About Playa del Carmen Excursions
Playa del Carmen Excursions is an independent comparison guide to the day trips and excursions that leave Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It’s written by me, Marisol Cab Uc. I compare the trips, tell you what they really cost, and link out to GetYourGuide when you’re ready to book. I am not a tour operator and I don’t sell anything myself.
Who I am
I was born in Valladolid, Yucatán, and I’ve lived for ten years three blocks off Quinta Avenida in Playa del Carmen. Before going freelance I worked five seasons as a bilingual excursion coordinator for a Riviera Maya DMC — the person who stands at the hotel door at dawn checking names against a manifest and explaining, again, why the bus is late. I have done every trip on this site with paying guests, several times, in every season. I count pesos, I watch the ferry timetable, and I have firm opinions about 6 a.m. pickups.
What I believe about Playa
Playa del Carmen is not the destination; it’s the launchpad. The town sits dead centre of the Riviera Maya — Cozumel is a 45-minute ferry from the end of 5th Avenue, Tulum is 45 minutes south, Akumal 35, a swimmable cenote 20, and Chichén Itzá 2.5 hours west. Gate prices and ferry fares look cheap on paper; the transport, guiding and queue logistics are where a day actually gets won or lost. Every recommendation on this site traces back to that judgment call — the reasoning is laid out in the complete guide and the ranked shortlist.
How the site is funded
When you book through a link here, GetYourGuide pays me a small commission at no extra cost to you. That keeps the site free and it doesn’t change the ratings — the catamaran page says 4.1 because that’s what it is. The details are in the affiliate disclosure.
Spotted an error — a stale price, a changed timetable? Tell me. This site stays useful only if the numbers stay true.