Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Although Playa del Carmen lacks a major archaeological site like Tulum or Ichkabal, local tourism officials are exploring the creation of a new walking route that would connect smaller archaeological remains within the city.
The proposed route would include sites in the residential complex Playacar, the CALICA area, and Xcalacoco, according to Irving Mayett Muciño, director of Operations and Tourism Training for the municipal government.
Mayett said the sites are protected by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and were previously part of a “Historical Route.” The city is now studying the feasibility of offering guided pedestrian tours.
At the Playacar site, INAH has an agreement with the residential complex’s administration for its upkeep. A similar arrangement exists for the CALICA site, but the legal status of that area remains unclear following the creation of the Felipe Carrillo Puerto Protected Natural Area.
The Xcalacoco site lies within the Grand Coral residential and tourism complex, specifically inside the Sandos Caracol hotel. A legal dispute is ongoing between the hotel, which claims the land as its territory, and INAH, which asserts that archaeological sites are national property.
Mayett acknowledged that the project is still in the diagnostic phase. For now, the Municipal Tourism Secretariat’s priority is increasing visitor numbers and generating economic revenue.
