Playa del Carmen
The story of Playa mirrors the story of the northern Yucatan. For a very long time, very little happened. Fishing was the business, and few people made their way to the area. Things began to change in the mid 1970s, after the resorts of Cancun opened. More travelers began passing through Playa as they made their way down the coast to Tulum or caught the ferry to the nearby island of Cozumel. Those who settled in for a longer stay tended to be backpacker-style vacationers seeking a beach and inexpensive lodging. But in the past decade, tourism along the Yucatan coast (the so-called Riviera Maya) has kicked into a higher gear, and Playa has been one of the biggest areas of growth.
www.playadelcarmeninfo.com

Hotels:
Riviera Caribe Maya
The Blue Parrot
The dolphin (el delfin) it’s on 5th
http://www.hotelelfaro.com/hotel.html
All Riviera Resort
Santa Lucia
Hotel Colibri (www.hotel-colibri.com) on the beach and Hotel Kin-Be (www.kinbe.com) 1/2 block to beach
Playa Maya
Costa Del Mar: On the beach., great location (next to the Blue Parrot) about $60 a night. I prefer to stay here. You can occasionally here the music from the beach at night. El Faro is a great place to. On the beach. About $70-80
http://www.locogringo.com/ - Hotel La Tortuga
Kinbe Hotel

Must Sees:
Anyone that wishes to experience the Mayan culture go to Xcaret Park .It is not very far and can be done through a tour or done on your own by hopping a van(bus) right where you are staying for about 1.00$ US-and is very safe. The park is a sanctuary for wildlife and has a great aquarium. There are Mayan villages and guided tours through the caves. The snorkeling in the caves is not to be missed and children will love it. Stay for the late night show .It was the highlight of the day. Arrive early in the day–there is a great beach area for relaxing and lots of shaded areas to cool off. You can swim with the dolphins here without having to travel all the way to Tulum. Go to www.xcaret.com for details.

http://www.tulumtravelers.com/
On the way back from Tulum, stop at the little town of Akumal, just north of Tulum. There’s a funky little bar there called La Buena Vida. It’s right on the beach, and you can have a cerveza and maybe some ceviche with your toes in the sand.

Towns and Sites for Day Trips:
Merida, Valladolid, visit Chichen Itza, Tulum, Cozumel

Restaurants:
Dr. Taco on 10th
La Parilla for dinner
Media Luna for lunch or Breakfast
Java Joes for great morning coffee

Transportation from airport:
Van transfer from airport to your hotel costs 18 USD per person. Bus ride to Playa del Carmen cost 7 USD per person, then you have to take a taxi to continue to your hotel, taxi costs around 15 USD.

Dolphin Swimming:
http://www.dolphindiscovery.com/