Negril Jamaica Vs. Playa Del Carmen Destination Throwdown - Comparing & Contrasting - Pro's & Con's

I've been wanting to do this blog post for quite some time now and am finally getting around to it. I'm somewhat hesitant to post this particular posting following up my article titled "Jamaica Farewell: Why I Cancelled My Jamaican Vacation And Why I Won't Be Going Back Anytime Soon." That post was extremely controversial and I've even stated afterwards I felt as if I was a little strong with my words and sentiment, though I do feel all were valid points. I had many accusing me of hating Jamaica or being paid by other destinations, of course none of that is true but I have a feeling I'm going to get a lot of backlash after this post with people attempting to argue Mexico has more problems and issues and safety concerns as opposed to Jamaica.

7 Mile Beach Near CoCo La Palm - Negril Jamaica

This post isn't really to knock any particular destination, quite the opposite I love them both but I did feel it may be helpful to some travelers understanding these two destinations and the differences.

Traveling is a very personal thing. What I may enjoy about a particular destination someone else may not enjoy. Things I am looking to get out of my travels may not be in line with what someone else is looking for in their travels. For that reason I just want to point out this is my perspective and my personal opinion.

Why did I decide to write this post? Years ago I fell in love with Negril, Jamaica as a destination. In all my travels I have yet to find a place which had beaches as beautiful as Negril, and you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere in the world with a similar or comparable vibe as Jamaica has. After traveling to Jamaica a number of times I reached out to fellow travelers on travel boards and asked if I like Jamaica what other destinations may I enjoy? One destination which kept comming up was Playa Del Carmen.

Beach Bar On Side Of Road - Cozumel Mexico

It's interesting, in many ways Playa Del Carmen and Negril Jamaica could not be much more different, however at the same time I loved both of them and can understand why other travelers would as well. In addition to this though these two destinations couldn't be any more different I can see why someone would suggest one if you enjoyed the other if that makes any sense.

Because these two destinations are often traveled by the same travelers and because people who enjoy one seem to enjoy the other I thought I would put together a Travel Destination Throwdown comparing and contrasting these two destinations as well as listing the pros and cons. We are going to break this down by categories such as budget, flights, airport experience, beaches, food, lodging, and others. So let's dive in...

The Cliffs - Negril, Jamaica

Travel Destination Throwdown

Negril, Jamaica Vs. Playa Del Carmen Mexico

Flights

In this category we are basically comparing the affordability and availability of flights to these two destinations. Both destinations have affordable flights and both destinations have a pretty good availability of flights from most major cities. Even if you are not in a major city you can typically catch a connecting flight from Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta, Raleigh, and other cities. 

Granted the popularity and number of travelers to Cancun, Mexico beats out the number of travelers to Jamaica and for that reason there will be slightly better availibility of flights as well as pricing but overall both destinations have affordable flights and are fairly easy to get to. Mexico does win out slightly as there are more flights and flights can typically be found a bit cheaper but overall both are good.

Coconuts Bar - Cozumel Mexico

Airpor Experience / Customs & Immigration

Both destinations are tourist destinations and are laid out pretty well and are pretty simple for a tourist to navigate their way through customs and immigration and out of the airport. This should also be a minor concern for your trip, you're spending a very limited amount of time in the airport both arriving and leaving so this shouldn't be a choice that makes or breaks your trips or sways you towards or away from a destination, however I would say Cancun Airport has Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay Jamaica beat.

Cancun airport is more modern and nicer looking than Montego Bay airport. That however is a minor concern. My biggest point to give Cancun is that everything is more modern and laid out in a less confusing way. If you need a pen or pencil to fill out customs forms they have them for you in Cancun. In Jamaica on the other hand I've always had to borrow a pen from another traveler.

Just overall I feel like airport employees as well as customs and immigratin people at Cancun airport seem to have some understanding they are in the hospitality industry. Though they aren't hotel staff you can tell they have had some training in dealing with tourists, smilling at people, treating people in a friendly and polite manner, etc. This may seem trivial but many travelers to destination like Jamaica and Mexico are first time travelers or it may be someone's first time leaving the country. This may seem silly to a seasoned traveler but the whole customs and immigration process can be confusing and intimidating to some people. Having a warm and friendly staff willing to assist travelers just makes for a warmer reception in the country.

5th Ave - Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

I wouldn't by any means say in Jamaica airport that they are rude, however that said you just didn't quite have the smiling faces and friendliness you have in Cancun. I've even somewhat felt like at Jamaica's airport some of the employees are almost mean mugging you or at the very least aren't especially friendly.

Again, not a decision which should make you choose one destination over another but it is something worth pointing out and something I have noticed a difference in.

Ground Transportation

In this category we are going to be talking about ground transportation or the ease of getting from the airport to your resort. To someone leaving the country for the first time this can be intimidating and oftentimes fairly costly as well.

If you don't do your research ahead of time I can tell you both destinations will have you spending more money than you need to on ground transportation. Everyone is looking to make a buck off driving you to your resort and if you don't research and explore the cheapest options you'll wind up paying more than you need to.

In Jamaica if you are staying at a All Inclusive resort or if you booked through Apple Vacations or a similar company you will most likely have ground transportation included in your package and will be taking a large bus to your resort. If you didn't get ground transportation in your package you could pay upwards of $150 for a transfer from Montego Bay Airport to your resort. If you do some planning ahead of time and learn how to use the JUTA bus system you can get there for as cheap as $18 per person which isn't too bad.

Mayfield Falls - Jamaica

Mexico, though I'm more familiar with it than Jamaica, does have a pretty cheap and easy way to get to your resort if your staying in town, and if you do some research. If you're staying at an All Inclusive resort they tend to be isolated and away from town for the most part. For this reason a public bus probably is not a good option for you as even once you arrive in Playa for example you'll still most likely have to take a cab to your resort. You probably will save a few bucks doing this but honestly it's probably not worth it, just pay for a van.

If your staying in Tulum or in town in Playa however the ADO bus system is a fantastic way to get to your resort. Buses leave about every 10 or 15 minutes, it costs something like $7 or $8 per person, and the buses are hardly something out of a movie with chickens running around, the buses are air conditionied, have a movie playing, and very comfortable seats. The bus arrives downtown Playa Del Carmen right by the Ferry to Cozumel and is easy to take and unintimidating. 

I don't think this is a category which should make or break a decision either way, however I personally feel like depending upon where you are staying, there may be cheaper options in Mexico. There are affordable option in Jamaica but hiring a private transfer could easily run you $50 or $60 per person or $120 per way so considering just ground transportation could cost you $240, that's pretty steep. That said however doing some research you can get ground transportation in Jamaica for as little as $18 per person and in Mexico for as little as $7 per person. Mexico just slightly edges out Jamaica in this category but not by much.

7 Mile Beach Negril

Budget

Both Negril and Playa Del Carmen can be done on a budget. Both destinations offer simple rooms as well as hostels to budget travelers and both destinations can be done fairly inexpensively in terms of both lodging and food. 

Playa Del Carmen has a ton of cool hostels and unique Boutique Hotels. Jamaica also has a small offering of hostels and Boutique Hotels as well. 

This isn't a dig on Jamaica, but it is a reality. Many a first time Negril visitor has complained about lodging.It's just a fact of life that the accomodations as well as service in Negril specifically but also Jamaica as a whole may not be up to the standard of Mexico, Dominican Republic, or other islands.

Don't get me wrong there are plenty of safe, secure fun, nice, and clean accomodations in Negril but what you'll get for say $100 in Mexico or the DR is going to greatly outweigh what you get in Negril for a similar price. To me personally having a granit countertop in bathroom or a flat screen tv on the wall is pretty much inconsequential, however I do feel it must be pointed out that a 5 star in Jamaica is probably more like a 3.5 or 4 star in Negril. Negril does have some very nice luxury accomodations where you'll be pampered and have a private butler, however that said for your run of the mill accomodation you're probably going to get more for your money in Mexico.

Fruit Lady On The Beach - Negril

As far as budget for food. Again both destinations can be done cheap. Finding a cheap meal often means venturing off the beach or outside of the tourist areas. Oftentimes you'll find meals for half of what they would be on the beach. Negril can be done cheaply. Many if not most hotels offer a free continental breakfast and there's plenty of affordable food offerings on the beach from burgers and snacks like that to the fruit ladies who will walk the beach to the Patti man where you can pickup a tasty lunch for a buck.

I can't stress enough that both destinations can be done very cheaply when it comes to eating. I personally find playa a bit easier just because it's more an environment we are used to with streets and it's much bigger as opposed to Negril where it's not necessarily easy or safe to walk the road so you tend to walk the beach. Places don't stay open nearly as late, and there aren't as many choices, especially cheap choices. In Mexico though I wouldn't recommend it, one could eat Subway, pickup a snack at 711 or pickup a cheap slice of pizza for not much more than a buck. In Negril though there is the possibility of cheap dinners there's not as many options, they aren't always as easy to get to and they don't stay open as late.

As far as budget for watersports and day trips and other activities you may want to do.  I think in terms of budget this almost comes down to a tie. I would give Mexico a slight edge if a traveler is willing to take public transportation and do a bit of research before embarking on their day trip. Here's the reason I say this...

In Jamaica if you want to take a day trip you pretty much either have to go with a tour company or hire a private driver. I would say on average for a full day of driving your going to pay someone anywhere from $80 to $120 per person depending upon whether you hire a private driver or do a group tour.

In Mexico day trips through a planned company will run about the same say $80 to $100 for a trip to the Tulum ruins from Playa Del Carmen. That said because Mexico has more of a public transportation system setup, actually a pretty fantastic public transportation system via both the Collectivos and ADO Busses as well as taxis all at reasonable prices it's fairly cheap and easy to get around without a tour.

Negril Sunset

On my first trip to Mexico I actually put a $20 deposit down on a day trip to the Cozumel ruins and a Cenote that would have wound up costing $80 per person. When I got home back to the hotel at the end of the evening I stumbled upon a tip from someone on Trip Advisor who advised skip the organized tours and take the bus yourself as it only costed about $3 or $4, and admission into the ruins was only around $7. It didn't make much sense to pay $80 for what in reality I could do on my own for say $15 or so, going myself seemed like the better option. I was at first a little intimidated taking the bus in Mexico but was pleasantly surprised to discover the bus station is easy to navigate and buy a ticket. The bus is air conditioned, has comfortable seats and window curtains to keep the heat and light out and on top of that they play a movie. 

To me that is much preferable to having to be outside your hotel at 6:00AM to catch a megabus loaded with other passengers and be hearded around like cattle for the day at precise times. I'd much prefer to venture out on my own, maybe make a stop along the way. Checkout a local bar or restaurant, and in the case of Tulum maybe take a stroll downtown, visit a Cenote, and basically just do what you want at your own pace.

I like doing the same in Jamaica as well for anyone who selects Negril as their vacation destination. Though there are some larger group tours I much prefer hiring a private driver for the day. My particular driver generally having a Patti from his favorite Patti shop and a cold Red Stripe waiting for me when he arrived to pick me up in the morning. 

In Jamaica hiring a private driver allows you to stop along the way. I have a fantasic driver I use regularly and by driver I actually mean bartender I've befriended over my trips but he's my tour guideand my go to guy when I'm in town. I say this to point out in Negril it seems almost anyone is a tour guide or moonlights as one to supplement their income it seems.

My driver would often stop along the roadside to show me a particularly interesting fruit tree or roadside attraction or anything interesting for that matter. You can move along the day at your own pace, do other nearby activities in addition or instead of things an organized tour may have scheduled.

I digress though. From a budget perspective if you do some research it's very easily to travel up and down the Yucatan coast and even to Belize and other places if you're a bit adventurious and do a bit of research so in some ways one can do Mexico cheaper. That said I have to give a tip of the hat to Jamaica for winning in the coolness and uniqueness of the day trip type activities. Places like Mayfield Falls, Blue Hole, and Port Antonio just can't be matched by Mexico in my opinion. This however will be covered in a future section.

As for budget both destinations can be done in a frugal manner, however I would say Mexico has a slight advantage strictly from a budget perspective in both hotel quality, food, and day trips.

Beaches

NEGRIL WINS!!! I know some people are going to say thus far I've unfairly labled Mexico the winner in the above categories. Keep in mind much of this comes down to personal preference. Not everyone is going to enjoy the same things as me, have the same needs as me, is going to want the same thing or have the same budget so this isn't a be all and end all. This is my take and my perspective on these destinations. Maybe you'll agree and maybe you won't. 

Getting back to beaches though. Negril wins hands down, end of story. In all my travels I have yet to find a beach which can even hold a candle to Negril's 7 Mile Beach. Not only just the beauty, the perfect temperature of the water, the clarity of the water or the softness of the sand. The entire vibe on the beach is just amazing. The vendors are fun, there's tons of great little beach bar shacks and places to eat for every taste. I also love how they don't allow buildings to be built over the top of the palm trees which keeps Negril from looking like some tourist skyline. 

Mexico has some nice beaches on both the Pacific and Caribbean side. The beachs in town in Playa Del Carmen aren't the greatest. If you get a few miles down the beach or even better down to Tulum or Alkamel there are some nice beaches. Still however the Yucatan in my opinion doesn't compare to Jamaica. Some may disagree with me, if you do I'd love to hear from you and maybe you can turn me onto a new beach I havn't yet visited so please leave a comment below. 

One other thing I feel I have to mention where Negril takes the cake is in addition to the beaches Negril has the cliffs. Only a few minutes down the road but a much different experience and much different vibe than on the beach. The cliffs offer a different experience to enjoy the water. Most of the hotels on the cliffs have some nice sun tanning platforms, huts, waterslides and jumping or diving platforms and you can jump right into the crystal clear caribbean sea.

Some of the hotels in Negril on the beach even have a sister resort on the cliffs so you can split your time and experience both. This is one of the great things about Negril that you have something like the cliffs, a totally different experience and a very cool thing to check out just a few minutes down the road. As cool as a day trip but only a taxi drive down the road and it doesn't tie up your whole day of laying on the beach.

Beaches and cliffs and entire swimming and enjoying the water category goes to Negril hands down, it's not even a contest here.

Day Trips / Excursions

This one is a tough one. I'll say right from the start Mexico wins as far as ease of getting up and down the coast and to many excursions by yourself taking public transportation, either the ADO Bus or  Collectivos which are like community vans which run up and down the highway all day.

 

My first time to Playa I actually booked a group tour for $80 per person and put a $20 deposit down. That evening I read online I could take the bus to the ruins for $3 and get in for about $7 so wound up cancelling the excursion and doing it myself and used the Collectivos and ADO busses to go all over Mexico and even over to Belize. The busses are air conditioned, easy to figure out, easy to buy tickets, have bathrooms, movie playing, comfortable seats. Heck you can take the bus all the way to Belize if you like.

Mexico has some great excursions and I like that you can do them yourself and don't have to book a formal excursion or hire a driver.

That said for excursions I have to give it to Jamaica as far as having the coolest excursions. Mayfield Falls, Dunns River Falls, Blue Hole, MIneral Springs, etc.

This is a tie going to both destinations for different reasons. Mexico ease and affordability of getting around by yourself and Jamaica for having the better excursions. Downside to Jamaica is for most you have to either hire a driver for $80 to $120 a day or go on a formal excursion.

Food

I'm going to give my opinion here but realize I think for food it's going to come down to personal preference. Some people are going to prefer Jamaican cuisine and the fresh seafood and others are going to prefer Mexico and Mexican food.

One great thing about Playa is there's literally culinary treats from around the globe. Many people don't know what a huge Italian population Playa has. Because of that there's tons of great Italian restaurants and Pizza places. I'm Italian. I've been to Italy, live in Chicago and I would say I've eaten the best Italian food in my life down in Playa... Sorry Nona.

Playa also has some great authentic Mexican and Mayan cuisine once you get off fifth avenue and some wonderful street food as well. I even saw a big restaurant featuring Israeli cuisine while in Playa and they do have some wonderful seafood as well. My favorite places for Seafood are probably La Pesca or Tarrya down by the beach. Great ceviche and wonderful fish tacos.

Rasta Pasta - Marleys Restaurant @ CCLP - Negril Jamaica

For food I personally give it to Playa simply because the HUGE number of choices of different foods and cuisines. It's also easy to eat at any budget point in Playa. I find Negril can be cheap for lunch and snacks and fruit but dinners get expensive in my opinion.

As far as fruit, I love fruit. Jamaica wins hands down. Never have I eaten such juicy and flavorful Mangos as in Jamaica. They also have wonderful Pineapple's and everything else for that matter. Alot of interesting stuff I've never tried back home either like Quinapas and Jamaican Apples which are kind of a cross between a Pear and an Apple.

One last thing to mention about food. In Jamaica it's safe to drink the water. May not seem like a huge deal but honeslty it is. In Playa and Mexico as a whole it can be a pain remembering not to drink water, eat lettuce, brush your teeth with tap water, etc. In Jamaica you don't have to worry about any of that, so that's one plus for Jamaica.

Safety & Security

Negril and Jamaica as a whole has for years had an unfair reputation and stereotype of being a place you would go but should stay on resort. I've been traveling to Jamaica for over a decade and never felt scared to leave my resort. I've travelled into town, into the hills and mountains, up and down the beaches, etc. I've gotten myself into a few sketchy situations but have never really felt that unsafe. I'll admit Jamaica is a little outside of my comfort zone but rarely have I felt "in danger".

Sadly much of that has changed. In the past few years the overall "vibe" in Negril has been changing. It's not as safe and just does't have that carefree feel I like to have on vacation. In the past year or two things have been steadily declining. Just read on Facebook or TripAdvisor or even blogs and you'll see many people talking about getting their hotel rooms broken into at night, in some cases at knife point or with a machete pointed at them...yikes.

Jamaica has always been a place you want to keep your wits about you but honestly you should feel safe on your hotel property and especially in your room and it's very troubling to me the number of stories of people getting robbed on the beach or even worse on the hotels property or in their room. Police don't do much and depending upon the hotel you stay at some handle situations like this better than others.

I'm sure many people will point out that Mexico can be dangerous as well and that's true. That said I personally feel much more safe and secure in Playa than I do in Negril. For one there's more people around. I think part of it is just due to things being more organized and more modern from the police force to hotels to the streets and businesses.

Honestly you can find a negative story about any destination I'm sure but there's quite a few in Negril we've been hearing about. There was an incident in Playa about a year ago where an American was killed by police, however he was high on cocaine, getting in fights and was apparently evading arrest so it's not just like some innocent tourist being picked on or robbed by police.

Honestly, this section is probably going to come down to people's own comfort level and preference, however personally speaking I feel much safer in Playa than Negril. If you'd like to read a recent writeup we did on Negril as well as a follow-up article which tells another recent story of a couple being robbed on property in their hotel room read the two links below.

http://rulesforrebels.blogspot.com/2015/03/jamaica-farewell-why-i-cancelled-my.html

http://rulesforrebels.blogspot.com/2015/03/update-on-jamaican-farewell-why-i.html

Overall Winner

Quite honestly I'm really torn here. This is going to come down to personal preference, some people who love one will hate the other. Personally I love them both. Mexico gets the edge in affordability, safety and security, and getting around. Jamaica in my opinion gets the edge in having the most beautiful beaches and overall the most beautiful country. Personally I'm more comfortable going out and about and around in Playa.

One thing I can say is though these two destinations are polar opposites you will find a lot of people who travel to both. I actually discovered Playa when asking on TripAdvisor, if I like Negril where else would I like? Someone suggested Playa and though these two places are night and day, I can see why someone who would recommend one would recommend the other if that makes sense. 

What's your thoughts? We'd love to hear from you. Leave your comments below...