Between Cancun in Playa del Carmen there is a town called Puerto Morelos, this is a much smaller town than both of them and is literally in between two of those destinations. There are no big hotels or big crowds for now but such is the curse of the Riviera so that privilege might not last for long. For now if you want to escape the crowds and super expensive prices in a relatively short distance from Cancun, Puerto Morelos will provide you with that more intimate experience that you might be looking for.