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Playa Del Carmen Quintana Roo Mexico
Photography
Bill and Dot Bell Photographs
Playa del Carmen (Xaman Ha' or Pláaya in Modern Maya)
is a city on the coast of the Caribbean Sea, in the northeast of the Mexican
state of Quintana Roo. The city is the seat of the Solidaridad municipality. In
the 2005 census, the city had a population of about 100,383 people and it is
rapidly growing in population. It is the third largest city in Quintana Roo,
after Cancún a nd
Chetumal.
History
Playa del Carmen is named for Our Lady of Mount Carmel, who is the patron saint
of Cancún. The first recorded visitors to the beaches of what is now Playa del
Carmen came during the Early Classic Period (a.d. 300-600) of the Mayan
civilization. Then called Xaman-Ha, or "waters of the north," Playa del Carmen
was a rest stop of sorts for travelers making their way from the great cities of
the Mayan world to the island of Cozumel.
The coast and lowlands of the peninsula were still heavily populated with the
descendents of the fallen civilization when the Spaniards arrived. Tulum, less
than an hour south of Playa, was the last Mayan outpost and there are pl enty
of small ruins in Playa del Carmen. The Spanish focused their attention around
the area of Mérida, where conditions were better for growing henequén (sisal), a
fibre used to make rope. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Caribbean coast
was considered a savage place with not much to offer for potential settlers.
Tourism
Originally a small fishing town, tourism to Playa del Carmen began with the
passenger ferry service to Cozumel, an island across the Cozumel Channel and
world famous scuba diving destination. While passing through, many people
realized that it was a nice place to relax away from the crowds of Cancún but
with the same quality beaches and turquoise waters. Perhaps just as impressive
as Cozumel, Playa del Carmen's coast offers good scuba
diving opportunities, as well as cenote diving for the more adventurous.
Today Playa del Carmen, or just "Playa" as it is colloquially referred to, is
the center of the Riviera Maya concept, which runs from south of Cancún to Tulum
and the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve. Playa is a stop for several cruise ships
which dock at the nearby Calica quarry docks, about six miles south of the city.
A Mexican themed "eco-archaeological park", Xcaret (pronounced "esh-caret") is a
popular tourist destination just south of the town. Tourist activity in Playa
del Carmen centers on Quinta Avenida, or Fifth Avenue, stretching from calle 1
norte until calle 34, a p edestrian
walkway located just one block inland from the beach which is lined with
boutique hotels, shops, bars, and restaurants.
Elements within the Playa del Carmen local community and government have
attempted to retain Playa del Carmen's reputation and charm as a small fishing
village and artists' colony, without it becoming as large or tourist dependent
as Cancún. To this end, the city passed an ordinance limiting buildings to three
stories. A few four story buildings were built before the ordinance, however.
Playa del Carmen is currently expanding north beyond the Colosio section and on
the other side of highway 307, the Ejido. Playacar is a residential and tourist
development in Playa del Carmen, just south of the main urban area, where most
of the all-inclusive hotels, the aviary, and the golf course are located.
Playacar is privately owned by the Castanon family.
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