Visiting the Riviera Maya is an unforgettable experience. It’s got something for everyone with cenotes, museums, golf courses, beaches and some of the best shopping areas in the world.
Playa del Carmen is the epicentre of growth in the Riviera Maya, and lots of tourist activity here centres on Quinta Avenida, or Fifth Avenue, which covers more than 20 blocks of prime commercial area parallel to the beach and is just 20 minutes from the Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel. You’ll find plenty of stores, restaurants, souvenir shops and of course, fashion and beach apparel stores to suit all tastes and budgets all along this famous avenue.
You should set off early, around 10am, to enjoy a day out shopping in Playa del Carmen. At this time of the day, it’s not too hot, so you’ll be able to enjoy a spot of shopping without any problems and then stop for lunch, wait for the sun to go down and then continue with your shopping.
We recommend starting in Paseo del Carmen, right in front of the ferry that takes you to Cozumel. You’ll find one of the newest shopping centres in the city with luxury brands such as Tag Heuer, Daniel Espinosa, Harley Davidson, Tous, Old Navy, Guess and Vilebrequin, among many others. And you can also enjoy a Häagen Dasz ice cream before continuing north on your shopping spree.
As you walk along the avenue, you’ll see different shops selling local handmade products such as masks to sandals, leather and henequen bags, sarongs and beachwear. This is the perfect moment to pick up something for your loved ones back home. Prices are pretty much the same in each shop, but it’s always a good idea to ask in two or three places before buying anything.
Make sure to pop up to the Thompson Hotel on the rooftop of the Calle Corazón shopping centre at the junction with 12th street. The hotel is well-known for its Catch restaurant where you can enjoy a drink before the sun sets or go out for cocktails before a night out on the town. Calle Corazón also has stores selling leading brands such as H&M, Michael Kors, Victorias Secret, Sephora, Lacoste, among others. It’s a small enough place with not much to visit, so you might want to spend a little time visiting the aquarium on the top floor next to Harry’s Steakhouse.
You can continue rambling in the same direction and a few streets further ahead you’ll find Quinta Alegria Shopping Mall, which is right in the middle of Quinta Avenida (the central area). This is a good spot to stop for a break before deciding where to have lunch or dinner. Make sure to check out the central courtyard as you can often find a great selection of paintings and photos to admire or, if you wish, buy and take back home. Here you can also find brands like Forever 21, La Europea, Pandora, L’Occitane and Levi’s. La Europea is also a great place to buy quality wines or a bottle of Xtabentún liqueur, an excellent digestive that’s used to make aniseed-flavoured Mayan coffee. We recommend taking at least one bottle back home with you.
At this point you’ll have discovered many of the culinary offerings in the area, so now all that remains is to decide where to have dinner, enjoy the warm “summer” nights and then go for a well-deserved rest. We recommend staying at the Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel as it boasts of having the comfiest beds in Playa del Carmen and you can enjoy some spa treatments the next day to completely recover after walking the length and breadth of Quinta Avenida.
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