If you
have a concern you may want to speak with your doctor at home.
I believe that the hepatitis shots are a sequence of shots over a period
of time – so if it is a concern to you – you will need to plan early.
Should
I exchange money before I leave the states?
It
is not necessary to arrive in Mexico with pesos. If you would like you can exchange money at the airport when
you arrive. I have heard that the best rates are offered by the bank booth
“Banco Serfin” located between Sala B and C.
We have never exchanged money at the airport, as the exchange rate is
much better outside of the airport. You
will be able to pay in dollars until to arrive in Playa.
When paying in dollars be sure that you have small bills (ones for
tipping, fives, tens and perhaps a few twenties).
Most hotels, shops and restaurants will accept dollars but the exchange
is not quite as good. Many smaller establishments do not accept credit cards,
so you will want to have cash (dollars or pesos) on hand.
After
picking up your bags you will need to go through customs in Mexico.
As you enter the customs area – you will push a button.
If you receive a red light, you will need to open your bags to be
inspected. If you receive the green
light, you will simply pass through. In
all of our travels to Mexico we have only received the red light one time (in
Mexico City). We opened our bags,
they glanced at the contents and we zipped them back up.
Upon leaving the customs area there will be airport personnel to help you
with your bags if you need help. There
were also be many people trying to attract you to their location for car
rentals, day trips etc.
How
do I get to Playa from the airport in Cancun or Cozumel?
Playa
del Carmen is located about 45 minutes south of Cancun.
These prices were up to date as of 12/30/2000.
You will most likely fly into Cancun or Cozumel.
From Cancun
Bus: You
may take a shuttle (collectivo) to
the bus terminal in downtown Cancun. (Taxi drivers cannot pick up tourists at
the airport.) These shuttles drop off the passengers at the hotels first and
their last stop is the Cancun bus terminal.
The first class busses leave
to PDC every 20 minutes.
The cost for a first class bus is $3.50 USD. The bus is air conditioned, has reclining seats and even a
video presentation. This method
will take you a minimum of 2 ½ hours.
** for those staying at Las Palmas – from the bus
terminal you would take a taxi to
Las Palmas Condominios Avenida 10 and Calle 26.
The cost is $2.00 for the taxi.
Van: The van
accommodates groups from 2-9 people. The
cost is around 60 USD per group. Once
you leave customs in the airport there is a TTC kiosk where you can buy your
tickets. Many people will hook up
with other groups in the line and divide the price of the ticket between the
number of people in the group. The
van will drop you off at your location. You
will be at your final destination in approximately 1 hour.
** the address to give the van driver is Las Palmas
Condominios, Avenida 10 and Calle 26
Car: We
usually rent our car before we leave through www.travelocity.com
It is less expensive to do it this way.
We usually pay between $100-$120 for the week (low season) and 200-300
high season. This price is for a
small compact car. If you decide to
rent at the airport or in Playa del Carmen you will pay quite a bit more.
Odds also are that they may not have any available during high season. The car dealers have shuttles that will take you from the
airport to the car rental location free of charge. You must have insurance.
We use our American Express card so we do not have to pay additional for
this.
If you rent a car, follow the signs for “Playa del
Carmen, Tulum, Xel-Ha” once you reach the highway crossing. The roads from
Cancun to Tulum are good but not always well marked so stay alert. There is one
gas station on the road to Playa – I believe at Porto Morelos.
At this time there is also only one gas station in Playa del Carmen.
It is located on Avenida Juarez close to the highway. When traveling – be sure to fill up the tank as gas
stations a few and far between.
** to get to Las Palmas follow the previous
directions. Upon entering Playa
take a left on Avenida Constituyentes. Follow
this street past the glorieta (you can see San Francisco on the right) to 10th
Avenue. Take a left and go 3-4
blocks to 26th and take a right.
You have arrived. Our
parking spot is the farthest to the right as you face the building.
If we have mailed the keys to you – one of the smaller ones will fit
the lock. If you do not have the
keys, Mario the caretaker will be there to meet you.
Once parked take the stairway in front of the car to the top floor.
We are the unit with the balcony facing the ocean.
If you would like Mario will bring your bags up for you.
Be sure to tip him 5-10 pesos.
Taxi from the airport: Individual taxis may not pick you up at the airport
due to airport regulations. I have
read (but never tried) the following. If
you would like to save money, and if you don’t have a great deal of luggage,
you can walk down the airport road past the “transport checkout” and get
your own taxi. (The walk is a little over a half of a mile.) Once out of the
airport you may flag down your own taxi.
The Playa taxis are white with a green stripe whereas the Cancun taxis
are white with a turquoise stripe. It
has been said that you may be able to get a taxi in this way for 15-20 dollars
which is a substantial savings. If a taxi quotes you a higher price – it has
been said to try another one. I
have never tried this so if anyone has please let me know so I can update the
information.
From Cozumel
Take a taxi from the Cozumel airport to the ferry.
The cost is around $10.00 the ferry leaves every hour to Playa with the
exception of 11 and 1. The cost is
around $7.50 USD per person.
The ride takes about 45 minutes. Upon
arrival in PDC, take a taxi to your location.
** The taxi to Las Palmas is $2.00. Near the dock there are also people with tricycle
type contraptions. They will take
your luggage to the taxi stand if you have too much to carry. The address to
give the taxi driver is Las Palmas Condominios
Aveneda 10 and Calles 26.
Can
I use credit cards, debit cards and exchange my dollars in Playa?
Credit
cards are accepted in most establishments.
Most places will also accept US dollars. In smaller towns such as Tulum
you will want to have pesos. There
are many places to exchange currency and the rates will vary between
establishments. The peso fluctuates
daily. There is also an abundance
of cash machines where you may use your debit cards to secure cash.
You may also exchange your currency at a bank.
Banks tend to have a better rate than the Casas de Cambio (money exchange
locations). In December 2001, the average exchange was 9.80 pesos to the
dollar. It has been fluctuating
between 9.5 and 10 over the past year.
How
can I communicate with those at home?
There
are plenty of public telephones. You
may buy telephone cards in varying denominations (5 and 10 dollars) in shops and
pharmacies. This is the least
expensive way to call. Minutes are
used quickly so you may want to have several cards.
Credit card calls are very expensive.
The are many Internet cafes throughout Playa. They charge by the minute and you can check and send your
email. We set up a free hotmail
account to use while we are in Playa.
** Las Palmas is located between 5th and 10th Avenues. On 10th – take a right when leaving the condo there is a pharmacy on the next block which sells telephone. On the corner of 5th and 26th there is an internet café. The owners speak English. They may also sell phone cards in their little store but I am not positive. On the corner of 5th and Constituyentes there is another internet café. A few blocks down – towards the tourist area you will find many.
What
type of clothing (and other things) should I take?
Playa
is always warm as it is a tropical climate.
The average temperature is about 80 with the hottest and most humid
months in the summer (end of May, June, July and August).
During this time you will appreciate air conditioning in both the car and
the condo. September and October
are hurricane season and it can be rainy and windy.
The rains usually last only part of the day so you can still enjoy the
beach. September, October and
November are the coolest months and the temperature drops at night.
Our daughters tend to bring a sweater and jeans, as they like to go to
the discos until the early hours of the morning.
During the day the weather is warm.
Pack
light. In Playa anything goes.
You may dress up for an elegant dinner or dress casually.
Bring good walking shoes or sandals as you can walk almost anywhere in
Playa. The choice is yours.
Fifth Avenue in the evening provides great people watching. You will see
women in long black dresses eating dinner alongside those in shorts.
So the choice is yours.
You
may want to bring your tanning lotions, film from home.
These items are quite expensive in Cancun and in Playa.
Also consider bringing some sort of hat.
The sun is hot and if you decide at the last minute you need a hat –
you may have to spend the day shopping instead of at the beach.
**
There is a laundry “Hannah’s Lavanderia” located 1 block (to the north)
from the condo on 10th Avenue. It
is open from 8 am to 10 pm. You may
take your clothes in during the morning and pick them up at night – washed,
dried, folded and bags. It is about
2 dollars per load and you pay when you pick up your clothes. They do a good
job.
Some
people do get sick in Mexico. I am
sure you have all heard the stories. There
are a few simple precautions. Do
not drink water – only bottled water. Don’t
buy food on the streets from street vendors as the fruits may look great – but
the water used to cut the fruit may not have been purified. Many people do buy
on the streets – but remember it only takes one time to ruin your vacation.
Use common sense when eating out. The restaurants usually have bottled
water. So if you would like water with your meal – they will bring
you bottled water (for a charge of course). If you are in a tourist area – the
food and water will be fine as the establishment must protect their reputation
with all of the competition. If
you see a small restaurant (out of the tourist area or in a small town) which
doesn’t look clean, select another.
I
think many people become sick from overdoing it. Often too many margaritas, spicy food and a day of extreme
heat and sun upon arrival is a change to ones system. Take it easy. Drink
lots of water (they sell bottled water all over) so you do not become
dehydrated. The symptoms of
dehydration include feeling faint and a headache.
**We
try to keep 2 additional large
gallons of bottled water in the
service room of our condominium. We
use this water for brushing
teeth, cooking and to make ice. We
do not use the water from the tap. Although
it may be fine – I don’t want to try it and see. If you run out – you may
take the empty container to the small store next to the condominium and for 14
pesos exchange it for a new one. Better
yet, give it to Mario and for 20 pesos, he will exchange it and carry it up the
stairs for you.
Playa
is filled with wonderful restaurants and authentic foods from many countries.
On Fifth Avenue and surrounding areas you can find Mayan, Mexican,
Italian, Argentinean, Cuban, Vegetarian, Chinese and many more.
Whether you would like a casual dinner or elegant cuisine you can find it
all in Playa. If you go a few
blocks off of Fifth you will find good restaurants where the locals go (and
often a little less expensive). There
are so many eating establishments that you
could have a cocktail and appetizer
at a restaurant with a band, the main meal at a quiet cozy place and have after
dinner coffee and desert at a sidewalk café and do some people watching. You
could do this for a week and still have restaurants to choose from.
There are many US franchises located in Playa: Burger King, McDonalds,
Subway, TGIF (just opened in Jan 2001).
There
are also many establishments along the beach which you can eat during the day.
Breakfast on the beach is always a nice way to start the day.
**The
condo is a short walk (5-10 min) to the center of Fifth Avenue.
At this time (Jan 2001) Fifth Ave is just developing on the north side of
Constituyentes. There are several restaurants on fifth & 26th that are very good and inexpensive (as
this are is just developing). I
can’t remember the names as most have just opened in the past several months.
The first one has a thatched roof (Italian owned) and they have
great breakfasts. There is a
taco place a half a block farther which really has a wide variety of menu
options.
From
the condo you walk to the beach on 26th. After visiting the other beaches I think you will agree that
this is the most beautiful beach in PDC. There
are two establishments there. One
is Las Mamitas (which we think has best mixed ceviche in PDC) and the other is a
restaurant / dive club. Both of
these establishments have good food and are reasonably priced.
The dive club also has a small pool.
If you are eating there you may use the pool which is nice if you have
small children. Since our children
are grown – we usually go to Las Mamitas as we have our favorite waiter there. You can rent your chairs, towels and umbrellas for the day
and spend the entire day. Grab a
good book (we have a selection in the condo), order your lunch and beverages and
enjoy the day.
Mexico
has just raised it’s minimum wage. The
daily salary is now 40 pesos (or approximately $4.00 US dollars per day.)
Therefore tipping is essential in Mexico.
A 10% tip is standard – but if the service is very good you may want to
leave a little more. In Playa many
of the restaurants and bars now include a 10% tip on the bill.
If you look at your bill you will see an additional charge listed as
“servicio” you know that it is included.
I believe the taxi drivers also include the tip when they calculate their
fare. Therefore when taking a taxi
– ask the price before you get in. “Cuanto
cuesta?” is how you ask the price. Therefore
the taxi prices may very a few pesos. Additional
tips should be given to people who assist you.
In the grocery store you will notice young children (sometimes as young
as 10) bagging your groceries. These
children do not get paid and rely on tips.
Some will just bag your groceries, others will take them to your car.
An appropriate tip for these children is a couple of pesos.
When you park your car there may be someone who “watches” it for you
and helps you get into and out of your parking space.
If the person is there when you leave – a peso is an appropriate tip.
Those van drivers or bus personal who put your bags into the van and
unload them should also be tipped. Also
don’t forget to tip the maid who cleans your room – if you feel the service
is good.
**
Both the caretaker and the person who cleans the condo are very honest and
reliable. Hotel cleaning service is
provided several times a week during your stay. This includes clean linens towels and general cleaning of the
condo. Tipping is optional, but I
would recommend that you leave a tip for both the caretaker and the cleaning
person at the end of the week if their service has been satisfactory.
A small tip of 50 to 100 pesos ( 5-10 US dollars) would certainly be
appreciated by them.
In
Playa you will hear many languages. Among
the locals Spanish and Mayan are spoken. Since Playa is so international you will also hear a great
deal of Italian, German and many other languages.
In the restaurants who will find menus in Spanish, English and depending
upon the restaurant you may also find menus in other languages also.
You can get along fine with English although a phrase book is always
nice.
**
The caretaker and cleaning person in the complex do not speak English – so it
would definitely help for you to have a phrasebook in case you would like their
assistance with something.
Can
I get around Playa easily without a car?
Playa
is easy to get around. Cars are
great for day trips and grocery store runs but actually if you plan to stay
in Playa and maybe take a day trip to Cozumel a car is not
necessary. In fact, they can
be troublesome as parking is often hard to find around Fifth Avenue and there
are many one way streets, several glorietas, and numerous “topes” (speed
bumps) with which to contend. Playa
is small enough where you can walk almost everywhere.
Taxi’s are cheap and readily available. You can always take a tour or a
bus to the many local areas such as Tulum, Xcaret, Xel-ha, and Cancun if you
desire. If you would like, you can
always rent a car for the day. Many
places have bicycles for rent at a minimal fee.
**This
is really a personal choice. My
daughters never rent a car and use the public transportation. They have never
had any difficulties. We rent a
car, as we like to go to Cancun to shop and visit different places. If you do
rent a car – we have secure parking for small and midsize cars.
I don’t think a Suburban would fit – but most cars would.
Can
I go topless on the beach?
Playa
has many tourists from all over the world.
As you observe the people, you can tell a great deal about their culture.
Many women do go topless while tanning and swimming.
But they will usually put on a t-shirt when they walk to the bathroom or
restaurant. The Europeans feel comfortable with their nudity – as it is a way
of life for them. I have seen some women walking along the beach
topless – although you may also see this at this time it is not the
“norm”. The majority of women I
have seen walking have tan lines – therefore they are probably trying out
their new found freedom. Mexican and Hispanic women
usually keep their clothes on. I
have noted in Playa that there are signs where swimwear is sold – indicating
that you need to buy the entire suit – not just the bottom.
So in this area I guess it is up to you – whatever your comfort level
may be.