Yacht Rental in Playa del Carmen: Prices, Pier and the Catches
A yacht rental in Playa del Carmen means a private boat for your own group, and the charter on this page is a 48 ft yacht at $1,199 per boat for four hours. That works out between about $100 and $200 per person depending on how many friends you bring. It leaves from the marina at Puerto Aventuras, a short drive south of Playa, and this page breaks down the price, the pier and the fees that never make the headline. If you would rather compare every kind of boat first, start with our guide to boat tours in Playa del Carmen.
Quick answer
A private 48 ft yacht out of Puerto Aventuras costs $1,199 per boat for four hours, not per person, plus a $20 extra charge at checkout. For six guests that is about $199.83 each, and for twelve it drops to about $99.92 each. Open bar, ceviche, guacamole, snorkel gear and a paddleboard are included, but transport, tips, towels and a Puerto Aventuras dock fee are not. The booking is non-refundable, so read the terms before you pay.
Key takeaways
- See the full details and current dates for the private 48 ft yacht.
- Travelling as a couple? A shared sunset sailing cruise costs a fraction of a whole boat.
- For pure snorkelling with your group, compare a private snorkel boat in Puerto Morelos.
- The yacht boards at the first pier in Puerto Aventuras, about 23 km south of the Playa del Carmen ferry terminal.
- Ask the operator for the passenger capacity before booking, because the listing does not state one.
The Charter at a Glance
A 48 ft private motor yacht operated by Playacht, reserved entirely for your group.
Four hours on the water, with a five-hour reef and beach option also listed on the same booking.
The first pier at Marina Puerto Aventuras, 50 metres before Cafe Bamboo, about 23 km south of Playa del Carmen.
Open bar with rum, tequila, vodka, whisky and wine, plus shrimp ceviche, guacamole, fruit, snacks, snorkel gear, a paddleboard and WiFi on board.
Transport, gratuities, towels and a Puerto Aventuras dock fee are excluded from the quoted price.
All sales are final and no refund is available for cancellations.
Charters out of Puerto Aventuras anchor off quiet beaches south of Playa for a swim and a snorkel.
What the Price Buys
The full price, not just the headline
The listing price for the private 48 ft yacht is $1,199 per boat for the four-hour option, and it is quoted as a unit price, so the whole boat is yours whether you fill it or not. Checkout then adds a $20 extra charge, and the listing separately excludes a "Dock Fee (3+)" at Puerto Aventuras without stating its amount or whether it is charged per person or per boat. Gratuities, private transportation and towels are also excluded.
Because the booking is sold as all sales final, the money you see is close to the money you pay only once you add those items.
| Group size | Per person |
|---|---|
| 6 guests | $199.83 |
| 8 guests | $149.88 |
| 10 guests | $119.90 |
| 12 guests | $99.92 |
What is on board
The inclusions are genuinely generous for a private boat at this price. You get WiFi on board, beer, bottled water, soda and juices, and a full spirits shelf: Bacardi and Captain Morgan rum, Jose Cuervo tequila, Smirnoff vodka and Black and White whisky, plus red and white wine. Food runs to fruit, guacamole, shrimp ceviche and snacks.
Gear is covered too, with snorkelling equipment and a paddleboard for the swim stops. Traveler ages from 0 to 120 are accepted, infants sit on an adult lap, strollers are allowed and the trip is listed as suitable for all fitness levels.
- Open bar: beer, wine, rum, tequila, vodka and whisky
- Shrimp ceviche, guacamole, fruit and snacks
- Snorkel gear and a paddleboard
- WiFi on board
Two options and what we cannot tell you
The listing carries two departures: the four-hour yacht and a five-hour Reef and Beach Tour on the same 48 ft boat, also with open bar and food. The listing does not give the price of the five-hour version, so ask the operator before choosing.
It does not state the passenger capacity either. Ask the operator how many guests the boat is licensed to carry and get the answer in writing before you invite the whole group. That number also decides your per-head cost, so it is worth settling first.
Leaving from Puerto Aventuras
Getting to the marina
The yacht boards at the first pier of Puerto Aventuras, 50 metres before Cafe Bamboo. Drive into the residential area, stay on the main street until you see boats on your right, park in the spots near the marina and walk to the pier. From the Playa del Carmen ferry terminal our route measurement puts the marina at 23 km, roughly 22 minutes by car along the coast highway.
Puerto Aventuras sits in the Solidaridad municipality with Highway 307 splitting the residential west side from the tourist zone and coast on the east. Transport to the marina is not included in the yacht price, and there is parking at the marina if you drive.
Where the boat can take you
Heading south from Puerto Aventuras puts Xpu-Ha beach and Akumal within easy reach. Akumal Bay was declared a marine refuge to protect its green turtles, but boats are not allowed into the bay itself, so charters snorkel or dive on its outer reefs instead. Our snorkeling in Playa del Carmen guide covers the reef options in more depth.
See the Boat Before You Book
Before You Book
The no-refund rule
This is the biggest catch on the page. The cancellation terms read: all sales are final, no refund is available for cancellations. The listing carries a cancel-if-bad-weather flag but says nothing about a refund or reschedule when the port closes, so what happens to your money after a weather cancellation is simply not stated.
Weather on this coast is decided by the port captaincy, which has halted ferry crossings for cold-front gusts and closed Cozumel port outright in the past, and the same authority governs charter boats. Ask the operator in writing what happens if the port grounds the fleet before you hand over $1,199.
- Confirm the refund or reschedule policy for weather in writing
- Ask the passenger capacity of the 48 ft yacht
- Confirm the amount and unit of the Puerto Aventuras dock fee
- Ask the price of the five-hour option if you want the longer run
Getting there and tipping the crew
Transport to Puerto Aventuras is not part of the price, so budget your own taxi, rental car or colectivo, and remember the marina has parking if you drive. Gratuities are excluded from the fare, so the crew tip comes on top. Crews on private charters are usually tipped in cash at the end of the trip and share it between them.
Bring pesos or dollars for the tip, the dock fee and any extras, since there is no card machine on board.
Private Yacht or a Shared Boat?
If You want the whole boat for your group with food and drinks on board
Book the private 48 ft yacht from Puerto Aventuras at $1,199 per boat for four hours.
If You are a couple or small group who wants the sunset without the whole boat
Take the shared sunset sailing cruise with light dinner and open bar at $89 per person for two hours.
If You want a reef snorkel day with beach time and easy pickup from Playa
The Maroma Beach catamaran reef snorkel and beach club is $85 per person for three and a half hours.
If Your priority is snorkelling a protected national reef park with a guide
Choose the private snorkeling tour in Puerto Morelos with hotel pickup from $130 for five hours including transfers.
Other Ways onto the Water
If a four-hour private yacht is more boat than you need, these are the trips we would shortlist instead.
from $1,199 per boat
Private Yacht
Puerto Aventuras: Private 48 ft Yacht, All Inclusive
The whole 48-foot yacht for your group for four hours, leaving the marina at Puerto Aventuras, 20 minutes south of Playa del Carmen. Open bar, ceviche, guacamole and…
- Whole boat for your own group
- Open bar, ceviche and snacks
- Snorkel gear and paddleboard on board
- Boards at the Puerto Aventuras marina
from $89
Sunset Sail
Riviera Maya: Sunset Sailing with Light Dinner & Open Bar
A two-hour sunset sail along the Riviera Maya coast on a catamaran capped at 34 guests, with an open bar and appetizers on board. Pickup runs from Riviera…
- Two hours on the water at sunset
- Open bar and appetizers on board
- Maximum 34 guests
- Hotel pickup in the Riviera Maya
from $85
Reef Snorkel Catamaran
Maroma Beach: Catamaran Reef Snorkel & Beach Club
A catamaran sail out of Maroma, between Playa del Carmen and Cancún, with two reef snorkel stops of about 45 minutes each and Maroma Beach to yourself afterwards…
- Two reef snorkel stops, about 45 minutes each
- Spinnaker ride when the wind allows
- Maroma Beach access after the sail
- Pickup from Playa del Carmen hotels
Puerto Aventuras on the Map
The places this page talks about, pinned. Tap a pin for directions.
Yacht Rental Questions
What is the average cost of renting a yacht in Playa del Carmen?
The clearest figure we can quote is $1,199 per boat for a private 48 ft yacht for four hours out of Puerto Aventuras, plus a $20 charge at checkout and a dock fee that is not included. Per head that is $199.83 for six guests and $99.92 for twelve. A five-hour option on the same boat exists but its price is not published.
Where do private yachts leave from near Playa del Carmen?
Our private yacht boards at Marina Puerto Aventuras, about 23 km or 22 minutes by car from the Playa del Carmen ferry terminal. Playa del Carmen also has its own marina with around 280 berths for boats up to 120 ft, and Puerto Morelos has a smaller one to the north with 70 berths. The exact meeting point in Puerto Aventuras is the first pier, 50 metres before Cafe Bamboo, with parking near the marina. Walk straight to the pier from the lot and look for your boat on the right.
What is included in a private yacht charter?
On the private 48 ft yacht the fare covers the boat for your group alone, an open bar with beer, wine, rum, tequila, vodka and whisky, bottled water, soda and juices, plus shrimp ceviche, guacamole, fruit and snacks. Snorkelling equipment, a paddleboard and WiFi on board are included too. Excluded are transport, gratuities, towels and the Puerto Aventuras dock fee. Read the inclusions line by line, because all-inclusive on a boat does not always mean everything.
How many people fit on a 48 ft yacht?
The honest answer is that the listing does not state a passenger capacity for this 48 ft yacht, so we will not print a number. Ask the operator how many guests the boat is licensed to carry and get it confirmed before you invite the whole group.
Do you tip the crew on a private yacht?
Yes, gratuities are listed as not included on the private 48 ft yacht, so a tip is on top of the boat price. Crews are usually tipped in cash at the end of the trip and share it between them, so bring cash rather than relying on a card.
Is a private yacht worth it for a small group?
It depends on your headcount. At $99.92 per person for twelve guests the yacht undercuts many per-person tours once you add up what is included, with the whole boat and a full bar to yourselves. At four guests the same boat costs $299.75 each before extras, which is hard to justify for a first visit. Small groups usually get better value from a shared catamaran or a sunset sail and save the private boat for a celebration.
What happens if the weather turns bad?
Whether boats sail at all is decided by the port captaincy, which has halted crossings during cold fronts with strong gusts and high waves before. The yacht listing carries a bad-weather flag but its cancellation text says all sales are final with no refund available, and it does not state what happens to the money after a weather cancellation. Email the operator before booking and ask for their reschedule or refund policy for port closures in writing.
Do I need to bring anything on board?
Towels are explicitly excluded from the yacht, so bring your own, along with swimwear, sunscreen and cash. The cash covers the Puerto Aventuras dock fee, whose amount is not stated in the listing, and the crew tip. Transport to the marina is not included either, so plan your own drive or taxi, and remember there is parking near the pier if you rent a car. Arrive early to find parking and board without rushing.