Playa Carmen’s White Sand Beach

Playa Carmen is the first beach you’ll arrive at when you come down the hill from the mountains to the Santa Teresa / Malpais area of the southern Nicoya Peninsula. This is the center of the beach areas… to the south, everything is Mal Pais. To the north, you get to Santa Teresa, then Playa Hermosa, and after that Manzanillo.

Beach Life

On the beach here at Playa Carmen, you’ll find a large Pizza place with a bar, and it’s a popular spot to hang out and watch the surfers, who will be directly in front.

Just next to it (north) is a nightclub/disco called “Cocoloco” that has many special events, including various visiting DJs, bands, shows, etc. Further north is Hotel Casa Azul, and then Tabu, another nightlife spot with a bar and music.

For people who are staying in Montezuma and just heading over to the Santa Teresa side for a day trip, Playa Carmen is the natural place to go if you’re looking to surf and enjoy a nice white sand beach.

Playa Carmen Surfing

Playa Carmen, in addition to being the commercial center for the area, is a long white sand beach with great surfing. The best, most consistent spot is right in front of the commercial center itself. Here, the waves are surfable 95% of the time. It’s a sandy beach break, so you’ll find both lefts and rights with good shape.

To the south, there are a lot of rocks, easily seen at low tide but not so visible at high tide. Be sure to check where the surfers are and stay with them to avoid the rocks.