Playa Del Carmen, Photo...
An aerial photo of town from seven or eight years ago. Cancun is 40 miles north or towards the top. The town is much larger with small boutique hotels filling in much of the green areas.

What is on the beach now?
<---Coco Beach Club
<---Zubul Reef Beach Bar
<---Las Palapas/Shangri La
<---Mamitas Beach Club
<---Tukan Beach Club Sailing, Diving, Kayaks, Boogie Boards
<---Bananas Beach Club
<---Porto Real Resort Hotel
and many, many more down the main beach.

(Please, note that this photo is at least 7 years old. The only thing that has not changed much around Playa del Carmen is the Caribbean Sea. The empty lot at the bottom of the photo is now filled by the Xaman-ha Condominiums. Next to the empty lot is the Hotel Continental with the swimming pools. Just on the other side of the Cozumel ferry dock is the main beach that extends to the next point of land that now holds the Porto Real Resort Hotel. Because of a governement imposed height limitation on all buildings of 3 floors, there are only 2 or 3 buildings over 45 feet tall in town. The 3 floor height rule is the primary reason that Playa del Carmen will probably maintain a tranquil, comospolitan small town atmosphere for a very long time. We hope.)
<--- Look closely and see that the Hotel Continental was built on steeply inclined land, thus, the additional 2 floors below street level. The swimming pools are actually one floor above the level of the beach. You have to go up stairs from the beach to reach them. But, why would you?