Playa Mahekal
Overview
Playa Mahekal is the stretch of Playa del Carmen shoreline at the end of Calle 38, north of the town centre and well north of the ferry pier. It takes its everyday name from Mahekal Beach Resort, which stands on the beach at the foot of Calle 38, a short walk from Fifth Avenue.
It is a little quieter than the central beaches around Mamitas, and it is within walking distance of Quinta Avenida, so it is not remote. Cozumel is visible across the water on a clear day.
The beach is well served by beach clubs and restaurants, and the stretch just north of it can be noisier than Mamitas: Encanto Beach Club stands at Calle 40, Martina Beach Club at Calle 44 and Mandarino Beach Club a little further north at Avenida CTM.
The beach lies at the end of Calle 38, one of the best-known streets in Playa del Carmen. It is a short street lined with large trees that shade its open-air restaurants, cafés and bars, and it is noticeably more relaxed than Fifth Avenue.
Our current condition score for this beach is .
Photo summary of last month
Each photograph is published unedited and in date order, and is replaced as newer submissions arrive, so what appears here is the most recent view of the beach rather than a promotional photograph.
In our photographs this stretch often shows less sargassum than the beaches immediately south of the ferry pier, for the reason set out below.
When reading these photographs, look at the waterline, which is where sargassum shows first. The sand in front of the hotels is cleared, so it can look tidy while there is still sargassum in the water.
Position relative to the Atlantic sargassum belt
Sargassum reaching this coast is carried west across the tropical Atlantic, into the Caribbean, and then north-west along the Quintana Roo shore by the Yucatán Current. Playa del Carmen faces east into that flow, and the sargassum it carries reaches the town's beaches directly.
What separates one part of the town from another is the ferry pier. Sargassum moving north along the coast can collect against its southern side, the Playacar side, so some of it has already been stopped before it reaches the beaches north of the pier, including this one.
This does not protect the beach. In a heavy arrival the whole of Playa del Carmen is affected, and the difference between the north of the town and Playacar becomes one of degree. In September and October 2026, our photographs often showed more sargassum from Fundadores to Constituyentes than from Mamitas to Calle 38.
The sargassum season
For Playa del Carmen, the practical consequence is that the choice of which part of town to stay in matters most during those months.
The wider picture for this coast, including how the belt has grown over the past decade, is set out in our Riviera Maya sargassum season guide.
Swimming conditions and safety
On a normal day this is an easy swim, with a sandy bottom and modest surf.
The main hazard is boat traffic. Ferries to Cozumel and tour boats use this water, so stay inside the marked swimming areas.
On sargassum: fresh weed in the water is harmless, if unpleasant to swim through. The sulphurous smell some visitors associate with it comes from material that has decomposed on hot sand for a day or more and is releasing hydrogen sulphide, so a strong smell indicates old weed rather than a fresh arrival.
Choosing a hotel near Calle 38
This part of town suits visitors who want the town within reach but not immediately outside the door. Mahekal Beach Resort is the main hotel directly on this beach.
The question worth asking before booking anywhere in Playa del Carmen is which side of the ferry pier the property is on, since that is the largest single difference in sargassum conditions within the town.
Visitors comparing this stretch with Playacar should check both on the live map on the same morning rather than treating Playa del Carmen as one condition.
Access and getting there
Calle 38 is a short walk north along Quinta Avenida from the town centre, so most visitors reach this beach on foot. Colectivos, the shared vans running Highway 307 between Cancún and Tulum, stop throughout Playa del Carmen, and the ADO Terminal Turística on Fifth Avenue, near the ferry pier, receives the buses from Cancún airport.
Parking near the beach is limited, and most visitors reach it on foot.
Check live conditions before you go
Playa del Carmen is not one beach, and the north end frequently differs from Playacar on the same morning. On the live map we track this stretch with dated photographs and a current condition score, so you can compare Mahekal against Constituyentes, Mamitas and the Playacar beaches before deciding where to spend the day.
See live conditions, photos & cams →