The city of Playa del Carmen on the Caribbean coast of Mexico has long been associated with guest countries only as a resort with beaches, bars and bustling Fifth Avenue with its restaurants and shops. However, behind this facade of recreation and entertainment, there is another, lesser-known side of the city — cultural. In recent years, several cultural spaces have emerged in Playa del Carmen that provide a glimpse of Mexico not through a cocktail on the beach, but through arts, crafts and visuals.
One of the most notable cultural sites is the Frida Kahlo Museum, located just a few steps from the sea. Despite the absence of original works from Frida Kahlo herself, the museum confidently holds the attention of visitors through a well-thought-out exhibition, where the emphasis is placed not so much on the paintings, but on the biography and inner world of the artist. Through photographs, installations and texts, the visitor is offered a live look at key moments in her life, from a tragic accident to her difficult relationship with Diego Rivera. Many people don’t include a visit to the Frida Kahlo House Museum, but it’s worth it if you want to feel the atmosphere of real Mexico.
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The 3D Museum of Wonders offers a completely different experience — a space where the classical understanding of the museum is virtually absent. There are no display cases or explanatory signs, in other words, dozens of optical illusions that turn the visitor into part of the exhibition. Paintings work only with the participation of a person: you need to stand at the right point, take a pose, make a photo, and then the two-dimensional image turns into a scene with depth and plot. This place has become especially popular among families with children and those who perceive the museum not as a quiet space, but as an interactive attraction.
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Go to the Gaston Charó Art Gallery (Galería de Arte Gastón Charó), located right on Fifth Avenue. The gallery bearing the name of the founder has long gone beyond the scope of a personal project and turned into a platform for dozens of artists working in different styles. Here you can see Charo’s characteristic mixture of cubism, surrealism and expressionism, and next to — sculptures, photographs and jewelry by other authors. At the same time, the gallery remains without payment, which makes it a rare example of affordable art in a tourist area where almost everything has a price.
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A more intimate format is offered by Mar y Tierra Gallery — a gallery and workshop where art is created literally in front of visitors. There are no large-scale exhibitions here, but there is a sense of craft and process. Stone products are designed and molded by hand, and the author often communicates personally with guests. Time from time, space turns into a training ground where master classes are held, allowing travelers not just to buy jewelry, but to understand how it is created.
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Tierra Huichol — occupies a special place on the cultural map of Playa del Carmen. gallery dedicated to the art of the Huichol people. This is no longer just aesthetics, but a living tradition, in which every work — the result of painstaking work and symbolic languages. Living figures, skulls, and plant forms are covered with thousands of tiny beads attached to wax. Behind the brightness and decorativeness lie complex mythological stories associated with the cosmology of the indigenous peoples of Mexico. For many travelers, it is this space that becomes an unexpected revelation, because it sharply contrasts with the usual «resort» picture of the city.
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Playa del Carmen is gradually ceasing to be an exclusively beach destination. With a growing number of guest countries annually numbering in the millions, the city is beginning to offer alternatives for recreation. And although these museums and galleries are not comparable in scale to the largest museums in the state, it is their compactness and accessibility that make them part of everyday resort life, and not just travel destinations.