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Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, or just "Playa" as it is also commonly referred to by locals, is a large coastal resort town in Quintana Roo on the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Approximately 70 km south of Cancún and 20 km west of Cozumel island, it is at the center of the Mayan Riviera and offers a more relaxed atmosphere and smaller boutique lodgings.

Understand
Playa del Carmen is less internationally recognized than its northern sister city, Cancun. However, this comes with many added benefits. Unlike Cancun, which has a reputation of being incredibly touristy, Playa del Carmen retains an authentic Mexican feel due to its smaller size despite still being a tourist destination. Also, Playa del Carmen can be far less crowded and hectic than Cancun year-round. The resorts and hotels are also much newer in Playa del Carmen. To summarize, anything one can find in Cancun - be it gorgeous beaches, great nightlife, or delicious cuisine - one can also find in Playa del Carmen, but in a much more authentic and relaxed environment.

Quinta Avenida, also referred to in English as 5th Avenue, is the main tourist thoroughfare in Playa. It is a pedestrian only, cobblestone lined street which spans approximately 20 blocks. Along 5th Ave. you will find a variety of restaurants, bars, clubs, shopping opportunities and various overpriced services. In Playa, nearly everything starts from this street. If you have more local fare in mind, head a few avenues (they are counted in jumps of five, the next one besides fifth avenue is tenth avenue) inland and prices as well as the number of gringos tend to fall. Towards the south there is a gated community full of air bnb rentals and hotels called "playacar". You might be able to just walk in, but security will stop cars and possibly pedestrians at the entrance gate.

By plane
The main airport for Playa is Cancún International Airport. You could also check flights to the Cozumel airport, which is much closer than CUN, or the new Tulum International Airport , which is almost 2 hours by taxi or bus from Playa.

From the Cancún airport to the city center
From all terminals of the Cancún International Airport depart ADO buses directly to Playa del Carmen. The price is M$240 (pesos) (Sep 2023). Purchase a ticket right before exiting the terminal or at a kiosk right at the bus. Buying it in pesos will save you a few dollars. Tickets for children are half-price. The ride takes about 50 minutes. The buses arrive in the Terminal Turistica of Playa del Carmen.

Private transfers are another way to get from Cancún's International Airport to your hotel, condo, or beachfront home in Playa Del Carmen or Playacar, and can be booked online in advance.

Once you wander outside of the terminal into the crowd of transfer service agents, if you have booked ahead of time, feel free to tell other agents which service you are looking for. The agents look out for each other and will likely point you in the right direction. It can be extremely crowded, so you are better off asking for help rather than wandering around looking for the right agent and getting in the way

From the Cozumel airport to the city center
Take a taxi for the 2.5 km to the Cozumel ferry terminal. From there take a boat to the center of Playa de Carmen for US$13 (Feb 2022). More details are stated further below in "By boat". In front of the nearby Terminal Turistica are taxis which bring you to your accommodation.

By bus
The is right in the heart of Playa del Carmen on 5th Ave. The ADO buses from the airport only arrive in this Terminal. Upstairs are a Santander and BanBajío ATM.

And there is the in the city center at Calle 12 Nte & Avenida 20 Nte. ADO buses from destinations further away like Bacalar, Chetumal and Mérida only arrive in this Terminal.

Coming from Cancun, Valladolid or Tulum you can choose in which Terminal you would like to arrive. Bus travel is relatively inexpensive, you can either travel second class, or first class, which is sometimes also called 'Express' although it is not notably any faster at all. First class buses cost around 40% more and will have toilets and TVs on them, but both classes have air conditioning.

A second class ticket to Chetumal on the Belizean border costs about M$300 (Jan 2022) and takes around 4½ hours. For getting to know the schedule of a second class bus, the employees inside the ticket booth of a Terminal show it to you on their LCD screen.

By car
Highway 307 is the only highway that passes by Playa. As you approach Playa from Cancún, the highway divides. Keep left and you will take the raised freeway past the city, keep right and you'll be able to access the city streets. The first east-west artery to Playa is Avenida Constituyentes, which works well for destinations in northern Playa tourist zone. The second is Avenida Juárez, which leads to the town's main square, the ADO Tourist bus terminal and the Cozumel ferry dock.

By boat
From Cozumel there are two competing companies which ship you across: Winjet and Ultramar. The price is M$260 (Dec 2023), or about US$13/26 one-way/return (Feb 2022). Both companies operate from the main ferry dock on the south end of the city, just south of the plaza. Boats leave every hour, from 08:00-20:00, and the ride is 30 minutes. A second dock (Muelle Constituyentes) is sometimes used by Ultramar.

Orientation
Because the layout of downtown Playa is a rectangular grid, getting around is very easy.

The main east-west street, Avenida Juárez, connects Highway 307 with the town square, El Zócalo, near the beach. As it does so, it crosses several numbered north-south avenues that run parallel to the beach, all of which, interestingly enough, are multiples of five. Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue), the closest to the beach, is closed to traffic from the Zócalo to Calle 6 (and some blocks beyond, in the evening).

Almost the entire town is north and west of the town square, El Zócalo. The east-west streets parallel to Avenida Juárez are numbered Calle, with even numbers to the north of Juárez and odd numbers to the south. The other main east-west street Avenida Constituyentes is located where you would expect to find Calle 18.

To the south of the downtown is "Playacar" a golf-course development of private residences and a dozen resort hotels.

On foot
Playa is pedestrian friendly town and you can basically walk to everything. The heat may be a problem, however. The main north-south pedestrianized street, 5th Ave, does not allow cars except in the early morning hours for deliveries. On 5th Avenue are many hotels, restaurants, and small shops. The north-south thoroughfare Avenida 30, five blocks west of 5th Ave, is where the large stores are located. To walk from the town square, El Zócalo, and Avenida Juarez to Avenida Constituyentes takes only about 10 minutes.

By bike
A bike is a fun alternative to walking; there are a number of bike rental shops at the north end of 5th Ave. Bike paths exist on some streets but it seems to be totally random which ones get them and which don't. Where they exist, they are generally segregated from foot and motorized traffic and in a state of good repair.

By e-hailing
There is no e-hailing service which serves Playa del Carmen.

By car
Car rentals are readily available at a number of locations at the north end of 5th Ave. Large companies, National, Hertz, etc. are convenient, as well as local agencies, which are generally less expensive.

By taxi
5th Ave. ('Quinta Avenida' or '5ta Av.') is a pedestrianized street and taxis are available at various intersections along its length. A taxi taken from a 'sitio' (place where taxis park) will cost a few dollars more than a taxi hailed on the street. It costs US$7 to get to Playacar, and about M$30-50 (Feb 2022) to get around the rest of Playa. In the evening and at night, some taxi drivers demand way more. Ask for the price before entering.

City bus
There are some city buses and shared vans which cover Playa del Carmen. The destinations are marked on the windshield. It's best to ask a local or a bus driver for an advice which and from where you can take one.

Intercity bus
Scheduled bus service to the main destinations in the region (e.g. Tulum, Cancun airport, Cancún, etc.) depart from both the ADO Terminal Alterna and ADO Terminal Turistica. To tourism destinations like Xcaret and Xel-ha go buses from the ADO Terminal Turistica. The ADO bus goes directly to the entrances of Xcaret and Xel-ha.

Second class local Mayab and Oriente buses also leave from the ADO Terminal Turistica and ADO Terminal Alterna. These buses stop more frequently en route and drop off alongside the Highway 307 to Tulum, requiring walking from the highway to the entrances of Xcaret or Xel-ha. The schedule of the second-class buses is not provided online. You can see the schedules on the LCD screen of the employees in the ticket booth of the Terminal.

The last buses from Cancun and Tulum depart about midnight back to Playa del Carmen.

Shared vans
The very frequent depart 500m outside of the center near Chedraui (on Calle 2 between Av 10 and Av 15). To both Cancun or Tulum it costs M$50 (Feb 2022) and somewhat less when leaving somewhere on the route. They depart from 4:30am to 10:30pm. Colectivos are cheap government regulated air-conditioned vans which transport people on Highway 307, which runs north/south along the coast between Tulum and Cancún. Pick-up times for these collectivos vary, roughly every 5-10 minutes. Pick-up/drop-off can be done along the freeway. The vans may only be marked with "Playa", which means "Playa del Carmen".

There are also vans either ran by individuals or tour vans returning empty from a drop off that will pick you up alongside Hwy 307. The easiest way to catch one is to wait at a bus stop and extend your hand out (like a handshake). Sometimes a van will flash their lights which is asking if you want them to stop. Prices vary, but can be as cheap as M$3. They pickup up and down the entire length of the highway. Most all speak English. They drop you off only along the highway at your choice. No door to door service.

Bus tours
Organized bus tours are available from a variety of companies that cross the Riviera Maya & Yucatán (Tulum, Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Mahahual, Ek Balam, Celestun, Rio Lagartos, Mérida, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Coba, Sian Ka'an, Xcaret, Xelha, etc.). There are a lot of so-called "travel agencies" on the 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen. Most of them are time-share offices. One reliable travel agency is Solatino Tours & Travel. The owners have day trips covering the whole area.

See

 * Small Maya Ruins around the "Playacar" gated community.
 * Small Maya Ruins around the "Playacar" gated community.
 * Small Maya Ruins around the "Playacar" gated community.
 * Small Maya Ruins around the "Playacar" gated community.
 * Small Maya Ruins around the "Playacar" gated community.
 * Small Maya Ruins around the "Playacar" gated community.

As the town is part of the 1970s master plan to develop the eastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula as a tourist hotspot and barely existed as a hamlet half a century ago, the small Maya ruins are everything regarding historical architecture.

Skydiving

 * Skydive Playa are based at the airport.

Charter fishing
You may see many boats on the beach in Playa del Carmen waiting for a deep sea fishing charter. Most of these boats are unlicensed and provide the bare necessities. They are generally small "pangas" which may or may not even offer shade. The equipment is generally sub-par. The professional charter fleet is in Puerto Aventuras which is about 10 km south of Playa. Puerto Aventuras is the oldest and nicest marina on the Riviera Maya. The protection is so good that the Cozumel Ferries park there in bad weather. There are numerous charter boats available from -. For not much extra money (if any) you can upgrade to a private boat. Just walk past the charter boats and you will find private boats. These boats are privately owned by affluent owners who maintain them with an open check book. Some of them offer their boats for occasional charter. The extra effort is well worth it.

Private yachts and vessels
With the closest port to Playa del Carmen at 25 min away there is different options for private luxury yachts, vessels or catamarans, whether to enjoy a day out doing sport fishing, drinking, tanning or celebrating something you can try Playa Yachting for good options.

Diving
Scuba diving and snorkeling is plentiful around Playa, though the reefs are off the shore require a boat to get to. The offshore reef is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second largest coral reef system in the world. All hotels have a dive shop, though many can be found on 5th Ave. Better open-water scuba diving can generally be found in Cozumel so if this is the focus of your trip it is best to stay there. Excellent snorkeling is at Puerto Morelos, roughly halfway between Playa del Carmen and Cancun, and in the lagoon at Akumal, on the way to Tulum. Several dive shops in Playa del Carmen do offer cenote diving south of town.

Cenotes are cavernous freshwater sinkholes which are found all over the Yucatán Peninsula. Many of them are open to the public for swimming, diving, and exploration. Many are open, however some of them are partially underground and the caves associated with these cenotes can run for miles underground. Cenotes also vary in size with openings as little as a foot wide to as large as a small lake. The water clarity in these cenotes is often unsurpassed, often exceeding 60 m (200 feet), and makes for exceptionally good swimming. Some of the bigger cenotes are available as tourist destinations, many are locally owned, and many more still are either undiscovered or undeveloped. Entrance to the commercial cenotes is correlated to the amount of development (i.e. if there are washrooms, restaurants, showers) with fees ranging from US$1-20.

Two good cenotes within 15 minutes drive of Playa del Carmen with facilities are Cenote Chaak Tun and Rio Secreto. Both provide wetsuits, life jackets, shoes, etc, and run guided tours of 1½-2 hours involving walking and swimming through underground caves with beautiful rock formations, with the occasional fish below you, and bats above. No personal photography is allowed at Rio Secreto but their photographer will sell you photos for US$100. Cenote Chaak Tun allows photography, but lighting conditions are challenging, and you may be better buying photos from them for US$30 (from your trip and stock photos).

Cenote Chaak Tun is open 9-5, with guided tours leaving every 30 min or so. Entry is M$500/US$30 plus tip for the guide. Rio Secreto entry is from USD79 (different tour options available).

Out of town trips

 * – 65 km. The only major Maya archeological site to overlook the Caribbean Sea. Tulum is believed to be one of the most important ceremonial sites for the Maya people. It dates back more than 7 centuries and shows the remains of a huge walled city with roads, homes and businesses by the sea. The major highlight of Tulum is El Castillo which is a large pyramid that sits on a forty-foot cliff. ADO buses from the Terminal Touristica run 1 hr and cost M$104 (April 2022). On the ADO website and app the stop is called "Tulum zona arqueológica".
 * – 110 km. A beautiful site; it was one of the largest Maya cities in ancient times, but much is still hidden under lush jungle. It boasts the tallest pyramid of the Yucatan Peninsula, the Nohoch Mul. Muyil boasts a lake surrounded by many Maya constructions.
 * – 130 km. It's a wonderful nature preserve, just an hour south of Playa for the ecologically minded. Day tours available from Playa. One group offering tours is Sian Kaan Community Tours, mentioned here because it is run by a local Maya community, so your tourist dollars go directly to the community. That apart, it's great value for money (includes a tour of Maya ruins at Muyil, a float down a stream through the mangroves which other companies did not seem to offer, an experienced nature guide who points out the flora and fauna, boating through a lagoon, and not least, a delicious home-cooked Maya meal).

 * – 20 km. About 20 minutes from Playa del Carmen.
 * – 35 km. Either "Puerto" is a much shorter drive than to Cancun and less expensive. In Cancun, fishing the waters, where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Caribbean, can be extremely rough.

Buy
ATMs with low withdrawal fees in the center are: • BanCoppel (inside the Coppel store) • BanBajío (inside the Terminal Touristica upstairs) • Banco Azteca (inside the electra store) • (city)banamex • Santander and • Banorte (in the middle of the centro).

There are several money exchanges along the Quinta Avenida with fair conversion rates.

For buying groceries, there are Oxxo and 7-eleven around. There are three large supermarkets in or near the centro: • •  •  •

The touristy part of Playa is laden with shops selling 'artesanias'. These basically sell the same products - shirts, bracelets, and souvenirs, but for varying prices depending on the mood of the shopkeeper and your haggling/seduction skills. Haggling is accepted in the less formal shops in Playa, as in the rest of the Yucatán, though it is worth remembering that if you are able to afford an international vacation your income is many times higher than the storekeeper's (most of whom struggle just to pay the very high rents).

It is possible to buy Mexican and Cuban cigars here, but Cuban cigar prices are not particularly cheap. Counterfeits are commonplace in Mexico, so due diligence in the selection of cigars is advisable. If you are young or have long hair, many shop keepers are likely to also offer you marijuana. Marijuana is illegal in Mexico, though its use is widespread among tourists.

There are two large shopping centers on the outskirts of town: Centro Maya (on the right of Highway 307 heading towards Tulum - opposite Playacar) and Plaza Las Americas (entrance is on the right side of Hwy 307 as you head to Cancún, by the large traffic circle with statue at the entrance of Playa del Carmen). Both shopping centers have multiscreen cinemas and large supermarkets (Soriana and Chedraui, respectively).

•

Eat
There are dozens of restaurants in Playa, with foods of every type and price range: try to stay away from 5th avenue to get decent prices - usually 2 blocks only will make a huge difference. There are also various pizza stands with prices ranging from M$10-20, most of them remain open up to 06:00 when bars begin to close.

As is the case in much of Mexico, the street food is not to be missed. Simply walk south down 5th Ave until you reach the pier and taxi stand. There are generally five or six carts there serving tacos of various types. Every seafood taco is generally outstanding, along with the carnitas, pollo, and chorizo. Also, try the stuffed poblano tacos. Tacos are typically in the US$2-3 range. For the best and freshest tacos arrive mid-morning before the lunch rush as the carts are setting up.

Street food
All these are in the city center:

Budget
All these are in the city center:

Drink
Nightlife is definitely happening in Playa del Carmen, but is not as wild as its neighbor to the north, Cancún. Typically, Playa's shops and restaurants close around 22:00, but nearly all of the clubs stay open through most of the night. Some of the best nightclubs are on the beach. If you are interested in nightlife (dancing, drinks late until the evening/morning), then be sure to visit El Pirata.

There is no shortage of great bars in Playa, many of which can be found on the beach. Alternatively, if you are on a very tight budget, many shops outside the main tourist area will sell drinks in bottles and cans that you can pack into a cooler for the beach. Prices at the bars in Playa are consistent with any major tourist area, but a US$1 beer is not uncommon.

Liquor can be bought from any number of tourist shops, which typically sell Kahlua and a variety of tequilas at a price which is generally the same. If you are requiring a more diverse liquor supply, there are places in and about Playa that can accommodate. The most prominent is Covi Liquors, on Hwy 307 in Playa, which offer a wide variety of liquors at prices that are generally cheaper than those shops which cater to tourists on 5th Ave.

Fifth Avenue is packed with restaurants and bars but most close before midnight. There are two main streets to find clubs and bars that close after midnight: The 8th street between 5th and 10th Ave is frequently visited by locals and backpackers, bars offer live music and pool tables and cheap beer, 2 x 1 drinks and great music (close at 02:00). The 12th offers more tourist places like Coco Maya in the beach area.

The on 1st Avenue between 10th and 12th Street gives you an alternative place to party and chill without all the hustle and bustle of the other bars. With a hotel on-site and pizza served to your table for the late night munchies, this community is a great place to spend the evenings in Playa Del Carmen.

Sleep
Unlike other beach destinations, all the "best" hotels are not on the beach. A few face the ocean but the majority are set back a block or two near 5th Ave.

Budget
There are some inexpensive backpacker hostels in Playa del Carmen.

Resorts
There are a few all inclusive resorts in Playa, but the rest are south of town in Playacar. The resorts are generally secluded, and prevent one from experiencing the sights, sounds, and tastes of the city, and to some extent Mexican culture as well, since you will be surrounded by Western tourists and amenities. These hotels typically offer nice accommodations that are well served.

Wifi Spots

 * Public Parks : All the parks in Playa del Carmen offer free Wi-Fi. Most of the restaurants and bars will ask for a minimum buy before giving you the password which will change every day. The more expensive the hotel or the condo, the less likely you will get free access.
 * Calle 4 between 15 and 10 Avenue: This is the 1st block in Playa fully covered by a free service (powered by Hotel Barrio Latino together with the AHRM, local association of hotels): fast, free.

Consulates

 * 🇺🇸 United States
 * 🇨🇦 Canada

Go next
For going to the Cancun airport by ADO bus, you don't need to queue for the ticket booth. Just buy your ticket online on the ADO website or in the ADO app. To the airport you can depart from the Terminal Turistica and Terminal Alterna. At the Terminal Turistica are also shared taxis to the airport for M$200 (March 2022).

You find private rooms and hostels ...:

To the east

 * Cozumel – 20 km. The large island off the coast of Playa is famous for snorkeling and scuba near the Great Maya Reef, the large coral system. Note that Cozumel is also a main port for Cruise ships, so can be quite busy sometimes!

To the south

 * Tulum – 65 km. The town has become a popular tourism destination. Nearby is the Tulum Archeological Site.
 * Mahahual (Costa Maya) – 290 km
 * Bacalar – 280 km
 * Chetumal – 320 km

To the west

 * Valladolid – 140 km. From an accommodation in Valladolid it's more convenient than from Playa del Carmen to visit the archeological sites of Ek Balam and Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza itself has also hotels for an overnight stay.
 * Merida (Mexico) – 290 km. The cultural center of southern Mexico, the Mayan indigenous people and the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatan. It is a world away from the rowdy, busy, resort towns of Quintana Roo. There, one can experience the unique way of life of the Mayans which is unlike any other ethnic group in Mexico, with their own cuisine, language, history, and traditions. Along the way, one can stop at the ancient pyramids of Chichen Itza, or take a dive in one of the various Mayan watering holes, called Cenotes.

To the north

 * Cancún – 70 km

title: Playa del Carmen


text:
Playa del Inglés

Playa del Inglés is a large tourist metropolis right next to Maspalomas, with beautiful dune beaches.

Understand
The resort of Playa del Inglés only came into being after 1962, when the peninsula on the south coast of Gran Canaria was developed for tourism. This article covers the area east of Avenida de Gran Canaria. In addition, there is the district of San Fernando, between the busy GC-500 road and the GC-1 highway, which is primarily home to locals who work as service staff in the tourist facilities.

In the evening, the city changes its face. Whereas families were on the beach during the day or shopping, at night, the youth visits the countless nightclubs, bars and restaurants in the city.

Playa del Inglés has been associated with gay travelers for over 25 years, but is now a clubbing town. Despite the fact that the Canaries are primarily Catholic, the locals have embraced gay tourism. Each year in the second week of May, one of the largest gay pride festivals in Europe is held in and around the Yumbo Centre.

The tourist offices scattered about Playa del Inglés and Maspalomas are rarely open unless it is Caravale (main festival in February, gay festival in May).

By plane
From the airport the bus lines 66 and 90 take about 30 min to reach PdI where both have several stops in Playa del Inglés. In Google Maps you can put in the name of your accommodation and the app shows you the right bus connection. You can also use the local bus company's website guaguasglobal.com to download their transport app.

By bus
There are direct buses from Puerto Rico (line 1, 33), Las Palmas (line 30) and Maspalomas.

Get around
The options are walking and taking a city bus or taxi.

See
There are barely any sights except a church that holds services in three different languages.

Do
The is a long beach strip.

Buy

There are also a number of smaller shopping centers such as La Sandia, El Veril or Aquila Roja
 * Some good bars and restaurants, primarily catering to German clientele. The basement areas are home to several "adult lifestyle" venues, so approach with caution.
 * Some good bars and restaurants, primarily catering to German clientele. The basement areas are home to several "adult lifestyle" venues, so approach with caution.
 * Some good bars and restaurants, primarily catering to German clientele. The basement areas are home to several "adult lifestyle" venues, so approach with caution.
 * Some good bars and restaurants, primarily catering to German clientele. The basement areas are home to several "adult lifestyle" venues, so approach with caution.

In San Fernando the shopping facilities are geared more towards the locals and long-term vacationers.

For markets etc. see also the section on Maspalomas.

Drink
There are many bars and nightclubs. Nightclubs rarely open before midnight. In the Yumbo, in the Kasbah and the other larger shopping centers are discos and pubs, which are usually open until the early hours of the morning. There are lots of circular shopping malls, in the middle of which are some bars and discos. Lots of different styles of music and everything from young to old. In the numerous pubs in and around the Yumbo Center one is particularly interested in LBGT customers aligned.

Sleep
As of October 2022 there are no (youth) hostels in Playa del Inglés and all Southern Gran Canaria. There are no campsites here or in the surrounding area. There are also only a few guest houses.

Stay safe
On the promenade you are regularly approached by people who have scratch cards to give away. Or you get friendship bracelets as a gift. Of course, the person concerned expects a small service in return. But CAUTION is requested here! Because there can also be "trick thieves" among the "ladies". They are very dexterous. The cats that are provided with food by merciful people in the evening are harmless.

Not all night club operate in a reputable way. They may charge €35 for a beer and "forcefully" collect payment for it.

Go next

 * To the other towns of Southern Gran Canaria.
 * Las Palmas

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Playa del Inglés


text:
Playa del Rey

Playa del Rey ("Beach of the King") offers beautiful beaches overlooking the Pacific Ocean just a few miles north of Los Angeles International Airport.

Get in
Playa del Rey is located north of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). From San Diego Freeway (405) exit Imperial Highway and go west. Where the road ends at Vista del Mar, turn right. Playa del Rey is located just beyond Dockweiler Beach.

Do

 * Bike along the 30 Mile bicycle or rent roller blades or a skateboard.
 * Ride, jog, or walk to Fisherman's Village in the Marina or to Manhattan or Venice Beach
 * Fish along the Jetty.
 * Boat out to sea in a sailboat, sport-fishing boat, kayak, or harbor dinner cruise ship.
 * Walk along the beach collecting shells, admiring the dolphins, or noticing the large yachts, volleyball games, or boat races.
 * Play tennis at Loyola Marymount or Westchester Park
 * Golf on either of two public golf courses including the famous or infamous 15-hole Westchester course, the only night lighted golf course in the area.
 * Golf on either of two public golf courses including the famous or infamous 15-hole Westchester course, the only night lighted golf course in the area.

Go next
The cities and neighborhoods that border Playa del Rey include the following:

 * Marina del Rey - Located north of Playa del Rey, the "marina of the king" is home to a vast number of restaurants and hotels, and while not as touristy as some of the neighboring beach cities is nonetheless a fun spot to spend an evening.
 * Westchester - This town, located to the east, is home to Los Angeles International Airport and a number of lodging options.
 * El Segundo - Playa's neighbor to the south and east is mostly an industrial town, although visitors are generally surprised to find a sleepy downtown that is home to numerous restaurants and bars.

title: Playa del Rey


text:
Playa El Agua

Playa El Agua, (the water beach), is a popular beach and surfing destination on Margarita Island in Venezuela. It is Margarita's longest, widest, busiest and most serviced beach.

Understand
El Agua is around 4 km long, 30 m wide and has golden sand. The beach is lined with huge palm trees, and beneath them, restaurants, shops and hotels that extend all along the waterfront.

title: Playa El Agua


text:
Playa El Yaque

Playa El Yaque was originally a fishing village and beach on Margarita Island situated on the south side of Island about 3 km from the airport. It has become one of Margarita Island's busiest tourist destinations.

Understand
While Spanish is the main language in Venezuela, it is easy to find someone who speaks English, French, German, Italian and even Russian in Playa el Yaque. If you have trouble finding someone, just ask at your hotel or any car rental agency and they should be able to direct you to someone to assist. The way to ask in Spanish is "Necesito alguien que habla...(insert language you need)."

Get in
From the airport take the first road on the left and drive 5.5 km. This puts you at the entrance of Playa el Yaque. There is a police sub-station on your right and in high season on extremely busy days they may have a barricade in the road preventing entry. As a car exits they will let a car proceed in. El Yaque Motion is straight ahead and most of the action is to the left. Proceeding to almost the end of the road there is a large parking lot to the left, if no attendant is present see the agent in Gringo Rent A Car across the street for parking validation. Parking without validation can result in your vehicle being towed, a large fine and tow bill to pay.

Get around
Car rentals are available in Playa El Yaque and other parts of the island. Ensure that you thoroughly check the credentials of any rental agencies and ensure that they are licensed, have a readily accessible office and an office contact number. Also ensure that you fully check the vehicle for any pre-existing damage including all lower body panels, the roof, and all window glass, before you sign the contract with any rental provider.

See
There is beach access all along Av Mario Oliveros (the main road). Watching the wind and kite surfing is an adventure to those relaxing on the beach. The girls like watching the muscles and the guys like watching the skimpy bikini clad girls. It is also a popular family beach due to the fine white sand and shallow water.

It has become popular to pack a cooler with ice, beer, your favorite spirits, spending the day on the beach getting hammered. There is beach service all along the beach where one can rent beach chairs and a sun umbrella for the day. Many of the local bars and restaurants offer you drinks meal delivered to you where you are stationed on the beach. They bring a table with short legs and position it so you don't even have to get up.

Buy
If you need cash there is only one ATM/Cash Point in town. It is on Av Mario Oliveros and not well marked. It is directly between Posada La Mar and Gringo Rent A Car. It only dispenses Bolivares and you will be billed at the government exchange rate for non-essential goods.

title: Playa El Yaque


text:
Playa Gigante

Playa Gigante (also known as El Gigante or El Gigantón) is a remote beach north of San Juan del Sur on the Southern Pacific Coast region of Nicaragua.

Understand
The town itself consists of about 300 locals, a handful of expats, a couple of surf camps, and a couple of beachfront restaurants. It is located on a beautiful bay which is great for swimming, and located directly south of some excellent surfing beaches, accessible by foot.

Get in
The cheapest way to get to Playa Gigante is by public bus. From Rivas, take the bus toward Las Salinas. This bus leaves generally every hour. Double check with the bus drivers. Get out at the first entrance to Gigante. From there you can either walk the 5 km into town, or if you are lucky, thumb a ride. There are also a few local businesses who offer a bus stop pick-up.

Alternatively, there is one bus a day that leaves at 13:30 and goes directly to the center of Gigante. This bus does not run on Sundays.

A cab from Rivas should cost no more than US$20. The road is now paved all the way into town!

To return to Rivas, a school bus leaves from Gigante Monday-Saturday at 06:00, costs C$50 and drops off at Tola. You should be able to get a collectivo taxi to Rivas for a further C$30 (prices as of Jul 2019). It goes back from Tola to Gigante at 12:30 weekdays and 16:30 on Saturdays so you may also be able to get in this way.

Alternatively, there is one bus a day that leaves Gigante at 07:30 and goes all the way to Rivas. This bus does not run on Sundays.

On foot
Everything you could ever want to see in Playa Gigante is accessible by foot. Some local businesses and fishermen will rent their pangas for a day of surfing or fishing as well. Kayak rental is available in town.

By car
There are several car rental options within a 15-min drive of Gigante.

By motorcycle
You can rent motorycles for US$20 a day.

Talk
English is quite widely spoken in the town, more so than is typical for Nicaragua, although Spanish will help of course.

Do
Options in and around town include:

 * Hike to the top of the Giant's Foot (1 hour at most, easy climb)
 * Surf Playa Amarillo, Playa Colorado, Panga Drops, (all within walking distance)
 * Hire a boat and surf Manzanillo or other more distant breaks
 * Go on a howler monkey hunt
 * Rent kayaks and head to the jumping rock
 * Rent a bicycle or motorcycle and explore
 * Go snorkeling
 * Go spear-fishing
 * Go swimming in the beautiful bay
 * Have lunch at one of the beachfront restaurants
 * Stay at one of the surf camps with your buddies and surf your brains out
 * Play pool with the locals at the local pool hall
 * Take a drive to the local hot springs (30 mins away)
 * Go on a nature walk

Eat
Several options in the town. Prices are not as low as in some parts of Nicaragua (typically C$120-300 for a main dish as of Jul 2019) but food is generally very good in El Gigante and it's hard to go too far wrong whichever restaurant you choose.

 * Juntos Beach Bar
 * Monkey House Hostal
 * Room to Roam
 * Macheles
 * Kechita's Corner
 * Comida Ipolita
 * Mamalyn's
 * Mar y Mar
 * Blue Sol
 * Buena Vista

title: Playa Gigante


text:
Playa Grande

Playa Grande is a town in the Guanacaste Province of Costa Rica, just north of Tamarindo. It comprises most of Parque Nacional Marino Laus Baulas, the most important nesting site in Central America for the giant leatherback sea turtle. Here a 5km long stretch of white sand beach backed by a large mangrove estuary that is home to many nesting birds and other wildlife.

Due to laws protecting the nesting site, Playa Grande has remained virtually unchanged by the rapid coastal development that has proliferated along the coast in the area, known as the "Gold Coast" of Costa Rica.

Get in
Playa Grande is a 1-hour drive from Liberia Airport. When leaving the airport make the first left (if you go right you’ll be in Liberia within 10 minutes at the main intersection for the Pan-American Highway) follow this road past Filidelfia to Belen, make a right before you reach the gas station. This road will take you to 4km to an intersection, make a left.

You will need to follow this road for a while, passing the town of Hucas. Keep going. Until you reach the town of Matapalo. Make a left as you pass the soccer field.

Follow the road until you reach the town of Playa Grande.

You can also get in by taxi boat from Tamarindo - go to the north end of the beach and just out of town, a few hundred metres before the Automercado, you'll see the boats - you can either make a short hop to the opposite sandbank, or a longer crossing up the river which drops off outside Hotel Bula Bula.

Get around
Bicycles are the best form of transportation to see the area. You can rent a car in Liberia or Tamarindo. Scooter rentals are available in Playa Grande.

See

 * Giant Leatherback sea turtles laying their eggs.
 * The black sand beach at Playa Carbon, which is just around the corner.
 * Large lizards wandering around the town, beautiful birds in the treetops

Do
Surf the perfect waves that break along the shores of Playa Grande. If you don't know how to surf you can take surfing lessons at Una Ola Surf Resort. Take a jungle boat tour along the estuary to see crocodiles, monkeys and numerous species of birds. Go fishing, using handlines and casting nets like the locals at the northern end of Playa Grande.

Buy
There is no shopping in Playa Grande other than a few surf shops and the grocery store a Las Malinches in the Palm Beach Estates neighborhood on the southern end of Playa Grande.

Eat
There are several restaurants in the area that serve local and international cuisines. There is El Huerto, Rip Jack's, Kike's Place, Marbar, Bula Bula, Catarana, Playa Grande Sushi, Las Tortugas and Malinches, which serve lunch and/or dinner.

Drink
Kike's Place is the only hotspot for nightlife in Playa Grande, but there are a few other spots to have a drink.

Sleep
Playa Grande is a sleepy little community with many expats who have come down to live the "Pura Vida" lifestyle. There are several vacation homes for rent, along with a handful of hotel, B&Bs and Cabinas.

title: Playa Grande


text:
Playa Hermosa

There is more than one place called Playa Hermosa:

Costa Rica

 * Playa Hermosa (Guanacaste) — one of the beaches in Playas del Coco, Guanacaste
 * Playa Hermosa (Nicoya) — A quiet beach area north of Playa Santa Teresa in the Nicoya Province of Puntarenas
 * Playa Hermosa (Garabito) — A popular surfing beach 5 minutes south of the city of Jaco in the Garabito Province of Puntarenas.
 * Playa Hermosa (Osa) — A city in between Dominical and Uvita in the Osa Canton of the Puntarenas Province

title: Playa Hermosa


text:
Playa Hermosa (Osa)

Playa Hermosa is a small settlement on the beach in South Pacific Costa Rica.

Understand
The settlement is located up an extremely steep hill, on the inland side of the main highway along the Pacific Coast. Venture inland from the beach to visit the Playa Hermosa Reserva Biologica, which is home to ancient tropical trees over 1,000 years old. The Reserva Biologica was the site of a voluntary conservation project by Reto Juvenil Internacional, Youth Challenge Canada, and Youth Challenge Australia in 2003-2004. The park contains several walking tracks and a lookout with a stunning view over the Pacific Ocean. The Ranger's office is on the right as you enter the settlement.

Get in
The only entrance to the area is by road. Playa Hermosa is a few miles south of Dominical and a few miles north of Uvita. The settlement of Playa Hermosa is a very steep walk up a gravel road off the main highway. The entrance off the highway is signposted and is on your left when coming from Dominical.

Do

 * Walk the trails in the Reserva Biologica, passing ancient trees and exotic wildlife. Reach the lookout for a stunning view over the Pacific Ocean.
 * Swim at the unpatrolled beach Playa Hermosa - the name says it all. Watch the tides and rip currents though. The beach is accessed from the main coastal road by taking any of the unmarked trails off the road through the undergrowth.

Eat

 * Pulperia Escondida at the entrance to the national park sells small items of groceries and ice-cream.
 * Rafa's bar, across the road from Brizas Del Mar hotel, serves drinks and cheap tapas, with a stunning sunset view.

Sleep

 * Brizas Del Mar hotel is located at the beachside entrance to the settlement. Small rooms for one or two people open on to a wrap around balcony with views over the ocean.

title: Playa Hermosa (Osa)


text:
Playa Maderas

Playa Maderas is a beach on the Pacific coast of south western Nicaragua with great sand and good surfing. It is just north of San Juan del Sur.

Get in
You can get to Playa Maderas from San Juan del Sur by water taxi, taxi, or bicycle. The water taxi can leaves from Hotel Estrella at 10:00 and returns at 16:00, and costs about US$8. A taxi cab for two people costs US$10-15; the road is rough, and you may have to get out and walk up a hill or two while your cab driver tries to drive up backwards to take advantage of the front-wheel drive. During the rainy season a 4WD truck (preferably with a snorkel) is advisable. A bike can be rented in San Juan del Sur for about US$5 per day. Hostel Casa Del Oro runs 3 daily Jeep shuttles to the beach with the first one leaving at 10:00 and the last one returning at 17:00. (C$50 one way, C$80 return).

Get around
Walk.

See
A nice beach, some good surfing, and good walking along the beach to the north.

Do
Surf, rent a surf or boogie board (about US$10 a day), or get a lesson (also about US$10). You can take a short walk north to another nice, more secluded beach offers less threatening waves for surfing or boogie boarding.

Buy
There are no stores and no vendors on this beach. The nearest stores are in San Juan del Sur.

Eat
There is a food stand that sells basic food and snack items. There are no ATMs or banks, and the food stand does not accept credit cards. There is a grocery store in San Juan del Sur.

Drink
Water and beer can be purchased from the food stand.

Go next

 * San Juan del Sur

title: Playa Maderas


text:
Playa Santa Lucia

Santa Lucia is a small village on the northern coast of Central Cuba.

Get in
It is reached by a bus ride from Camaguey that lasts 1 hr 30 min.

Do
The beach is usually clean and cool, since it is made from limestone sand.

 * Diving The diving is very good and the company, Shark's friend, is very professional. The equipment is recent. The reef is 1.8 miles off shore. There are 34 dive sites. One of the sites visits a wreck where there are 3 bull sharks that are fed and that have been visited for the last 9 years.
 * Horseback riding on the beach is very pleasant and professional.

Drink
You can get a beer for ~US$1.15 and rhum for $4. The discos that allow Cubans are very lively.

title: Playa Santa Lucia


text:
Playa Santo Domingo

Playa Santo Domingo is the name for a small strip of hotels, hospedajes, and restaurants on Isla de Ometepe in the region of southern Pacific Coast (Nicaragua).

Get in
Take the ferry from San Jorge to Moyogalpa, which not does the ~45 minute trip several times daily. Large old school buses run from Altagracia and Moyogalpa. Locals run from all over the island, as Santo Domingo is along the one main road between the Volcanos.

Get around
Walking is usually fine for the small town, some hotels rent motorcycles and bikes.

Eat
Food here tends to be geared towards the tourist clientele, which makes it a bit more expensive compared to other parts of Nicaragua. There are some restaurants in the northern part of the strip which are a bit cheaper and have tables right along the shore. This is also the location of the only vegetarian restaurant on the island.

Drink
Not much for nightlife here, but you can easily get a bottle of Ron Plata at the pulperia and have a little party with some fellow travelers.

Sleep
There are a few different hotels of different price laid along the main road. Anywhere from US$15-50 a night and all are close enough to walk between in about 10 minutes. The best way to choose is to just walk along the main road.

title: Playa Santo Domingo


text:
Playas del Coco

Playas del Coco is a small beach town in Guanacaste province, on the North Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. It is close to several beaches including Ocotal, Playa Hermosa and Playa Panama.

Get in
The closest major city is Liberia, Costa Rica.

By plane
It is 30 minutes by taxi from Liberia International Airport.

By bus
5 hours from San José, 3 buses per day leaving San José at 08:00, 14:00 and 16:00, and returning from Playas del Coco at 04:00, 08:00 and 14:00. 1 hour from Liberia, buses every hour until 11:00 and then every 2.5 hours until 18:30. The bus company is called Pulmitan. It is possible to get to San José via Liberia if the direct services are full.

By car
It is a 4-hour drive from the capital, San José.

By bus
There are buses that travel the roads between Coco and nearby beaches, but they are often crowded and uncomfortable.

By taxi
Depending on the season, from a handful to far too many to count local taxis will take you around Coco, as well as to nearby beaches, for anywhere from US$2-10 per trip. If you're only in Coco for a few days and don't want to invest in a rental car, this is your best option.

By car
This is the best way to tour Coco and surrounding areas, and essential if you plan on staying more than a few days. It's recommended that you rent a 4x4, but a 4x4 is not necessary if you're a careful and competent off-road driver who understands the limitations of a car.

All rental cars are easily identifiable by locals (rental cars use a different type of license plate). Therefore, you should never leave any valuables unattended in your rental car, as they are constantly targeted by thieves. Also, local police can instantly identify a rental car and will not hesitate to pull over a tourist for speeding, so follow the speed limit closely.

See
This area of Costa Rica is short on historical attractions, museums, art galleries, etc. If you're in Coco, you're going to see beaches, wildlife, and enjoy the sun.

Popular beaches near Coco include Hermosa, Ocotal, Flamingo (incredibly popular with the locals on weekends), Panama, and a handful of remote beaches on the Papagayo peninsula (including the beach at the Four Season Papagayo). Further away, Tamarindo is an excellent surf beach for beginners, as well as a more commercialized beach town. If you're looking for something and can't find it in Coco, it's probably in Tamarindo (a little more than an hour away).

Downtown Coco beach is worth a look, especially after nightfall. You'll find drinking, dancing, and dining options, and even a couple of casinos.

Coco is also a great place to stay while exploring nearby natural wonders like the dormant volcano Rincon de la Vieja (about 1½ hours driving time), Llano de Cortes waterfall (about 2 hours drive time), and dozens of beaches within 1-2 hours drive (too many to mention, in fact). Jungle tours are also popular, and most of the local tour providers include a "zip line" tour as the main attraction.

Coco is fairly far away from Arenal, a volcano that has been dormant since 2010, and that is a must-see of any Costa Rica visit. Therefore, if you plan on staying in Coco, you might want to set aside two days of your trip to visit and stay at a resort near the Arenal volcano.

Do
The main beach in Coco is under renovation with a new boardwalk but it is still not the best looking beach. However, it's a great place to rent a boat for an excursion to nearby "Gorilla rock" (also known as "monkey's head rock") as well as some mangrove swamps up the coast. A boat can also take you to some very good quality snorkeling just off-shore. If you decide to rent a boat, be sure to negotiate hard. Often times you will be asked to pay twice as much when you first ask for a price.

If you have a rental car, you can drive to either Ocotal or Hermosa beach. Both of these beaches are much cleaner and only 5-10 minutes drive away. If you're looking for a nicer beach and/or a longer trip, you can drive over to the Four Seasons Papagayo, park just outside the front gate, and then walk to the beach (in Costa Rica, all beaches are public, so they can't stop you from hanging out on their "private" beach).

A local resident named Dr. Will offers an early-morning wildlife tour that will introduce you to Costa Rica wildlife right under your nose. Will is a retired veterinarian who lives in nearby Ocotal and offers individual tours for US$30-40 per person, depending on the group size.

Deep sea fishing excursions are definitely available as well - be sure to ask around on the beach in the late afternoon to find the best deal for the following day. You can also hire a boat to take you surfing off-shore near world famous Witch's Rock just up the coast from Coco. However, if you're new to surfing or not willing to invest in an all-day boat tour, you might consider driving about an hour to nearby Tamarindo. The surfing there is very good for beginners and kids.

There are many reputable dive companies in town including Summer-Salt, and Deep Blue Diving. Both employ people who have great depth of knowledge of not only what is in the ocean but what you can find on land. If you want to go sailing the Kuna Vela and Marlin Negro are large charter sailboats with experienced and knowledgeable crews.

Finally, much like any tourist-oriented community in Costa Rica, you will find organized jungle tours that include zip-line rides. While there are half-a-dozen local tour operators and zip-line operations, you might consider visiting the Hacidenda Gauchipelin for an all day package that includes a good quality zip line tour, and then your choice of a waterfall visit, a horseback ride, a soak in a mud bath, etc. Hacienda Guachipelin is about an hour away from Coco, but it's reasonable value and offers nice views of the dormant volcano Rincon de la Vieja.

Buy
Downtown Coco is the best place to find deals on clothes, souvenirs, and trinkets. While you can definitely negotiate prices, you may find that shop keepers are unwilling to work with you. Prices are different for tourists, so it never hurts to ask for the "Tico price" when buying any goods.

Eat
Downtown Coco has some night life and quite a few restaurants. The Hotel Coco Palms offers a wide selection of local and familiar foods, as does the Coconutz Sports Bar on main street.

A small cafe on the western edge of Coco called Pato Loco is a good place for breakfast or lunch, and there's a hamburger stand very close to Pato Loco that serves excellent yet inexpensive hamburgers.

The Lookout is a few hundred feet up the hill and has a view of the cove. They mostly serve burgers and seafood priced around $15 each and various cocktails.

title: Playas del Coco


text:
Playas de Rosarito

Rosarito is a municipality of 127,000 people (2010) in Baja California, Mexico. It has luxury resorts that have the shape of skyscrapers near the sea. It has an extensive and beautiful coastline, sandy beaches, cliffs, a beautiful climate, modern hotels, excellent restaurants, Mexican crafts, popular festivals, and celebrations.

Understand
Most of the buildings are on Bulevard Benito Juárez, which is the main street in the city. The entire tourism sector is there, too.

The city has a Mediterranean climate, with little rain per year, in winter, the temperature is cool with temperatures of 18 °C and hot summers with 22 °C on average.

By car
First thing: buy liability insurance. It can be purchased online or at numerous agencies at the border in San Ysidro. If you don't buy it, have fun in jail. Even if the accident is not your fault, you will be held until it is cleared. Even if you hit livestock on the road, you the driver are at fault. Liability ensures the cow's owner is compensated. The Mexican cops prey on American plates..

Rosarito Beach is easily accessed via a toll road that runs along the Pacific Ocean. The drive around Tijuana can be daunting. Follow the signs on the freeway, but be careful the signs usually appear only at the turnoffs. Don't expect any notices before the turnoffs.

When returning there is an unmarked u-turn in Tijuana you must take to get back to the United States. It's at an interchange next to a Pemex station. Look for a line of cars with American plates making a u-turn.

There are 2 main roads to Rosarito coming from Tijuana/San Diego:
 * * Carretera_federal_1D.svg Escencia Tijuana-Ensenada The toll highway (cuota) is much easier and faster on getting to Rosarito. After crossing the border get into the 3rd lane (counting out from the median), in about 100 m you'll be on an overpass and a 4th lane will bring on merging traffic, move over to the 4th lane and an offramp to the right will take you to the Via International/Carretera Mexico 1D. This is the main highway to take you to Rosarito, Ensenada, and the western part of Tijuana (Las Playas).  If you keep your eye out for signs that indicate any of these three locations it is easier to drive in Mexico, but remember that the toll (cuota) and free (libre) route often split from the same road so may careful attention to the signs to avoid taking the wrong road.  The toll cost will be about M$30 (about US$2.50) each way.
 * * Carretera_federal_1.svg Carretera Transpeninsular The free road (libre) goes through Tijuana and can be harder to follow.

By bus
If you don't want to drive in, there are buses from Tijuana. One-way fares are about M$60.

By taxi
For about US$15 you can take a taxi to Rosarito. Some taxi drivers may charge more, though.

Day tours
One of the best ways to visit Rosarito Beach is by going on a one-day tour from San Diego. You can go to www.bajatours.org or call Five Star Tours at +1 619 232 5040.

Get around
There are plenty of taxis.

Do

 * The Rosarito-Ensenada Bike Ride twice a year in April and October, is a "fun ride" 80 km (50 miles) along the coast and a few miles inland. Up to 10,000 riders participate in the ride, which ends with cervezas (beer) in Ensenada.
 * California Motorsport Adventours Off-road adventure tours for people of all riding abilities. Everyone welcome: families, couples, friends, single riders, bachelor and corporate groups. Full day excursions or longer tours available also. Ride in the dunes and then enjoy a guided adventure into the surrounding mountain trails. Contact the office for reservations.

Buy

 * Craft Market Blv. Benito Juárez: different objects originating from many parts of Mexico are offered.,including jewelry, paper mache, blown glass, alebrijes, distillery, artistic blacksmithing, paintings, among other Mexican expressions.

Eat
If you go to Rosarito for food a must-stop is Puerto Nuevo 8 minutes south of Rosarito. This small town offers more than 35 restaurants all serving lobsters. This style of lobster can be found throughout Baja called "Puerto Nuevo Style"

La Flor de Michoacan, on the north side of town on Benito Juarez, has a well-deserved reputation with tourists and locals alike. This restaurant is known for its carnitas (simmered and fried pork) dinners served family style with rice, beans, pico de gallo, fresh guacamole, and steaming, fresh tortillas wrapped in cloth and served in a basket. The restaurant also has a full bar and serves margaritas made with real strawberries. Carnitas plates are served two different ways. Mixed pork includes tripe and other pieces many do not find appetizing. If this is you, shell out the extra couple dollars and get the solid pork. You'll be hard-pressed to spend more than US$10 a person, even with a pitcher or two of margaritas. The building is hard to miss, an imposing brick structure on a corner with a stop sign. Look for the word "CARNITAS" on top.

Fresh seafood right off the boat, head south on the old road, at the Fox studios, there is a fishing village on the south side of the complex, about twenty restaurants, lots of locals and traffic on Sundays! Park on the main road and walk in. Food is very good, but if you expect American restaurant standards be aware, you are in Mexico. Walk around, don't go in the first one, lots of English-speaking deported Mexicans trying to get you into their restaurant.

Drink
The Beachcomber lies in the central part of town in a resort village. The resort village is gated, so you'll have to park in the lot outside of the gate and take a small walk. If the guard asks at the gate where you're going, just say you're getting drinks at the bar, you don't have to have a house there to drink. The bar has a patio right next to the beach, making it the perfect place to drink a beer or margarita and watch the sunset. There is also access to the beach here as well. While the drinks aren't the cheapest in town, they aren't overpriced, and you're not going to pay a cover.

For a big club experience, check out Papas & Beer. Papas & Beer is a large club in the heart of Rosarito. Although the drinks are overpriced for the area they are cheap compared to US prices. There's usually a cover, and sometimes a line, but the positive side is that if you are looking to dance, meet new people and have some cervezas, you will find what you are looking for here.

Sleep
Rosarito Beach is a fast-growing town. With that growth comes growing pains! For this reason, it is best to avoid all high-rises and accommodations in downtown Rosarito. Loud music coming from the clubs is a persistent problem that tourists face when they try to go to sleep every night. The best bet is for people to go to privately owned villas or condos or houses. Listings of all three types are plentiful and readily found everywhere.

Also, arrive early most check-in times are around 11:00 and on busy holiday it will be very hard to find a room.

 * Rosarito Luxury Penthouse Garden Floor Luxury 2-bedroom, 2-bath penthouse. Large balcony overlooking the beach. There is a circular bar as well as a kitchen, spa and pool nearby.
 * Villa Bonita Vista 3-bed, 4½-bath vacation rental in Bajamar. Villa Bonita Vista is located on the 7th green of the Los Lagos Course with ocean and golf course views. Bajamar is in Ensenada.
 * Las Rocas Resort & Spa, Toll Free Road Tijuana-Ensenada Km 38.5, 1 888 527 7622 or 1 866 445 8909, . 72 oceanfront rooms and suites, 2 restaurants, 2 bars, holistic spa, Ballroom and Gardens.
 * Las Rocas Resort & Spa, Toll Free Road Tijuana-Ensenada Km 38.5, 1 888 527 7622 or 1 866 445 8909, . 72 oceanfront rooms and suites, 2 restaurants, 2 bars, holistic spa, Ballroom and Gardens.
 * Las Rocas Resort & Spa, Toll Free Road Tijuana-Ensenada Km 38.5, 1 888 527 7622 or 1 866 445 8909, . 72 oceanfront rooms and suites, 2 restaurants, 2 bars, holistic spa, Ballroom and Gardens.

Bobbys Baja by the Sea - One of the nicer places to stay in Rosarito Beach is Bobbys Baja - just north of Puerto Nuevo's lobster village. Bobbys is a condo resort - so all the units have a kitchen and they are a lot more spacious than a hotel room. There are really nice - which is something one cannot say about some of the local hotels.

Go next

 * Tijuana
 * Ensenada
 * Mexicali
 * Valle de Guadalupe

title: Playas de Rosarito


text:
Plön

Plön is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany.

Get in
As for most places of Germany, Plön is connected to an extensive network.

By rail

 * 00 0425 Plön - Nikolaikirche und Schloss.jpg

By car
If you are traveling by car, you should head towards Kiel or Neumünster (from the north / Denmark) and follow the federal road B76 (from Kiel to Lübeck) or B430 (from Neumünster to Plön). From the south, head for Hamburg and continue to Lübeck, than just follow the B76 towards Kiel.

By bus
There are several daily connection from Kiel, Lübeck and Neumünster as well as many regional villages and cities. The operator is Verkehrsbetriebe Kreis Plön (VKP) or Autokraft.

By bike
Additionally, it is possible to use the bike. However, it is advisable to stay of the federal roads (Bundesstraße), "B" and use smaller alternatives or bike tramps (Fahrradwege)

By plane
The closest airports is in Hamburg.

Get around
Plön is small enough to easily walk or bike around town.

See
Plön is famous for its lakes, which essentially surround the city.

Do
Hiking, Sailing, Canoeing ...

Eat

Go next

 * Kiel
 * Lübeck

title: Plön


text:
Pleasant Hill

Pleasant Hill is in Contra Costa County in the Bay Area of California.

By car
Pleasant Hill is accessible by car from highway 680 with exits at Contra Costa Boulevard, Monument Boulevard, and Willow Pass Road (it's in Concord but the closest exit to northern Pleasant Hill).

By BART
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stops at the.

By plane
Small aircraft can land at Buchanan Field Airport in nearby Concord but most people coming to Pleasant Hill by air use the larger Oakland Airport  and then drive in or take BART the rest of the way.

Get around
Although biking and walking is certainly an option, it is advisable to have access to a car while staying in Pleasant Hill. Bus service (County Connection) is also available.

By taxi
Taxi service is available, but on a much reduced scale as compared to major cities. Occasionally you might be able to hail a cab at the Bart Station and in the downtown area but don't expect it; it is always better to call and arrange for a taxi to pick you up.

Eat
Downtown Pleasant Hill offers a variety of restaurants, ranging from Chipotle to Redbrick Pizza to the more upscale French restaurant Left Bank.

Restaurants outside the downtown area include:

Go next

 * Concord - Concord is one of the largest cities in the East Bay and has a variety of shopping and dining options.
 * Walnut Creek - Downtown Walnut Creek is perhaps Contra Costa County's best option for restaurants and bars. Shopaholics will also be more than satisfied with the variety of downtown boutiques.

title: Pleasant Hill


text:
Pleasanton

 * For the city in Texas, see Pleasanton (Texas).

Pleasanton is a city in the outer East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the wealthiest cities of its type, with many upscale restaurants and historic districts. Due to the area's Mediterranean climate, vineyards can be found in the countryside, along with oak tree-covered hills, hot summer weather, and fairly mild winter weather.

Understand
Pleasanton has changed greatly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, but it has managed to maintain a cowboy-town appearance. Busy town streets, which are often tree-lined, are well-designed and, especially in the north of the town, take up a total of six lanes; yet there are other, nearby, yet smaller streets, which have remained surprisingly quiet despite expanding population and progress. However, the truly unusual, though rather quaint, aspect of Pleasanton is that, despite the buildings that look like they came straight out of a Western, Pleasanton's location near the Silicon Valley gives it a cosmopolitan feeling: restaurants with Mexican, Italian, Turkish, Asian, and American-cuisines are all within a mile of each other.

Name
Pleasanton was founded as "Alisal". The town was to be incorporated as Pleasonton, after the name of a military figure in the Union. However, as various towns made clear that they wanted to be called Pleasonton (such as Pleasanton in Texas), the U.S. government made a spelling error and named them all "Pleasanton", a name which remains today. Many locals assume it is a portmanteau of the words "pleasant" and "town".

History
Pleasanton has changed dramatically over the years; it was historically a rough town that was frequented by bandits, yet now Pleasanton is one of the wealthiest cities in the country. The area began to be developed in the 1840s, and was established in 1850.

Some of the town streets, like Kottinger, are named after the early landowners in the town. Naming streets after landowners is surprisingly common in Pleasanton, and such naming procedures even take place in more recent housing developments.

The city became more important in California during the 1910s, when it emerged as one of California's prime centers for filming, somewhat like Hollywood today. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, for example, was filmed in 1917 in Pleasanton. However, the Pleasanton's population began to take off in the 1960s, and the population more than tripled to 18,000 in 1970. The population has since grown to approximately 80,000.

Pleasanton has a large historic district with a downtown, along with some historic homes and a between First and Third Streets. Especially around First and Second Street, there are some well-maintained homes, a couple of which are from the 19th century, and some of which are in Victorian style.

Location
Pleasanton is west of Livermore and south of Dublin in the Bay Area in California. When road traffic is good, Pleasanton is about one hour away from San Francisco, 30-35 minutes from Oakland, and two hours from the state capital, Sacramento. It is surrounded by mountains, including Mount Diablo to the north. (Mount Diablo towers over the region and the other mountains.) Large portions of the Diablo Range, which goes through the Pleasanton area, are protected as East Bay Regional Parklands.

The town is fairly close to Santa Clara County, an area well-known for technology. Some Pleasantonians commute to areas in the South Bay and the Peninsula, while others live and work in the Tri-Valley.Pleasanton is also only a couple hours from the Napa Valley Wine Country. Therefore, parts of the town and nearby Livermore have several square miles of vineyards, especially in the southeast. Mansions and wineries are scattered across this region. Pleasanton is a good base for tourists, as it is between a couple important regions of California, and tourists will find it a decent jumping-off point for the coast, San Francisco area, Silicon Valley, the Central Valley, and the Napa/Sonoma region.

People
Pleasanton is a somewhat diverse city. Although two-thirds of the population is white, more than twenty percent of Pleasantonians are Asian. About ten percent of the population is Hispanic. The African-American population is small, making up less than 2% of the population. Unlike many diverse cities, there are no specific cultural communities. Instead, most of the town's population blends in, and you will find people of numerous nationalities in close company.

Apart from retirement communities like, Pleasanton has a young population. Due to the high cost of living and nearness to jobs in Silicon Valley, many who retire eventually move to cheaper locations in other parts of the U.S.

Climate
Pleasanton's climate is Mediterranean, but is not far from a desert climate, especially when a drought occurs. Precipitation can be more than $$ per year in wet years, but only a few inches in dry years. Most of the rain occurs during the winter months. Therefore, Pleasanton must rely heavily on irrigation to keep its trees and gardens alive, and efforts have been made in modern housing developments, especially with the onset of a drought during the 2010s, to encourage the use of "drought-resistant" — not requiring irrigation — plants instead of lawns.

Pleasanton's climate varies greatly depending on the year. For example, in 2013-2015, it experienced California's extreme drought conditions, and local reservoirs almost completely dried up. However, in the winter of 2016-2017, the reservoirs filled, and in Lake Oroville about a hundred miles (200 km) to the northeast, the reservoir overflowed onto the emergency spillway, which then broke. Fundamentally, however, a few aspects of Pleasanton's climate hold up well through any year: 1) the temperature almost always has significant variation between day and night, making weather moderately pleasant at least during some time of the day; and 2) there is a clear wet season (approximately November or December to any time between February and April) and a dry season (the rest of the year) but not a clearly defined spring or autumn.

Temperatures can pass in summer, but can drop below freezing in winter. The best months to visit are April, May, and October, when temperatures are reasonable and there is almost no rain.

June can be a hotter month than usually expected. June is the second highest month for record temperatures in Pleasanton, behind September. July and August get moderately hot almost every day in Pleasanton, but do not often get to the same record high temperatures as are reached in June and September.

The highest temperature Pleasanton has ever reached officially is an oven-hot, although in the east of the town where temperatures are generally the most extreme due to the greater distance from the Pacific Ocean, it can get even hotter.

An easy way to remember the climate for those not familiar with it is "30-60-90," a famous right triangle. Temperatures in winter are typically in the to  range, while temperatures in summer are typically in the  to  range. is the temperature shared by both summer and winter. However, this memory aid does not account for heat waves. However, what it does demonstrate is that Pleasanton receives consistent weather during winter, and the average highs and lows during winter months closely match typical weather experienced in the city.

Visitor information
For visitor information, go to the. Located near Old Bernal Avenue, the library has a main information desk where they answer questions. One can also visit the nearby for information about the town. However, these buildings are eventually going to be moved to a new civic center, which will be on Pleasanton Avenue. According to city plans, the civic center complex will be merged into one main building near Bernal Community Park (which will be closer to I-680).

Numerous bookstores and other stores around Pleasanton sell a Pleasanton history book, which goes through the history of the city in detail.

By plane
Although there's a regional airport in Livermore, the best airports within range of Pleasanton are in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose. These airports should be less than two hours' driving distance from Pleasanton when traffic is good.

San Francisco Airport
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is the largest of these airports. However, from San Francisco one must get to Pleasanton — doing this by car involves taking several busy freeways with numerous complex intersections, which can be challenging for those who have not been to the area before. Alternatively, SFO has a BART station.

Oakland Airport
Oakland Airport is a smaller airport in Oakland, California, significantly closer to Pleasanton. The airport is connected to BART by a people mover, and it has an expressway that connects it to the rest of the area. The loop road at the airport also makes getting in and out by car relatively easy. Once you're on I-580 east, getting to Pleasanton is fairly simple, as long as you're familiar with freeways in the U.S.

San Jose Airport
San Jose Airport is now a major airport. However, if you're driving north from San Jose to the Tri-Valley, during afternoons, the I-680 (the freeway that connects San Jose to Pleasanton and Concord) can take hours driving northbound. The worst part begins around Scott Creek Road in the Fremont area and ends with the CA-84 freeway offramp south of Pleasanton.

By car
Driving is, for the most part, the best mode of travel for getting into Pleasanton.

Freeways
There are two freeways in Pleasanton: I-580 (northern side), and I-680 (western side) and one expressway, CA-84 (south-eastern and eastern side). I-580 and I-680 can get terribly busy, however. For example, driving on I-680 from San Jose to Pleasanton, which should only take about forty minutes, can take well over an hour. Both freeways, and CA-84, have steep ascents; I-680 and I-580 are somewhat twisty in the hills, not helping the traffic problems.

CA-84 is a California highway that is just emerging from years of road work. Most of the stretch of CA-84 from its intersection with I-680 south of Pleasanton to its intersection with I-580 in Livermore has been upgraded from a two-lane road to a four-lane expressway. CA-84 follows Vallecitos "Road" from the I-680, near Sunol, through the hills northeast to the eastern boundary of Pleasanton and Livermore. CA-84 meets Pleasanton roads at the junctions with Vineyard Avenue, Stanley Boulevard, and Jack London Boulevard (the eastern part of Stoneridge Drive).

Other roads
Approaching from the east: several roads connect Tracy with Livermore; if you're going west from Tracy, you go past Livermore on your way to Pleasanton. These include I-580, Tesla Road (J2), Altamont Pass Road, and Patterson Pass Road. Tesla Road, Altamont Pass Road, and Patterson Pass Road, however, are narrow and twisty in places. Approaching from the southwest: southwest of Pleasanton, a beautiful road called Niles Canyon Road (a western part of CA-84) connects the Fremont area with Sunol, a town to the south-southwest of Pleasanton. From Sunol, you can take Foothill Road, Pleasanton-Sunol Road, I-680, or CA-84 to get to Pleasanton.

Approaching from the north: several roads in Dublin, a city north of Pleasanton, continue into Pleasanton under other names: Dougherty Road becomes Hopyard Road, Tassajara Road becomes Santa Rita Road, San Ramon Road becomes Foothill Road, Fallon Road becomes El Charro Road, and Hacienda Road crosses the I-580. I-680 goes from Dublin, San Ramon, and various towns north of Pleasanton to Pleasanton (and of course then continues south to the Silicon Valley).

By bicycle
Due to the hilly terrain, most roads into Pleasanton are either too narrow for bike lanes or are freeways, so there are not many good opportunities for biking into Pleasanton. The best roads with bicycle lanes are Pleasanton-Sunol Road in the south and Vineyard Avenue in the east. Cycling in Pleasanton is more appropriate as a recreational activity.

By BART
The and  BART stations offer routes to Oakland and onward to San Francisco and San Francisco International Airport. The Dublin/Pleasanton station has connecting bus service to downtown Pleasanton (see ).

BART trains are quite fast (about 50 mph), similar to the speed of cars when traffic is good. As you can see on the map, most of the BART trains go to San Francisco and Oakland. The Dublin/Pleasanton line eventually connects with the Fremont lines, goes through Oakland, under the San Francisco Bay, through San Francisco, and ends in Millbrae. There are numerous stations, however, where the train will stop for a few minutes each time. It then goes on for a few minutes, and stops again.

There have been BART-related crimes, so always be careful while on BART trains that you know where your belongings are, and be sure that no-one can pickpocket them.

By train
The Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) is a commuter train service that goes from Pleasanton to places nearby including Stockton and San Jose. It only runs 4 times a day each direction — southbound in the morning and northbound in the afternoon — and stops at downtown.

By bus
There are connecting local buses. For example, Bus 10R runs from the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station to downtown Pleasanton (continuing to Livermore) with a 15-minute frequency during the day.

Get around
The city is fairly easy to navigate; roads are laid out in logical patterns with very straightforward intersections, unlike Livermore.

Downtown
Pleasanton has a walkable historic downtown district. The center of downtown is Main Street, from Bernal Ave on the south (anchored by City Hall on Old Bernal) to Arroyo del Valle on the north. The Pleasanton Downtown Association provides directions on how to get to downtown from various points. The historic residential district also has very walkable streets, although there steep hills in this section of town.

Northern Pleasanton
Northern Pleasanton was once a swamp, so when the area was developed, canals were dug. Along the canals are for cyclists and walkers. However, many of the canal banks collapsed during the 2016-2017 rainy season, and maintenance and closures continue through 2017. It is rumored that some of the land in this region is sinking; development has continued, however.

When traveling on foot, trails to avoid are those near I-680, for they are certainly not peaceful.

Other navigation
Except for the and other trails mentioned above, navigating by foot outside of downtown is difficult. Pleasanton is miles wide and miles from north to south, so it can take hours to get from Hacienda Business Park to downtown alone. Although sidewalks are found along roads around Pleasanton, few people walk on them except schoolkids.

By car
Driving is relatively easy in Pleasanton, and generally there is enough parking for everyone (though sometimes, in downtown, that's not the case. For example, during the Alameda County Fair). I-680 skirts the western side of the urban area with three exits (Sunol Boulevard, Bernal Avenue, and Stoneridge Drive) and I-580 defines the northern boundary of the City of Pleasanton with four exits (Hopyard Road, Hacienda Drive, Santa Rita Road, and El Charro Road). If you travel south on Santa Rita Road, away from I-580 towards the center of Pleasanton, the road it turns into Main Street, which marks the entrance to downtown. Going south on Hopyard Road, eventually narrows and turns into Division Street, which becomes Saint Mary Street, which terminates at Main Street in downtown.

Pleasanton, especially since the creation of Hacienda Business Park, has numerous wide roads (in the north) that are very easy to drive along.

Parking
Parking lots are spacious, especially in shopping malls, due to flatter ground and plenty of extra space. However, parking in downtown is tricky, especially along Main Street. During Alameda County Fair in the summer, parking in downtown can be nearly impossible.

Don't try to park directly on Main Street or First Street during daytime hours, since these roads are narrow and busy, making parking challenging along them. Surface streets with easy parking are often only a short distance from busy, congested roads. Main Street and downtown in general can be disastrous for parking during events, and during the Alameda County Fair, people park in downtown to avoid parking fees in the fairgrounds. Parking can also be a problem, especially in minor streets, during the fall, when fallen leaves cover parking spaces and trees. with their leaves, cover lighting and signage.

Generally, parking in the Hacienda Business Park region is located within the shopping malls or near business units. Parking lots are large in this area, with more room than there are cars.

Driving
Major roads in Pleasanton include (these roads are two lanes on each side at least at their widest point):

 * Santa Rita Road: goes from I-580 south to downtown Pleasanton, becoming Main Street at the southern end.
 * Hopyard Road: runs somewhat parallel with Santa Rita Road, and (going south) eventually becomes Division Street and leads into downtown Pleasanton.
 * Stanley Boulevard, First Street, and Sunol Boulevard: three names for different parts of the same road. Sunol Boulevard goes from I-680 northeast to downtown, First Street crosses downtown, and Stanley Boulevard goes east, past Shadow Cliffs and the quarries to Livermore.

Other roads to know:

 * Main Street: slow road, better for pedestrians than cars
 * First Street: see Stanley Boulevard
 * Pleasanton-Sunol Road: connects Pleasanton near Sunol Boulevard to downtown Sunol

By bus
Several transit companies serve the Pleasanton area. The main bus operator is WHEELS, which goes to Dublin and Livermore, as well as the BART stations. The County Connection has a few buses in Pleasanton. There is also reverse peak service from Pleasanton to Modesto, traveling to Modesto in the morning and returning to Dublin/Pleasanton Bart station in the afternoon; the fare is $11 one-way or $13 round-trip (must be in the same day).

By bicycle
The city has a good cycling network. Several trails, for walkers and cyclists, are found along canals in the northwest of the city. Work has been done on creating a bicycle network in downtown, but so far it has been unsuccessful since the roads are mostly too busy for cyclists. There are bicycle racks by the Firehouse Theater.

Plans are also being made to connect the Pleasanton and Livermore bicycle networks, since Livermore also has a good cycling network. As of 2018, a paved trail is being constructed along East Vineyard Avenue in Livermore, from which a dirt trail runs parallel with western Vineyard Avenue into Pleasanton.

Downtown Pleasanton
Pleasanton has numerous historic sights in the downtown area. These are generally in two sections: the commercial section along Main Street and the residential section along First and Second Streets.

The commercial district on Main Street is about a half-mile (one kilometer) long. This district of downtown is centered at the intersection of Angela and Main Streets, near the Farmer's Market. However, it extends to the north from this intersection as well, including a major junction where Ray Street, Saint John Street, and Main Street meet (Oasis Restaurant and the Rose Hotel are at this intersection). Pedestrians are often seen strolling through this district of downtown, often before or after having a meal at a restaurant.

The residential district, southeast of Main Street, is not as long as Main Street but has some historic houses. If you go southeast from Main Street, First Street marks the transition from commercial to residential, which continues to be historic into Second Street and on to Third Street. After this point, the houses are more recent constructions, although some of them are quite attractive, even in this part of town.

Other attractions are notable, such as Kottinger's Barn and Museum on Main. These are historic buildings which have since been converted into something they hadn't been. The Firehouse Arts Center, for example, was a fire department building before it was transformed into a theater and art gallery in the 2000s.

Country areas
Until the civic center project is completed, there will be few (nice) parks and gardens around downtown Pleasanton. Therefore, you'll want to get out into the country to see flora and fauna.

Groups such as the East Bay Parks District have purchased significant portions of land in the East Bay, which are now open to the public. These parks give outsiders and city inhabitants an idea of what the Pleasanton area used to look like before more recent developments. The parks are characterized by ranch country; you won't find many farms adjacent to Pleasanton today. Mostly, the country areas are either oak forests in canyons and cooler, wetter places, and open grassland in more isolated, drier locations. Pleasanton Ridge is a good example of this combination — often, one side of a ridge will be completely covered in oak trees, and the other side is almost barren, with moderately tall yet dry yellow grass (green during the wet season) shoots being the primary form of vegetation. Shadow cliffs is a notable exception, since it is situated along the Arroyo Del Valle and several lakes. This means that trees can grow in the area, while they could not survive in other areas because it is too dry.

Due to Pleasanton's location (nestled between Livermore, Dublin, and Sunol), there are few possible places for parks in comparison to its neighbors. When you go searching for true wilderness, the best option is south of Livermore, where besides Lake Del Valle there are 4,000-foot (1,300-meter) mountains like Mount Hamilton, and hundreds of square miles of parkland in places like Henry Coe State Park.

Museums & historic sights

 * Museum on Main and Blue Agave in Pleasanton.jpg
 * Museum on Main and Blue Agave in Pleasanton.jpg
 * Museum on Main and Blue Agave in Pleasanton.jpg
 * Museum on Main and Blue Agave in Pleasanton.jpg
 * Museum on Main and Blue Agave in Pleasanton.jpg

Art

 * Numerous murals. There are several beautiful murals and wall drawings scattered around downtown Pleasanton. Near Strizzi's Restaurant is a Another mural, portraying a street scene, is at  These murals often make what would normally be boring walls some of the most interesting in the town.
 * Numerous murals. There are several beautiful murals and wall drawings scattered around downtown Pleasanton. Near Strizzi's Restaurant is a Another mural, portraying a street scene, is at  These murals often make what would normally be boring walls some of the most interesting in the town.

Local events
Every summer Pleasanton hosts the Alameda County Fair, the main repeated event in Pleasanton. However, Pleasanton has numerous other events, musically and otherwise. Pleasanton, like neighbor Livermore, has a surprisingly strong jazz scene. Major jazz events include the monthly Inklings concerts, which are free and open to the public.

Pleasanton hosts many activities along Main Street. Such activities include the Third Thursdays Art Walk: these are important, even for those who are not attending the events, because they often result in Main Street or Angela Street road closures.

Parklands
Although some of the local parks are owned by the city government, most of the larger parks are owned by the EBRPD, which stands for the "East Bay Regional Parks District". The EBRPD owns a couple parks in Pleasanton, including Pleasanton Ridge and Shadow Cliffs, but also owns several other parks in the greater Tri-Valley, including Del Valle, Brushy Peak Regional Preserve, and Morgan Territory.

Parks & major trails

Arts & entertainment

City parks
Although these are not quite the equivalent of Yosemite and Yellowstone, they are places to go if you want to play sports or take children to the playground.

Relaxing
Although Pleasanton isn't a beach town, there are still places to take time relaxing. Pleasanton's historic residential district is nearly always peaceful — especially along Second Street and onwards, you could almost think that no-one was living there.

Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park and Shadow Cliffs Regional Park are not the best places to relax. For relaxation in parklands, the best place to go is Livermore. In Livermore, has beautiful trails featuring woodlands, historic buildings, and hills in the south. There are numerous benches around the park, so feel free to bring a snack and enjoy the peacefulness of the sycamore and olive groves.

Pleasanton and Livermore are working on a trail network for cyclists and pedestrians. Portions of Livermore's trail network are already complete; the trails mostly contain gentle slopes in nice countryside, ranchlands, and vineyards - a good area to escape the busyness of ordinary life. The trail network is accessible from the Sycamore Grove Staging Area. When the Pleasanton section is complete along, the trail network in the region will grow even more.

Buy
Once the headquarters of Safeway Stores (before they were purchased a few years ago), Pleasanton abounds in grocery stores. There are two Safeway Stores in Pleasanton, along with a Trader Joe's and a Ranch 99. Stoneridge Mall is a large mall in the north of town. It is near Hacienda Business Park, like Rosewood Plaza. Downtown Pleasanton is to the south.
 * The city also has a Wal-Mart, Kohl's, and Home Depot in the north of the town. There are also two Safeway stores, both towards the southern side of town.
 * The city also has a Wal-Mart, Kohl's, and Home Depot in the north of the town. There are also two Safeway stores, both towards the southern side of town.
 * The city also has a Wal-Mart, Kohl's, and Home Depot in the north of the town. There are also two Safeway stores, both towards the southern side of town.
 * The city also has a Wal-Mart, Kohl's, and Home Depot in the north of the town. There are also two Safeway stores, both towards the southern side of town.
 * The city also has a Wal-Mart, Kohl's, and Home Depot in the north of the town. There are also two Safeway stores, both towards the southern side of town.
 * The city also has a Wal-Mart, Kohl's, and Home Depot in the north of the town. There are also two Safeway stores, both towards the southern side of town.
 * The city also has a Wal-Mart, Kohl's, and Home Depot in the north of the town. There are also two Safeway stores, both towards the southern side of town.

Eat
Pleasanton has a wide range of restaurants, particularly along Main Street. What is mid-range for Pleasanton would probably be considered expensive in many places, due to Pleasanton's high cost of living.

Pleasanton's restaurant styles include some cuisines that are rare in much of the country, such as Mediterranean and Arabian food. There are also some Indian restaurants in Pleasanton.

Budget

Drink
Pleasanton is at the edge of Livermore wine country. Eastern Pleasanton, in particular, is somewhat similar to Napa Valley Wine Country.

Sleep
Pleasanton's hotels are mostly in the north of the town, although the Rose Hotel is in the downtown.

Cars
On the whole, Pleasanton is a safe city. The most dangerous locations in Pleasanton are toward the edges of the city — Vineyard Avenue, on the east of the city, has a high speed limit and turns without good curbs, and accidents have occurred around certain corners.

When driving in country areas, deer will often jump over a high fence onto the road, and that can be problematic when someone is driving along that piece of road. The same is true with raccoons and other smaller animals, but of course this does not pose so much danger to drivers.

Bicycles
Cyclists should be careful about going on the wide, country roads, for sure; commuters from the Central Valley drive far above speed limits and often crash into fences or anything along the sides of the road. Avoid cycling in downtown; the roads are busy, cycling lanes (if they exist!) are narrow, and pedestrians often walk along the sidewalks. Cycling is best done on the numerous bike trails around town.

Crime
Pleasanton seems, unless you know the Pleasonton story, to have reason behind its name — it is one of America's safer towns. Even at night, you could walk in almost any part of the town with no worry whatsoever about crime.

One problem in Pleasanton and Livermore is drunk driving. With numerous wineries in the area, people will often drive from one to another and drink at each one, and their condition rapidly deteriorates, sometimes leading to serious accidents when they drive home.

Generally, although the city is very safe, the safest parts of town are in the downtown area. Unless you're Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, you should not have to worry about leaving your car unlocked while you eat at a restaurant (not that you should). Signs and posters along the Main Street won't get vandalized, unless they're political. People are often afraid to make their political views public, for example, especially if they're part of the right-wing minority.

Wildlife
Outside Pleasanton is probably more dangerous than inside the city. The East Bay has a mountain lion population, although mountain lions generally stay away from populated places and parklands, at least during the day.

When you see a mountain lion and it is acting threateningly towards you (which isn't very common, by the way), act the opposite way you would act to a bear. With bears, advice is often to make yourself as small as possible. However, with mountain lions, your best chance is to scare them off. By making yourself look large and by throwing stones, the mountain lions are most likely to work out that you're more powerful than they are, and they will go away.

Rattlesnakes can also be a problem outside of the city itself. Generally, you can avoid rattlesnakes by walking in the center of trails (so you can see them). If it's not in a good position for attack, you'll have time to get away from the rattlesnakes. If the snake is coiled, then it’s angry and ready for attack, so get away as fast as possible. Do not attempt to take pictures of the snake within several feet of it. Rattlesnakes can spring surprisingly far and use their venom before you can get away, so make sure you are extremely careful in any parks and country areas.

Wi-Fi
Pleasanton downtown has its own Wi-Fi, while most restaurants, coffee shops, and hotels will also have their own. The area is also covered by XFINITY internet connectivity for those who have an XFINITY account.

News
There are several local newspapers, such as the Independent newspaper based in Livermore, and the Pleasanton Weekly newspaper based in Pleasanton. A magazine commonly seen at storefronts and coffee shops is the Alive Magazine, linked here to the Peet's Coffee location with Alive magazines in Pleasanton.

The Independent and the Pleasanton Weekly also have websites where news articles can be read without charge.

Mail
The main is on Black Avenue quite close to downtown Pleasanton; however, there is another post office in the northern part of town.

Cope
Generally, coping in Pleasanton shouldn't be much harder than it would be anywhere else, although the wide boulevards (of which there are many in the north near Hacienda Business Park) could be overwhelming for visitors. Cost of living may surprise visitors; if you're traveling on a budget, various low-price goods can be purchased at Rick's Picks, for example.

Medical care
There is a major hospital and along northern Santa Rita Road. It is the main hospital in town.

In Dublin just across the I-580 (on Tassajara Road) is a center. This is useful for those who have sudden ailments, although there are often long waits for care and the urgent care center does not do major operations - just relatively simple care.

Go next

 * Livermore is in some ways similar to Pleasanton, but is still different. While Pleasanton has many historic sights, Livermore has an abundance of wineries, vineyards, and large areas of mountains and parks. The city has about 8,000 more people in Pleasanton, and is an interesting contrast.
 * Just south of Livermore is Del Valle Regional Park, which is a large regional park with several campsites and a large reservoir, Lake Del Valle. From the top of some of the ridges are beautiful views of the lake and in other locations high cliffs. Del Valle is also a gateway into some even wilder country at Ohlone Regional Wilderness.
 * Mount Hamilton, also known as Lick Observatory, is south of Ohlone, and can be accessed via either Livermore, Patterson, or San Jose. Particularly from the eastern side, the drive is a lonely one. However, once you reach the top Mount Hamilton and look around you, the long, tiring drive was worth it. The 4,000-foot-high scientific community and observatory has views of San Jose and possibly the Sierra Nevada in good weather conditions. There is a museum and a gift shop at the settlement.
 * Farther south of Mount Hamilton, Del Valle, and Ohlone is some of the loneliest country in California at Henry Coe State Park. Miles and miles of trails lead deep into the Diablo Range wilderness and mountains covered in pine trees.
 * San Francisco, in many ways, need not be explained. It is the home of several piers, cable cars, and the Golden Gate Bridge, and is less than two hours from Pleasanton - that is, in good traffic. (The freeways into San Francisco are traffic jams much of the time.)
 * San Jose is one of California's largest and fastest-expanding cities, with a population of more than a million. It is home to several museums, along with Alviso, a coastal town which was once a thriving port but is now the home of a nature reserve.
 * Concord is, along with Walnut Creek, an area with many shops and more nightlife than Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley region.
 * Sunol is a small village south of Pleasanton with some unique attractions. One of these is the locally-famous Sunol Water Tower, which is for a few hours on some days, and the passenger train which runs from Sunol to Niles on weekends.
 * Mount Diablo is a dramatically-situated mountain to the north of Pleasanton. Although it is less than 4,000 feet (1,200 meters), its prominence enables it to be seen from as much as a hundred miles (160 km) away.

title: Pleasanton


text:
Pleasant Point

Pleasant Point is a small town in South Canterbury, on the South Island of New Zealand.

Understand
Had Richard Pearse been able to make a controlled landing in a field instead of on top of hedges some time in 1902 or 1903, Pleasant Point, rather than Kitty Hawk, would probably be remembered as the place where man first flew in a heavier than air machine.

While historical accounts state Pearse flew his machine at Waitohi, which is about half way between Temuka and Pleasant Point, in May 1903, the actual take off and landing of a long and reasonably controlled flight was along the banks of the Opihi River, which is closer to Pleasant Point than Waitohi. Although the flight ended prematurely, due to engine failure, this was apparently 6 months before the Wright Brothers were to achieve something similar. In later years, Pearse himself claimed he only successfully flew in 1904, however eyewitness accounts and other historical evidence place his many of his witnessed flights as occurring during 1902 and 1903. Because Pearse didn't seek publicity for his flying activities or dispute the Wright Brothers claim to fame, by the time Pearse's achievements became widely known, the Wright Brothers had been acknowledged as the first to demonstrate that powered flight in a heavier than air machine was practical.

Get in
On State Highway 8, inland from Timaru.

title: Pleasant Point


text:
Pleasantville

There is more than one place called Pleasantville:

United States of America

 * Pleasantville (Iowa)
 * Pleasantville (New Jersey)
 * Pleasantville (New York)
 * Pleasantville (Ohio)
 * Pleasantville (Bedford County), Pennsylvania
 * Pleasantville (Venango County), Pennsylvania

title: Pleasantville


text:
Pleasantville (New Jersey)

Pleasantville is in Atlantic County, New Jersey.

title: Pleasantville (New Jersey)