Playa del Carmen Webcam – Royal Haciendas Pools and Beach

The Playa del Carmen Webcam looks out from The Royal Haciendas, a resort on a sheltered bay a short drive north of downtown Playa del Carmen on Mexico’s Riviera Maya. From high on one of the resort buildings, the main camera faces east across shaded lawns and curving garden paths to a free-form pool wrapped around a round red pavilion, with a long lap pool and red umbrellas off to the right. Two ochre hacienda wings frame the middle of the view, and between them palm trees, a thatched beach hut and the Caribbean run out to the horizon. A second tab carries the resort’s Phase 2 camera, which watches the beach itself. Both streams run day and night, and after dark the floodlit paths and glowing blue pools keep the gardens easy to read.

About Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen grew from a small fishing town on the site of Xaman-Ha, a Maya settlement, and its tourism began with the passenger ferry to Cozumel, the island that lies 19 kilometers (12 miles) off the coast across the channel. The 2020 census counted 304,942 residents, which makes it the second-largest city in Quintana Roo. Cancun is about 68 kilometers (42 miles) to the north. Downtown life revolves around Quinta Avenida, the pedestrian Fifth Avenue lined with shops, clubs and restaurants.

The Royal Haciendas sits in the CoraSol golf community, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) north-east of Parque Fundadores in the town center and a little over 1 kilometer (0.7 miles) from the public beach at Punta Esmeralda. Royal Resorts says the architecture and gardens were inspired by the grand old haciendas of the Yucatan, and the camera bears that out: arcaded balconies, scalloped parapets and walls in ochre and terracotta.

The resort has 252 suites and six pools, and at least two of those pools sit in this frame, beside a red-roofed terrace with tables. A tall white modern tower rises at the right edge of the picture, a sharp contrast to the low hacienda wings.

Weather and Climate in Playa del Carmen

It stays warm here all year. January averages highs of 27.8 C (82 F) and lows of 17.9 C (64 F). By April highs reach 30.8 C (87 F) with lows of 21.3 C (70 F). July is hotter still, at 32.5 C (90.5 F) by day and 23.5 C (74 F) at night.

Rain peaks in autumn. October brings about 284 millimeters (11.2 inches), the most of any month, out of 1,331 millimeters (52.4 inches) a year, while highs hold at 30.8 C (87 F) and lows at 21.7 C (71 F). The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and Hurricane Wilma passed directly over Playa del Carmen in October 2005. From spring into early autumn, sargassum seaweed can also wash up along this shore. The camera looks toward the sunrise, so in the morning the light comes from in front of the lens, and the gardens tend to look sharpest in the afternoon, once the sun has moved round behind it.

Things to Do Near Playa del Carmen

Punta Esmeralda, the nearest public beach, is a little over 1 kilometer (0.7 miles) south-west of the resort. Downtown, Parque Fundadores and the pedestrian Quinta Avenida are about 5 kilometers (3 miles) to the south-west, with shops, clubs and restaurants along the avenue. Passenger ferries still cross from downtown to San Miguel de Cozumel, and the reefs off the island are protected as Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park.

South of town, Xcaret Park is about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from the resort as the crow flies. Royal Resorts also points guests toward Rio Secreto, Xel-Ha Park, Akumal and Tulum. Akumal was founded in 1958 as a community for scuba divers, and Tulum, the ancient Maya city, lies on the coast farther south.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

These cameras cover more of the same stretch of the Mexican Caribbean.

• Quinta Avenida Webcam
• Cozumel Webcam
• Akumal Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is The Royal Haciendas in Playa del Carmen?

The resort is in the CoraSol golf community on the Caribbean coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Royal Resorts puts it 10 minutes north of Playa del Carmen and 30 minutes south of Cancun International Airport. Downtown Playa del Carmen is about 5 kilometers (3 miles) to the south-west, and the town itself lies about 68 kilometers (42 miles) south of Cancun.

What can you see on the Playa del Carmen Webcam?

The main camera looks east over the resort’s inner gardens, past a free-form pool around a round red pavilion and a lap pool with red umbrellas, to a strip of beach and the Caribbean framed by two hacienda wings.

What is the difference between the Royal Haciendas Phase 1 and Phase 2 webcams?

They watch different parts of the same resort. Phase 1, the main player, looks across the gardens and pools toward the sea. Phase 2, in the second tab, looks along the resort’s beach, with rows of thatched palapa umbrellas and loungers on the sand, the sea on the left, and a pool and the hacienda buildings on the right. Pick Phase 2 to see the sand and the waterline up close.

Does the Playa del Carmen Webcam show Fifth Avenue or downtown?

No. Both cameras are at The Royal Haciendas, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) north-east of Parque Fundadores, so neither shows Quinta Avenida, the downtown beaches or the ferry pier. The Quinta Avenida Webcam listed above covers the pedestrian street itself.

What is the weather like in Playa del Carmen?

Warm all year. Average highs are 27.8 C (82 F) in January and 32.5 C (90.5 F) in July, with lows of 17.9 C (64 F) and 23.5 C (74 F) in the same months. About 1,331 millimeters (52.4 inches) of rain falls in a year.

What is Playa del Carmen weather like in October?

Hot and wet. October averages highs of 30.8 C (87 F) and lows of 21.7 C (71 F), and it is the wettest month, with about 284 millimeters (11.2 inches) of rain. It also falls inside the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.

Is there sargassum on the beach in Playa del Carmen?

It depends on the season. Sargassum usually reaches this coast between spring and early autumn and tends to be heaviest in summer, but the amount changes a lot from year to year and week to week. In daylight, the Phase 2 tab is the one to check, because it looks along the resort’s sand and shallows, where brown mats of seaweed stand out. The main view sits too far back from the water to judge it.

Can you watch The Royal Haciendas webcam at night?

Yes. Both cameras stream around the clock. After dark the garden paths, palms and buildings are floodlit and the pools glow blue, while the sea beyond them turns black. The beach and the sea come back into view at sunrise.

Source: Royal Resorts