Summer activities you can’t miss in Playa del Carmen
Two principles: water and shade. It gets hot and muggy in Playa from June to August, 33ËšC/90ËšF, maybe more. Here are five ways to stay cool around Playa.
Beaches
Look for beaches with thatched palapas, umbrellas, or palms. Akumal (39km/24 miles south) is popular because of the magic of swimming with turtles. Soliman Bay is harder to reach (54km/33 miles south), but the rustic Chamicos restaurant is shady (and their ceviche to die for!). It’s probably the only place where you can walk out to the reef; perfect for snorkeling.
Archeological Sites
 Cobá is the shadiest site nearby: north-west of Tulum, 110km/68 miles from Playa. If you get there at 8am, you’ll beat the crowds and the heat. Rent a bike to rumble through the jungle to the towering pyramid of Ixmoja, or better, relax in a tricycle. You may not have the energy to climb the pyramid (it’s harder coming back down!) but the view is breathtaking, and you can’t climb at Tulum or Chichén Itzá.
Cenotes
Here you are really spoilt for choice. If you have not yet experienced Yucatán’s otherworldly limestone sinkholes, some open to the sky, some closed cathedrals full of stalactites, with tree roots snaking through the sunbeams to the clear water below, you must. Some cenotes are for certified divers, others for adrenaline junkies on ropes. Some have gardens, restaurants, changing facilities, and restrooms. Others, well, don’t. There’s Choo Ha, only 6km/4 miles from Cobá to cool off after the ruins. It’s small; the light on the stalactites is magical; you’ll probably have it to yourselves, and it’s still cheap. But sophisticated isn’t it!
Jungle
Here are fewer options, but if a gentle stroll in dappled shade appeals, try the Botanical Gardens on the slip road to Puerto Morelos (31km/19 miles north). It’s more of a nature reserve than a garden, but it illustrates Maya plants and farming, there’s a good chance of seeing spider monkeys, a wealth of birds and the ubiquitous iguana, and a short walk takes you to views over the mangroves and the sea.
Museums
If it’s too hot to be outside, how about a museum? Museo Maya de Cancún (Hotel Zone 65km/40 miles) is an airy space full of beautifully presented artifacts and the bonus of a little ruin in its shady gardens. Or Playa’s very own Frida Kahlo Museum (Fifth Avenue and 8th) presents the life of that extraordinary heroine, artist and general breaker of rules. There are no originals here, but her story is well told, and the miniatures are fascinating.
We haven’t even mentioned some of the better-advertised trips. In summer the gigantic whale sharks gather off Isla Mujeres and Isla Holbox. Fancy swimming alongside the world’s largest fish? Or Sian Ka’an, the enormous biosphere reserve south of Tulum. Care to float down an ancient Maya canal in a strange water world where the sky meets the lagoons? There’s plenty to do in the water and shade. Stay cool!
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