Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

PLAYA DEL CARMEN : Overview

OVERVIEW

Playa Del Carmen has been one of our favorite destinations to travel to so far. Everything from the flight into Cancun, to the wheelchair accessible transportation, site seeing, and resort accommodations went smoothly and as planned. It was one of the most relaxing, carefree journeys we have taken in a while.

LANGUAGE

The official language of Mexico is Spanish.

CURRENCY

The official currency of Mexico is the peso. We were able to use our U.S. dollars without a problem.

QUICKLINKS

LOGISTICS: Air – Water – Ground
ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels – Resorts
ENTERTAINMENT: Tours – Activities – Restaurants & Nightlife
EMERGENCY SERVICES: Hospitals – Medical Equipment
ABILITYTIPS: Precautions

PLAYA DEL CARMEN : Logistics

AIR TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORT

We flew into the Cancun International Airport which is a modern facility complete with a jetway. The airport support staff knew exactly how to handle my husband’s transfer out of the airplane seat into the aisle chair and how to deal with his electric power chair, which was delivered to us at the luggage carousel. The airport personnel were very helpful staying with my husband while I gathered our many pieces of luggage, and even walked us through customs.

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GROUND TRANSPORTATION

TAXI

We were not able to locate any information on wheelchair accessible taxis in the Cancun/Playa del Carmen area.

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SHUTTLE

Hospitality and Fun: Our shuttle service was waiting for us when we arrived at the Cancun International Airport. It was a full size van equipped with a long metal ramp. I was not able to sit up fully when inside the van – I had to recline my wheelchair so I could fit. Admittedly, it was not the most comfortable ride, but I was happy to have the service available to me. They drove us from the airport to our hotel in Playa Del Carmen and also back to the airport when our vacation was over, and were prompt and courteous. We recommend calling for more information.

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RENTAL CAR (Wheelchair Van)

Near our resort there was Avis rental car. They did not have wheelchair accessible vehicles, but if you’re able to transfer into a car and throw your chair in the back, it is very convenient. I typically travel in my electric wheelchair, but bring along my manual chair in other countries so that I have more flexibility for sightseeing.

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN : Accommodations

HOTELS

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LUXURY RESORTS

Playa del Carmen is home to many all-inclusive luxury resorts. We stayed at the Iberostar Tucan, which was relatively accessible. Our room was spacious and very accessible. I could maneuver around easily in my large electric chair. The room was located on the ground floor and had a patio sitting area which was also wheelchair accessible. Our shower was a roll in shower and was easy to get in and out of.

During our stay, we only ran into a few places within the resort we couldn’t access. Although a few paths had stairs and were not accessible, we were always able to find alternative routes to access nearby. Most of the paths around the resort are slightly bumpy, not bad though, due to the concrete stamping that has been applied to the surface of the walkways. The walkways are lined with lush tropical plants and at times you’ll see animals, like monkeys, peacocks, or large type of rat looking creatures scurry around.

This particular resort also has a small zoo on its grounds. The zoo is not fully accessible, there are a few stairs, but there are alternative routes to take to get around the stairs.

The pool area is great, there is plenty of shade trees and palapa umbrellas around to escape the Yucatan heat. It’s entertaining to sit by the pool because the hotel staff is always interacting with the guests, getting the guests involved with playing pool games or other activities. Unfortunately, there is not a beach entry into the pool, or a lift for the physically challenged, just stairs and a grab bar.

The beautiful, sandy beach is lined with chairs and umbrellas. There is a wooden platform that butts up right against the sand, which was the perfect place for me to lay out in the sun in my wheelchair, with my wife and friends. This area also had plenty of shade on one side just in case I got too hot in the sun, and it was also near the bar if I wanted to grab a drink or ice cream to cool down.

All the restaurants at this particular resort were wheelchair accessible, although inside the nightclub was not fully accessible. The entrance to the nightclub was accessible via ramp (probably not up to ADA standards) but I thought it was a bit steep.  Inside the club, the main floor is accessible where the bar and seating area is, but there were a few stairs going down to the dance floor.

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN : Entertainment

SIGHTSEEING TOURS

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ACTIVITIES

Archeological sites: There are many archeological sites around Playa del Carmen.

Shopping: Playa del Carmen offers a variety of shopping in its downtown area. We were able to walk downtown from our resort. There is an accessible path for wheelchairs and scooters.

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RESTAURANTS/NIGHTLIFE

There are many restaurants and nightclubs available in downtown Playa del Carmen, if you tire of the food and entertainment at your resort. We walked downtown and ate at a local restaurant that had installed a concrete ramp for access. This ramp was pretty steep, and covered in sand! Nevertheless, I was able to climb the ramp and access the restaurant. We also went to a nightclub that evening, and it was largely accessible. There was an upstairs portion, and another area with sand for a floor that I had to avoid.

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN : Emergency Services

MEDICAL SERVICES/HOSPITAL

Here are a few medical service providers in Playa del Carmen. If you believe you will need to utilize any medical services on your visit, you should call ahead to verify they can accommodate you.

Hospiten
Address: C. Balamcanché Lote 1, MZA.30,Carr. Federal, Playacar Phase II
Telephone: 984-803-1002
Hours: Daily, 24 hours a day

PlayaMed
Address: Hwy 307 and Calle 28, on the west side of the highway
Telephone: 984-879-3114
Hours: Daily, 24 hours a day

Clinica Medica del Carmen
Address: 25th Ave. between Calle 2 and Juarez
Telephone: 984-873-0885
Hours: Daily, 24 hours a day

For diving related injuries:
Camara Hiperbarica (Hyperbaric Chamber)
Address: 10th Avenue and 28th Street
Telephone: 984-873-1365
Hours: Daily, 24 hours a day

Farmacia del Carmen
Address: Avenida Juárez between Avenidas 5 and 10
Telephone: 984-873-2330)
Hours: Daily, 24 hours a day

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MEDICAL EQUIPMENT RENTALS

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN : AbilityTips

PRECAUTIONS

Playa Del Carmen was extremely hot when we visited in the month of February. Make sure you pack plenty of bottled water and have a spray bottle and some sunscreen handy.

In Mexico, only drink bottled water unless your resort has a water filtration system, as you could become very ill.