Paseo Del Carmen & their Bus Terminal



Posted: Saturday, September 05, 2009

by Rosa Carvajal
Patawalk Virtual Tours

Paseo Del Carmen

Although Playa del Carmen is small in comparison to Cancun, it nevertheless manages to impress us with an array of shopping destinations. Without question, a must-go place for shopping is Paseo Del Carmen, which borrows part of its name from the town. Paseo Del Carmen is located at the south end of 5 th avenue, within a few steps from the ferry dock. It opens daily from ten in the morning to ten at night. Don't be fooled by its unassuming appearance as an outdoor shopping center with white-washed walls, stone streets, and large shady trees. As a matter of fact, Paseo Del Carmen contains many high-end boutiques, which specialize in modern, in-style clothing. Most of these boutiques carry prestigious brands. You can also find luxurious jewelry stores along with sports shops, and souvenir shops. What's even more you can simply indulge in the exotic art galleries. Many of these galleries feature art created by local artists.

For your convenience, and just in case you need to take a brake from all the "window shopping," there are restaurants located right in the shopping center. In fact, many people enjoy going to the restaurants at Paseo Del Carmen after a long and relaxing day at the beach. La Bodeguita del Medio is a Cuban restaurant located in this shopping center. Yet, one of my favorite restaurants at Paseo Del Carmen is inarguably Carlos n' Charlie. This particular Mexican food restaurant is mostly well-known due to its yard long drinks and at night it turns into a full-blown party destination. Don't be shocked to see people dancing on the tables!

Bus Terminal

Riding the bus at Playa del Carmen is an easy way to visit nearby attractions. There are two bus terminals in Playa. One of the bus terminals is located about a block away from the ferry, which is on the corner of 5th Avenue and Juarez. Just to make sure, you'll see it directly accross from MacDonald's (yup, even Playa del Carmen has a MacDonald's). This particular bus terminal is called Terminal Turistica, meaning Tourist Terminal. It is called so because it tends to offer short-distance rides to the tourist attractions that are near playa. The buses' routes basically are divide in two, north to Cancun and south to Tulum. The buses that head in the direction of Tumul usually make stops in Xcaret, Paamul, Puerto Aventuras, Xpu-Ha, Akumal, Xel-Ha, and Hidden Worlds and Dos Ojos. On the other hand, the buses headed north to Cancun stop at Puerto Morelos. Keep in mind, however, that not all of these buses take you to the airport or Cancun's hotel zone. Very conveniently, buses to Cancun depart every 10 minutes and cost less than five dollars! To Tulum buses depart every half hour and cost only two dollars, talk about economic!

Notice that because the terminal is located right on 5th Avenue, a number of hotels are situated within walking distance. What does this mean? Well, you can practically walk to the bus terminal, spend the day in Tumul and come back to your hotel in Playa ready for the following's day adventure! Of course, if you're too tired to walk, simply cross the street where very serviceable taxis will be waiting. Even more convenient are the trycicle driver who await you right outside the bus station's doors.

What are you waiting for? Go visit http://www.patawalk.com/Tours/Playa_Del_Carmen/index.php?cp=emc right now!

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