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Time: GMT/UTC -6 (Central Standard Time).
Dress code: Casual dress are recommended in Playa del Carmen.
However, it's best to dress conservatively and women should cover up their legs
when outside the beach areas. Some high-end restaurants may require proper
dress and jacket while prohibiting sandals and shorts. It's also wise to
carry a ligh sweater during the winter months as it can get nippy in the
evening.
When to go: Basically any time is a good time to visit Playa del
Carmen, unless you want to tramp with a thinner tourist crowd, you may want to
avoid the soggy rainy season which starts from May through November.
Language: Spanish is the official language and Mayan is the local
language, but English, French, Italian and German are also spoken in tourist
centers.
Measurements: Speed limits are indicated in kilometers whereas dive
operators generally use both feet/psi and meters/bars when communicating dive
data.
Electricity: Domestic electric current is 110 volts, the same as in
all of Mexico.
Business hours: Most businesses and shops are open
from 10 A.M. to 10 P.M., closed between 2 and 4 P.M.
Currency:
New Mexican Pesos (MXN), sometimes written $.
Notes issued: $20, $50, $100, $200, $500.
Coins issued: 10 cents, 50 cents, $1, $2, $5, $10, $20.
Taxes & service charges: There is a 10% value-added tax imposed on
all goods and services within the State, including rental cars and hotel rooms.
Tips: Depending on the quality of the service, the customary tip of
around 10-20% is appreciable.
Hospital: Embassies should be able to provide a list of
English-speaking doctors if necessary, and American Express cardholders can make
use of their Global Assist medical referral service.
Phones: Local, domestic and long-distance and international phone
calls can be made from any public phone with a phonecard. Otherwise, a
number of shops have public phones (for international services look for the blue
"Larga Distancia" signs). You can dial direct from most big
hotels, but the charge will be much higher.
Useful numbers:
International country code: 52
Playa del Carmen: 984
Emergency (fire, police, ambulance): 06
International operator: 090
Lost persons information: 658-1111
Secretary of Tourism (multilingual): 5 240-0123-51
Dialing tips:
National calls: 01 - area code - number
International calls: 00 - country code - number
Dialing Mexico from abroad: +52 - area code - number
Internet access: Internet service is offered at all large hotels with
different rates. In Playa del Carmen the internet cafes can be found
primarily along 5th and 10th Avenue.
Public holidays:
New Year's Day - 1 January
Constitution Day - 5 February
Day of the Flag - 24 February
Anniversary of Benito Juarez's birthday - 21 March
Good Friday - March/April
Easter Sunday, Labor Day - 1 May
1862 Victory Celebration - 5 May
Dia de la Independencia - 16 September
Dia de la Raza - 12 October
Dia de la Revolucion - 20 November
Dia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe - 12 December
Dia de Navidad - 25 December
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