Playa del Carmen
The Popol Vuh, sacred Mayan scriptures. A full translation here
A more complete history of the Playa del Carmen area can be found here
Playa del Carmen (Xaman Ha' or Pláaya in Modern Maya) is a city on the coast of the Caribbean Sea one hour south of Cancun. It is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Playa del Carmen is named for Our Lady of Mount Carmel, who is the patron saint of Cancún and also happens to be the name of a town in Italy established in 1263 on her behalf.
The first recorded visitors to the beaches of what is now Playa del Carmen came during the Early Classic Period (a.d. 300-600) of the Mayan civilization. Then called Xaman-Ha, or "waters of the north," Playa del Carmen was a rest stop of sorts for travelers making their way from the great cities of the Mayan world to the island of Cozumel.
The coast and lowlands of the peninsula were still heavily populated with the descendants of the fallen civilization when the Spaniards arrived. Tulum, less than an hour south of Playa, was the last Mayan outpost and there are plenty of small ruins in Playa del Carmen. The Spanish focused their attention around the area of Mérida, where conditions were better for growing henequén (sisal), a fiber used to make rope. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Caribbean coast was considered a savage place with not much to offer for potential settlers.
Originally a small fishing village, today Playa del Carmen, or "Playa", as it is referred to in the local community, embraces a growing international community, especially from Italy. The local government is attempting to retain Playa del Carmen's reputation and charm as a small fishing village and artists' colony and stop it from becoming as large and metropolitan as Cancún. Thus, the city passed an ordinance limiting buildings to three stories and amazingly enough, Playa retains its small-town vibe in spite of the enormous growth in tourism over the last decade. The combination of a large number of small, boutique hotels (offering only ten to twelve rooms each) and a grand selection of small restaurants offering international and local cuisine, keeps the hospitality pleasant in Playa. Quite a few expats (who have been living in Playa for 20 or more years) are also making a sustained effort to preserve the local community and the spirit that is uniquely Playa. Rent a bike and explore the town - there is much more beyond the beach and Quinta Avenida!
Cultural life in Playa: Playa has been host to six years of the Encuentro Internacional de Escritores en el Caribe. The city currently hosts an annual international Riviera Maya Jazz Festival, the annual BPM Festival (electronic music), and Julio Iglesias performed at
the town Zocalo in 2009! They also have an annual Taste of Playa food festival and share locations for the Riviera Maya Underground Film Festival (RMUFF). They have a lovely cultural museum, Museo Mexicano, open since 2003. MAR, The Museum of Contemporary Art, is currently being constructed. In 2009, the state of Quintana Roo started a program of generous grants for resident artists, writers, filmmakers and others (including year-round expats who can prove residence in Playa for at least five years). It's time for some serious poetry! A good map with everything you might need is here
Fifth Avenue & 8th Street looking towards the sea
