Playa del Carmen

We just got back from an amazing trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico for our 15th anniversary!

I picked the location based on the cheapest short flights to somewhere that we had never been to before. When I booked the trip, I didn’t know what kind of condition I would be in with my hips, because I still couldn’t walk without a cane at that time! Thankfully, I am doing great and really can’t believe all the things that I was able to do that I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to do again. We were able to visit the Tulum ruins, swim with whale sharks (!), swim with the giant sea turtles off the beach and swim in underground caves.

We chose to stay at the Viceroy Riviera Maya. It was the perfect place for us. We like boutique-type, smaller hotels or hotels with personality. The cool thing about this one is that it’s small (only 50 rooms or so) and while luxurious, it takes advantage of its natural jungle surroundings. Our villa was so private — just us, and a few lizards and birds. The room was gorgeous with a vaulted ceiling in the traditional palapa style. We had our own private terrace and pool and the bathroom also had an outdoor shower. I think it’s so relaxing to shower outside and see the natural surroundings.

Without our prompting, one night the staff lined the walk to our villa with lanterns and candles and also surrounded our pool with them. They left rose petals all over our room with a 15 on the bed.  Erick asked if I arranged for this.  I was like, “No. Did you?” I guess we mentioned it at some point and believe me, they took note.

The staff was so nice, so helpful, so accommodating and so friendly here.  No detail was left undone. Before I could plant myself in a lounge chair, they had beat me to it to arrange a towel. Sit at the pool long enough and they’ll bring you a bowl of fruit, in a coconut shell of course. There were two restaurants — we would sit at one and ask to order from the other.  No problem.

I was challenged for the ALS Ice Bucket challenge and decided to do it while there. Erick asked them for a bucket of ice, which they promptly provided. We took it to the beach and he followed and waited with a towel until we were done, so that as soon as I was doused, he was ready to give me the towel.

One of the waiters was so cool and gave me an education about Mexican beer and a beer tour.

The grounds were gorgeous. The beach, the pier, the pool, the jungle and the pathway through it, the waterfalls. We thoroughly enjoyed sitting in a palapa at the beach and lazing around until late in the evening.

And the food!  Oh my goodness. So delicious here, such a wonderful take on Caribbean, Mexican and seafood.  Erick was perfectly happy, because he had flank steak for every meal.  I ate more fish than I ever have! When in Mexico…right? The salsas, the guacamole, the juices, the desserts.  I tried them all!