When in a foreign country and in need of a few trinkets, jewelry and other touristy stuff that we'd…read moreprobably not really need, most of us hit the streets and search out those "souvenir shops"... well, we not us ! We may visit those oversized souvenir shops and look at all their goodies and "maybe, just maybe" we'd pick up something rather useless like a shot glass or a bandana with "F Trump" printed on it... but normally it's all just junk. Normally we want something to remember our trip and not crap... jewelry usually does the trick for my Marisol. Here in Playa Del Carmen, there is 5TH AVE... plenty of those shit stores but there are plenty of street vendors with silver and leather goods and deals can be made but it's work; lucky for me, I had Marisol and Michelle to handle the purchases on the last visit (Marisol for translation and Michelle to hammer the vendors). BUT sometimes you come across a vendor that is just easy to deal with... bringing my sales team (Marisol and Michelle) isn't even necessary. We first came across the adorable street booth (more like a side of the road kiosk along 5TH AVE)... constructed from reused wood and painted a light turquoise color, the distressed booth has a sign painted with the store name "HIPPIE MAR" is colorful, hippy-like font. And the shop is loaded up with wall art, headdresses, purses, other knick-knacks and a little bit of jewelry (but the jewelry wasn't out; we asked and she just happened to have some). We were on our way to dinner but really glad we decided to stop and take a quick peek because in addition to the tiny-booth/shop looking so cute, the girl that owned and ran the booth was extremely welcoming and didn't give us crazy up front prices that you were forced to negotiate from... she gave a price for some toe-rings, we countered but with reasonable numbers and we agreed at a fair price... Both parties parted pleased !

Amazing place and honest people Very friendly good costumer…read moreservice My sevenires were unique

While in Plaza Playacar looking for souvenirs for ourselves and our friends/family back in the…read moreStates, I was drawn to Artesanias "Solymar." In fact, I even had to go back to grab a couple items I saw that I couldn't come home without! ++ They have the BEST ceramics and pottery that I saw on my entire trip. It was beautiful and so incredibly detailed! ++ The staff was very friendly. I spoke with the owner about his merchandise and he was so kind! ++ There's ALL sorts of shirts, shot glasses, ceramics, sombreros, etc... You name it and they have it! ++ Prices are pretty reasonable for the quality of product you get. Plus, if you have cash, you can negotiate a bit. I would highly recommend checking out Artesanias "Solymar" for your souvenir needs. If I find myself back in the area, I will def be back!

What a treat to finally visit this terrific little shop, slightly off the beaten path in downtown…read morePlaya del Carmen. Alicia, the owner has amassed an incredible array of Talvera, in classic and modern designs. As a lover of folk art and pottery, I was in pure heaven!

This is a little local shop in Playa Del Carmen that has a great selection of Mexican crafts,…read moreceramics, textiles, etc. It's a small store, but has a lot to see. All the prices are listed on the items. It's away from the crowds, so it's a more relaxing shopping experience. Definitely stop in for authentic Mexican pieces.

Calle Quinta Avenida is the main corridor for tourist in Playa Del Carmen... a roadway with all…read morevehicular traffic now banned leaving it solely for pedestrian traffic and home to many touristy shops... tacos, tee-shirts, tequila and con-men seem are all present and with that come Souvenir Shops... Souvenir shops in this area are dime-a-dozen... they all seem to be fairly alike. Large retail space with brightly colored displays, high ceilings, yellow walls and skeleton mascots wearing sombreros selling all the typical... shot glasses, keychains, bandanas, salt/pepper shakers, maracas, small bottles of mezcal with a worm, woven bags, drink coasters and lets not forget the ever-popular wrestling masks But here at the Souvenir Store, it breaks the typical mold... not that it's any better but it is more unique. The store is small and appears to want to be more modern or clean (quite possibly designed by someone with OCD. The store basically sells all sorts of magnets and small knick-knacks that are in glass bins and shelves on the lower half of the walls and the top portions of the walls and ceiling are metal to display all the magnets. The store is certainly more organized but the organized displays isn't very inviting which seems to go against the grain if you want to attract tourist.

Do not give this shop your business! Beware. They do not honour the posted price of their products…read moreand then push an additional product on you at the cash suggesting that it is free and part of the promotion. I was double charged and forced to buy three bottles of vanilla when it really I only wanted one. The Post price was two for one and then they pushed the third one on me for free. But they actually did was charged me by to get the third one free. I even insisted I only wanted one bottle and could I please just buy one bottle and they told me no. So I was charged $54 Canadian for vanilla that I did not want.

Went shopping and trying to keep track of the kids, not to mention the counters above your height…read more Get back to the hotel and start trying to pack souvenirs and half the stuff we purchased was missing. No phone numbers to call.

It is a a place to explore at least once if you are in the area. There are many shops, bars and a…read morelot of action any time of day or night. You find many overpriced souvenirs and shops and there is something for everyone. I found it to be a safe place and there is added security present. You will still be approached often to enter a shop, restaurantsto buy a massage, to get a tequila shot or to buy something from a street vendor. I wasn't there for the shopping so I didn't entertain them and politely declined with a smile. My favorite attraction is the park of the end of the street by the waterfront.

A lot of cool shopping places. Since it's a tourist area, things are more expensive than they…read moreshould be. If you find something you like, go to other stores because you may find it cheaper. Try haggling too. It's a nice place to walk around and look at things

Second time in one week! I had another Cadillac margarita and they brought me a full lime to put in…read moreit, no problemo! I had spinach and cheese enchiladas, which were great, and my wife had. Yucatán chicken, which was moist and had no dead chicken taste. Nothing oily or funky. Fantastic fresh Mexican food again! I almost hate to write this as it might lead to a crowd, but this place is the BEST!

Wow! Such a nice, unique surprise on an island that has a bit of a "cruise ship" feel. Ola Bonita…read moreis so different and unique it kind of shocked me. It's an interesting combination of art gallery meets beachwear meets organic/eco-friendly shop. They have locally made, handcrafted beachwear and artwork. I really liked the handmade beach mats, and they have super unique airbrush hats that can be custom painted (great gifts for family). It's really hard to describe with a yelp review, but it will definitely leave an impression on you no matter what!

Every time we take a trip there is always that "one friend" that says "bring me back something" at…read morethe last minute.... every time. I'm not complaining about him/her but do find it amusing so I typically look a tchotchke shop and find some tacky gifts... On my last trip to Playa Del Carmen, I stumbled across Wayan thinking it was the perfect tacky crap store... it was the Fish Pedicure that caught my eye; I had no interest in having fish eat my feet but figured any store with these spa chairs with your feet dangling in an aquarium in perfect view of every person walking along 5th Ave had to have wacky stuff... Turns out I was wrong... yeah, the fish pedicure is wacky but the rest of the shop had a decent selection of Mexican style (and kinda touristy) stuff such as handbags, clothing and jewelry (plus lots of other junk but not tacky enough for me to buy gifts for that "one friend"... But I did manage to buy some bracelets and Marisol bought a beach bag (which came in quite useful a few times since. My only dilemma is I despise walking along some parts of 5th Avenue because of the extremely pushy sales people selling jewelry, cigars and drugs... they tend to be very aggressive and it makes a peaceful walk stressful; sadly enough, Wayan Natural Wear is located in one of the worst spots.

Cute little shop with the exact same prices as everyone else. It was fun. I got a couple of wraps…read morethat were unique (I think because you never know).