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Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, the wild heart of the Riviera Maya, isn’t a port of call for large cruise ships, but it is a popular day-trip destination for ships docking at Cozumel, 12 miles offshore, and at Calica, a small port five miles south. Baby boomers who visited…

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The Mayan ruins of Tulum, south of Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

At a glance

1 current cruise calls at Playa Del Carmen, on 1 ship from 1 cruise line. All of them are sailed by Virgin Voyages.

About

Playa del Carmen, the wild heart of the Riviera Maya, isn’t a port of call for large cruise ships, but it is a popular day-trip destination for ships docking at Cozumel, 12 miles offshore, and at Calica, a small port five miles south. Baby boomers who visited in the 1970s or even 1980s will remember Playa as a laid-back, Jimmy Buffet-style destination with lots of palapa bars along the waterfront and a string of simple hotels catering to budget travelers from all over the world. It’s a bustling city now, with traffic to match and a European-infused party scene as trendy (or shall we say wild?) as any in Mexico.

Photos of Playa del Carmen

  • The Mayan ruins of Tulum, south of Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
    The Mayan ruins of Tulum, south of Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
  • The Portal Maya was erected in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, to mark the end of the Mayan calendar on Dec. 21, 2012. The rings derive from an ancient Mayan ball game.
    The Portal Maya was erected in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, to mark the end of the Mayan calendar on Dec. 21, 2012. The rings derive from an ancient Mayan ball game.
  • Ziplining in Chikin Ha Park near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
    Ziplining in Chikin Ha Park near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
  • Winter break on the beach in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
    Winter break on the beach in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
  • The beach at Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in late afternoon.
    The beach at Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in late afternoon.
  • A kiteboarder catches some air along the coast of Mexico. Try it or just watch at Morph Kiteboarding in Tulum or El Cuyo, Yucatán.
    A kiteboarder catches some air along the coast of Mexico. Try it or just watch at Morph Kiteboarding in Tulum or El Cuyo, Yucatán.
  • A zipline tour near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
    A zipline tour near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
  • A woman preps for a kitesurfing outing in Mexico. Try it at Morph Kiteboarding in Tulum or El Cuyo, Yucatán.
    A woman preps for a kitesurfing outing in Mexico. Try it at Morph Kiteboarding in Tulum or El Cuyo, Yucatán.
  • The Mayan ruins of Tulum, south of Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
    The Mayan ruins of Tulum, south of Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
  • Ever want to try kiteboarding? It's a new extreme sport that combines windsurfing, paragliding and wakeboarding.
    Ever want to try kiteboarding? It's a new extreme sport that combines windsurfing, paragliding and wakeboarding.
  • A kiteboarder glides across the surf in Mexico.
    A kiteboarder glides across the surf in Mexico.
  • A kiteboarder catches some air along the coast of Mexico. Try it or just watch at Morph Kiteboarding in Tulum or El Cuyo, Yucatán.
    A kiteboarder catches some air along the coast of Mexico. Try it or just watch at Morph Kiteboarding in Tulum or El Cuyo, Yucatán.
  • A kiteboarder waits for her turn on the beach in Mexico.
    A kiteboarder waits for her turn on the beach in Mexico.
  • God of Winds temple in Tulum, Mexico.
    God of Winds temple in Tulum, Mexico.
  • Indigo Beach Club in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
    Indigo Beach Club in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
  • Kantun Chi, south of Playa del Carmen, is an ecological park caves and cenotes located in the heart of Mexico's Riviera Maya.
    Kantun Chi, south of Playa del Carmen, is an ecological park caves and cenotes located in the heart of Mexico's Riviera Maya.
  • Kantun Chi, south of Playa del Carmen, is an ecological park caves and cenotes located in the heart of Mexico's Riviera Maya.
    Kantun Chi, south of Playa del Carmen, is an ecological park caves and cenotes located in the heart of Mexico's Riviera Maya.
  • Stop by Kool Beach Club in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, for a cool one.
    Stop by Kool Beach Club in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, for a cool one.
  • Rio Secreto is an unusual underground river that you can explore in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
    Rio Secreto is an unusual underground river that you can explore in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
  • Rio Secreto is an unusual underground river that you can explore in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
    Rio Secreto is an unusual underground river that you can explore in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
  • Rio Secreto is an unusual underground river that you can explore in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
    Rio Secreto is an unusual underground river that you can explore in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
  • Tourists visit the Mayan ruins of Tulum near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
    Tourists visit the Mayan ruins of Tulum near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
  • The Mayan pyramid El Castillo at Chichen Itza, in the Yucatan, Mexico.
    The Mayan pyramid El Castillo at Chichen Itza, in the Yucatan, Mexico.
  • Cenote Sagrado in Chichen Itza, Mexico. It's roughly a two-hour drive from Cancun, Tulum or Playa del Carmen.
    Cenote Sagrado in Chichen Itza, Mexico. It's roughly a two-hour drive from Cancun, Tulum or Playa del Carmen.

Sailing soon

Cruises calling at Playa del Carmen

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  1. 6 Night Mexico and Bimini Halloween Edition 6 nights · Resilient Lady · from Miami Next Oct 26, 2026 Fare on request

Who sails here

Ships and lines that call at Playa del Carmen

Cruise lines

Ports

Ports in Playa del Carmen

  • Playa Del Carmen1

Numbers are current cruises calling at each port.

Overheard

“It seems as if every shop on La Quinta Avenida is hawking Cuban cigars at unbelievable prices, but that’s because they’re all fake. Skip the cruise-ship shops and street hawkers and head straight for La Casa del Habano, the only place where you’ll actually be able to find a real Montecristo No. 4 ($15 each).”

New York Magazine 

“Cancun is so 10 years ago; today’s savvy beachgoers choose the cosmopolitan Playa. ...The European and American-influenced nightlife here is one of the best scenes in Mexico.”

U.S. News and World Report

“Playa del Carmen, now the third-largest city in Quintana Roo, is the trendiest spot on all of the Yucatán Peninsula. Sitting coolly on the lee side of Cozumel, the town’s beaches are jammed with superfit Europeans.”

Lonely Planet

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