What is the difference between Riviera Maya and Playa Del Carmen?

Question

Are they both cities in Mexico?

Answer 1

The Riviera Maya is an area south of Cancun.  Playa del Carmen is a small city that is included in the Riviera Maya.

Cancun has a strong reputation in the World and tries to maintain separate from the rest of the Mexican developments.  The Riviera Maya is a marketing term that somebody created to describe and promote the towns and hotels that started to develop just south of Cancun.

They are basically the same area.  In fact One would think that properly speaking Cancun is the norther tip of the Riviera Maya and Tulum is the southern tip.  Playa del Carmen being right in the middle of the Riviera Maya.