Top Things to do in Playa del Carmen with Kids
Visiting Playa del Carmen with Children? The Riviera Maya is a great place to come on vacation with the whole family, it’s impossible to get bored here! To help you plan your trip here are some of our favorite things to do in Playa del Carmen with kids.
Visit one of the parks
There are a lot of very large theme parks near Playa del Carmen and kids love them as there is so much to see and do. Many hotels will help you to arrange transport there and back if you aren’t comfortable making your own way, although be warned the tour companies normally fill up the coach with people from all over Playa del Carmen, which means you will often have to sit on the coach for a long time before you even leave the city.
If you want to avoid doing a hotel tour in order to pick up other guests while they fill up the coach, you might want to consider our private shuttle service. Contact us and we are happy to send you a personalized itinerary and price.
The main theme parks close to Playa del Carmen are:
Xenses
This is our personal favorite. There are 15 different activities to do here in the water, the air, and on dry land. In Xenses it is all about exploring the different senses. You can fly, swim, get your adrenaline fix, and relax and unwind! This park has something for all the family.
Some of the most popular attractions are the waterslides, I mean who doesn’t love a waterslide? Especially in the Caribbean heat. Then there is the downhill village, that actually goes uphill, and completely disorientates you. But quite possibly the most memorable part of the day will be the dark path. This isn’t any old dark path though. The path will actually take you on a journey through the countryside that will engage all of your senses (apart from your eyes of course) to be able to navigate your way through the darkness.
On this path, you will start at the beach walking barefoot at the beach (cue seagulls and ocean noises), you then continue on to walk through the grass of the forest with the fresh pine tree smell before wading through a cold river and finally doing a little rock climbing! This one always gets a few screams from the kids (and adults)!
Xplor
This park is better for families with older children with an adventurous spirit!
Be prepared to get your adrenaline pumping here zip-lining through the jungle, driving amphibious vehicles, and exploring underground caverns. If it all get’s a bit much there are plenty of hammocks around for you to relax in for a while before the night time fire show begins!
Xcaret
Xcaret is the main park that people go to, both tourist and locals alike. The theme of this park is all about exploring Mexican culture. The park is HUGE and it is built on some of the most beautiful landscape in Playa. Within the park, they have built Mayan Villages and traditional chapels. And they have even recreated a traditional Mexican graveyard and some of the archeological sites.
A day walking around Xcaret brings to life Mexican culture and history.
To really make the most of your day it’s worth booking the Xcaret Xclusivo as this will give you access to the nighttime musical performance which retells the history of Mexico.
Note: As much as we love Xcaret sadly they do have a dolphinarium, something we do not agree with. Before you go please educate yourself on why swimming with dolphins in parks like this is not something you should participate in. The park is very big and the dolphinarium is just one small part of it, there are plenty of other things to do. We wrote a blog post about dolphinariums you can read here.
Rio Secreto
Rio Secreto is one of our favorite family things to do in Playa del Carmen, especially when it is raining, as it is all undercover!
This eco-park is based around a ‘secret’ river system 80 feet underground. You will be lead through the 8 miles of underground caves by a guide on foot and through the water.
Be prepared to be amazed by the beauty and tranquility down there with the Crystal clear cenote waters and underground cave formations ( stalactites and stalagmites).
Mayan Roots Tour
If you are wondering what to do in Playa del Carmen with kids and looking for an action packed day then our Mayan Roots tour is a pretty special day out for all the family. It really does have something for everyone. From floating down the river to exploring ancient Mayan ruins hidden deep in the jungle.
This tour includes a boat ride, river float, and a trip to Muyil ruins - one of the lesser-known, but just as impressive, Mayan Ruin sites.
Take a look at this short video of Muyil Ruins to learn more about the site.
As if that wasn’t fun enough, the day ends with a snorkeling trip to the most famous Cenote in Mexico, Dos Ojos.
Take a look at this short video review to find out what our guests think of this tour.
Coba and Punta Laguna
Of all of the Mayan Ruin sites in The Yucatan Peninsula, Coba comes out as being the most kid-friendly.
Unlike Chichen Itza and Tulum Ruins, Coba hasn’t had as much excavation work done on it. So taking a trip to Coba you are going to feel a little bit like Indiana Jones discovering temples. There are only a few areas you can’t access, but better than that, you can climb on the ruins. In fact, you can climb right up to the top of the temple (burn off some energy)!
As the site is in the jungle it is mostly in the shade and we include the rent of a bike to cycle around, or if you feel like kicking back, a bicitaxi and let someone else do all the hard work.
Either way, Coba is a lot of fun for kids (and adults).
We offer a tour to Coba Ruins that also includes a visit to Punta Laguna when you can zip line, see monkeys in the wild, canoe, and swim in the cenotes. It’s an action-packed family fun day that the kids will love.
Puerto Morelos
If you are a water-loving family then Puerto Morelos is the place to go for an epic family day out. Start the day snorkeling in the sea (you will need to book on a boat tour), and then mover the fun over to one of the many cenotes along the route de cenotes.
There are so many cenotes to choose from in Puerto Morelos, so choose wisely. Many have horse riding, zip lines, rappelling, kayaking, the list goes on.
Our favorite cenote is called Zapote and it’s the one we take our guests to on our Puerto Morelos tour. On this tour, we will pick you up from your hotel in the morning and take you to Puerto Morelos where you will be met by a private boat to take you out to the reef for a snorkeling adventure.
After you have snorkeled at 2 different locations it's time to take a short ride in the minibus to the cenote to get your adrenaline pumping on the ziplines.
Not into ziplining? Don’t worry there are plenty of areas you can relax and unwind by the cenote, or take a peaceful swim instead or relax in a hammock. We custom make this tour to suit your needs, so just tell us what kind of tour your family would like, and we will do our best to customize it just as you like it.
So that’s it our list of fun things to do in Playa del Carmen with kids. Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments below!