Playa del Carmen: Beach by Day, Crypto by Night—And I’m Not Mad About It

I’ve been in Playa del Carmen for a few weeks now. It wasn’t part of the original plan, but I was nearby and heard it had decent coworking spots, a walkable center, and a beach close enough to finish work and be in the water ten minutes later. Sold.

If Tulum is where people go to unplug and “heal,” Playa is where they come to build things. Startups, agencies, Web3 projects—whatever it is, someone here is pitching it, launching it, or trying to convince you it’s the next big thing. And to be honest, I don’t mind it.

During the day, it’s beach. I wake up early, get a swim in, maybe play a little tennis if I’m feeling ambitious. Then I work. There are more than enough cafés and cowork spaces that take remote work seriously—fast internet, good coffee, actual tables. It’s not chaotic, but there’s energy. People are doing things. I like that.

At night, it shifts. The beach clears out, and the rooftop meetups begin. Crypto panels, blockchain happy hours, AI dinners… sometimes all three in the same event. I’ve sat through some wild pitches, heard every third person call themselves a “builder,” and had more than one guy try to onboard me into something that sounded like a cult with better branding. But the people are sharp, and once you filter through the noise, there’s good conversation underneath.

Socially, Playa’s easy. You can keep to yourself or jump into things. I’ve met people from everywhere—some here for the winter, others figuring out if this is their new permanent base. I get it. It’s comfortable, affordable if you know where to look, and there’s always something happening.

No drama, no pressure. Just a place where I can work, swim, eat well, and maybe listen to one too many conversations about the metaverse. And somehow, it works.

Would I stay long-term? Probably not.
Would I come back for a solid month of productivity and sunshine? Absolutely.
Would I finally buy crypto? Still thinking about it.