Recommendations for first time trip to Mexico

[ABCT751]

I just booked flights to Cancun for the last week in May, but we haven’t decided on accommodation yet and am looking for advice.
Hubby and I are both AOW divers, while our son is OW. We are thinking of around 5 or 6 days days of diving - to include Cenotes, Cozumel, shallow reef and C56 wreck. Our son is also considering doing his Advanced. We also intend to do some sightseeing - Chichen Itza, Tulum, maybe some zip-lining in the jungle etc as well as some R&R. We will be hiring a car to get around and would like to stay in a 2 bed condo within walking distance of some decent restaurants so we don’t have to cook every night. I was looking at PDC as it is fairly central to the things that we want to see, but I am concerned that Playa might be a bit too lively for us. I’ve read lots of reports about people being kept awake at night due to noise and we don’t want that. We prefer somewhere quiet and will be in bed early each night. Are there any areas of PDC that are quieter? (We have seen a couple of condos around Calle 40 - what is this area like?).
I did also look at Akumal, but have read that the reefs are not quite as good there due to algae and that seagrass has also been a problem. and with Akumal, there are less restaurants within walking distance.
I’d appreciate people’s thoughts. Thanks.

 

[jonhall]

You should get several responses from some Mexico pros on this. With limited diving along this stretch, I'll throw what I think I know in here.

OW or AOW doesn't really make a difference. For example, I did the C56 wreck which as I recall was a swim through at 93 feet (it is considered an advanced dive due to depth and possible current) and all I had at the time was OW. Same for deep dives in Coz. The op takes you were they take you. But the majority of dives along the PDC stretch are around 40-50 feet.

PDC is located along the Riviera Maya, which is the stretch that starts south of Cancun in Puerto Morelos down to Tulum. We have stayed in the Grand Mayan which has a PDC address and which is about 20-25+ minute drive north from the actual town of PDC.

I, personally, liked diving in Puerto Morelos over PDC. The diving is in a protected National Park. PM is about a 45-50 minute drive from downtown PDC, but that is where the C56 located. I dove with Welcome to Dive in Puerto Morelos . Your likely to see spotted eagle rays around the wreck.

The last time I was in PDC, I dove with Dressel Divers because I had decided to get AOW and they offer a "free" course. Dressel Divers is located in several of the resorts in PDC. Might be a good deal for your son. The drawback is that they are a resort dive op so stay somewhat on a schedule, dives not lasting more than 50 minutes, but they usually do 3 dives a day and do cenote dives and Coz trips. Although they offer several packages and low rates (20% off booking ahead online) there is a lot of time wasted waiting for student divers who might be performing checkout dives during a dive and being shuttled around for the cenote and Coz dives. The staff was usually big enough that you didn't have to worry about being in a group with students. Everything else about Dressel was great. Scuba diving in PLAYA DEL CARMEN with Dressel Divers

Many people on SB will tell you to skip the diving in PDC and just dive in Coz because that's where the great diving is. The reef in PDC area, IMO, doesn't come close to Coz or Puerto. Morelos for that matter. Diving with Dressel out of PDC, they get you over to Coz, pick you up in their boat and take you to the resort (Iberostar) they are associated with. They also give you a wristband which gets you the all-inclusive food/drink at the resort. You don't really have a lot of time to take advantage of it, but what we did have was pretty good. Then they take you back to PDC. Again, personally, even though it was nice to leave the driving to them, next time I'm in PDC I will catch the ferry over myself and book some dives with an op located on the island. You don't have to rush around other than to be sure you are in Coz and with the dive op on time in the morning (or evening.) Also, on finding an op in Coz, I would stay away from a resort op, as again, they will be on a schedule limiting dive time. Other ops will give you longer dives. Many of the ops will take you to the same dive sites anyway which are located in the protected marine park.

You should get some recommendation from others on cenote dives and dive ops. I'll just say that the water temp was around 77º F (October) and my buddy and I were both too hot in a 7mm wetsuit. Wear something less and you also won't need as much weight. We went as deep on these dives, 43-48 feet, as we did on reef dives in PDC.

Chichen Itza and Tulum (I also recommend one of the eco- water parks - all-inclusive and great fun) are full day trips. I'd tell you who I zip-lined with, but it was in 2010 and I can't remember the outfit.

Not knowing how many days you have, 5-6 days of diving and fitting sightseeing trips in is pretty aggressive for a week (it would wear me out) but if you have a couple of weeks, it sounds like a great time.

 

[islandboysrule]

Go to PDC. Better access to diving (Cozumel and Tulum close). Better restaurants and night life. Great dive OPs to choose from.

 

[ibj40]

One additional option you might consider is Puerto Aventuras. PA is about 20 kilometers South of Playa del Carmen.

We have been going there for the past dozen years or so, diving with Dive Aventuras. The dive shop offers both ocean and cenote diving, and is very complete, with their own in-house maintenance and repair shop. Nils, one of the owners of the dive shop is Dutch, and has always treated us as friends and not simply customers.

The reefs around PA are very healthy, and access is from the marina, so no wading out to your dive boat through the surf.

Their dive staff is highly qualified and very professional and personable, with certified cave divers as guides for the cenote trips.

PA is centrally located, with easy access to Tulum to the South, and the Xcaret theme park to the North.

The area is a gated community, built around a marina. Very quiet, so meets one of your criteria. We usually rent a condo as we love to cook for ourselves, and there is a large grocery store right across the highway, and a farmer's market inside the compound on Wednesdays and Saturdays. There is also a variety of eating establishments around the marina. There are also a couple of All-Inclusive resorts inside the compound if that is your preference.

On a few of our visits, we have even taken a cab into Playa del Carmen for dinner and an evening of strolling along Avenida 5.

I am sure if you check with the dive shop, they will be able to help you out with planning your vacation.

 

[horn34]

Are you going to be doing more diving or sightseeing? If it's more diving, stay in Cozumel, then take the ferry over to Playa to go dive cenotes, see ruins, etc.

Doing the opposite is a major pain in the ass.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

I would stay in Playa, as it is central to everything. You close to the ferry docks to go to Cozumel, the cenotes to the south of you as well as Puerto Adventuras, Tulum and Akumal. Puerto Morelos is too the north. I recommend Nicolas from CenoteXperience - Cavern, Cave and Ocean Diving in Playa del Carmen Yucatan Mexico - Home I have been diving with Nico for about 8 years, They have a small family run dive shop in Playa. They can look after all your diving needs.Tell Nico that Steve from Canada

 

[scrane]

Fly into Cancun, bag drag to Cozumel, buy a three day dive/hotel package. Then pick up and move to Playa and do the land stuff. Staying in Playa for a week would make me crazy.
You might consider blowing off Chichen Itza and doing a Tulum, Coba, Valladolid trek.