| Traveling with Kids in Playa del Carmen |
|
|
|
|
By Sara Moen Many questions that come our way are questions concerning families and travelling with children. In addition to questions about visiting Playa del Carmen, and the surrounding areas, there are countless questions about schooling options, and afternoon activities that are available for families living year round in Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya. I responded to the education and schooling options in this article: , but have yet been able to put together a cohesive guide of afternoon activities, as well as a list of tours, activities, family friendly restaurants , and other options for both visiting families, as well as year round residents; until now! Due to the fact that there is such a broad spectrum of activities and options now available in our area; it was a bit of a daunting task to take on. Enter my friend Michele Kinnon from Buy Playa Real Estate Services. She suggested we co-collaborate on the idea and we have both taken a branch of the guide. She has focused on the year round activities for children and families living here year round, and I have focused on drop-in activities and tours for visiting families, or for local families looking for something to do on the weekends. Please keep in mind that these are activities that we have experienced, or have been recommended by other families, and they may not include EVERYTHING in the area. But we think it will give you a good idea of what Playa del Carmen has to offer both visiting and year round residents of Playa del Carmen. Do you have a favorite activity in the area? Please let us know, and we would be happy to include it in our guides. Have fun!!! Babysitting-Often private villas offer babysitting services, and the larger resorts have kids clubs, but we often get inquiries from parents looking for private babysitting services. We suggest you speak to Carla at Playa Kids. She has been in the area since 2006 and has had her babysitting services available to locals and visitors in the Riviera Maya since 2010. They cover the area between Puerto Morelos and Tulum, and offer their services in both English and Spanish. For further information on their services and rates please visit their website. Bowling- Pool tables, kid lanes, junk food, and a bar for the adults; Planet Bowl is a great spot for family fun! Located in Centro Maya, Planet Bowl, opened in early 2012, is a great spot to cool off in the air-conditioning and keep your kids entertained for a few hours. Planet Bowl Facebook. Catering, cooking classes and more! Coco’s Cocina Cosmopolita- Coco’s offers Creative Kids Cuisine, a cooking course focused on simple dishes, nutritious food, bright colors and flavors are the main ingredients of the menus. At the end of the course children will have a good notion of cooking, and find the fun side and importance of food. Using, games, songs and riddles children are introduced to the course menu, playing their way to gastronomy. The cost per class is $400 MXP or $1200 MXP monthly (4 classes), includes all material, recipes and food. For more information on scheduling classes please visit their website. Little Mexican Cooking School- The Little Mexican Cooking School is located in Puerto Aventuras. Although they do not have a set schedule for children’s cooking classes you can arrange private classes for family groups. Children must be 8 years old and up, and family groups can range from 8 people (May 1st through October 31st) to 12 people (November 1st through April 30th). For pricing and scheduling please contact them through their website. Uno Events and Catering-Have Uno events and catering plan your child’s next birthday party! Whether visiting the area or if you live here full time, the crew at Uno Events and Catering can take care of everything from location, clowns, mariachis, to interactive cupcake decorating. They can plan a kid friendly menu, or mix it up to accommodate more sophisticated young pallets and adults. Uno Events and Catering is a full service company and has been operating in the area since 2005. For further information visit their website. Community Action A great way to get kids involved in the community, whether visiting, or living here year round, is to get involved with a local non-profit. The few we have listed below have things that may appeal to children more than others, but consider doing research on others if these do not peek your interest.
Movie Theaters There are 2 major movies theaters in Playa del Carmen; Cinepolis and MMCinemas . One is located in Centro Maya and the other is located in Plaza Las Americas. Centro Maya is located on the right of Highway 307 heading towards Tulum just opposite of Playacar and the entrance to Plaza Las Americas is on the left side of Highway 307 as you head to Cancún by the large traffic circle with statue at the entrance of Playa del Carmen. All animated features are dubbed in Spanish, and non-animated features are usually run in English with Spanish subtitles. To see what is currently playing, and to check movie times please click here. Off the beaten path Akumal- Buena Vida- We suggest going for lunch at the Restaurant Buena Vida with your kids. The pirate theme, crows nests, and pool are sure to be a hit!! Oh and their food is great too! For a map to the restaurant click here. Lol Ha- With some of the best burgers in the Riviera Maya Restaurant Lol Ha is a must do while visiting the area. Right on the beach you can lounge in a chair, dine inside, or just have lunch and then go for a swim with the turtles. Lol Ha is located on the main beach in Akumal Bay. You can park in the lot outside of the arches and walk through the arches to your right and you will find it! Yal-Ku Lagoon- One of the best snorkel spots in the area Yal-ku Lagoon is easy to access, and there is a 100% guarantee of seeing plenty of fish. A mix of fresh cenote water and seawater you will see a wide variety of fish and corals. If you venture out towards the opening to the sea more often than not you will see turtles. For further info on getting there as well as pricing check out this website. Cenotes- There are countless cenotes in the area. We suggest visiting Gran Cenote, Cenote Azul, as well as Cenote Cristalino. All of which are kid friendly in terms of access. Check out our cenote guide for a full list of cenotes and their locations. Puerto Morelos- Beach Club-We love the beach club at Hotel Ojo del Agua. The beach is AMAZING, great food, and their pina coladas are awesome! They do have a pool, but the last time we were there they told us it was for hotel guests only. We are pretty sure they wouldn’t be able to say no to a child, but just keep it in mind. They are located at: Av. Javier Rojo Gómez S.M. 2, Mza. 2, Lote 16 Frac. Puerto Morelos Quintana Roo, México. 77580 Phone: (998) 871- 0027 Ruta Cenote- when heading south on 307 towards Playa del Carmen, there is an archway on your right just south of Puerto Morelos. If you take this road it will eventually get you to Chiquila, the launching point to take a boat to Holbox Island. But if you travel the firs 19 kilometers there are hundreds of cenotes to visit. We suggest checking out Cenote Verde Lucero. It has a self-manned zip line, a place to set out a picnic, and a fresh cenote to frolic in! Location- about a 15 minute drive from the freeway. Keep your eyes open for a sign on your left. Paintball- If you would like to get rid of your teenagers for a few hours Extreme Central Playa may be just the place for you to drop them off! For further details check out their website or Facebook page here: Parks/sports courts- Parque La Ceiba- Parque La Cieba is located in El Ejido and is not only a beautiful neighborhood park, but it includes a great playground, art gallery, small café, outdoor theater, and a recycling center. They also offer a plethora of classes for children of various ages as well as an open artisanal market the third Saturday of each month. For more information either visit the park, which is located on: Av 1a Sur and Calle Diagonal 60 in El Ejido, or visit their website. Parque Fundadores- Parque Fundadores is located right on the sandy beaches of the Caribbean in downtown Playa del Carmen. The park is open to the public and is surrounded by local food vendors so you can grab a torta, taco, fresh fruit, or juice and have an impromptu lunch in the park. Poke your head inside the church, and enjoy the great children’s playground and climbing area. Too hot? Run straight into the warm waters of the blue Caribbean Sea and roll around in the sand; a great family spot. Parque Fundadores is located between 5th Avenue and the beach just south of Juarez. If you are here visitng in November check out local food festival Taste of Playa! Poliform- Poliform is a public sports facility located in El Ejido in Playa del Carmen. There are two soccer fields, tennis courts, basketball and racquetball courts, an outdoor track and more! Free of charge and open daily it is a great place for your kids to run off steam. The Poliform is located on Juarez and 105th Avenues in El Ejido-Playa del Caremn. Estadio Mario Villanueva- Estadio Mario Villanueva is similar to the Poliform, but it is located in downtown Playa del Carmen. There are tennis courts (where they offer lessons as well), racquetball and basketball courts, soccer fields and more. It is also the home to Inter Playa, our local soccer team, and a great way to spend an afternoon or evening with your kids! Restaurants In general most restaurants in Playa del Carmen are child friendly. There are the usual chain restaurants such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, KFC, Johnny Rockets, and Domino’s if you have kids that are in need of “comfort” food, but if you have a more adventurous eater check out a few of the spots below. Or check out our restaurant guide:
Tours and Excursions There are countless tours and excursions offered in and around Playa del Carmen, but not all of them are suitable for children. These are the ones we would recommend, but please make note, and honor, age suggestions and requirements. When ages are not listed please contact the tour operator directly. Please note if you are resident of Playa del Carmen, and have immigrant status (FM3 or FM2), you may be eligible for up to a 50% discount on some tours and excursions. Children who are enrolled in school are also eligible for local discounts so please ask the tour operator if they offer a local discount. Proof of residency and school identification are required. Aktun Chen-all ages AKtun Chen is located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Playa del Carmen just outside of Akumal in the heart of the Rivera Maya. It is geared towards visiting families and offers a wide variety of activities including cenotes (underground bodies of water), zip-lining, cave exploration, and local flora and fauna. Closed on Sundays it is worth the trek south to check it out. For ticketing and transportation information please visit their website. ATV Explorer- ages 5 and up, but must be 12 years old to drive The ATV Explorer Tour is a great way to enjoy the area without spending an entire day on an extensive tour. Located just south of Playa del Carmen the ATV Explorer Tour allows you to explore a large private ranch only open to ATV Explorer guests. Cruise through the jungle on an ATV, visit an AMAZING cenote, dry cave, and small Mayan ruin. Perfect for the adventurous family; you won’t be disappointed! For further information click here: Aviary- All ages The Xaman-Ha Aviary is located in Playacar, and is home to more than 200 individual birds in its open-air sanctuary. They are located on Paseo Xaman Ha S/N Fraccionamiento Playacar, Playa del Carmen For further information and pricing click here. Crococun- All ages Coba and Tulum Mayan Archeological Sites-ages 8 years old and up unless previously approved. We recommend going off the beaten path and trying our Tulum and Beyond tour. It is a great day mixing fun in the sun with local history. We also offer an additional tour to Coba where you can ride bicycles through the jungle! This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for details. Diving- minimum age to learn to dive is 10 years old and must be a strong swimmer! Try a discovery dive or pool exploration with Abyss Dive Center! For further information please visit their website. Fishing and snorkeling-no minimum age for fishing, but must be strong swimmer to snorkel. Fishing/snorkeling- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will be happy to book a fishing/snorkeling tour with our Captain Edgar. The tour is approximately 4 hours, and is always a hit with kids! Kite boarding-there are weight requirements. Try a kite boarding lesson with our friends at Extreme Control in Tulum. There are some weight restrictions on minimum weight so please contact the experts at Extreme Control and they can let you know the age/weight requirements. Monkeys! All ages Punta Laguna Nature Reserve- Punta Laguna is located west of Tulum near the Coba ruins. It is known for its spider monkeys and howler monkeys, but there countless species of plant and animal life on the reserve. You can pay an entry fee and go exploring on your own, or you can choose from a variety of tours. Please visit this website for further information. The Jungle Place-is a sanctuary for spider monkeys located a bit south of Playa del Carmen. They offer food, shelter, and medical care to injured or displaced spider monkeys. When you book a tour to visit the sanctuary 100% of ALL proceeds go towards the care of the monkeys. For additional information, to make a donation, or to book a tour, please visit their website, Swimming with the Dolphins-ability to swim Swimming with the dolphins is one of the most popular activities in the area for children and families. The opportunity to swim and interact with dolphins is a once in a life time experience and one not to be missed! Choose from variety of packages, and have your children bring home memories that will last a life time.Click here for more details! Xcaret-all ages Xcaaret is an archaeological theme park located just south of Playa del Carmen Enjoy their night show exploring México’s history, swim with dolphins, float down the underground river, or visit and learn about local area flora and fauna. Visit a Mexican cemetery, a coral reef aquarium, or butterfly pavilion swim at the beaches and natural pools; a great way to spend the day with the family. For more information please visit their website. Xel-Ha-all ages, but recommend ability to swim Xel-Ha is a natural aquatic park located just north of Tulum in the heart of the Riviera Maya. Float down the river on inner tubes, climb across the ropes , or fall into the water below, jump off high points into the fresh blue water, or snorkel, snorkel, snorkel! We have yet to meet a child (or adult) that does not LOVE Xel-Ha!!Visit their website for further info. Xplor-6 years old and up, but there are some height requirements. Xplor is located just south of Playa del Carmen, and is a theme park that has multiple zip lines, ATV tours, and underground rivers to explore. Not for the faint of heart, but if you have an active, fearless child it is a must do according to a local 10 year old! For further information, to book a ticket, or to check height requirements please click here.
Bookmark
Email this
Trackback(0)
Comments (2)
Write comment
|
Traveling with children in Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya.
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
