Playa del Carmen’s Coloreate 5K Road Race – A Colorful Way to Have Fun and Stay Healthy

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Thomas Lloyd

Living in Playa del Carmen is becoming more and more fun every day! Aside from the fact that you get to wake up to gorgeous weather and scenery every day there are always so many options of things to do! When you are living in Playa del Carmen there is almost no reason to stay indoors and watch TV!

This past Sunday was an event in Playa del Carmen like I have never seen before. The Coloreate 5k Race was not just an everyday road race but a party full of fun and lots and lots of color!

I would like to highlight something incredibly special about this Playa del Carmen running event. This occasion was not just for runners, it was an event that brought the entire community together to interact with each other! It didn’t matter the age or athletic abilities, everyone could join in!

If you don’t like to run, its ok, perhaps you walked or you were there to be a cheerleader for a friend. But in the end of the race everyone came together to the Municipal Palace in Playa for a huge party with music, and dancing, and COLOR!!!

Race contestants were greeted by some very energetic and crowd pleasing hosts from Pirata Radio, in Playa del Carmen, who started everyone off with a great pre-race party including upbeat music, and even a warm up routine.

Then it was time to go! The route starting from the Municipal Plaza down 20^th Avenue, down Constituyentes, through to 10^th and then looped around to CTM to 5^th Ave and then up 8^th Street to finish back at the Plaza.

Throughout the entire route, volunteers were throwing handfuls and buckets of non-toxic, sweet flavored powdered color which in the end left each runner with a massive tie dye effect.

Once crossing the finish line everyone was greeted by a spirited party, and given packets of the same color powder, which would be used later to throw in to the air creating a massive storm of color in the Municipal Plaza!

But before that our fantastic hosts from Pirata Radio got the whole crowd excited with music, dance contests and even a show given by an amazing 11 year old girl who put on an exceptional performance showing us the brilliant art of belly dance.

At the end, the crowd got pumped with upbeat music, and all at once everyone threw packets of powdered color creating a sweeping color cloud all through the Municipal Plaza! It was invigorating, exciting and something that I’ve never seen before. What an imaginative and cultivate way to bring a community together!

This idea of a radiant storm of color started off a as a tradition in India and has been picked up all over the world, and it’s no wonder why!

If you missed this fun colorful event you are in luck! The race will be repeated on March 3^rd at 3 pm in Cozumel, to coincide with the famous Cozumel Carnival!

To learn more about what’s going on around town stay up to date on our Let’s retire in Mexico blog and don’t forget to follow Mexico real estate on facebook!

There are so many great reasons to love living in Playa del Carmen! What’s your favorite?

-By Bea Lozano

1st Annual Peek-rroton Dog Run in Playa del Carmen – Fun for everyone, especially our Furry Friends!

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Thomas Lloyd

Running in Playa del Carmen is fun for everyone! Of course, even for our furry friends! On Sunday February 9 Playa del Carmen residents came out to enjoy a fun and fairly non competitive road race with their friends, family and their dogs.

Playa del Carmen’s 1^st annual Peek-rroton was a huge success and a quite enjoyable one. Some of our team members were at the race with their own dogs along with our favorite Top Dog “Topper”.

There were dogs of all kinds! From large Great Danes to mini Chihuahuas; some even dressed up for the occasion!

The race was a 3 kilometer race. Some walked with their dogs while others ran! But no matter how you got to the finish line or at what speed; one things is for sure, that everyone was having a great time!

A free and fun race for everyone!

Registration for the event was absolutely free, which was a big benefit for the entire community of Playa del Carmen. Normal road races would range anywhere from 200 to 300 pesos for registration.

This unique running event in Playa del Carmen was an awesome event for adults, children, retirees, and of course the dogs!

Bringing the Community of Playa del Carmen together!

The first ever race was held at CTM with 10^th avenue which is essentially becoming the “new Playa”. It made me happy to see the diverse community of Playa residents come together to take part in this Sunday morning event.

Next Peek-rrton in Playa del Carmen!

We are excited to hear that there will be another Peek-rroton coming soon which will take route through some of the beautiful jungle area of Playa. I hope that this race, as well as other events like this one, will spread throughout the different neighborhoods in town highlighting that Playa del Carmen is not just about the beach and 5^th avenue! It is a safe and lively town all the way through!

Playa del Carmen is a Pet Friendly Town!

It’s not doubt that Playa del Carmen is dog friendly and continues to show their love for animals. Animal rescue is a huge initiative in Playa del Carmen. If you are thinking about adopting a dog find out how you can rescue and save a life at Playa Animal Rescue (PAR).

If you liked this, you’ll love this: Join us next week at the Playa del Carmen Colorate 5K road race where all participants will be splashed bright with color as they run towards the finish line! If you don’t like to run, come cheer on your friends! See more about running in Playa del Carmen!

Playa del Carmen – A Runner’s Paradise!

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Thomas Lloyd

Playa del Carmen is filled with beach lovers, shoppers, foodies, coffee drinkers and cocktail lovers but here you will also notice that Playa del Carmen is a runners paradise.

Almost everywhere you go, at any time of the day, you will see someone pushing their body to the test as they take the streets and the beaches in Playa del Carmen as their own personal physical fitness zone! A friend of mine tells her feelings about taking her feet to the streets in Playa del Carmen!

“Why I love running in Playa del Carmen!”

The atmosphere! Playa del Carmen is upbeat and lively! My favorite thing to do while I run is to people watch. It helps me get through quite a few miles without even thinking about it! When you run in Playa there are so many things to see and notice. And while most of the time I run a normal route, its different every time!

Flat Streets! While some may appreciate the challenge every so often, typically daily running is easier on flat land. The 5^th Avenue along with the other streets in Playa del Carmen are generally an easy run!

The Beautiful Beach! Running on the beach is breathtaking and can certainly give you a little addition to that runners high! I feel a sense of appreciation and happiness when I run on the beach, remembering that I live in a beautiful paradise.

Staying updated! I may not get the chance to get out to the beach or the 5^th Avenue every day for leisure, but if I run in those areas I can stay updated every day about new changes. Recently the 5^th Avenue has been transforming with new additions and closures. By running I have been able to quickly see what’s going on in the main areas of our beautiful town daily!

When is the best time of day to run in Playa del Carmen?

I enjoy running at all different times of the day! The mornings are very quiet and is a free range for runners on the 5^th Avenue and on the beach. Enjoy the peace of Playa del Carmen before the town comes alive. If you are a beach runner you can enjoy a certain calmness in the air, and in the ocean, that is only found early in the day!

Mid-day running in Playa del Carmen can be a little bit hot but it’s a good time to take a shorter run and get a little extra vitamin D! You may find yourself running more of an obstacle course weaving through the people.

If the main streets are too busy it can be a great chance to explore new neighborhoods and routes in Playa. Playacar is an incredible area for runners looking for a nice environment and pretty scenery!

Evening running in Playa is very comfortable and a nice time to see Playa in a different light. There are many well lit areas to do your nightly routine safely.

Running is a FREE activity for all ages in Playa del Carmen! If you are not a full time runner, a light jog a couple times a week or even a daily walk can serve the same purpose! Running is just one of the many things you can do to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle in Playa del Carmen!