Many of our guests ask about things they can do in Playa for not a lot of money.  One of our favorite things about Playa is the diversity of experiences that can be had.  Playa boasts an abundance of fine dining establishments, as well as wonderful, moderately priced restaurants and some that are downright cheap!  And all of them providing excellent food.  In addition to diversity of meal choices, you can also choose whether to have a quiet, relaxing vacation or you can have an adventure-filled trip - all at the same destination.  One can also choose whether to walk a couple of blocks to experience the warm, Mexican culture or spend your time hanging with the tourists speaking nothing but English.  We love having so many options available on how to spend our time.

Here are a few general tips to keep your Playa vacation budget-friendly:

1. Use local transportation.  It's not difficult to learn, and we love helping our guests get the most of this option. Taking taxis everywhere or renting a car for a whole week can really eat into your cash.  If you want to go exploring, just rent a car in Playa for the day or two instead of for your whole trip.  For us, traveling like the locals do includes taking the bus from the airport to Playa instead of a shuttle (if the total number in our party is 4 or less).  The ADO bus station is a short walk from our condo and can take you to destinations up and down the coastline as well as inland to popular ruins and colonial cities, for little more than a song.  And the colectivo system is hard to beat for getting up and down the coastline inexpensively and on your own time schedule.  The bonus is you get to experience true local flavor. 
2. Visit the grocery store upon your arrival and stock up on adult beverages, snacks and items to make a few meals in the condo.  You'll be glad you did.  
3. When eating out, don't be afraid to venture away from 5th Avenue.  Just a few short blocks "inland" and you will find some of the best local restaurants at very inexpensive prices.  Ask us - we'll be happy to give you some specific suggestions.  There is a Mexican food glossary in our condo that will help you navigate the menus in Spanish.
4. Skip the ice cream spots on 5th Avenue and opt for Mexican ice cream on 10th or Juarez - there are lots of them.  Instead of paying $10US for a scoop of Haagan Daaz, you'll pay about $1-2US and experience some new flavors at the same time.  
5. Slow down.  Really.  This is Mexico, where life should be lived to the fullest!  Don't feel that you need to plan out every day.  Save time to explore the area at a slow pace and be aware of the beautiful scenery around you.  Spend a day at the pool (WalMart has lots of pool toys) instead of forking out cash every day for another eco-park.  They can be really fun, but pricey.  Our pool is pretty cool and with sandwich makings upstairs, it's a really inexpensive day.

How about some specific suggestions on inexpensive activities?

1. Ride bikes around the Playacar neighborhood - there are lots of beautiful homes to see.  (We supply 2 bikes in our condo).  Just be careful and watch for pedestrians and other bikers!
2. Visit a cenote - there are a couple that are close to Playa and easy to get to using the colectivos.  They have very inexpensive entrance prices ($5-10US) and are a great way to experience something unique to the area.  Pack a lunch and make it an even more affordable way to spend a day.
3. People watch.  For the price of a cervesa on 5th Avenue or at the beach - you will be surprised at how entertaining our species can be, and how varied!   We love hanging at the outdoor cafes.
4. Also on or around 5th Avenue - pop into some of the charming boutique hotels and wander around.  We've never seen such beautiful and totally unique properties anywhere else we have traveled.  The various pools and courtyards are really worth seeing, and the architecture, too.  We've never had anyone object to this, and many have offered to show us a room which is fun.  Some to try - Kinbe, Luna Blue, Deseo, Hacienda del Caribe, Moskito Blue, but the list is almost infinite.
5. Watch the calendar at Buy Playa for local activities going on - especially the art walks.  Often on Tuesday and Thursday evenings you can see local artisans showing their work on or close to 5th.  And at any time you can duck into the Casa Mediterranea (between Calle 6 & 8 on 5th Avenue)  and explore their galleries and boutique shops with local work.  There are a couple of other small galleries up and down 5th - check them out.
6. One of the local activities that is fun (and free) is to volunteer at a charity event or activity.  Coco's Cat Rescue is one of our favorites.  Every Friday afternoon you can play with rescued kittens, getting them used to people and ready to be adopted.  Be careful, though, you might fall in love with a couple of them yourself!
7. Lots of local clubs have live music and wonderful bands for you to enjoy, just watch what you spend on drinks or this can work against you.  Some of the most popular joints are WahWah's, Bad Boys, Luna Blue and Kixte.
8. Spend a day at Akumal swimming with the turtles.  Akumal is about 30 minutes south of Playa and is accessible by colectivo for a song.  Once there, if you have your own snorkel gear, it's just a matter of laying down your beach towel and getting in the water.  There are dive shops there that will rent you snorkel gear pretty inexpensively for the entire day, for the cost of one snorkel excursion that may only last a few hours.  Eat lunch at the Economica lunch counter near the convenience store just outside the arches.  See more info in our Things to Do tab.
9. You can even check out a few small ruins for free without leaving town.  Although certainly nothing like the magnificent pyramids outside of town, there are some interesting ones throughout Playa that are fun to see.  One is just around the first corner (headed west) from the condo.  Another is immediately out the back door of WahWah's beach club.  We like the ones that are at the end of the path through the wooded area in Playacar (take the path by the guard gate headed to the beach).

What are your favorite ways to enjoy Playa del Carmen inexpensively?

Going to the grocery store can be an entertaining adventure in Mexico!  We enjoy exploring the culture through their food – and visiting a grocery store is an excellent start on that journey.

The most obvious “adventure” lies in the different proteins consumed in Mexico – in Playa del Carmen you will see an abundance of seafood that is unusual to find even in a seafood shop back home.  Octopus, squid, giant squid and exotic fish are just some of the unusual sights on ice in the seafood section.  In the beef and pork section, it gets even more odd – Mexicans, like many other cultures, eat most organs and other parts of the animals that Americans would never consider eating.  So this is your chance to gaze upon beef tongue, brains, eyeballs, and anything else that you can think of.  Twelve year old boys will especially enjoy this activity!

Refrigeration (or the lack thereof) makes for another significant difference.  In Mexico, eggs are stored in the aisles and not refrigerated.  Obviously, this is OK as it is the only way you will see eggs here.  But it makes me wonder what it is about OUR eggs at home that require cold storage?  Anyone know?  Milk is one of the other things sold off of the shelf – it is sold in boxes off the shelf instead of plastic bottles in refrigerated cases.   I have been told that this milk is processed with extremely high heat which somehow results in no refrigeration needed.  You can buy boxed milk in the U.S., I have some at home saved for when I run out – great option!  Once it is opened, however, even boxed milk needs to be refrigerated.

A delightful place in a Mexican supermarket is the fresh bakery!  All kinds of pastries and goodies are placed out in the aisles.  Grab a pizza tin and a pair of tongs and go through the aisles choosing what you want.  When you’re done loading up your tin, take it to the counter where a lady will put it in bags for you and place the price on the bag.  Very inexpensive and good.  I prefer the ones with sugar or chocolate on them, as Mexican breads and pastries are not as sweet as what we eat in Texas.

In the larger stores such as Mega and Wal-Mart, you can find most anything your heart desires and is used to from home, but it may not be available in the brand you are accustomed to.  Of course, Mexican brands will cost you much less, but American brands are there too for many items.  If you have a child who must have peanut butter, however, bring a jar from home.  For some odd reason, we have trouble finding this in stock when we are there.  Nutella is more widely available as an alternative.

And don’t forget to spend some time in the produce section.  You won’t believe the number of limes displayed!! Along with many other tropical, tasty fruits and vegetables.  Pick up something you aren’t familiar with to sample back at the condo.  But remember to soak ALL fruits and veggies and greens in the sink with a few disinfectant drops first.  And note that produce doesn’t stay fresh long in Mexico, so only buy what you will eat today and tomorrow, then make another trip. 

Open your mind to the experience and enjoy something new!