The truth is that Cancun is not a destination that caught our attention, but it is the gateway to the Yucatan Peninsula and since our flight arrived there we decided to spend a couple of days to discover the area. Got captivated us? Yes and no. It is a place where you can wonderfully spend the jetlag, relaxed on the beach and making the first incursions into Mexican food (although at almost hurtful prices). But commit the sins of any mass destination. In this post we tell you 20 things to see and do in Cancun And your best excursions.
But first, let us tell you that Cancun is divided into two parts. The first is the Cancun city, where mortals live together and that offers more authentic places. And to the south of the city there is a 25 km road, limited by a lagoon on one side and extensive beach lines on the other. It is what is known as Hotel zone and where most of the accommodations and hotels are concentrated.
1. All travelers (or almost all) arrived in Cancun with a mission: enjoy its beaches (That is allowed by the sargassum). Ok, but what are the best beaches in Cancun?
- Dolphin Beach
- Snail Beaches
- Tortugas Beach
- Beautiful beach
And surely there are many more since Cancun has about 20 km of beaches (not to mention the nearby islands). We stayed in the northern part (in the Kin Ha, in an Airbnb for about € 40 a night) and the beach here was smaller but the water was quieter than the beaches that are further south.
The sargassum is a macroalgae characterized by its greenish brown color and stinky smell, a true plague that this year 2018 has never hit the Riviera Maya. The causes are environmental and the problem is that the sargassum multiplies quickly and uncontrollably. Why are there sargassum pests? Essentially because of global warming that raises water temperatures and their overfertilization.
2. Live the experience of staying in one of its famous All inclusive resorts, even for a day. We are not very fans of these complexes, but occasionally giving a whim of these does not hurt anyone, you only live once! Here you can find very interesting offers.
3. But don't make the mistake of not leaving it. Give the opportunity a chance Cancun city, the less touristy area is possibly the most authentic and you should also visit it. A good place to breathe local atmosphere is the Palapas Park, where you can also eat well and very cheap.
4. If you like to go out at night, a mythical place is the Coco Bongo. We have a very long disco years, and we did not go, but it is a good plan if that roll is cool. Ok, we are two grandparents, but we still don't play cards in the town bars. Although time to time.
5. Not many know, but in Cancun there are threearcheological zones: that of San Miguelito (70 pesos),that of the King(55 pesos) and the Temple of the Scorpion Yamil Lu'um (free). If you plan to visit other Mayan ruins such as Chichen Itza or Coba and Tulum, we believe it is not worth getting too close. But it's always nice to approach the memories of past cultures.
6. If you want a break from the beach and you want to do some shopping (even if visual) you can approach one of its shopping centers, such as the Las Americas Square (in the city of Cancun) or La Isla Shopping Village (in the hotel zone), where there are restaurants on foot of the lake (eye with the crocodiles) and a panoramic ferris wheel huge.
7. Take an urban bus (below we give you more info) and arrive at Playa Delfines to take a picture with the famous “Cancun” color poster. If you don't want to queue a lot, arrive early!
8. It is not very cheap, but if you dive you may be interested in doing so Underwater Museum of Art. It is located underwater, between Cancun and Isla Mujeres and has more than 500 submerged sculptures. It is certainly an original site. Curiosity: the sculptures are made of a special marine material, which allows the proliferation and growth of corals easily. If you do not dive you can visit it by glazed boat (47USD). If you dive, the tours are around 100USD.
9. Both in the lake and in the sea can be performed watersports. The tides are not good for surfing, but you can always rent a paddle board, a jet ski or see Cancun from above on parasailing. Only popcorn is missing!
10. Take the opportunity to try one of the richest cuisines in the world. In Cancun there are quality restaurants and, although the prices are higher than in the rest of Mexico, you will see how it is worth trying the local specialties. One option is to join a gastronomic tour or a taco tour, and if you bundle the blanket at the head, even make yourself a Mexican cooking class! In this post we tell you what are the dishes that you can not miss in Mexico (soon) and recommendations of restaurants to eat in Cancun.
11. If what you want is to have a view from the heights, but you do not risk finishing up to the last hair, you can go up to theCancun Scenic Tower. It is located at km 4.5 and its platform that rotates 360 degrees reaches 80 meters, from where the sunsets have to be brutal. The price is 18.50 dollars.
12. Something original to say goodbye to Cancun is to get on a replica of a Spanish galleon and go out at sunset through the Caribbean. These cruises usually include dinner (and what a dinner!) And, although it seems a tourist, it can be a good end to your visit. More information and reservations.
Although the truth is that the best thing about Cancun is to use it as a base to enjoy numerous day trips, each more beautiful. We recommend these:
13. Visit Tulum and its archeological enclave. It is only 130km from Cancun, which makes it a perfect day trip. This tour has a very good price and is recommended.
14. Another essential getaway is that of Chichen Itza, an archaeological area of almost 7 square km, where the Temple of Kukulcán stands out, nothing more and nothing less than one of the 7 wonders of the modern world. There are many tours that leave from Cancun and take you to visit Chichen Itza (this for example includes 2 days of tour, one for the visit of Tulum and another for Chichen Itza and the sacred cenote).
15. Take a ferry and go to Women Island, a wonderful little island, where Playa Norte stands out, probably one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Mexico. You can also take a little boat and explore the Contoy Island. This tour that combines both islands in one day.
16. Another highly recommended island is Cozumel. There are tours that leave from Cancun and take you to explore the most beautiful water spots of the place, being Cielo de Cozumel, the most famous and charming area. Check out this tour.
17. Take a bath in one of the cenotes of the Riviera Maya. In this post we tell you which are the best (coming soon).
18. If you like the colonial cities, a great idea is to rent a stroller and make a road trip of a couple of days (at least) to meet Valladolid, Izamal Y Merida.
19. Another very beautiful excursion is the one of the Coba ruins, one of the most interesting archaeological sites in the Riviera Maya. If you do not have a car, sign up for this tour that also includes admission and swimming in a cenote.
20. Finally, we recommend something NOT to do in Cancun (and the Riviera Maya in general). We have seen that there is a lot of activities with animals ... don't be part of this business! It is precisely because of this that, although many recommended Xcaret Park, we decided not to go.
The cheapest way is to do it by public transport with urban buses. There are different routes:
- If you are staying in the hotel zone and you are only going to move along the 25 km of road, it doesn't matter which one you take because they all do the same up and down route.
- If you are staying in the city of Cancun and want to get to the hotel zone, the ones that are R1 and R2. Before taking them, check that you have written “hotel zone” on the front and ask the driver.
- If you stay in the hotel zone and want to go to Cancun, you have to be attentive. There are routes of the same number that arrive at different sites, for example the R1 It arrives to the ADO bus terminal (from where long-distance buses leave) or to Puerto Juarez (to take the ferry to Isla Mujeres). The R2 It reaches Market 28 and the Walmart shopping center. And the R27 takes you to Plaza las Américas.
As we say, it is important that before going up you ask the driver about your destination. Stay close to him and a little before your stop remind him to get off there. The price at the end of 2018 for a ticket is 12 pesos and you can only use it that time (sometimes we were given the ticket and sometimes not, the ideal would be to ask for it).
Hopefully you are 20 things to see and do in Cancun and the recommended excursions you liked. Have you been to Cancun? What do you think about it?
* Photocredit: Shutterstock
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