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What to do in Playa del Carmen when it's rainy (and when it's sunny)
1 Take a walk on 5th Avenue (shops and bars)
2 ATV tour (its more funny when its rainy!!!)
3 Movie theater (almost all the movies are in English)
4 relax a day at the SPA (mani-pedi, massages, facials...)
5 Playa del Carmen tour (Wal Mart deserve a visit, the new areas, ...)

1 Take a walk on 5th Avenue
C'mon its not that bad; bad walking with your girlfriend, looking around for a nice souvenir for the family or a new dress for the romantic dinner you promise her.
If you can't spend your day soaking the sun, drinking a margarita under a palapa umbrella on the beach, 5th avenue in Playa del Carmen offers you a choice of bars, shops and place to relax and visit.
During rainy or cloudy days in Playa del Carmen walking on 5th avenue is the easy and best solution to let time fly.
Those are my favorite places starting from Paseo del Carmen the beginning of 5th avenue, until the end of this pedestrian street.
Paseo del Carmen is a commercial area, an open air mall, full of fashion shops, bars, artisanal shops and restaurants.
At Paseo del Carmen you can spend the day shopping or drinking a coffee at Starbucks, a hamburger at Johnny Rockets, delicious ribs at Carlos and Charlie or drinking a Mojito accompanied by live music at La Bodeguita del Medio or a exotic cocktail at Viva Margarita. Fashion shops : Diesel, American Apparel, Bershka, Pull and Bear, Zingara, Fullsand, K Swiss, Oakley and more.
5th Avenue is the pedestrian promenade where you will find all kind of bars, restaurants, and shops. The first part after Paseo del Carmen is full of artisanal shops (hammocks, ceramics, Mayan dresses, ponchos, lucha libre masks) and jewelry shops (silver and famous Mexican ambar). Then you will see the first restaurants (Mexican, Mayan, Tex-Mex, Italian, Thai, German, Japanese, Cuban, Chinese, Argentinean, Swedish, Spanish) and bars (Basico, Ula Gula, Deseo lounge bar, Diablito, El cielo, Kartabar, Los Danzantes, Santanera and more).
There are 3 streets along 5th avenue that deserve a walk as well.
During the day: Calle Corazon located on 5th and 14th. It's a lovely street full of nice little shops and restaurants/bars and the part of 5th avenue after Costituyente until street 34th called Nueva Quinta (New Fifth) this area is also called Little Italy, because of the amount of Italians restaurants and Italians people living there. In this part of the town you will find the best beach clubs of Playa del Carmen.
Take a Cappuccino at the Baretto, at corner with 26th (the foam of this cappuccino is just amazing) and if you need sugar try the Panna Cotta with berries....Mmmmm! Shop right in front, at La Sirena, real Mexican artifact.
Take a slice of Pizza at Pizza Renzo and a beer at La Fe. Between street 28th and 30th you will find a lot of little restaurants. Babes is a must and if you are looking for Argentinean meat La Diez is your restaurant (right at corner with 30th street). At Ah Cacao you will have a delicious chocolate mousse or brownie.
After sunset: Again the 5th avenue (Nueva Quinta Little Italy area) is amzing at night time, you can't miss it!
And of course, street 12th - the heart of Playa del Carmen nightlife. If you want dance and have a drink, meeting new people from all over the world, this is the street. You will find the Cocobongo, the Santanera, Sky bar, Om, Diablito, Los Danzantes, Blue Parrot, Coco Maya. This is the place to hang out with friends until late at night.
 

2 ATV tour
This is the best tour you can do when its rainy. Prepare yourself drinking a lot of VitaminC water and bring with you a change of clothes, also if you have with you a rain jacket (you can buy it at Wal-Mart in Playa del Carmen for 1 usd). You know that spending few hours under the rain can be tricky for your cold but it worth the experience. Driving an ATV under the rain or after the rain, can be the funniest tour you can possibly make. There are 2 different tours ATV + Cenote or Discovery Jungle Park + zip lines. Both deserve a visit also during sunny days!  

3 Movie theater
There are 3 movie theaters in Playa del Carmen and all of them have English movies with Spanish subtitles. The program is almost the same as in the US. You always will find a cartoon movie, an action movie or a chick movie. If you are with your family or friends this is a place to visit. All the movie theaters are next to a Mall. Nothing like the malls in the US but at least you can walk and see what nice shops we have here in Playa del Carmen...
CINEPOLIS Plaza Las Americas on the highway
CINES HOLLIWOOD Plaza Pelicanos on avenue 10th between 8th and 10th
MMCinemas at Soriana on the highway.

10th between 8th and 10th

SORIANA Supermarket on the highway

Plaza Las Americas Ejido

4 a day at the SPA 
Relax! It's rainy and there's nothing you can do about it! It can be rainy for days in the Caribbean! What's the best way to relax? Spending a day at the SPA. My favourite SPA's in Playa del Carmen are :

Itza SPA Playa del Carmen - located on Calle Corazon between 5th and 10th avenue - street 14th Beautifully designed with the full spectrum of modern amenities to promote health, relaxation, and rejuvenation, the 4,000 square foot spa's atmosphere is one of serene sensuality. Guests begin their spa journey by entering a tunnel-like threshold and crossing a shallow candle-lighted pool via a symbolic stone and wood bridge.
Services: massage therapies, facial & skin therapies, Mayan healing baths, hydro tub remedies, body antidotes, Hot on the Spot Rocks, Aroma Therapy, Scalp Treatment, Hydrating Face Mask...

Vida Real SPA Playacar - located at Hacienda Vista Real Hotel 5stars hotel in Playacar next to the golf course.
Paseo XamanHa, Villa Pakal, Playacar
The first floor is designed to be like the Mayan world with an emphasis on flowing water, the second floor is Roman-themed with wall murals from Pompeii and Jacuzzis designed to resemble ancient springs. The third culture, the Orient, is represented by the hotel's Eurasian fusion restaurant.
Services: beauty salon, massages therapies, facial therapies, bodywraps, paraffin treatments, hidrotherapies, spiritual therapies, fitness, agua fitness and more.

Olivia Le Bleu SPA - if you are on budget and want to have a local experience - located on street 26th between Avenue 25th and 30th. This Mexican girl with a 7 years experience in the best Italian spas, and 7 more years in the best Mexican Spas, has open her own SPA. She offers a beauty salon service (mani-pedi,) and Spa treatments - massages, exfoliation, spiritual therapies, facials. A massage cost you $400 MNPesos ($30 or $35 USD) and is always a little bit more than 1 hour (after the massage she always offer you hot tea....) This little SPA has everything you want and the energy is good, because its not about the money, its about you. A LOT of locals go at Olivia's Spa.

5 Playa del Carmen tour
Did you know that Playa del Carmen is a "small town" of 200.000 habitants? DO you believe that Playa del Carmen finish with 5th avenue? If you have time on your hand you can rent a car, a scooter or a bike for a day and drive around Playa del Carmen, or you can simply take a taxi and after according the price, make a tour of Playa del Carmen. Playa del Carmen is like a roman city, squared, in this way you can't get lost, the streets are 2 by 2 and the avenues are 5 by 5. It's a safe city and people are lovely. Like everywhere in the world, keep attention and don't wear shiny jewelry while bicycling around with the passport in one pocket and a Million US$ in the other!
Where to go: You have no idea how long 5th avenue is. The more you go the more you realize how local people live. The touristic 5th avenue is a dream compared to the rest of Playa del Carmen. A lot of people working in town are not originally from here, but they arrive from all over the states of Mexico, and of course from all over the world. A lot of them have a piece of land where they built a cabanas or the richer, a cement house. A lot of them sleeps on hammocks. A lot of kids don't go to school. There are a lot of poor people in Playa del Carmen (but at least all of them have food for their family).
Outside the touristic area you will find a lot of little restaurant with mexican food and shops.
Take the Avenue 30th, there more traffic than 5th avenue but a lot more life. Go until the end of Avenue Juarez and come back.
Drive around the streets of Playa del Carmen without going so far. Avenue 30th and Avenue 45th between street 6th and Constituyentes you will see where we pay the Electricity bills, the Telephone bills, the local schools, the houses and apartments where locals foreigners lives and other touristic place like Solexico the beautiful Spanish school and Condo Bamboo. This area is considered downtown only 10 minutes walking from 5th avenue.
Playacar is another place that you can visit. There is Playacar phase I and phase II, both deserve a visit. Those are the residential areas with All inclusives hotels on the beach and villas and golf court inland.
Make a visit to the supermakets. There are WalMart, Soriana, Chedraui, San Francisco, Mega, Plaza Las Americas. All of them have foods, drinks and accessories that you'll never find at home.
Not so far from 5th avenue you will find the best fresh fruit juices in town, at DAK bar on avenue 30th at corner with street 24th. The best empanadas until 1pm on 6th street between Avenue 30th and 35th (its on the street between the cars). The best mexican-mayan food, after 5pm on Avenue 30th at corner with street 28th - Dona Mary. The best fish on street 40th between avenue 5th and 1st.
 

Hotels in Playa del Carmen
La Tortuga Playa Del Carmen Has Pool From $90 to $300	Riviera Caribe Maya Playa Del Carmen Has Pool From $70 to $200	Las Palapas Playa Del Carmen Has Pool/On the beach From $70 to $240	Shangri La Playa Del Carmen Has Pool/On the beach From $80 to $240
	More beautiful Hotels in Playa del Carmen

What else....
Getting Married?
Unfortunately this is not Las Vegas!! (this is Paradise!)
To organize a wedding in playa del carmen riviera maya, you need the help of amazing people that will assist you the entire time.
Check the page of our favorites wedding planners in Playa del Carmen.