The Best Things to Do in Playa Del Carmen With Kids

Looking to visit Playa del Carmen with kids, especially after visiting Cancun in November? As a travel family we have spent a lot of time in Mexico especially in Playa del Carmen. Claire actually lived there for 3 years. So you can rest assured that what you are reading here is the best insider information about the best things to do in Playa del Carmen with kids to help you start planning your own family vacation.

Playa del Carmen is fast becoming one of the top travel destinations to visit for digital nomads, solo travelers, and families alike. In this article, we’re going to walk you through some of the best Playa del Carmen activities for families to do in and around one of Mexico’s most relaxing yet adventurous resort cities.

The Best Playa Del Carmen Activities for Families

Playa del Carmen is located on the Caribbean coast of Mexico and is well-known for its natural beauty and various adventure activities. Think swimming in cenotes or observing dolphins in the wild.

Sounds fun, right?

There are so many different Playa del Carmen adventures to choose from that are just outside of the city. If you are looking for some educational trips for the kids, especially good if you are World Schooling, then the Mayans are a great place to start. If you want to know more about the Mayan Culture, there are many day trips from Playa del Carmen that will give you a much deeper understanding of it, such as Chichen Itza and Tulum Ruins – both of which are fun things to do in Playa del Carmen with kids in the area.

Is Playa Del Carmen Safe for Families?

We know you might read a lot of negative things about visiting Playa del Carmen. We get asked a lot if we think Playa del Carmen is safe to visit with kids, and we always answer the same thing.

We visit all the time with our son. Yes, it’s safe. Just don’t go looking for trouble (i.e. trying to buy drugs) and you and your family will be as safe in Playa del Carmen tours as you would in any other vacation destination in the world.

Playa del Carmen is not only considered safe for families, but it’s also easy to get around, has plenty of family-related activities (snorkeling, Xcaret parks, dolphin spotting, etc.), and is a relatively laid-back area.

So it really is no wonder that it attracts families from all over the world with its beautiful beaches and relaxing surroundings as it is still considered to be one of the top 3 safest resort towns of Mexico, along with Cozumel and Cancún.

If you are looking for a reliable company to book shuttles around Mexico, I recommend my friends from GuateGo. They are an incredible tourism transportation company that operates in Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, and Belize. Their prices are a bit higher than other companies but they are 100% reliable.

Now that we have covered that, here are the top 5 Playa del Carmen Activities for families you came here looking for:

Top 5 Playa Del Carmen Activities for Families in 2022

1. Spend the Day at One of the Xcaret Parks

Playa del Carmen is home to three major eco parks: Xel-Ha, Xcaret and Xplor.

• Xel-Ha is a waterpark best suited for good swimmers and, therefore, older kids. Its main attractions include snorkeling tour, rope swings and swimming in the cenotes.

• Xplor Adventure Park’s major attractions are ziplines, an underground river, amphibious vehicles and rafting.

• Xcaret park – our favorite of all 3 – are just about as touristy as they get. But you are on vacation, so it really has to be done, especially if you have children. There are many different parks to choose from, so make sure you do your research before choosing which one to book. They also always have lots of offers so it’s worth checking out what deals they have by clicking here.

This is also something our friend Vanessa from Turismo Channel can handle for you, just send her a WhatsApp message! Or book using the links above giving our discount code locationfree10off

2. Relax in Tulum

Tulum is about an hour from Playa del Carmen and it is super easy to get to either by bus, taxi, renting a car, or on a tour.

Tulum is one of the most well-known ‘bohemian’ escapes in the world right now. It’s not wrong to say that in 2022, everyone is visiting Tulum. And ever since the world shut down, more people have been arriving there than ever. While it’s not somewhere we personally want to spend a lot of time, we do love visiting Tulum on day trips, and here’s why.

Some of the best things to do in Tulum, according to my list:

• Visiting delicious food. Side note: there is an especially great range of vegan and vegetarian options in Tulum!
• Hitting up all of the top Tulum Instagram spots with your family (send Vanessa a message for info on her Insta tour of Tulum! quoting locationfreeprivate for a discounted price)
• Cooling down in a cenote after a long day

Seriously, there is nothing better than cooling off on a hot day in one of the cenotes close to Playa del Carmen! We’re not going to lie, there are a LOT of cenotes around, so it really can feel very overwhelming when trying to pick one to visit.

The way we see it, you have three options for cenotes:

1. Do it yourself.
2. Go on a tour.
3. Book a driver.

If you want to go with option 1 and do it yourself then You can rent a car and drive yourself there, or you can very easily take a colectivo. Make sure to rent with Turismo Channel and quote locationfreecar for the best price.

For option 2, our friend Vanessa has an amazing tour that takes you to 4 different cenotes, plus Xpu Ha beach (one of our top beaches in Playa del Carmen). She has other tours too, but that one is our absolute favorite. You really will be spoiled for choice with cenote tours from Playa del Carmen.

Another option is to just book a private driver for the day and ask him to take you to a few cenotes. They almost always know the good ones to visit that aren’t full of people!

3. Explore Cozumel

One of our recommended Playa del Carmen activities for families is taking a Cozumel day trip from Playa del Carmen where your kids can enjoy the ferry ride while marveling at the enormous cruise ships dock in Cozumel’s port. It may be the easiest out of all the options because you just need to take a ferry to the island.

One important thing to know about Cozumel is that it’s a big cruise ship destination, so normally it’s packed with cruise ship tourists. However, as the ships still aren’t sailing, it’s nice and quiet over there right now, making it even more appealing for families. It’s a small island but the main center is very developed, where you will find everything from Rolex to Starbucks right on the main road.

If you do end up visiting Cozumel, here are some family-friendly activities we’d recommend doing:

• Scuba Diving.
• Taking a trip to El Cielo (book this through Vanessa – she can arrange transport from Playa for you all).
• Going on the glass bottom boat tour.
• Renting a car and doing a lap of the island.
• Visiting the Mayan Ruins.
• Chilling at one of the numerous beach clubs.

4. Visit Chichen Itza

It is a bit of a drive, but visiting Chichen Itza is normally at the top of many people’s day trips from Playa del Carmen list. Well, it is one of the new 7 wonders of the world after all.

The site of Chichen Itza is almost 10 kilometers and will take around 2-3 hours to explore. With older kids, we also recommend going to Chichen Itza at night to watch the light show during the summer months. The only “downside” is that the whole thing is in Spanish, so if you don’t speak any Spanish, you will struggle.

5. Take a Day Trip to Isla Mujeres

Another one of our personal favorite days out from Playa del Carmen is to take a catamaran tour to Isla Mujeres. Yes, you can take a bus and then the ferry to Isla Mujeres from Playa del Carmen, but where’s the fun in that? Honestly, these boat trips are probably one of the few super touristy things that the locals partake in too.

You get picked up in Playa and are taken to Cancun by road. Then you hop on the catamaran and from there, it’s all about sunning yourself and relaxing. Hopefully.

Once you arrive in Isla Mujeres, there is normally a snorkeling tour followed by some time on Playa Norte (officially one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!). After that, you get taken to a local restaurant where you get a buffet lunch (not at all terrible), and then it’s home time. We know it might not sound that special, but it can be a lot of fun with your family. Plus, Isla Mujeres is so beautiful, you really must see it at least once!

PRO TIP: Relax on a catamaran tour of Isla Mujeres

Want to know why the Riviera Maya is one of Mexico’s best travel destinations? Because it has some of the most exquisite colored seas in the world, the sea temperature is warm all year round, and don’t even get us started on the beaches!

The best way to explore some of the most beautiful beaches is of course by boat. You can take a tour from Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, or Cancun. The actual catamaran leaves from Cancun so the first part of the tour will be by road to Cancun to meet the catamaran. Tours really range in price and quality.

Other Playa Del Carmen Activities for Families

About half an hour from Playa del Carmen, you will find Akumal Monkey Sanctuary where you and your kids can learn more about rescued animals and endangered species in general, and even take a jungle tour with an experienced guide.

In Tulum – Only a short drive away from Tulum, the Sian Ka’an nature eco reserve allows you to see animals and marine life native to the Yucatan in a protected, natural setting where you can partake in various activities from kayaking to fishing.

In Cancún – Pet some of the animals in Cancún’s small zoo, Croco Cun, while also learning about the almost extinct Yucatecan crocodile as well as other animals native to the Yucatan-peninsula. It is important to note that Crococun can only be visited as part of a tour.

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