This is part-two of our Playa Del Carmen blog posts about Nighttime happenings. Check out our daytime version here if you haven’t yet.
Partying
If you’re looking for the night life, then you have to head on over to Calle 12 Norte. You’ll find bars/clubs open well into the wee hours of the night here (think 4am-6am). Walking from the inland, you’ll first see on the corner, the infamous, Coco Bongo, which puts on Vegas-like shows but comes with a hefty entrance fee.
We opted out for the clubs further down Calle 12 Norte closer to the beach after talking to a few locals. This area was poppin’. Clubs full, streets packed, people having fun, and no shortage of mezcal and tequila. There are four main clubs: Mandala, Santino Tun Tun, Abolengo Bartina, and La Vaquita.
No pictures were taken during our nights out, but here is a picture of Frida Kahlo’s painting. May your night be just as trippy.
What’s nice about these clubs was that there were areas that were open (not open bar unfortunately) so you could quickly step out and get some cool fresh air. We ended up checking out Santino and Mandala our trip here.
Santino was more laid back and had a small dance floor, so it’s better for starting your night (aka the surrounding establishments were so packed there was no cover here). Abolengo and La Vaquita have covers, but only around 200 pesos per person.
If you encounter a promoter for either of these clubs, it’s probably best to take their offer. Otherwise you’ll regret it, trust us. We had a promoter offer us an entrance fee of 100 pesos for both of us, but we thought she was trying to rip us off so we didn’t take it. We tried finding her again, but needless to say, we should have taken that deal.
These bars have slightly bigger dance floors than Santino, so if you’re not lit enough after leaving Santino, I suggest you hit up one of these two spots.
If it’s One of those nights…
On the other hand, if you are feeling littt then you should hit up Mandala. Actually, scratch that, you HAVE to hit up Mandala regardless. If you slacked off at the other bars, Mandala does have a solid drink menu. For a cover of around $30USD/ea, this is where you’ll dance your night away on it’s packed floors, rooftop, and multiple levels (also the dj and lights were on point).
Ok, we lied. ONE picture was taken at night. Meet our friend Sammy.
Once you’re tired of dancing, but aren’t quite ready to throw in the towel, there are more low-key, traditional bars a few blocks away were you can continue your night or head on over to [taco place] for some late night bites to reduce the severity of your morning hangover.
After one of our nights out, we stepped into Salon Salsanera. This was more or less like your classic dive bar but in Mexico. The live music had it’s throwback 90s pop/rock theme all in Spanish and was a more chill vibe for sure. We were definitely the only 2 tourists there.
“Traditional” Mexican Food at La Perla Pixan
A quick google search will tell you that La Perla Pixan is THE spot to go to for traditional Mayan food in Playa. We decided to be cultural and try some traditional shit. Fred ordered some pulque, some roasted duck dish, and chapulines (appetizer).
It's the...appetizer!!
Serge ordered a mezcal drink which was good, but nothing special. His food can only be described as a pizza quesadilla full of avocado, cheese, fried beans, and more cheese. It was somewhat overkill, and left much to be desired. Serge definitely didn’t make the best food choices, but it served as an excellent hangover brunch the next day..
Pulque is a traditional drink that’s defined as “a Mexican alcoholic drink made by fermenting sap from the maguey.” Some call it “the drink of the gods” or “a must-have complement to barbacoa” while a quick wikipedia search describes it as having “a sour yeast-like taste”.
While Fred can’t attest to the 1st two descriptions, he can say it is very unique…and is an acquired taste for sure.
Not sure on the alcohol content equivalent of the glass he drank, but sadly wasn’t a fan. Chapulines, or grasshoppers, were also a first for Fred. They were smaller than expected and the lights were pretty dim so they really weren’t that intimidating (coming from someone who hates bugs).
BUT they tasted like dirt. The dish itself came with some cheese, nopales, and some weird sauce (to be determined…).
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