Any palmy things to see in Playa Del Carmen?

[junglegalfla]

I am leaving soon on a 7 day trip to Playa Del Carmen on the Mexican riviera. Has anyone been and can they give me any tips for what to see palmy & tropical garden wise? I plan to take lots of pics and make a travel log if it's worth it. I've heard there are some cool underground caverns near by.

Mods if this is not the right forum, please move. I just wanted to get the most input on what to see palm & tropical plant related.

Thanks!

[edbrown_III]

I flew to Cancun about 15 years agoand drove North to Veracruz I think we passed through Ciudad Carmen

As I recollect --- we saw Attalaya butyracea, Psuedophoenix sargenti, 3 or 4 species of Chamodorea, Sabal yapa, mauritiformis, mexicana, some Cocothrinax species, Acromia mexicana aka aculeata , Roystonea regia, R. dunlapiana Cocos, , this was along with many cultivated palms.

Best regards,

Ed

[LJG]

Bren, I am sure you already know but these are the three trips I would make while there.

1) Go SCUBA/Snorkel in some of the Mayan Cenotes.

2) Visit Tulum. Palms, ruins, and swimming in ocean with waves. From their north, there are no waves.

3) Take the trip to Chichen Itza. It is an all day trip, but worth it.

As far as Palms, all the Euro hotels are well planted out.

[BobSDCA]

Len pretty much has it down! I haven't been back since 2005 before the last hurricane, but I understand things are pretty much back to normal. Playa del Carmen is one of my favorite places. Unfortunately, it has become more popular over the past few years and "trendy". As soon as a Senor Frogs arrives, you know the town is destined to be over run! Playa del Carmen has a more European and Mexican feel to it rather than the more "Americanized" Cancun island. At least that is what I think!

There is a small community south of the city near Fisherman's Village. It is full of palms and tropicals and is a good place for a morning walk. There are also many old ruins and gardens in the area! Here are some photos, the last one is of Sabal yapa.

[BobSDCA]

There is a lot to do there, and like Len said, try to visit Tulum and Chichen Itza if you have never visited them. There are dozens of ruins throughout the area, so you can visit as many as you would like, though the farther ones take all day! My favorite ruin is Ek Balam. It isn't as large as Chichen Itza, but the artwork is fantastic, and there is still some original color and stucco on the pyramids. The cenote dives are great and so are the zip lines through the forest! Below are some cenote shots and the last one is of Tulum with a nice large Pseudophoenix sargentii. Don't foret a trip to a nice waterpark like Xel Ha - there fun too!

Have a great trip and we look forward to your travel log when you return!

Bob

[cfkingfish]

Don't forget the Thrinax radiata! The best looking specimens of this species I have seen were in this area.....I can't explain why but they really caught my attention.

[junglegalfla]

Thanks for the responses! Looks as though I will have plenty of palmy places to keep me occupied. Travel log by months end.