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By Susan Vincil
About Playa del Carmen
Photo courtesy of Susan R. Vincil
Approximately one hour south of Cancun and its hotel zone, filled with high rise condos and luxurious resorts, you'll find the small (although it's growing fast) seaside town of Playa del Carmen. In stark contrast to Cancun, Playa del Carmen has no high-rises, the beach is easily accessible, and you can walk to most everywhere you need to go, in town. There are some large resorts in Playa del Carmen, but the majority of the hotels are small, boutique hotels. In recent years, the swanky, gated community of Playacar, where a number of luxury resorts are located, has gained popularity. Europeans flock to Playa del Carmen in record numbers, each year, but Americans and Canadians are starting to follow suit.