Think back to the first time you came to Playa or the Riviera Maya. For many of you, it was years ago when Playa was just a tiny village with dirt streets, a few restaurants, and beaches where you could walk for miles without seeing another soul. Before the big resorts, before they laid pavers on Quinta Avenida, before Mamita’s Beach Club, before BPM, and before the big box stores. You fell in love and you came back year after year, vacation after vacation. You annoyed your friends by talking about Playa and probably dragged a few of those friends with you on vacation, and they fell in love. Then they told their friends and internet forums exploded with talk of Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya. Suddenly, almost overnight it seemed, your Playa had grown up and you barely recognized it anymore.
When the secret gets out about a place, more and more people have to check it out. It happened to your favorite bar, your favorite restaurant, and your favorite beach town. Whether you love the new, ever-growing Riviera Maya or you are a bit more nostalgic for beach times gone by, the fact is the development of the region continues.
For those of you who live in the Mexican Caribbean and use Facebook, it was nearly impossible to miss the posts regarding the fight for Malécon Tajamar (Tajamar Boardwalk). We chose to put it on our front page because we believe it is an important topic to present and to have discussions about. The development of the region and the impact to the environment affects everyone who lives and visits the Mexican Caribbean.
In our Beach Life section, we introduce you to another visitor to our region who doesn’t have to use a passport, the bull shark (page 8). Yes, it is safe to go in the water, don’t worry! But the region does have yearly winter visits from female bull sharks who come to give birth to their young.
Don’t miss our two page Discover Mexico section, where we discuss everything from palapas to the city of Izamal in the state of Yucatán.
Just want to relax and have a good time? Check out page 9 for some beach clubs in Playa where you can kick back and have a margarita while snacking on ceviche. Speaking of margaritas, don’t miss page 18 where our writer, Sara, gives you the lowdown on great spots for these quintessential beach town drinks.
As always, we want to hear from you. Check us out on Facebook/The Playa Times and when we post this editorial online, feel free to share your thoughts and comments about old Playa (or old Tulum, or old Puerto Morelos) versus the new. Or post some of your old photos to our Instagram #theplayatimes.
