Playa del Carmen is not a very big city to start with, but the city can be broken down into a few different areas.

    The first area is between 28th Street and El Zocalo, the main square in downtown Playa del Carmen. This is the most touristy part of Playa del Carmen, where most of the hotels, restaurants, bars and shops are located. The post office is located in this area, on Av. Juarez, as well as the bus station. Quinta Avenida, or simply La Quinta, runs along the shoreline and is a pedestrian-only walkway. It ends at the dock where boats leave for Cozumel.

    South of La Quinta is an area known as Playacar. In this residential area you can find about 15 major all inclusive resorts of international chains (Wyndham, Iberostar, Riu etc) lined up next to a beautiful wide spread beach. This is also where you will find the golf course and some of the town's biggest houses. Playacar is a gated community built in a jungle setting with the golf course crossing the road several times. An interesting area for a laid back stroll to check out the resorts and houses away from the busy Playa del Carmen. During your trip you will also pass a small archaeological site, a bird park and a small shopping mall all located in Playacar. Just outside Playacar the city's landing strip is located.

    North of 28th Street the resorts thin out and the beaches become less crowded. The farther north you go, the less crowded the beaches will be. This is also where you will find the whitest, sandiest, best beaches and a little solitude.

    West of downtown is a residential area where most of the native residents live. It does not cater to tourists, but is where you will find more authentic, traditional Mexican cuisine.