UPDATE: Please ignore my comment below about "off the beaten path" and "local" experiences. Now that I've done some research and gotten feedback I realize this isn't what Playa del Carmen is about. I'm okay with that and am still interested in vacationing there.
Would love some insight to members' great experiences in Playa del Carmen. I should point out that my husband and I enjoy "local" and "off the beaten path" types of experiences. What restaurants must we try? Did you find an awesome little local bar that you loved that we should check out? What were 1 or 2 highlights of your trip? What sights did you see and what activities did you do that are not to be missed? We haven't booked accommodations yet so if anyone has a recommendation for a great rental that's centrally located with a pool and can accommodate 4 adults would love to hear about it! DISCLAIMER: At this point I have done little to no research on the area and appreciate any and all recommendations. Thanks in advance for helping me plan this trip!

Playa del Carmen is one of the busiest places in the area. A lot busier than I imagined before I went. Do not go to 5th Ave (quinta avenida) for food or drink because it is generally very expensive! We usually walked up calle 26 norte (at the advice of some locals) and found some inexpensive, delicious restaurants. We stayed at a little hotel called Luna Blue which was just off of 5th Avenue. Its just a couple minutes walk to the beach but seemed as authentic as you are going to get in the area - inexpensive, small pool, free breakfast (like a real breakfast in a restaurant), clean, friendly staff and mostly Mexicans were staying there at the time. I love playa del carmen but it is far too busy for my husband, who prefers the laid back tranquility of Tulum.

Thanks, Marie! We're leaning more towards a condo for accommodations but I'll check out the hotel. I'll also look into Tulum. Appreciate you taking the time to provide this info!

Elisha there are plenty of condos in the area! Just avoid the “emotions” condos or whatever they are called. I am pretty sure they tried to scam us when we booked with them before. But air bnb seems to have some great places! We are eyeing playacar for our next trip. Oh and no problem anytime

Yes they do but our last airbnb our lap tops were stolen from the condo we rented and no help or compensation!! airbnb took our comment off the website.. beware of airbnb.. might have been an inside job!

Anita that’s terrible good to know!! Is the condo still listed? If it is, can you pm me the listing?

Yes I can.. will check it out!!

Anita thank you very much. As much as I love condos and preparing my own food, it can definitely be unnerving to deal with a situation like that and it’s upsetting that air bnb didn’t handle it correctly. When the condo people tried to scam us, expedia handled it like champs and gave us a credit for double the cost of our original booking (since hotels were priced at a premium at the time we went). Otherwise it would have been a really terrible trip! I hope it didn’t turn you off of Mexico. Unfortunately a few bad apples ruin it for everyone

We love Mexico!! Just hotelling it now instead of airbnb

It isn't an area I would look for local experiences? Further south you can find some, like the towns of Akumal and Tulum. For a good source of info, see www.locogringo.com

Thanks, Jennifer. Sounds like I need to do some research to make sure a Playa del Carmen experience is one I'll enjoy. My attraction to this area so far with the little research I have done is the fact that there are cenotes, ruins, snorkeling, clear blue water, white sand beaches, etc. I currently live in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua where I get a "local" experiences every day. Perhaps I should have written on my original post that I am not afraid to get off the beaten path and explore.
I am surprised how affordable accommodations are in Playa del Carmen and how many options there are for condos. And airbnb is only place I've looked so far. I will do some research on Tulum and Akumul, which may be a better fit for us and our friends. Planning and researching is part of the fun!

There are tons of areas outside of Playa Del Carmen where you can stay. Yes, there are great beaches, cenotes and other things to see, some are very touristy and others not. You defininitely need to do some more reading if you like to get off the beaten path

Go snorkeling with the sea turtles in Akumal and when you're done hit the awesome beach bar La Buena Vida. On my 'to-do' list every time.

Go on a tour to Chichen Itza - amazing!

We are heading to Holbox Island to try and get away from the main tourist area. Have friends that have been and loved it. Very laid back. We just sold our house on little corn island so we know what you mean by off the beaten path. Check it out. Some reasonable air bnb.

Playa Del Carmen is far from the little fishing village with quaint shops it once was. Very busy place!

On the other side, there are some great villages north of Huatulco

We have gone to Playa 6 times. This year we are renting a condo on an area known as Playacar. It's a gated community with many places to rent and it's very nice. And quiet. We have a local agent who has booked to accommodation for us. That is the cheapest way to do it. Let me know if you want his contact info.

I'm not trying to be a downer or negative in any way, as this is a very beautiful area and there is lots to see and do. But as mentioned in a comment above this whole area is very busy and is a "tourist destination". I am also an off the beaten path traveler and this would not be a place on my radar for that kind of travel. Im sure there are hidden treasures you might find, but just know what to expect. We are heading to central Mexico in December and will be exploring a lot of places many American and Canadian travellers never go. Granted there are no beaches, but we are definitely ok with that for this trip. Still plenty of canyons and waterfalls and kayak opportunities, etc..
Im sure it will be great either way and good luck with whatever you decide!

I will add though that there are some great secluded/jungle type lodges down by Tulum and Akumal and I think that area in general will be much less crowded then most areas. I have been to Nicaragua and LOVED it. I assure you the amount of people in this area of Mexico will be substantial compared to anywhere we traveled in Nicaragua, so just be prepared;) Have fun!

Katherine - Thanks for the warning RE: amount of people. From the comments and the research I've done today I am starting to get a better sense of what Playa del Carmen is like. Although we like off the beaten path experiences (as mentioned in my original comment) I am thinking Playa del Carmen will be a nice change from San Juan del Sur. Since our day to day life is super tranquil we are okay with being in a a more populated area with a bit of bustle. We're only planning to stay for a week. I just want to do see some new sights, do some snorkeling, spend some time chilling on a white sand beach and enjoy good food and frosty cervezas.

Then you will enjoy! I'm a little jealous you get to call such a beautiful place home;)

It's interesting when you live in a little beach town how the ideal vacation differs from what it did when we lived in Calgary. So far our vacations from Nicaragua have been to Mexico City and Medellin, Colombia.

We are heading to Mexico city in December and then heading to Xilitla, San Miguel area and then down to Tolentago. We have found some pretty amazing places to explore in those areas:)

We loved Mexico City!

I have a place in Palaya car which is walking distance to playa del carmen and Iove it there!! But everyone is right 5th ave is getting busier and busier because it's so much nicer then cancun or puerto Vallarta that everyone is going there now. try the smaller places a little further away like Akumel.. they have delicious food on the beach and you can snorkel right off the beach and see ruins and beautiful fish and turtles!! Definitely ask the locals where they think the best place to go is they are always so helpful! If you are not a vegetarian then you have to try arrachera it's amazing!!

Try Puerto Morelos. Great snorkelling, wonderful restaurants, and not nearly as busy as Playa.

We loved staying right it the town in Cozumel at a place called Villa Los Ancles which was a great condo small kitchenette and rented a little vehicle to get around the entire island and beach clubs. ,

Jamaicia mon