Playa Del Carmen away from Large Tour Groups

This will be challenging. By some measures, Playa del Carmen is the fastest growing city in North America (I say this from Seattle, the other now-overcrowded Fastest Growing City in North America - both suffer from cruise ships and decades of promotion and resultant unchecked growth).

I've visited PdC many times over the past 30+ years. Today it's a far cry from the quaint little fishing village with a single telephone that I first found. It's still a useful hub for jumping off to better places further afield, but I wouldn't spend any more time there than I had to.

With just 2 days, I don't think you will be able to find what you seek: authentic, natural and/or adventure experiences without crowds of foreign tourists. Those can still be found in the region, but it'll take you the better part of a day to get to them (and as much time to get back) so...lo siento.

I'm guessing from the way you wrote your post that you have not been to this area before.

You need not worry about heights. With the exception of high-rise hotels, and some of the great (but crowded) ruin sites (most of which you are no longer allowed to climb), theentire region is as flat as a pancake, with no elevation gain at all.

We are both hikers and don't mind killing ourselves as long as the view at the end is worth it.

Within a day of PdC, there are no hikes involving elevation gain, and all views are going to be of the waterfront - most of which has no shortage of development. Yes, you can find places on the coast that are less developed (and even undeveloped) but they require some travel.

I think you need to come to terms with a basic conflict in your expectations: You don't have enough time to really get away from the crowds. So wherever you go, you'll be among plenty of tourists, and probably large tour groups, and a lot of pretty crass mass tourism. Make your peace with that - or else add a week to your trip, and put a day's driving between the tourist coast and your destinations - there are plenty of them, but everyone (and I do mean everyone) goes to places along the coastal strip near PdC, so you need to get away from there.

30 years ago, unspoiled places were easy to find there. Today, it's one of the most intensely cultivated tourist areas in the world, and it feels like it. It is what is is. Still great if you put in the time and effort to get away from the tourism machine, but if you can not or choose not to, then be ready for what it is.

Good luck.

more...

things that allow us to interact with more locals than other Americans

Well, the tourists there are not just Americans (although they are the majority). You'll find lots of Canadians, Europeans, folks from Asia, other parts of Latin America, and even domestic (Mexican) tourists. If you merely want to interact with Mexicans, that doesn't take much effort.

No major futball action that I'm aware of. There are definitely local teams, but it's not like attending a major soccer match in Europe.

Churches: yes, there are some old and crumbly church ruins scattered around the Yucatan. Get a good guide book for the region. The problem, again, is that the historic churches will be a day away, in cities like Merida. Along the coast, everything is either "new" (built since the first tourism booms starting in the 1980s) or small/old/not particularly special.

Honestly, if this is your first trip to Mexico, you should suck it up, accept that there will be huge crowds, and go to the still-great places that draw millions of vistiors: go to Chichen Itza, it's one of the world's great ruin sites, and IMHO it's criminal to be so close without going there. But do it the smart way (the same way you do places in Europe that are suffering from too much tourism): arrive there mid-afternoon, check in to your hotel right at the site; enjoy a few hours there in the afternoon, spend the night right there, get up early the next morning, enjoy a few hours with few crowds, then get outta Dodge as the tide of tourist humanity rolls up on all those busses around 10-9 am).

You will need a car for this. You also could use a week more if you can swing it, but...with 3 days, you can do a quickie excursion out from the coast, stopping at a cenote (cave) or ruin or two on the way, overnight at Chichen, then move on, maybe go as far as Merida for your second night, before heading back to the coast. This just barely scratches the surface and would be a bit hurried, but at least it gets you away from Disneylandia along the coast and out into the real Mexico which is wonderful and under-appreciated (at Chichen Itza, there will be crowds; there will still be some tourists in Merida and elsewhere, but mostly the real life Mexico that I think you're seeking). Find another day or so to make this work if you can - it'll whet your appetite for a future trip deeper into Mexico. Mexico (beyond the tourism machine) is awesome, the equal of Europe or anyplace else. It's worth the time.

The Moon Travel book on Yucatan is good. Get it.

My long response just disappeared. Check out izamal, I don't remember seeing anyone else from the US there
Church, monastery, an ancient ruin to climb, fab view back to the city, vrbo rentals starting at $65

We did it as a day trip from Merida

Check out izamal...

Not a bad place to go - there are actually many (very many) such authentic spots around the Yucatan. Problem is, it's a bit too far for the OP as an easy day trip from the Costa del Tourismo. It would take the better part of a day to drive there - and if you're going that far, better to go to Chichen Itza, which is quite spectacular, even though it draws lots of day-trip crowds. From Merida, sure. From Playa del Carmen, not how I would use one of my precious two free days.

Don't get me wrong, there are oodles of wonderful things to do and see all around the Yucatan (I still love the region, even with all the runaway development and over-the-top tourism hype). But getting to those places away from the coast, when you're based at PdC and only have 2 days to do it in, that would be the trick.

OP just needs to find some more days, that fixes the problem (even 1 or 2 more days would make a difference, but a week would be better).

Yucatan is flat. The talllest hike is going to be one of the pyramids that still allow that.
Any touristic city still has locals. Even the vibe at the little shops around the Super Mega on 30th is going to be living their daily lives. The little fabric store may carry similar stuff as in Gringo land, but with a more local interest. So the further from the beach you go, the more likely you will have some reality.
I do agree that central Yucatan may ge more fulfilling for your wish list.
Churches....if you mean modern ones, ask your own church.

From Playa del Carmen, Coba is manageable for a day trip, it would be closer if you stayed in Tulum as opposed to Playa del Carmen, then you could hike around the Coba site (still can climb that pyramid), then hit a cenote. Near Tulum, just South, is a much smaller village ruin, Muyil, that has some trails and rarely anybody around.

There is also the Sian Ka'an bio-reserve, they used to have some concessions that you could rent a kayak and paddle around the lagoon, but last time I was there it looked they were closed down. Might be worth some research.

Of course Tulum itself has grown, but does still retain a bit of local charm, feels more small town than Playa del Carmen, good restaurants, mix of nationalities, most of the groups stay near the ruins (If you are there, the ruins at Tulum are worth fighting the crowds).

Look up Ek Balam. Its a ruins site, not as well reconstructed as Chichen Itza and definitely not crowded. You could climb the main pyramid while you're better half stays safely in the ground. Near the pyramid site is a large cenote that is as well developed as a water hole gets. Not to say it's busy or resort like, but they have showers (required before getting in) and life vests if needed. It's a walk from the parking lot so you feel like you're away from the non-existent crowds. Nearby is the town of Ek Balam where many of the women sell hammocks they've made. If you wanted to spend the night, stay at Genesis Eco-hotel. The owner is Canadian but she's made herself part of the village and gives town tours or sets up demos with the locals to help them earn money. And she has bikes you can borrow to ride over to the ruins site. Not sure how far it is from PDC but it's in your side of the Yucatán. I think there's a road that goes past Cuba and then up to EB to see more stuff on the way.

Ek Balam would be a good place to check out (description above is accurate - or at least it was, when I was there 20 years ago...). But, it would be a long day trip from Playa del Carmen. And if you're going to go that far, you might as well go to nearby Chichen Itza, which is a world-class site (alas, with world-class crowds)... I do think Chichen Itza is worth gong to, but I think it's worth spending the night there (to deal with the crowding). Ek Balam would be a good choice for a stop on the way to Chichen Itza.