Last time we visited Cancun was about 5 years ago, and we had such a nice time there. That’s why we decided to return to Mexico, but this time to vacation in the other popular tourist destination, Playa del Carmen. In the picture above is a quick way to the beach through Calle 2 Norte (2nd Street North) from 5th Avenue, that we used numerous times.
First things first, we got some coffee and went to the closest beach near the Cozumel Ferry Pier.
It was cloudy that morning and there were a lot of birds…
Our first acquaintance with Portal Maya Statue at Park Fundadores. We visited this park every single day while staying in Playa del Carmen, just because our rental condo was really close to it. Besides, we had a glimpse of the statue from our balcony as well. š
Walking on 5th Avenue for the very first time. It was very early in the morning. I cannot remember this street as empty since then.
This is the entrance to the 5th Avenue Hotel where we lived, the entrance to our condo and one of the inside patios pictured from left to right.
Our first visit to the local supermarket Chedraui. We visited this store a few more times, since we had a kitchen in our condo and a rental car. While it was a pretty nice supermarket in general, I liked the bakery there the most.
It was easy access to this store from where we lived.
We had to take a walk to the beach on this beautiful and sunny afternoon, in January!
Some parts of the beach are rocky.
Here is some information I found at everythingplayadelcarmen.com about the statue below.Ā At the beach front of Parque Los Fundadores or āFounding Fathers Parkā is a new bronze Ā sculpture placed there in late 2011. It is entitled āPortal Maya 2012ā. It celebrates the Mayan calendar and the date of December 21st. 2012. TheĀ sculptureĀ Ā was designed by artist Ā Arturo TaravezĀ whoĀ Ā is from Guanajuato, Mexico. The sculpture is 16 meters or about 52 feet high. It has since become an iconic image of Playa Del Carmen.
It is a pretty statue and it fits in with the environment nicely, especially with the gorgeous Caribbean Sea in the background.
While walking around the park, we stopped for the flying men show or The Dance of the Flyers (Voladores de Papantla). According to everythingplayadelcarmen.com, these performers literally fly around a 30 meter (98ft.) pole from which four of the five participants then launch themselves tied with ropes to descend to the ground. The fifth remains on top of the pole, dancing and playing a flute and drum.
According to one myth, the ritual was created to ask the gods to end a severe drought. This ritual is most commonly associated with the Papantla, Veracruz area of Mexico. This ritual is performed throughout the day and we couldn’t miss it even though we have already seen it at Xcaret, during our last visit.
It was pretty cool. Here is a short video of the Flying Men show.
This is 5th Avenue (“La Quinta”) in the afternoon and it gets only more crowded towards the evening. Despite the constant crowds, this street is so much fun! It seems like this street is the heart of the city and has its own life. Something that is definitely memorable.
It seems like every restaurant on 5th Avenue has an outside dining patio, which creates a very enjoyable experience in this beautiful warm weather.
We noticed 2 swing bars on 5th Avenue, both pretty close to each other. This is Karen’s.
This is Pez Vela restaurant with the swing bar, more popular one.
There was always something going on at Fat Tuesday…
Have you noticed a yellow sign on the right stating “Save Water Drink Tequila”? Only in Mexico. š
These wind chimes always attracted people, especially in the evenings.
A short video of the Wind Chimes on 5th Avenue. They are just beautiful.
Some other cute lanterns for outdoor decoration.
The Mayan Show was performed at least twice a day, but it was especially beautiful in the evening.
The Statue looked more exciting with the changing lights.
Here is a short video of the Mayan Show. It is amazing watching the performers playing with fire with their bare hands. There is, probably, some trick to it. š
And my evening ended almost every time with a delicious gelato. Mainly, because Aldo stores were everywhere in this area. Nothing wrong with that, right? š
