CANCUN DESTINATION GUIDE

Cancun, a little paradise "start-up" destination, began in the early 70s with beautiful white sand beaches, the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, and the Mayan world of ruins and culture. Its location, the Mexican Caribbean, would become the newest up-and-coming destination for visitors worldwide. Fifty years later, travelers come from all over the world and are fascinated with our culture, culinary specialties, nightly entertainment, and fabulous shopping, not to mention day trips to places such as Chichen Itza, Coba, Tulum, and many more. Believe it or not, in 2022, Cancun received over 30 million visitors worldwide. With everything from world-class diving, All-Inclusive Resorts, jet-skiing, and incredible natural beauty, Cancun is a destination that provides everything anyone could be looking for. Now is the perfect time to pack your bags, book a flight, and discover what Cancun is all about!

Downtown Cancun and Hotel Zone

Cancun is divided in two zones, the city zone and the hotel zone. In the city you will find all the amenities and services of a developed community such as banks, restaurants, schools, churches, foreign consulates, markets, hospitals, etc. The hotel zone is the "tourist zone" where you will find all the fun activities and entertainment such as world class shopping, amazing hotels and resorts, fantastic restaurants and, of course, the blue sea beaches that makes Cancun an incredible place.

With 19 kilometers of powdery white sand beaches in the Hotel Zone and a quieter stretch of coast 15 kilometers north of downtown, Cancun is a beach lover's dream. Between Km 4 and Km 9, the north shore of the Hotel Zone has some of the most swimmable waters, while Isla Blanca, north of Downtown Cancun, beckons with its long stretch of relatively undeveloped coastline.

Most of the world has the image of a Cancun that is full of luxury, partys, resorts, and beautiful beaches. The hotel zone is certainly all that and more but if you are willing to explore the city, you will find great food and friendly people.

Arriving at Cancun Airport

The Cancun Airport has four separate terminals, but one is used only for private planes. It is simple to find your way: ul li Get off the plane. li Pick up your luggage. li Pass through customs. li Find your way out of the terminal. li Depending on the day, it could be very busy or a hop, skip and jump. Be patient; you're almost there!

Getting from Cancun Airport to your Hotel

Options from the Cancun Airport to your lodging exist. Check out the info here:

• Pre-book arrival transportation to your hotel. You can do this this is at our hotel transportation page where you will find different options for your convenience.
• You will see taxis dropping off tourists at the airport, but it is essential to note that taxis are not permitted to pick up clients for rides. Taxis are only allowed to drop off guests for departure. Please be aware you and the driver can be fined by the authorities if found to be breaking this rule.
• If you are staying downtown, the ADO Bus is a good option. The bus departs from the Cancun Airport and will take you straight to the ADO Terminal in downtown Cancun. You can purchase tickets in advance or upon your arrival at their booth in the arrival terminals.
• You can rent a car at the airport . There are several car rental companies at the airport, and you can book in advance or upon arrival. For your convenience we also have a car rental page where you can find the best deals for your trip.

Getting Around Town

Once you have arrived in Cancun and have settled into your hotel or whatever lodging you have chosen, you will want to find convenient and efficient ways to get around town. Several options include Public buses, Taxis, bicycles, and even walking.

There are public buses running regularly throughout the city, including along Kukulcan Boulevard in the hotel zone. These buses are both practical and cost-effective.

It's also easy to find taxis almost everywhere you go. These taxis don't have a meter and have pre-defined rates. It's a good idea to ask the driver the cost of the ride before you get in the taxi to avoid surprises.

Where to Stay

Not only are our turquoise waters outstanding and our white sand beaches spectacular, but you will also be amazed at all the lodging types available in Cancun. We offer options such as All-Inclusive Resorts, Luxury Hotels, Boutique Hotels, All-Inclusive Resorts, Adult-Only, and even Airbnb, Hostels, and Vacation Rentals. Another plus is the majority of the hotels on the island offer free wifi! You can book the lodging of your dreams when visiting our fabulous destination.

What to Eat?

One of our most asked questions in Cancun is, "What should we eat?" Mexican Cuisine is impressive as there are so many delicious and exciting things to eat you won't know where to begin. You'll find that each regional food is very different from the next. Our incredible restaurants offer high-end meals as well as taco joints. Our area's restaurants provide Mexican food and an eclectic selection of options like esquites, tacos de canastas, barbacoa, sushi, pozole, and much more. Make sure you check out some of our fabulous cuisines, you won’t be disappointed.

Los Mercados

If you’ve never been to Mexico, you probably haven’t ever experienced a “real” Mexican Market. In the downtown area of Cancun, you will find these fantastic markets, and they may surprise you. Going to the “Market” is often a family event in Mexico. The Mercado is where people find the freshest fruits, vegetables, and recently caught chicken, pork, meats, fish, and other amazingly delicious food. While at the Mercado, you can catch up with friends, talk with the vendors, and even grab a table at one of their food booths to have a delicious breakfast of chilaquiles or molletes with fresh refried beans and so much more! Also, there is more than just food at the market; here, you might need to pick up a gift for someone or have the heels of your shoes fixed. There are three markets downtown: Market 23, Market 28, and the Ki Huic Market. In addition, there is also the Coral Negro Market, located in the hotel zone, also known as the Zona Hotelera, and primarily sells souvenirs, jewelry, and decorative items for your home. Ensure you keep space in your luggage for all the goodies you'll take home! A convenient way to get from Market to Market would be to take local taxis to your destination.

Visiting Cancun

As you can imagine, Cancun is a destination like no other. Located in the Yucatan Peninsula, our little slice of heaven is perfect for your next vacation. In addition to our beautiful turquoise waters, white sand beaches, world-class diving, outstanding nightly entertainment, and incredible shopping, you will find unique, first-class Mexican Cuisine. There is something for everyone when you visit Cancun. You can visit places such as Isla Mujeres, where you can visit Garrafon Natural Reef Park, or you could take a journey to the 7th Wonder of the World when visiting the unbelievable ruins of Chichen-Itza, or perhaps you want to visit the sacred Mayan World of Tulum, and let us not forget to mention that Cozumel may be calling your name. This fabulous little island is perfect for snorkeling, and you wouldn't want to miss El Cielo, best known for starfish that decorate its white sand beaches. There is also scuba diving, the Mayan Museum, jet skiing, the MUSA Underwater Museum, and much more. You will always have things to do and places to visit in Cancun.

There is so much to see and do and most of it can be done during day trips. For example, for a day of archaeological ruin hopping, you could start at The Museo Maya de Cancun, which is a world-class museum with over 400 Maya artifacts and can be found right in our Hotel Zone. You can also visit the adjacent San Miguelito archaeological site which is well worth visiting. Two kilometers heading south there is a site called El Rey, which has a small temple and many ceremonial platforms. Cancun's local Maya sites are not as massive as a place like Chichén Itzá, but when combined with a museum visit they provide fascinating historical background and they are a warm up for your visit to the ruins of Chichen Itza, Tulum, Coba or any of our amazing sites in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Shopping in Cancun

If shopping is one of your favorite pastimes, Cancun is your place. We have everything from our downtown Mercados to the high-end Luxury Avenue in the Hotel Zone. Regardless of what you are looking for, no doubt you'll be able to find it here. Two of our high-end shopping malls, Puerto Cancun and La Isla, have fantastic movie theatres if you want a different experience or simply want to get out of the heat for a few hours. La Isla Shopping Village also offers an Interactive Aquarium and the Cancun Wax Museum attractions. Our fantastic malls are the perfect places to pick up souvenirs or something special for someone back home.

Entertainment

Entertainment means different things to different people. Cancun offers so many options it’s hard to know where to begin. There is ALWAYS something to do, whether you are traveling with a large group of friends or visiting us on a romantic getaway. Some popular daytime activities are visiting Ventura Park, hanging out at your favorite beach, or visiting Xcaret. Other options, especially with small kids, would be a fantastic visit to Croco Cun o a visit to the Interactive Aquarium; they both offer little ones lots of interaction with critters of all different types. There is also the Maya Museum of Cancun, which is educational and fun at the same time. Of course, an evening at Xoximilco is always a memorable experience as you eat, dance, and enjoy the evening. If “party” is your favorite word, we have plenty of places you can enjoy, such as Coco Bongo, Mandela Beach Club, or if you’re feeling romantic, maybe the Evening Sunset Cruise on Nichupte Lagoon.

Special Events

Cancun is an exceptional destination where you don't only come to vacation. In many cases, this is where you plan to marry, honeymoon, or even visit for a symposium or a convention. Our destination offers many different types of events, and we have many hotels where you can have the perfect event for your specific needs. The spectacular Mexican Caribbean is the ideal backdrop for any occasion, and Cancun is the perfect destination.