A brief stay on the Riviera Maya
Playa del Carmen lies along the Riviera Maya on the Yucatán Peninsula's Caribbean coast, not far from Cancún, a longtime favorite of McGinley's. In his Times Leader column, he puts the flight from Philadelphia or New York to Cancún International Airport at roughly three hours.
His group rented a condominium beside the beach. McGinley, who is Irish, says he relishes heat and sunshine and finds that they immediately improve his mood. His account highlights the clear water, welcoming people and appealing restaurants, alongside the area's palm-lined beaches, coral reefs and opportunities for boat trips, jet skiing and other excursions.
He welcomed the chance to unwind before the holiday season and encouraged readers to make some time for rest as well.
October's quieter season and weather risks
The timing puts a visit in Playa del Carmen's low season. According to 2025 SEDETUR/SITURQ figures cited by Tierra Caribe, hotel occupancy during low-season months typically ranges from 52% to 64%. That compares with more than 80% during the high season in January through March and December.
McGinley enjoyed the weather during his stay, but October is also the city's wettest month. BootsnAll's 2026 travel guide gives average October rainfall as about 11.2 inches and places the month within the June-to-November hurricane season.
Beach conditions have their own seasonal pattern. HowIsTheSargassum reports that Mexican Caribbean sargassum peaks from June through August, while November through February offer the best chances of beaches free of the seaweed. Playa del Carmen's east-facing coast receives some of the heaviest accumulations.
The guide described 2026 as on course to rank among the two largest sargassum years on record. By late July 2026, more than 93,000 tons had been removed statewide.
Airport connections and the train to Playa
Cancún International Airport served about 29.3 million passengers in 2025, according to BootsnAll. Tierra Caribe reports that, as of January 2026, the Mexican Caribbean had direct air service to 120 cities worldwide, 45 of them in the United States.
For the onward journey, Jungle Vibe Tulum's September 2026 Tren Maya information lists a 44- to 49-minute rail trip between the airport and Playa del Carmen. Of the five daily southbound departures from the airport station, three stop at Playa del Carmen. Foreign visitors pay MXN 232.50 one way in Tourist class or MXN 279 in Premier.
The train does not leave passengers in the center of town. BootsnAll places Playa del Carmen's station on Highway 305D, about 8 kilometers northwest of the Cozumel ferry dock, with a taxi needed to complete the trip into town.
A city and region that have grown
Playa del Carmen now has roughly 300,000 residents and is Quintana Roo's second-largest city, according to BootsnAll. Its population was fewer than 1,500 in the mid-1980s. On March 19, 2025, the municipality officially adopted the name Playa del Carmen, replacing Solidaridad.
The surrounding tourism region reached a milestone in 2025. Year-end SEDETUR/SITURQ data cited by Tierra Caribe put Quintana Roo's tourist total at a record 20.2 million. The Riviera Maya received 7.9 million tourists, surpassing Cancún's 7.2 million for the first time.
