PLAYA DEL CARMEN HISTORY

The area that is known as Playa del Carmen, was called Xaman-Ha (waters of the north) in Mayan language, because it is believed that the area served the ancient Mayas as a launching spot to other major Mayan sites like Cozumel between the years 1000 -1550 AD. Nowadays, Playa del Carmen holds on to the remnants of the Mayan influence as other close-by Mayan sites like Tulum, Xcaret and Xel-ha.

Playa del Carmen suffered the Spanish invasion during the 16th century and as most Mayan sites, it was conquered by the Spaniards. However, unlike other Mayan sites, Playa del Carmen never became a Spanish settlement, mainly because the access to the area was almost impossible and it only remained a gateway to Cozumel.

During the colonial time, the region was almost uninhabited, but due to the “caste wars” the battles that the remaining Mayas in Yucatan started against the Spanish settlements, in 1846, a great number of the Hispanic population was forced to look for more peaceful territories and some of them established in Playa del Carmen. Playa del Carmen’s rich waters provided with what they needed to survive and they formed a fishermen community.

At the beginning of XX century, fields of sapodilla tree and wood were exploited in the state of Quintana Roo, and there was a group of workers that deserted and preferred finding another way of living, increasing considerably the fishermen population of Playa del Carmen at the time.

In the 1960’s, Playa del Carmen was a fishing village and had started to grow economically independent from Cozumel, but the ferry dock still was Playa del Carmen’s main asset. Thus, by the 1970’s, the growing afflux of divers in Cozumel, brought a crowd of ferry passengers to Playa del Carmen and soon enough, Playa del Carmen’s natural beauties were discovered, not only by vacationers, but also by investors who realized of the potential of Playa del Carmen’s golden location surrounded by the exuberant jungle and the warm Caribbean waters.

Growing at a relatively slow pace, Playa del Carmen by 1980 only featured some hotels, a few paved roads and some services. It seemed that Playa del Carmen’s destiny was to remain unknown. However, Playa del Carmen’s quaint town look started drawing retirees, adventurers and loners, who having come to Playa del Carmen with different plans, decided to settle here and start a new life. Playa del Carmen real estate industry began and its imminent development was inevitable.

In no time, important hotel chains built their hotels and resorts in Playa del Carmen and it was recognized as the capital of the Solidaridad municipality.

Nowadays, Playa del Carmen has become everybody’s favorite beach destination since it will let you enjoy at the same time, the comfort of a world-class infrastructure, unspoiled natural beauties and ancestral cultural heritage.