Sandos Playacar, in Playa del Carmen Mexico is the home base for the vacation package we purchased two years ago. I won´t repeat the story of how we stumbled upon this place here, but if you are interested in it just go back to the April 2010 postings in the other blog on the Blog List at the bottom of this one.
This resort is fantastic from my perspective and just keeps getting better. It consists of three distinct sections; the original section adjacent to the beach that looks very much like many other Caribbean resorts; the Hacienda section which is a series of small buildings of 10 units each with a private pool; and the Riveria or adults only section at the back of the resort which has a sprawling pool, modern large rooms with a jacuzzi, and no kids. Not a whole lot of sense giving a detailed tour of the resort in this blog, as the Sandos web site does it better and prettier. Here is the link:
In our previous three stays, we were in the Riviera section. Because of the distance to the beach, and we are beach people, you have to carry all of your stuff for the day or spend fifteen minutes walking back and forth between your room and beach. This gives a ¨ big resort¨ feel to it, that is not an issue for us, but those who like a smaller venue might feel different. However, this time we booked into the original section right on the beach, and it changed the entire feel of the stay. Forgot something in the room, no problem, take the one minute walk. The Elite Pool, three bars, Elite Lounge, two restaurants, three buffets and Meeting Place are all within a two minute walk. This changed the entire feel, and it is likely that we will stay here in this section whenever we come. Works out nice for when the grand kids come (hint hint).
The beach scene is just fantastic. Much of it was wiped out in a hurricance several years back, but was rebuilt and in my opinion rivals Punta Cana and Varadero. The water is the beautiful turquoise that everyone longs for, and for the walkers, it has miles of sand to travel. The beach itself is a wide fine coral sand, easy on the feet, and fun for the beach volleyballers, Zumba and all other kind of activities. When the wind is up there are good waves for body surfing though poor swimmers might be intimidated by the pull of the ocean along the beach. Just to the right is a 300 foot long man made reef that is starting to show plant life, but is teeming with many species of fish.
The food is also most excellent as well. You have your choice of four buffets spread throughout the resort, a couple of snack bars, five a la cart restaurants and a crepe bar at the main lobby. We really only discovered this the last night of Mary Lou, Karen and Larry´s stay, but certainly will not make that mistake on the next trip. My favorite meal this time was at El Gaucho , although for the best overall experience you have to try the Brazilian restaurant and see if you can get through the entire ten courses.
The booze, the booze. Lots of it, and you can find it anywhere on the resort from the time you get up to the time you hit the sack. Bananna Mummas, mohitos, margaritas, wine, beer, scotch...you name it, they got it. For the Elite members, aka black banders, the premium liquors and beer are available.
The other aspect that really is quite neat is the wildlife that is in and around the resort. Cotai, turins, bourrows, lizards, .... and so on, all up close and personal. But the highlight has been the interaction with the howler monkeys, which greet you outside your door most morning looking for bananas and apples. A seprate post will follow on this.
The resort has undergone, and is still in the process, a number of small but impactful changes. Since April they have : expanded the beach bar, added a small buffet at the beach with burgers, fries and the most delicious corn fritters; constructed a new sitting area with couches and tables on the beach; upgraded their internet speed. In process now is construction of a mini beach bar, coffee house in the Hacienda section and a larger and improved Elite Bar. The Sandos group is also expanding the locations to include Cabos San Lucas and Brazil in 2012 and Punta Cana in 2014. Can´t wait.
So, this has been my home away from home for two weeks now, one week on my own, and a week in the middle with Mary Lou and our close friends Larry and Karen . Didn´t think their would be much of interest to report while on a resort, but I was wrong and will follow up with some stories.
The booze, the booze. Lots of it, and you can find it anywhere on the resort from the time you get up to the time you hit the sack. Bananna Mummas, mohitos, margaritas, wine, beer, scotch...you name it, they got it. For the Elite members, aka black banders, the premium liquors and beer are available.
The other aspect that really is quite neat is the wildlife that is in and around the resort. Cotai, turins, bourrows, lizards, .... and so on, all up close and personal. But the highlight has been the interaction with the howler monkeys, which greet you outside your door most morning looking for bananas and apples. A seprate post will follow on this.
The resort has undergone, and is still in the process, a number of small but impactful changes. Since April they have : expanded the beach bar, added a small buffet at the beach with burgers, fries and the most delicious corn fritters; constructed a new sitting area with couches and tables on the beach; upgraded their internet speed. In process now is construction of a mini beach bar, coffee house in the Hacienda section and a larger and improved Elite Bar. The Sandos group is also expanding the locations to include Cabos San Lucas and Brazil in 2012 and Punta Cana in 2014. Can´t wait.
So, this has been my home away from home for two weeks now, one week on my own, and a week in the middle with Mary Lou and our close friends Larry and Karen . Didn´t think their would be much of interest to report while on a resort, but I was wrong and will follow up with some stories.
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