Public buses in Playa Del Carmen look like the two below. The closest routes to the center of Playa are on 30th Avenue then they pass for outer laying neighborhoods. Buses move slowly through the city. For most people that can afford a taxi, that is a better option. Getting to one of the outer ring roads for example can take 25 minute by public bus compared to 8 minutes by Taxi. So time vs cost often does not favor public transportation.Â
There are no good public transportation maps in Playa Del Carmen. Even though it is called public transportation it is not the most user friendly. Most buses just write on the windshield where they end up. Locals just learn the bus system over time.
What the public buses look like in Playa Del Carmen.
Taxis in Playa Del Carmen
Taxis in Playa Del Carmen are numerous and fairly easy to catch. The taxis are not metered in Playa Del Carmen but rather prices by zones. Most taxi rides will cost between 50-300 pesos in town. It is fairly common to hear complaints about being overcharged. Thats why we recommend asking the rate before getting into the taxi first.
Most drivers speak a little English but don’t expect it. Also try to carry small bills and coins for payment as getting change can be hard. Often having close to the payment is up to the customer in Mexico.Â
Colectivos going from Playa Del Carmen to Tulum or Cancun
Colectivos are a shared minivan that are meant for fast public transportation between Playa Del Carmen and other points along the coast. The colectivos only go on the highway and will stop at any point people want to get on or off. There are two routes of colectivos from Playa Del Carmen that provide public transportation. One route is from Playa Del Carmen to Tulum and the other is from Playa Del Carmen to Cancun. You cannot get a colectivo from points north of Playa to southern points without changing colectivos in Playa.
Colectivos cost around 50-60 pesos for all destinations for a single journey.