Playa Beach & 5th Avenue Report
Location: La Tortuga is a just a few blocks from the beach and a short block off Quinta Avenida. At anytime of the day, you can get your favorite drink at a bar or restaurant, buy a snack or a beer for about a buck at a store, have a patio or restaurant dining experience or shop for an endless variety of artwork and souvenirs.
This is where the action is. You can shop, sit and sip a drink, watch the crowds go by, enjoy the breezes off the Caribbean or participate in some dickering with the local vendors.
Many restaurants offer 2-1 margaritas and $1 beer to attract patrons. Playa del Carmen is the perfect size for us. It is big enough to offer fun, varied activities, shopping and great restaurants. It is small enough that it still has an authentic local feel.
The best place to grab pizza almost anytime: Express Mandarina’s which is only about 100 yards from La Tortuga. Head to 5th Avenue, hang a left going north and you’ll spot them on your right (beach side of the street) right in the dip in the road. For 50 pesos (5 bucks) you get 2 huge slices of pizza and a beer or soft drink.
The best place for seafood: The Blue Lobster which is just a few hundred yards from La Tortuga on the corner of 5th Avenue and Calle 12. Our favorites were the shrimp. We loved the coconut shrimp, garlic shrimp and shrimp appetizer. The portions are very large, the lobster and shrimp are exquisite and the prices are good. They also serve a huge refreshing jumbo iced tea if you have had too much tequila. And they have really cool Blue Lobster t-shirts for $12.
The best sidewalk deal for margaritas and/or a meal. Karen’s Café on 5th Avenue between 2nd and 4th north on the west side of 5th Avenue. You can get 2-1 margaritas almost ALL the time. If they take longer than expected, they throw in more free margaritas. Be careful here! You might want to sing and dance with all the margaritas. We had to stagger back to our rooms after a lunch with all the margaritas. Their arrachero beef tacos are great.
Karen's also has wonderful live Peruvian music. They are good!
Jennifer was brave and tried the Mayan Coffee. They actually performed a "Mayan Sacrifice" when they prepared and delivered her Mayan Coffee to her.
As you can see, there are open flames, streams of flaming alcohol (2-3 different kinds of alcohol), pouring the drink down her throat and finally the finished Mayan Coffee presented at the table.
Daniel found a drinking buddy along 5th Avenue.
Janean's favorite shop is Detalles, which is actually just one short block east of 5th Avenue toward the beach. It is around Calle 14 north, just east of 5th Avenue.
The beach is a short 5-10 walk from La Tortuga. It is worth getting up early to see the spectacular Caribbean sunrise. We didn't get up every morning, but we were able to get up and greet the sunrise on 4 separate mornings. Here is a view down Constituyentes Avenue right by Pelicanos Restaurant.
You might also catch a cruise ship on the horizon pulling into Cozumel for a shore stop.
On one morning we caught a small local fishing boat returning with 3 large sharks. The largest one was about 8 feet long and 350 pounds.
TIP: Get up early and see the Caribbean sunrise. The view is incredible!
