Mexico with my Ex-ico! (Playa Del Carmen Travel Guide)

Viva la Mexico!

A bit ago, I took a trip to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. It was my second time in Mexico after visiting for the first time back in April for a friend’s birthday to Tulum.

I ended up in PDC because a dear friend (okay, let me be clear, my ex-girlfriend) invited me to go. Anyone who knows me knows I love a trip and love it even more when someone says they got me for it! So away we went.

THE REEF 28

Price: It costs $1300 for a large bedroom with two queen beds, a sectioned-off sitting area, and a balcony for five days. Unfortunately, I did not take any room photos, which I should have, but honestly, Google can be your best friend in this instance!

Accommodation: We stayed at The Reef 28, an all-inclusive adults-only resort, which took about an hour to get from Cancun International Airport. We arrived and were instantly greeted with mimosas. I mean, who could complain about that? The resort had two restaurants, one Mexican restaurant open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and the other Japanese one open on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The rooftop bar served bar food and snacks, and the breakfast was great, with someone making custom eggs daily. Now, with typical all-inclusive resorts, the food wasn’t excellent, but it wasn’t terrible. It was a little lacking in flavor though the staff was attentive and helpful at all turns. The cool part about The Reef 28 was that it had sister resorts that you could quickly get to by shuttle. 

Pool: The rooftop pool and restaurant were a hit. You had a perfect view of the ocean and the beloved island of Cozumel. In addition, you could see Cozumel directly across the water, which was terrific. The rooftop pool was chill until about 12:30 p.m., when a DJ typically started spinning. Then, they would continue playing music all day and throughout the evening until the rooftop closed at 11 p.m.

Spa: There is a spa that offers hydrotherapy sessions as well as massages, facials, exfoliations, and yoga classes. There is even a salon where you can receive a manicure or pedicure.

Location: The location was great, close to the nightlife area, great restaurants, and about 10-min by car to the ferry for visits to Cozumel.

SISTER RESORTS

The Reef Playacar: It boasts six restaurants and 5 bars, one of which is a swim-up bar. It’s about 15 minutes by car from Reef 28. It is considered an all-inclusive luxury resort. It is one of the only Reef resorts with beach access in PDC, with quite a few sunbeds to choose from directly on the Caribbean coastline of eastern Mexico.

The Reef Coco Beach: It was very family and kid-friendly but had better made-to-order food and a swim-up pool bar. It was just a short ride from The Reef 28, about five minutes away. The music was very 80s and 90s inspired, but the staff was just as friendly there as they were at Reef 28.

The good thing about booking at any of the Reef resorts is that once you pay all-inclusive for one, you get access to all the other resorts in the same capacity. For example, we spent a full day at The Reef Coco Beach because we wanted a change of scenery from the rooftop pool at The Reef 28.

TRANSPORTATION

Taxi Shuttle service: 50 USD for a one-way transfer from the airport to the resort (90 USD-100 USD for a roundtrip purchase).

Bus Service: 15 USD for a one-way transfer from the airport (30 USD for a roundtrip purchase).

Taxi (hailed taxi from the hotel to the airport): 75 USD one way. This option is the worst option for obvious reasons, so book your transfers before or take the bus. 

EX GAMES

For those of you wondering if I’m going to discuss more about my ex on this trip, the answer is – I don’t know. Maybe yes, maybe no. Maybe when it feels right, and maybe right now, it just doesn’t. But, yes, we spent five days on an international holiday together. It was spectacular. One of my favorite holidays to date, actually! My ex, while having been a lunatic in previous times (not that I haven’t been – iykyk), has taught me a lot about forgiveness and compassion. To my favorite ex, thank you for this trip. We deserved every second of it.