I’ve always heard great things about traveling to the beach towns in Mexico and how beautiful the water is…so I was very excited when my boyfriend, Jose, invited me on a trip there this August. From Houston, the flight is super quick and easy. This was our first trip together and we had many fun things planned.

Upon arriving in Cancun, we rode a bus over to Playa Del Carmen. Only about a 45-minute drive which gave us just enough time to take a nap:) We reserved a junior suite at La Tortuga Hotel & Spa and it turned out to be the perfect place to spend our vacation. The hotel was beautiful, the staff was amazing and the location couldn’t have been better for us. The hotel was close to several things around town and just up the street from the beach.

Our first day ended up being a little cloudy and rainy due to Hurricane Harvey(which then came to Texas to torment us there as well). We found a beach bar to grab a drink and a bite to eat as we watched the storm over the ocean. We got to walk through the market near the beach and buy some souvenirs while taking advantage of an all-day 2×1 Happy Hour that seemed to be happening at every bar? We weren’t complaining. Once back to our hotel, we took advantage of our rooftop jacuzzi before getting ready for the night.

Our first night consisted of going to this club called Coco Bongo. I had no idea what to expect, but I was blown out of the water by this amazing place. It was like Las Vegas but on steroids. We had a private table to share with the 10 of us who were there. Bottle service all night…still haven’t figured out if that was a good decision or not, considering the hangover I had the next day. They perform short shows and keep you entertained for hours. If you’re going to Playa Del Carmen, you need to go to Coco Bongo. Also, take shots with their shot girls. I won’t spoil the surprise, but it is an experience.

The next day we got to take advantage of the free breakfast at the neighboring restaurant, Como Como, which was very yummy. We explored the town some more after breakfast and enjoyed the sunshine on the beach. That afternoon we headed over to Xplor Fuego for some amazing activities as the sun was going down. The activities your ticket included were zip lining, rafting/swimming in the caves, an all you can eat buffet and a ride on these off-road vehicles. The zip lines were the highest and longest I have ever been on before…it was exhilarating! The water in the caves was nice and refreshing, we really liked swimming through them. The buffet was out of this world yummy. We ended the night on the vehicles, which was a 6-mile ride around the whole park. The whole afternoon was filled with so much fun stuff. I definitely recommend checking out this park or one of the others the company has to offer. 

The next day we had a boat tour set up with Albatross Tours. We departed from Cancun and paid a little extra to upgrade to a private boat for the 10 of us. This was an all-day excursion that was amazing. The all you could drink definitely was a perk. The guides and captain of the boat were very friendly and helpful as well. We got to snorkel in the clearest water I’ve ever seen and stop at small reefs to feed fish right out of our hands. It also included another all you could eat buffet, which we loved. Thankfully we had sunny weather for the majority of the day and we all really enjoyed ourselves. 

Once we got back to Playa Del Carmen, we freshened up for our last night there. We had been craving seafood so we went to a place near our hotel called The Blue Lobster. Their menu is literally presented on a giant wooden lobster which was a very unique touch to this place. Their calamari was delicious and all of us enjoyed our main courses as well. We grabbed late night tacos at El Fogon, which we heard a lot about online. Their Al Pastor tacos were yummmmy! 

This trip was perfect for me. From our fun activities, the friendly people and the beautiful surroundings, it really was paradise. With how easy, quick and fairly inexpensive it is to travel between Houston and Mexico, I have a feeling I will be back very soon.
Have you been to Playa Del Carmen? Or a beach city near it? Where should I go next?!

Happy travels! 🙂