“I’ve been to Cabo, Guanajuato, Oaxaca, Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende and Playa. They are all great in their own way! But the one I’m going back to first is Playa!!” – Kalei W.
You’ll find Playa on most roundup lists of best places to work remotely from. Sure, there are beaches, great weather, tacos, and a thriving digital nomad community. But we wanted to know the deeper appeal of being a digital nomad in Playa.
So a few of us here at WiFi Tribe asked the team members and Tribe members that had been to Playa before – including Nicole, who’s lived there for nearly 10 years – why it’s such a sweet spot for nomads. Here’s what they had to say…
THE FOOD
When most people think of Mexico, they think of the food. This isn’t a scientific fact, but it’s almost certainly true. And what’s also true is that people will tell you the best place for Mexican food is any number of cities: CDMX, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, or others. But Playa is every bit as good as any of these places. It serves authentic street food, from tacos to tortas, and also has a variety of nice restaurants and trendy eateries.
“Epic dining experiences – you can go from a 15 peso taco that will rock your world to a fancy lobster and steak dinner on a rooftop at sunset. Dinners are always an adventure… even after nearly ten years here!” – Nicole C.
“El Fogon is dope AF. Top 3 tacos in my life.” – Jordan H.
IT’S SO “LIVEABLE”
A lot of people probably think of Playa del Carmen as only a touristy destination, similar to Cancun. But it is so much more than resorts and the famous 5th Avenue or Avenida Quinta tourist trap. There are lovely residential areas interspersed with authentic restaurants, quaint cafes, and places that cater to locals rather than tourists. It has a much more liveable feel than people may think before they visit.
“You can’t beat the food, cafes to work from, and general vibe of life here — the vegan scene was great, so easy to eat clean and healthy! I loved the street art, and how you can pop into the touristy part if that’s what you’re craving… but just a few blocks away, the vibe is much more local (much more my scene!!). Lots of great rooftops, different types of vibes to enjoy — divey local Mexican joints (YUM!!), swanky rooftop pools, clubs… It’s a bit of everything” – Kristen Y.
GOOD FOR WORK
A cornerstone for any remote work paradise is a strong and reliable internet connection, which you can find all over Playa. Throw in great cafes and coworking options such as Nest, and you’ve got one of the best places in the Americas to get some work done.
“It’s really easy to live in Playa if you need to work still… They have coworking spaces, good internet, tacos, supermarkets, and good gyms. All walkable.” – Jordan H.
AMAZING NEARBY TRIPS
In terms of accessible getaways and adventures, Playa might be unmatched. Within an hour from town you can visit Tulum, explore cenotes, climb pyramids, cruise Cozumel, or chill on the beaches of Cancun.
“In just a short drive, you can do SO many things like see pyramids, snorkel/scuba dive, visit islands, go to Tulum, swim with turtles, etc.” – Kalei W.
“Cozumel island is one of the world’s go-to destinations for scuba diving. You can dive with whale sharks, bull sharks and explore the famous cenotes diving too” – Karol L.
“OMG… I think that first cenote trip was one of the best days of my life!!!!!! I have never seen such splendor!!! Then the snorkeling in Belize…. absolutely insane. Pretty sure the Tribe had to peel me out of the boat bc I was crying so hard after this snorkeling day The trips are unmatched — the jungles, turquoise clear cenotes, snorkeling and beaches” – Kristen Y.
SUPER COMFORTABLE
Everybody wants to feel comfortable, especially when settling down in a location for any significant length of time. In Playa, it is easy to feel comfortable, from the agreeable temperatures to the grid-like setup of the town which allows for easy, walkable access to everywhere you want to go.
“Everything inside of Playa is sooo close. No cars needed. At the beginning of this month they installed the community bikes all over town so you can now grab a bike on the go” – Nicole C.
“Delicious and affordable Mexican food, lots of people working from cafés, coworking spaces, quick access to the beach, solid nightlife, and huge supermarkets that have everything you could need… It’s where I go when I want to have everything at my fingertips for a month” – Diego B.G.
A DIVERSE COMMUNITY
The community in Playa is great. With lots of nomads and friendly people everywhere, it’s easy to fit in with like-minded people. There is also a nice mix of Mexicans and expats in the remote work community, with some of them based full-time in Playa. Even though it lacks the population of larger cosmopolitan cities, Playa del Carmen is full of different nationalities and perspectives.
“There is an excellent group called Mexpats on Facebook that has meetups. I was actually able to make friends with local Mexicans and other nomads.” – Kalei W.
“You meet a ton of people from all over the world. We have huge French and Argentinean communities, Italian, Swedish, Canadian, and Americans that all live here and mingle together.” – Nicole C.
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WIFI TRIBE PLAYA BONUS: SWEET, SWEET ACCOMMODATION
The accommodation is like a Five-Star resort with a pool, gym, jacuzzi. Big spacious and modern apartments. Close enough to the hustle and bustle if desired but at the same time away from the touristy part with local restaurants around. And… we’ve just had internet upgrades!
“These are some of the most luxurious apartments I’ve stayed in during my travels – and the best part is the real co-living feel from all being in the same complex. From morning yoga to afternoon swims, coworking together downstairs, hopping into the gym, then cooking and sharing dinner together… I love the communal vibe and resort-feel of the apartments! I feel like we all really bonded just through evening chats at the pool, spontaneous movie nights, etc” – Kristen Y.
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Dreaming of experiencing the beauty and fun of Playa with an amazing group of like-minded nomads? WiFi Tribe is hosting Chapters in Playa del Carmen in January and October 2020. Email us to apply to join or to sign up. You can also check out our next locations to see if there’s anywhere else that tickles your fancy for 2020.
