A simple town of fishermen of the Mayan Riviera which awoke from its dream of forgetfulness. It was 1967 and the modest streets of a silent inlet were becoming, little by little, roads of cosmopolitan looks, whilst the small and discreet houses grew until becoming pleasant hotels where relaxation and fun would be worshiped.

Yes, Playa del Carmen would no longer be the minuscule cove, neither the humble port from which boats set sail bound to Cozumel, the largest populated island in Mexico. Now there were investments, there were constructions, lodgings were built, stores, restaurants. Everything was changing in the town save its magical charm of pristine waters and imposing walls of coral.

But further than its brand-new infrastructure, Playa del Carmen captivates for is terrific coastal zone wherein those mantles of white sands - on which the humid bodies of travellers placidly surrender to relaxation after sensing the refreshing caresses of a sea dormant by the presence of imposing reefs, located 100 metres offshore - rest.

Sea and corals, nature and history, comfort and unravelled adrenaline, are some of the cards of the tourist offer of Playa del Carmen, a place where almost any adventure is possible: ride on a horseback through the wet sand or submerge in the sea, navigate through mangroves prodigal with fauna, or become an archaeologist at its extensive Mayan architectonic vestiges.

The fun does not end here. It continues at the feverish Fifth Avenue, the most attended of Playa del Carmen, packed with cafes, restaurants of cosmopolitan aromas, bars, discotheques, craftsmanship stores, and scuba diving centres, besides the contagious happiness of the musicians and mimes who do not get tired of offering their art on this important avenue.

Luxury and comfort live at Playacar, a tourist complex with first class sophisticated hotels and commercial establishments that respect the natural environment and the traditional architectonic features. The same care for the environment is taken at Xcaret, an emblematic Mayan seaport and ceremonial centre, now turned into an unrivalled eco-archaeological park.

Xel-Ha is another pre-Hispanic vestige and, at the same time, one of the biggest natural aquariums in the planet. An unforgettable place in which beautiful landscapes are complemented by the Mayan constructions; whilst Akumal is a peaceful bay to which hundreds of sea turtles arrive to lay eggs.

The adventure pack of cards offers other aces such as Tulum, the only Mesoamerican city built at the Mayan Riviera; Coba, the most important city of the northern part of the Yucatan peninsula, or the ecological stronghold of the Biosphere Reserve of Sian Ka'an, where nature is manifest in many ways.

Playa del Carmen, located 60 kilometres away from Cancun, is one of the preferred destinations of the Mexican Caribbean, because if something remains untainted in this land in which so many things have changed, is its endless capacity to seduce travellers.