Echando Raíces Podcast

Playa del Carmen: From a Charming Fishing Village to a World-Class Destination. EP2 (Part 1)

• Eduardo Vales

Share episode

In this first part of the second episode of Echando Raíces, we dive into the fascinating transformation of Playa del Carmen—from a quiet Mayan fishing village called Xaman-Há into one of the most-visited tourist destinations on the continent. Eduardo Vales, Laura Contreras, Bruno Rovea, and Guillermo Teyseyre share anecdotes, historical facts, and reflections on the rapid growth of the Mexican Caribbean, the impact of tourism, and the region’s urban evolution.

From the Mayan legacy to the arrival of Jacques Cousteau and the rise of the Riviera Maya as a tourism brand, this episode traces the history and foundations that make Playa del Carmen a unique place to live, visit… and invest.

Sources consulted and suggested:


https://www.inegi.org.mx

https://www.gob.mx/fonatur

https://www.gob.mx/solidaridad

https://sedeturqroo.gob.mx

https://www.asur.com.mx

https://www.gob.mx/sectur

https://sedeturqroo.gob.mx

https://trenmaya.gob.mx

https://www.semarnat.gob.mx

https://fonatur.gob.mx

https://www.grupoxcaret.com/es/historia/

https://www.xcaret.com/es/acerca-de-xcaret/

https://www.visitmexico.com

https://www.rivieramaya.mx

https://www.xcaret.com

Síguenos en instagram en: @echando.raices_podcast

Proximamente en TikTok y YouTube

Bienvenidos a Echando Raíces!


Follow us on instagram: @echando.raices_podcast

Coming soon: TikTok & YouTube

Welcome to Echando Raices!

Alexa:

Welcome back Today we are really digging into a place that's just transformed incredibly. Playa del Carmen down in Mexico.

Bob:

That's right.

Alexa:

If you've been there recently, you see this, this buzzing city, all the energy, it feels so international, but you know, how did it actually. Get that way.

Bob:

Well, that's the journey we're going on today.

Alexa:

We're gonna unpack that story right from, its like ancient roots all the way to the global hotspot. It is now.

Bob:

Exactly. We've got some fantastic source material here that really charts the course of that transformation. And our goal, our mission is to pull out the key insights. Yeah. You know, the turning points, what really drove the growth

Alexa:

and why that matters now. Right.

Bob:

Crucially, yes. Why this history isn't just, um, interesting trivia. Why it's actually essential. If you're looking at real estate investment down there today, you really need to understand the foundation to see the, uh, future potential.

Alexa:

Absolutely. It's like understanding the DNA of the place, isn't it? Well, look at the deep past, the quiet village days, the whole regional picture that shaped it,

Bob:

and then. That explosion of growth leading to the, well, the really dynamic market we see now.

Alexa:

Yeah, the material looks great. Let's get into it.

Bob:

Okay, so let's start way, way back. I. Thousands of years ago, long before any modern buildings, back when it was a key spot for the Maya.

Alexa:

Okay, let's do it. So the sources take us right back. Before Playa del Carmen was even a name. The spot on the coast, it had a Mayan name.

Bob:

It did. The people who lived there, who used that location, they called it Xaman-Ha, Xaman-Ha. And that name, it actually tells you something about its importance. Geographically. Speaking to the Maya,

Alexa:

what does it mean?

Bob:

It translates from Mayan as water of the North. So it wasn't just some random beach. It was a known place, a significant place in their world,

Alexa:

and more than just a settlement. Right. The sources say it was pretty active back then. Oh,

Bob:

definitely. It was a vital Mayan commercial transit center. You gotta picture it like a, maybe a bustling little port area. Mm-hmm. A key spot for launching journeys for trade.

Alexa:

Then the main destination from there.

Bob:

The main place people were heading from Xaman-Ha was the island right across the water, Cozumel.

Alexa:

Ah, okay. So that Cosel connection, it's ancient, really fundamental to this spot's history. Why was Cozumel so important?

Bob:

Well. Cozumel held huge spiritual significance for the Maya. Hmm. It was considered a sacred island. It was the main sanctuary for

Alexa:

ex shell, the goddess of,

Bob:

she was a major goddess.

Alexa:

Mm-hmm.

Bob:

Associated with the moon, fertility, medicine, weaving, really powerful. So making that crossing from Xaman-Ha over to Cozumel It wasn't just a boat trip, it was often a pilgrimage.

Alexa:

People traveling from all over to get there.

Bob:

Exactly. A journey to a holy site. And that made salmon ha as the main departure point, the gateway, incredibly important, both strategically and um, religiously.

Alexa:

So for an investor thinking about location today, that significance isn't new. It's built on like thousands of years of human activity right there.

Bob:

Precisely. The value of that specific location has deep roots. But of course, history moves on, empires change, and the region entered a much, much quieter phase after that.

Alexa:

Right. The sources talk about this long period after the colonial era where this whole stretch of coast, including what became playa, was kind of forgotten.

Bob:

Largely forgotten, yeah. By the wider world. Anyway, it wasn't part of the big colonial projects or the leader national development plans for a long time. Life there became very isolated, very base.

Alexa:

What did that look like day to day?

Bob:

Well, life was really tied to the sea in the jungle. People were fishing, surviving off the natural resources. Coconuts, maybe some Chile harvesting.

Alexa:

Yeah,

Bob:

you know the latex for chewing gum.

Alexa:

Ah, right. One of the few links to the outside world, maybe

Bob:

pretty much the only one. And even that was limited. But otherwise, almost no modern infrastructure. Forget paved roads, connecting anywhere. Major. No reliable electricity. Very few services. Just a tiny, tiny fishing community.

Alexa:

How tiny are we talking?

Bob:

Some sources suggest maybe only about 200 people lived there for a very long time. Just a handful of families. You can imagine it barely showed up on maps except maybe has a spot to launch a boat.

Alexa:

It's incredible to picture that knowing the city today, but even then, even when it was so isolated, the location itself, the natural beauty, always had something special.

Bob:

That inherent appeal is absolutely key.

Alexa:

Mm-hmm.

Bob:

Even as just a tiny village, its main function, really, its only function for outsiders was still that unique position as the easiest place to catch the ferry over to Cozumel.

Alexa:

Still the gateway.

Bob:

Still the gateway. For decades, really in the mid 20th century, the only reason most outsiders ever set foot and Playa del Carmen was just to get on that boat to Cozumel pure transit.

Alexa:

Not a destination in itself. Yeah, yeah. At all.

Bob:

You'd arrive head for the pier, get on the boat, and that's it. But even just being that transit point, it sowed the seeds for discovery and then came a really pivotal moment involving someone very famous.

Alexa:

Who was that?

Bob:

Jacques Cousteau,

Alexa:

ah, the Ocean Explorer. How did he play a role?

Bob:

Well, in the 1960s, Cousteau, made a documentary specifically about the amazing coral reefs near Cozumel, this whole area, it's part of the second largest barrier reef system in the world, right?

Alexa:

The Mesoamerican Reef. Incredible.

Bob:

Exactly, and Cousteau's film showed this incredible underwater world to a huge international audience.

Alexa:

Mm-hmm.

Bob:

It basically put Cozumel on the map as a top tier diving destination.

Alexa:

Okay. So Cousteau drives attention to Cozumel diving.

Bob:

Big time international divers start wanting to go there. And how did most of them get to Cozumel back then?

Alexa:

They'd have to fly into Cancun, presumably.

Bob:

Right.

Alexa:

Which was just starting up.

Bob:

Right. Cancun's Airport, CUN was relatively new. Yeah. Billed partly for this emerging tourism. So they fly into Cancun, then they travel south down the coast

Alexa:

to playa del Carmen to catch that ferry. Bingo. They had to pass through

Bob:

playa. It was the mandatory stopover, and this is where that natural appeal we talked about really started to kick in, even though Playa itself had zero tourist infrastructure.

Alexa:

So people waiting for the ferry just started. Looking around

Bob:

Exactly. They're waiting, maybe grabbing a drink and they see these completely undeveloped beaches. Just pure white sand, turquoise water, jungle, right up to the edge.

Alexa:

Yeah,

Bob:

That raw, a hundred percent Caribbean feel totally natural.

Alexa:

A real contrast to anywhere else that was maybe starting to get developed

Bob:

A stark contrast. It was quiet, it was beautiful, and it started catching people's attention precisely because of what it wasn't. It wasn't developed. It offered tranquility, This idea of people discovering Playa by chance as a rebound, it perfectly captures how its appeal first started to stick.

Alexa:

So what's the typical rebound story?

Bob:

Okay, so the, the narrative usually goes like this. Tourists may be inspired by Cousteau are headed for Cozumel for diving. They fly into Cancun, then they take the road trip down to Playa.

Alexa:

And that road trip wasn't like today's highway, right?

Bob:

Oh, not at all. It as much rougher, slower, felt like you're really going through remote jungle. So they finally get the Playa, this tiny village, find the pier, take the ferry across, they do the Cozumel thing.

Alexa:

But the key part is the return journey

Bob:

often. Yeah. Or maybe even while waiting for the ferry initially. But especially on the way back, heading to Cancun Airport, maybe they have more time to kill, in Playa they wander around a bit. They see the simple life, the PPAs, maybe sandy streets, those incredible empty beaches,

Alexa:

And they just fall for it.

Bob:

They fall in love with the simplicity, the peace, the raw nature. Something that was maybe already starting to disappear in more built up places. They were charmed by what wasn't there yet. You know.

Alexa:

That authentic feel.

Bob:

Exactly. And the result. Many of these people literally changed their plans, maybe stayed an extra day or two, in Playa on the way back or crucially they promised themselves they'd returned, but next time Playa it itself would be the destination, not just Cozumel.

Alexa:

Wow. That's really organic growth, isn't it? Driven purely by the place itself.

Bob:

It really shows the power of that inherent appeal.

Alexa:

Yeah.

Bob:

The sea was there just waiting and this was all happening while the whole region around it was starting to transform too.

Alexa:

Right. Playa's story doesn't happen in a vacuum. We need to look at the bigger picture. The whole Eastern Yucatan coast waking up.

Bob:

Definitely for most of the 20th century, like we said, this coast was just vast, jungle, scattered villages, maybe some Mayan ruins hidden away. Tourism, basically zero.

Alexa:

Until Cancun and Cancun's. Origin is totally different from Playa's. Accidental discovery

Bob:

Completely different. Cancun wasn't found. It was created. Mm. It was a top-down, deliberate government project starting in the late sixties.

Alexa:

A planned tourist city.

Bob:

Exactly. The Mexican government basically scanned the coast, did studies and picked this specific uninhabited spot to build a major international resort destination from scratch.

Alexa:

And they move fast.

Bob:

Incredibly fast. They picked the spot around 1970. By 1974, the first big hotel, the Garza Blanca, which is now the Temptation Hotel, interestingly enough, was already open.

Alexa:

Four years from jungle islet to functioning hotel. That's remarkable speed.

Bob:

It shows the level of commitment and investment. They were serious about creating Cancun and the timing in the seventies was perfect just as international travel was really starting to boom.

Alexa:

So Cancun establishes itself as this planned hub, but then people start talking about the Riviera Maya. What's the distinction? It confuses a lot of people.

Bob:

It does, and it's a really important distinction for understanding the market. Cancun was the first big player, the planned resort zone. The Riviera Maya concept came later. It was essentially a branding idea.

Alexa:

A way to market the other places developing south of Cancun.

Bob:

Precisely. To differentiate them to offer something different geographically, The Riviera May as stretching from Puerto Morelos just south of Cancun's main hotel zone, all the way down to Tulum.

Alexa:

And Cancun itself isn't usually included in that definition.

Bob:

Generally not. It's seen as the original separate hub. The Riviera Maya is the corridor south of it, along the highway with the sea on one side, jungle on the other.

Alexa:

And what kind of experience was the Riviera Maya brand trying to sell? What was different?

Bob:

It was positioned as the alternative, getting further away from the Cancun buzz. Even if Playa is only what, 50 kilometers south. It aimed for. Uh, more tranquility, maybe a bit more of that hippie vibe. Initially. Virgin beaches being more in touch with nature.

Alexa:

And the Mayan culture aspect.

Bob:

That was huge. A key differentiator. Promoting the Mayan ruins, Tulum, Ccenotes, the rich archeological heritage. That cultural depth became central to the Riviera Maya identity appealing to people looking for more than just a beach chair.

Alexa:

So ecotourism, cultural tourism alongside the beach appeal.

Bob:

Right. A different mix. And within this whole developing Riviera concept, Playa del Carmen. Find its place.

Alexa:

Where does it fit in?

Bob:

It's consistently called the heart of the Riviera May. Its location right in the middle, plus its history as the Cozumel ferry point made at the natural center. While Cancun was planned, Playa's more organic growth, positioned it perfectly to become the hub of this alternative corridor.

Alexa:

Okay, so we have the ancient roots, the quiet phase, the CTO effect, the Cancun Project, the Riviera Maya branding. Now, let's zero in on Playa itself. Really taking off the eighties and nineties seemed crucial.

Bob:

Absolutely pivotal decades. The eighties is when Playa starts to carve out its own niche. It begins attracting those independent travelers, backpackers, especially Europeans, people actively looking for those untouched beaches and that relaxed, authentic vive we talked about.

Alexa:

The ones trying to avoid the big resort.

Bob:

Exactly. And this is when Fifth Avenue,"Quinta Avenida" really starts its journey.

Alexa:

What did it look like back then? Not the bustling pedestrian mall of today, I assume?

Bob:

Oh, heavens no. The sources describe it as maybe just a sandy path than perhaps a dirt road parallel to the beach, and along it, the first very simple businesses popped up. Little palapa restaurants, basic hostels, maybe a shop selling crafts. Very rudimentary catering specifically to that early backpacker crowd.

Alexa:

And then the nineties really accelerated things.

Bob:

The nineties were when Playa del Carmen truly found its identity separating itself clearly from Cancun. It became known as this walkable town. You didn't need a car. You could troll everywhere, even barefoot from the beach to Fifth Avenue.

Alexa:

That easygoing natural feel was the key draw.

Bob:

It was its main competitive advantage. That relaxed atmosphere. Having a coffee at a simple cafe, easily popping out to visit a nearby cenote, it offered an authenticity that was becoming. Harder to find.

Alexa:

And those rebound visitors from the Cozumel Ferry probably reinforced that vibe too.

Bob:

Absolutely. People passing through, were still discovering it and deciding, Hey, this is the place I wanna be. And Fifth Avenue really started filling out in the nineties, still not luxury, but more small restaurants, more galleries, hostels, turning into small hotels, shops, catering to the growing number of tourists, and the people starting to move there.

Alexa:

Ah, so the population growth really kicks in here.

Bob:

This is where the demographic explosion becomes undeniable. That authentic, simple appeal didn't just attract tourists. It attracted people who wanted to live there or invest early, and the numbers, they're just staggering. Remember when this started, Playa maybe had 1500 people.

Alexa:

Just a tiny village.

Bob:

By the end of the 1990s, the population hit 10,000.

Alexa:

Wow. A nearly tenfold increase in roughly a decade. Yeah, that's, that's a massive demographic pressure from an investment perspective. That's huge.

Bob:

It's incredibly fast growth. Think about what that means on the ground. Rapid, often, informal building strain on any existing resources. A sudden huge demand for housing, for water, for everything. It was the absolute definition of a boom town.

Alexa:

And that kind of explosive growth must have forced some changes in how the town was managed.

Bob:

It necessitated it.

Alexa:

Right?

Bob:

Which leads to a key administrative milestone in 1993.

Alexa:

What happened then?

Bob:

The municipality of Solidaridad was officially created, and Playa del Carmen became its own administrative center gaining autonomy. Before 93, it was technically part of the municipality of Benito Juarez, which is basically Cancun.

Alexa:

So it was being run from Cancun?

Bob:

Essentially yes. Getting its own municipal status was crucial. It meant Playa could finally start doing its own formal urban planning, try to manage zoning infrastructure. You absolutely need that when you're growing from 1500 to 10,000 people in the blink of an eye.

Alexa:

Trying to get some control over the boom.

Bob:

Exactly. Trying to guide it rather than just react to it.

Alexa:

Okay, so that sets the stage for the modern era, bringing us closer to today. The scale is just immense now.

Bob:

It really is. Today. Playa del Carmen isn't a village or even a small town. It's a city with over 300,000. Permanent residence.

Alexa:

300,000 from 1500 just a few decades ago. That growth curve is almost vertical.

Bob:

It's phenomenal. And it's just the residents. On top of that, you have the visitors.

Alexa:

How many visitors are we talking?

Bob:

During high season? The municipality of solid air dad, which Playa is the heart of, can host up to 2 million visitors!

Alexa:

2 million visitors on top of 300,000 residents. The infrastructure needed to support that. It must be massive.

Bob:

It is. And it reflects the incredible investment it's poured in. Playa del Carmen still has an impressive annual growth rate of around 6%.

Alexa:

6% now even at its current side.

Bob:

Yes. That's ongoing growth covering tourism, increases new housing, construction, and people continuing to move to the city. For a city over 300,000, a sustained 6% growth rate is really significant. It shows the vitality is still there.

Alexa:

That signals really strong economic activity and continued desirability.

Bob:

Absolutely. This modern boom is real. The whole Mexican Caribbean continues to cement itself as one of the most visited places in this hemisphere. And Mexico keeps investing heavily in the region.

Alexa:

And there was that statistic about its global ranking.

Bob:

Yeah. I get this. In 2023, The Mexican Caribbean, so the whole stretch, including Playa, Tulum, Puerto Morelos, etc., was the second most visited destination by international travelers in the entire Americas.

Alexa:

Second only, too?

Bob:

Second only to New York City.

Alexa:

Wow, okay. Let that sink in. More international visitors than anywhere else in North Central or South America, except New York. That's staggering!

Bob:

It really underscores the massive, consistent demand that's driving everything and this demand fuels development across the board. Investors need to see this diversity. You've got huge, all-inclusive hotels. Yes. But also a thriving boutique hotel scene.

Alexa:

In residential.

Bob:

Exploding residential development, condos, houses, catering to locals, working in tourism, expats, second home buyers, pure investors. It's a huge mix. Plus shopping centers, theme parks. Over 18 major parks. Now in the Riviera Maya, golf courses.

Alexa:

A whole ecosystem built around tourism and the people it attracts.

Bob:

Exactly. The tourism boom creates tons of jobs that brings people in from all over Mexico and internationally. Those people need places to live. That fuels the housing market. Success attracts more investment, both Mexican and foreign. It's this powerful cycle.

Alexa:

And it all comes back to that core real estate principle.

Bob:

Location, location, location, Playa's position, its development, history, its role in this massively successful region. It ticks that box emphatically.

Alexa:

All this growth, especially the visitor numbers, wouldn't be possible without major improvements in getting around. How has connectivity changed since those early days?

Bob:

Oh, dramatically. It had to remember those descriptions of the rough, slow road from Cancun.

Alexa:

Yeah, sounds like an ordeal.

Bob:

Well, today, highway 3 0 7 is a modern multi-lane highway. Getting from Cancun Airport down to Playa is usually around 50 minutes now. Nice, easy drive.

Alexa:

And south to Tulum?

Bob:

About 45 minutes from Playa. So moving along that main corridor is smooth and efficient.

Alexa:

And what about the original connection, the ferry to Cozumel?

Bob:

Still vital and much faster now. The modern ferries make the crossing at about 30 minutes. Plus connectivity has generally improved to other spots further south, like Bacalar or Chetumal. This whole network is the backbone supporting those millions of visitors and residents. It's critical infrastructure.

Alexa:

It's interesting how central that Cozumel link remains even symbolically. And speaking of symbols and history, a specific cultural event, that honors that ancient connection.

Bob:

Ah, yes. The Sacred Mayan journey. The Travesía Sagrada Maya.

Alexa:

Yeah.

Bob:

It's organized by Xcaret every year.

Alexa:

What is it exactly?

Bob:

It's this incredible event where people recreate the ancient Mayan canoe journey from, what was the Mayan Usually departing near Xcaret Park or from Playa itself across the channel to Cozumel. To honor the Goddess Ixchel. It's been going on for about 18 years.

Alexa:

Recreated how Just paddling across.

Bob:

It's much more than that. They use replicas. Heavy wooden log canoes, just like the Maya would've used, not modern, lightweight kayaks. These things with maybe 10 paddlers in gear can weigh over a ton, and they use replica wooden paddles too.

Alexa:

Wow, so it's physically demanding in an authentic way.

Bob:

Extremely demanding. Yeah. Participants train for months, like four or five months, three or four times a week, often starting super early in the morning. It's a massive commitment.

Alexa:

And the crossing itself, how long does that take?

Bob:

It's about 20 kilometers, and it takes around seven hours of continuous paddling to get to Cozumel.

Alexa:

Seven hours in an open canoe on the sea between Playa and Cozumel. That channel can be rough, can't it?

Bob:

It can be quite challenging. It's deep over 800 meters in places, which means stronger currents, potentially rougher water than shallow or crossings nearby. They're really battling the elements. Sometimes the event policy is basically go rain or shine unless the port captain officially closes the port due to dangerous conditions.

Alexa:

That really speaks to the determination involved historically and today. Is it safe?

Bob:

Oh, yes. Safety is paramount. Now, while they use replica canoes and paddles, they're accompanied by modern support boats for safety monitoring everything, but the support boats don't interfere unless necessary. You have to arrive in the canoe or a support boat. Just quitting isn't really an option during training unless it's a medical issue. And there's often a whole flotilla of other boats that follows them, cheering them on as they approach Cozumel.

Alexa:

That sounds amazing. A real mix of ancient tradition and modern community spirit. The sources mentioned a particular figure, The Engineer.

Bob:

Right? A legendary participant. Apparently he's done the crossing almost every single year since it started for 18 plus years. He acts as the crucial rudder person in his canoe. He's known for just expertly reading the sea. The currents, the waves, decades of experience.

Alexa:

Incredible. Yeah.

Bob:

And that 2024 was supposed to be his last year doing it as he was turning 62, which is the age limit.

Alexa:

Yeah.

Bob:

It just has this really human, poignant layer to the whole thing.

Alexa:

It really does. It connects the modern city right back to those ancient Mayan paddlers in a very tangible way. It shows that history is. Still alive there.

Bob:

Exactly. It adds this cultural depth. It's a reminder that beneath the resorts and the busy streets, there's this long, profound connection to the sea and to Cozumel, that still resonates.

Alexa:

Okay, so we've covered this incredible arc. Ancient Xaman-Ha the rebound discovery, Cancuns influence, the Riviera Maya concept, the population explosion, the infrastructure build out right up to these modern stats and cultural echoes. Let's tie it all together. Now, for someone listening, thinking about investing in Playa del Carmen Real Estate, what's the bottom line from all this history? How does it inform their decision?

Bob:

Well, I think the biggest takeaway is the sheer power of sustained and even accelerating growth. That trajectory 1500 people to over 300,000 hosting millions of visitors, that ongoing 6% annual growth, it demonstrates that this isn't some flash in the pania has proven enduring appeal on a global scale.

Alexa:

It has resilience.

Bob:

Absolutely resilience, and a proven ability to attract massive investment and build the infrastructure needed to support its scale. It's not just about buying in a currently popular place, it's recognizing a pattern of decades long, powerful growth.

Alexa:

And the diversity of the development from backpackers to luxury.

Bob:

That's key too. The market evolved. It didn't just stick to one niche. Now you have luxury resorts, boutique hotels, eco lodges, family tourism, adult only concepts like the Temptation Hotel, that was once the Garza Blanca, this diversity makes the overall tourism economy more robust, less dependent on any single segment. That's a strength for long-term investment.

Alexa:

And that classic real estate mantra, location, location, location.

Bob:

This history validates it completely Playa a strategic spot. The heart of the incredibly successful Riviera may. Its connectivity now excellent to Cancun Airport to Tulum, and that foundational link to Cozumel. It's geographically blessed and sits within one of the world's most desirable tourism zones.

Alexa:

What are the core engines driving this, that the history reveals?

Bob:

It boils down to massive, consistent international tourism demand. As proven by that number two ranking in the Americas, that demand creates jobs on a huge scale. Job creation pulls people in from Mexico and abroad. Those people need homes driving the residential market, both rentals and sales. That success attracts more capital, more investment in hotels, shops, attractions, housing. It's a powerful self-reinforcing cycle.

Alexa:

So understanding the journey, the mix of the natural appeal, the planned regional development, the sheer demographic force, the ongoing investment gives you a much richer context for evaluating opportunities today than just looking at current prices.

Bob:

Exactly. It helps you understand the why behind the market strength. You're not just buying bricks and mortar, you're potentially investing in the continued trajectory of a place that has shown time and again, and extraordinary capacity for growth and adaptation.

Alexa:

So here's something to really think about. Given this incredible history we've explored from Xaman-Ha to this global hub driven by its unique appeal and location. What parts of Playa del Carmen's past strike you as the strongest indicators of its future potential as an investment? Definitely food for thought. We've traced this amazing story today.

Bob:

It really is a remarkable transformation from Mayan gateway to forgotten village, to accidental discovery to the vibrant heart of the Riviera May.

Alexa:

We hit the key milestones, that incredible population surge, the infrastructure that had to keep pace.

Bob:

It's a fantastic example of how natural appeal, strategic investment, and just sheer human movement can combine to create something extraordinary, the power of place, really.

Alexa:

And we are definitely not done with Play Del Carmen yet. Join us next time for the continuation of this deep dive. We'll get into the specifics of what makes it so magnetic today. We're talking fifth Avenue now. The food scene, the global connectivity, all the attractions.

Bob:

Yeah. There's so much built on top of this history we cover today. We'll explore what makes modern Play a tick.

Alexa:

Absolutely. So thanks for joining us We look forward to continuing the journey into Playa Ade Carmen with you next time.

People on this episode

Head Shot

Bruno Rovea

Co-host
Head Shot

Guillermo Teyseyre

Co-host
Head Shot

Laura Contreras

Co-host
Head Shot

Marcos Perdomo

Co-host
Head Shot

Miguel Rocha

Co-host
Head Shot

Pedro Arbizu

Co-host
Head Shot

Rocío Pérez

Co-host
Head Shot

Eduardo Vales

Producer