Banks: 09.00 to 16.00 Monday to Saturday
Post Offices: 09.00 to 16.00, Monday to Friday
Government Offices: 09.00 to 12.00 and 14.00 to 18.00, Monday to Friday
Business Centres: 09.00 to 12.00 and 14.00 to 18.00, Monday to Friday
Shops: 09.00 to 18.00, Monday to Saturday

The crime rate throughout Mexico is fairly high, although the tourist resort of Playa del Carmen sees much less in the way of violent crime as is seen in other cities. It is important to always keep hold of your belongings, be very careful when getting money out of the ATM and never flash cash or expensive jewellery around in public.

If you are female, try to avoid going out by yourself late at night and never stray from the busy areas. Be alert for pickpockets and never leave valuables in a car when you are not in it. A common scam is for shop owners or market traders to charge in dollars not pesos so always make sure you are clear on the currency.

110 volts, 60 Hz. Two pronged, flat pin plugs, although some of the newer hotels have three-holed outlets as used in the UK.

If you are unfortunate enough to have a medical emergency while you are visiting Playa del Carmen, you will be comforted to know that the hospitals are very good, clean and have fully trained staff. Health insurance is very important as you may not get treated without it. If you have a minor health concern, the city’s pharmacies are on hand to offer advice and administer the necessary treatment. You will need to be vaccinated against typhoid, and hepatitis A and B before you travel.

Emergency services: 066

The national language of Mexico is Spanish, but there are a vast number of indigenous languages also spoken.

The currency used in Mexico is the peso, with 100 centavos being equal to one peso.

All visitors travelling to Mexico are allowed to bring in two cartons of cigarettes or 50 cigars; two single litre bottles of wine or spirits; perfume and electronic goods which are for personal use only and nothing which is to be resold. Drugs dealers are not tolerated in Mexico with jail sentences long and very unpleasant for anyone caught in possession of any drug. Pornographic material and firearms are also forbidden.

Mexicans have a very slow pace of life, which can take a while to get used to, but is much less stressful when you embrace it. A lot of patience is required even for holidaymakers as aggressive, intolerant behaviour is frowned upon. When greeting people for the first time, it is always important to introduce yourself as a smile on its own can often be taken as arrogance or fake superiority.

Mexico is a very traditional country with social and cultural hierarchies very important to everyday life. Older people are always shown respect and generally men demand a lot more respect from women than can be seen in many European countries and the US.

A passport is vital for anyone entering Mexico. It needs to be valid for at least six months after entrance to the country. A tourist card is required from most travellers from around the world, with the exception of the US. These cards can be obtained from your nearest Mexican embassy although they are also handed out on arrival at the international airport and at border crossings.

Visitors will find Playa del Carmen’s tourist information office on Avenida Tulum 26, Ciudad Cancun. 
Phone: +52 9 884 8073