Playa Palancar

This is a beautiful beach and really quiet! I did a day trip from Playa del Carmen, as the sargassum in Playa is quite bad. This beach is amazing and crystal clear. I arrived at noon on a Saturday and there were still lots of lounge chairs available. No big crowds or noise, it's very relaxing. Entrance is $360 and includes lounge chair, and showers/bathrooms. Taxis are readily available outside. My server was very friendly at first, I ordered a juice and nachos with guacamole, the nachos were not good, I'd recommend the ceviche based on other reviews, or have a big breakfast somewhere else and only do apps/drinks here. They do last call at 4pm, as they close at 5pm, at the end, I did not receive a printed bill, the server told me I owed $450. The price of the juice and nachos added up to $370. I overpaid at first and then did the math, and asked to see a menu again. He brought a calculator and was trying to give me the higher USD conversion for my total, even though I had pesos, which would not have been as high as $450. I patiently waited for him to correct the mistake. He apologized and gave me my money back, but I have a feeling this is the norm. Definitely double check your bill if you're not fluent in Spanish they may unfortunately try to take advantage of you. I would visit the beach again, it was very enjoyable despite that issue.

Playa Palancar Review – 9/10 Experience Visiting Playa Palancar was one of the highlights of our cruise stop. It’s about a 30 minute taxi ride from the cruise terminal. While the local taxi rate is $70, I managed to negotiate it down to $40 but other drivers offered $50, just be aware that the return trip is a fixed $70 with no wiggle room. Entry to the beach is $20 per person, which includes a lounge chair, umbrella, and WiFi. The beach itself is clean, cozy, and not overcrowded. The water was crystal clear, warm, and just absolutely perfect like something out of a postcard. We did a snorkeling excursion for $45 per person. It included three 20 minute stops, but honestly, there weren’t many fish to see. Still, the kids enjoyed the adventure. Our waiter, Antonio, was incredibly friendly and attentive. We ordered margaritas, which were fantastic, and a spread of nachos, beef tacos, shrimp quesadillas, and guacamole solid 9/10 across the board. Overall, Playa Palancar is a great choice for cruise passengers looking for a relaxing beach day. Clean water, good food, and great service made it a memorable experience. I’d rate the day an 9 out of 10 and would definitely return. Don’t hesitate just go!

DO NOT GO TO PLAYA PALANCAR UNLESS YOU ENJOY BEING SCAMMED Yes, the beach is beautiful. But trust me—so are the ones next door, and those don’t come with scams, extortion, and watered-down piña coladas. Playa Palancar is one of the biggest tourist traps I’ve experienced in Mexico, and here’s exactly how it works: 1. The Taxi Scam (the moment you arrive at the port) We asked a taxi how much to Playa Palancar. First quote: 400 pesos for a 20-minute ride. Too high. We pushed back, he asked if we had a reservation and if we prepaid (we hadn’t, just reserved). Suddenly it dropped to 200 pesos. Great, right? Wrong. On the way, the driver calls the beach club to announce he’s “bringing 3 people.” Already suspicious. Once there, instead of dropping us off, he ran to the reception like he was clocking in for a paycheck. When we tried to pay the agreed 200 pesos, he flipped out and said, “No, now it’s 300.” Turns out taxis get a commission per head for bringing tourists, and since we had our own reservation, he wanted to make up for “lost commission.” We reminded him we had agreed on 200. He refused. He went to the manager, who backed him up and even threatened that our return trip would cost 400+ pesos because “otherwise no taxi will take you.” This wasn’t negotiation anymore—it was extortion. We gave him the extra 100 pesos just to avoid trouble, and he literally ran off after taking it. 2. Entry Fee & Towels (aka the towel scam) Entry was 360 pesos per person (~20 USD) for a sunbed and umbrella. Fine. But towels? Another $5 each. We requested them at 10:30 AM from the manager who’s name i dont know. And then multiple times from our waiter Emilio. Who said they’d be ready in an hour multiple times at different hours. We asked four more times over the next six hours. Nothing. We even asked the ladies at the massage parlor who directed us back to Emilio who said they haven’t and will not receive the towels today. When we finally paid our bill at 4:30, we left a 10% tip instead of their pre-added 15% and explained it was because we never got our towels. Magically, the receptionist smiled and said, “Oh, the towels are here.” Six hours later, at closing time. That tells you everything. I might be wrong, but could it be because we didn’t play along with the taxi scam to our full pocket’s potential? 3. Food & Drinks Food was mediocre at best. Piña coladas were a joke—completely watered down. Ceviche was good. Quesadillas and guacamole lacked flavor. Fajitas were ok. Imagine paying resort prices for drinks that taste like juice mixed with ice water. 4. Early Closing Official hours say 5 PM. In reality, they kick you out of the water at 4:30 PM. So you’re paying full price for less time. If you want to go, I recommend to go earlier to maximize your time. 5. The Ride Back As predicted, the return taxi tried to charge 450 pesos—even more than the scam quote we got at the start. (The taxi and restaurant manager did warn us that they will inform their friends to charge us more to go back and they did not fail). At that point, we were too drained to fight. The Bottom Line This place is run on scams, not service. Taxi drivers, reception staff, even the manager—they’re all in on it together. Playa Palancar looks like a beach club, but it’s really just a carefully orchestrated trap to nickel-and-dime tourists at every turn. The only nice person was the lady at the bar, at least she smiled and was friendly. The rest, seemed like they spit on everything we order. The sand and water are gorgeous, but you can find that at the beach clubs right next door—without the scams, without the watered-down drinks, and without staff treating you like prey. Playa Palancar is not worth the headache. The one next door (right after it) seemed nicer, less busy and it’s hard to have worse service than Playa Palancar, so i would say the service is better too. Save your money. Save your sanity. Avoid Playa Palancar.

Friendly people, nice clean beach, good food, we had a great time and experience here 👍🏻 We rented a car and drove all around the island and unfortunately there were a lot of sargassum in the north so we decided to stop here and it was the best decision. Highly recommend their snorkeling tour, you’re super close to the reefs and it’s not overcrowded, had a great time and nice pictures after, thanks to photographer. Paid $20 each to enter with umbrella and chairs included, tour was around $40, food ~1000 peso (cocktails, guacamole, nachos) parking was free. Will definitely come back!

Beautiful Place. Perfect view. Food delicious. Fair prices. And our waiter Antonia was very Nice. Highly recommended. :)

I took off 1 star for food because I feel like they cater a bit much to us foreigners and our taste buds lol. BUT this may be my favorite beach/beach club on this side. It's further down so it wasn't crowded. Peaceful, tranquil, and the water is pristine. I went with mi madre and we did the all-inclusive package so the VIP treatment was on point. I will visit again.

Beautiful beach close to the cruise port . Clean and very attentive staff. It's about a 60 buck cab ride round trip from the port but we'll worth it.

This beach is amazingly beautiful, super safe and with crystal clear calm waters. For $20 USD per person you’ll get nice wooden beach chairs with umbrellas and access to showers bathroooms etc. You can walk about 75 feet and still be wait deep. The food at the restaurant is delicious and the prices are reasonable. Try the ceviche and the nachos…you’ll love it. The drinks are also tasty and will definitely give you that buzz you like. The margaritas were my favorites. They have a massage area which are reasonably priced. My wife got one and said it was better than on the cruise where we were on when visiting the island. I’m saving the best for last….when you go there, ask for Henry. He was my server and he was always always always available nearby and very friendly and courteous. We became friends! I highly recommend Playa Palancar!!!