Unlike other North American countries, Sunday is a special day in Playa del Carmen. Most families have the day off, and some businesses like to close on a Sunday. Any tourism related businesses are not closed but you will find that there are many restaurants that choose to close on a Sunday. This comes from the religious influence and comes from the great family influence. Sunday closures are more prominent in non-tourist areas, stores are closed, public spaces are full with festivals and there is a definate ‘Sunday’ feel, there is still a Sunday feel in Playa del Carmen.
So what do you do on a Sunday in Playa del Carmen? These 7 suggestions are for both residents, short term residents and visitors to the city of Playa del Carmen. IF you are free on a Sunday, here is our list of things that we think are a great thing to do on FUN-day!
1. RELAX-this for some people is hard to do. Relax for the day. Even God rested on Sunday after creating the world, Presidents relax, it is important to give your mind and body a rest so that you are ready for Monday!
2. READ A BOOK. Sundays are my reading day. It is great to get up and read while having coffee on the deck, to immerse yourself in a great historical, funny or just another life book. My favorite day is a one book day, and not everyone has the luxury to do this, but a one book day, meaning you get to start and finish a book in one day while sitting, relaxing, suntanning or whatever, is a truly luxurious day.
3. GO TO PUNTA ALLEN Punta Allen is the farthest southern point in the Sian Kaan along the Tulum beach road. It is a fun drive, you will be rewarded with great food at the restaurants that are there, and this trip can be accomplished in a day. you can stop at the ocean along the way and snorkel, you can watch the lobster fisherman, you can check out the lookout point at Cesiak and view this amazing Biosphere.
4. LUNCH AT CESIAK if you don’t feel like going all the way to Punta Allen, you can just stop 4 kilometers from the entrance into the Sian Kaan and hang at Cesiak for the day. They have great food, a wonderful lookout and the beach is beautiful. If you want to join one of their afternoon tours you can. they will take you through the lagoons of the Sian Kaan and teach you about the local birds, the path of the Mayans, and the history of the area.
5. VISIT A LOCAL RUIN. We are blessed as there are many ruins within a days travel close to Playa del Carmen. You can visit the Tulum Ruins, Coba, Chitzen Itza within a day, some obviously farther than the others but it can be done. If you dont feel like driving, treat yourself and take a local tour. This way you can relax and just enjoy the ride.
6. GO TO VALLODOLID This is a significant town on the way to Chichen Itza and would make a great day trip especially on a FUNday! It has the first Roman Catholic church in the area, though I am not religious I still think it is interesting to see how people choose to honour and participate in other religions and rituals. As a little colonial city it is a nice contrast to the beach and you can have a great lunch.
7. YOGA AT MAYATULUM Yoga studios in Playa del Carmen are closed on a Sunday so going for the morning class at 8 15 am in Tulum and then hanging on the beach would be a nice chill thing to do. Or you can go to the afternoon class to end your beach day. Schedule times change slightly each week, but there is always an afternoon and morning class and the teachers are great! The yoga studio is huge and is right by the beach.
It is easy to book one night in Playa del Carmen and stay for the day, or it is easy to book an entire week in Playa del Carmen and take advantage of the local cities that are less than an hours drive from this beach town.
