Tell Me About Calica/Playa del Carmen, Mexico

[ehaas]

What is actually at this port?

 

Can you rent a car and drive to Cancun?

 

Are there shore excursions you can book at this port not going through Carnival?

 

Any ideas for a good time at this port are welcome.

[Cotton]

What is actually at this port?

 

Calica is nothing but a huge, working rock quarry. There are a few vendor tents, and a long line of cabs to take passengers into Playa del Carmen. The fare is $10 for the cab, and will hold up to four people. Bumpy, dusty ride, about 10 minutes. Hold on! LOL

 

Can you rent a car and drive to Cancun?

 

I don't know.

 

Are there shore excursions you can book at this port not going through Carnival?

 

Sorry, I don't know. I think there are excursions to some ruins. Somebody else will come along and answer this one for you.

 

Any ideas for a good time at this port are welcome.

 

I've been on ships that docked there three times. I've gone into PdC twice. Nice little town, public beach, many shops with pushy shopkeepers, and some really good restaurants on Avenue 5. Not my favorite port. The last time we docked there, I stayed on the ship.:)

[BrendaB1]

Haven't been there in a while but used to be a Senor Frogs right on the beach. Lots of shops & places to eat.

[Ship Addict]

You can book an excursion to Xcaret through the ship. It is an archeoecological (sp?) park and it is really great. It's been several years, so I am not sure of the price.

 

Last time I went to Calica (last October), the pushy tent vendors were not at the port. Do they pack everything up and go home everyday, or did they get rid of them?

 

I heard that Senor Frogs was destroyed by Wilma. I don't know how the other shops are in PDC post hurricane, but it looked a lot nicer when we went there this past October than it did the time before that in 2001. They have done a lot of work. And the beach is beautiful.

[ehaas]

What is actually at this port?

 

Calica is nothing but a huge, working rock quarry. There are a few vendor tents, and a long line of cabs to take passengers into Playa del Carmen. The fare is $10 for the cab, and will hold up to four people. Bumpy, dusty ride, about 10 minutes. Hold on! LOL

 

Can you rent a car and drive to Cancun?

 

I don't know.

 

Are there shore excursions you can book at this port not going through Carnival?

 

Sorry, I don't know. I think there are excursions to some ruins. Somebody else will come along and answer this one for you.

 

Any ideas for a good time at this port are welcome.

 

I've been on ships that docked there three times. I've gone into PdC twice. Nice little town, public beach, many shops with pushy shopkeepers, and some really good restaurants on Avenue 5. Not my favorite port. The last time we docked there, I stayed on the ship.:)

 

Thanks for all of the great information. Last time we did the ruins thing at Costa Maya so hope we find something different. Anybody know about the Cancun side trip offered by Carnival or if you can get to Cancun another way.

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE HELP AND IDEAS

[Kathy163]

I have also been looking for some information about Calica. I posted on the Calica port message boards a while ago and haven't received any replies. I have a few questions:

What is the name of a nice public beach in Playa Del Carmen?

How far is it from the pier and how much is the cab ride there?

Also, how far is Carlos N Charlies and/or Senor Frogs from the beach?

Is the shopping within walking distance from the beach?

 

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

Kathy

[ohiotx99]

Kathy

 

Below is a link to a post on this board that answers most of your questions about Playa del Carmen. Calica itself is an old rock quarry pier that is now used as a Cruise Line Pier (it’s about 8 miles south of Playa del Carman). You can do a search on this board about Calica, but the bottom line, it’s just a dirt parking lot that the boat is parked at for its time in the Playa area, there’s not much their. Also be aware that some Cruise Ships have, in the past, anchored offshore near Playa and used small boats to ferry passengers ashore (called tender boats ??) These tenders let the passengers off right in downtown Playa (two small piers in Playa, see the link below). There will be lots of cabs when you get off the boat, no matter where you come ashore.

 

As for activities while in Playa, read down through the Playa del Carmen board here at Cruise Critic and/or use the “search” tool to see what others may be saying. Interesting group of posts about a tour outfit called Edventure Tours (yes it’s spelled with an E and they have nothing to do with the Cruise Lines).

 

One last travel tip, be aware that the Caribbean (including the Mexican Caribbean cost) is very Eco minded; you can’t use your typical USA sunscreen. You have to use an approved biodegradable type of sunscreen just about anywhere you go in the Caribbean (an aqua type of sunscreen that will not wash off for several hours if you're going to be in the water). Another subject to search here at Cruise Critic.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=297639