Car and bike rental All the large car rental companies have outlets in Playa - most are situated on the main coastal highway at the turn-off into town or Plaza Marina near the Cozumel ferry pier. Try Budget, Plaza Marina (tel 9/873-2772) or Localiza, Av Juarez between Av 5 and Av 10 (tel 9/873-0580). Universal, Av 10 between C 12 and C 14 (tel 9/876-5960) rents out motorbikes (US$30 per day), bicycles (US$7 per day) and foot scooters.

Email and fax There are a number of shops with internet facilities on or around Av 5, including Supersonicos , Av 10 between C 2 and C 4 (daily 8am-2am).

Post office On Juarez, four blocks back from the beach (Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat 9am-2pm), and geared to dealing with tourists. There's a stamp machine outside. The Lista de Correos (postcode 77710) keeps mail for 10 days.

Telephones There are plenty of Ladatel phones and you can call long distance at Computel Caseta (daily 7am-10pm), next to the bus station.

Travel agents and tours The small airstrip just south of town handles short jaunts, chiefly to Cozumel, but also to Chichen Itza and other key Maya sites; operators include Aeroferinco (tel 9/873-0636) and Aeromexico (tel 9/873-0350, www.aeromexico.com ). Eurotravel at Rincon del Sol, Av 5 near C 8, can organize tours to Maya ruins, along with horse riding, boat trips, sky diving and national and international flights. Tours to Xel-ha, Xcaret or Tulum cost around US$20-45 per person. Cenote Sam (tel 9/876-4969) takes groups on off-the-beaten-track tours of the jungle (US$20-40 per person).