Malpais, usually spelled Mal País in Spanish, is everything to the south of the crossroads at Playa Carmen, when you first drive down the hill to the beach area. Like Montezuma, Malpais has mostly rocky beaches, with occasional sandy coves. It has two great surf spots – one at Mar Azul, and one at Sunset Reef. The crowd here is older and more laid-back than in Santa Teresa, and although it’s right next door, has developed a very different vibe.

Unlike Santa Teresa, the real estate on the Malpais side hasn’t been chopped up into thousands of tiny lots for development. A greater amount of intact jungle, and more water in the hills keeps the area greener, and because there are less tourists, it’s quieter. Malpais has become qui

te legendary over the years, since many famous musicians have shown up unexpectedly and rocked Malpais at the open-mic event that used to happen h

ere at Malpais Surf Camp, and the area still has many celebrities who visit here to escape the paparazzi. You never know who you may see surfing the wave next to you.