Travel to Cancun is popular destination dedicated to hospitality and tourism. So is its airport, Cancun International Airport, CUN. It’s Mexico’s 2nd busiest airport, after Mexico City International Airport (MEX). CUN resides in Cancun, Quintana Roo, on the coast of the Caribbean on the Yucatan Peninsula. The airport serves more than 16 million passengers, the majority them international. CUN’s attractions and special features include a video arcade and beauty parlor.
Whether at the airport or among most of Cancun’s resorts, staff is mostly able to speak English. So communication tends to be fine for nearly all travelers. Food options are plentiful, but to keep costs down one might prioritize native Mexican cuisine—e.g. pastor tacos over Italian pizza.
Cancun itself is among the most visit tourist destinations in Mexico. More than 4 million tourists arrive annually. It has very favorable, near-perfect weather, white sandy beaches, even magnificent coral reefs. Cancun’s several luxury resorts, especially in its Hotel Zone, can variously serve singles, lovers, newlyweds, groups of friends, relatives, or colleagues.
Getting around Cancun: Travel to Cancun
There’s a decide simplicity to getting around Cancun, since most of its attractions and a sightseeing spots are in or near the Hotel Zone. It is true that, from the airport, in addition to the buses that go up to Cancun, there are buses going south to Playa del Carmen (as frequently as the buses heading north to Cancun). Many of the buses that go from Cancun to Tulum, a nearby village, stop at the station in Playa del Carmen. So, for Tulum, one can take a bus from the airport to the station in Playa del Carmen. You can visit the beach while waiting. Then actually changeover and take to the bus for Tulum. The tourist areas of these outlying places are more walkable. Even in Cancun itself there are taxis, buses, rental cars and ferries, all especially helpful in exploring outside the heart of Cancun.
Best time to visit Cancun
Choosing the best time to visit Cancun depends on both one’s tolerance for the weather and the corresponding price. While the climate can be quite quite sunny and balmy during most of the year, it can quite hot in the summer. As well, tropical storms can yield extend rainfall or worse. A rule of thumb: Hotels and car rental rates tend to bottom out during the summer more so than during other seasons. Cancun’s high season usually runs from November’s end through the first week or 10 days of March, with prices peaking from mid-December to mid-January. It’s almost always cheaper to visit from May to mid-November—and, if not during the summer, than during the two most rainy months, September and October.
Top Things To Do in Cancun
Go Snorkeling with Whale Sharks
Cancun lies on the Yucatan peninsula’s Gulf coast, one of the world’s best places to spy and frolic with endangered whale sharks. Whale sharks, which do not threaten humans with harm, can be glimpsed on snorkeling tours available in Cancun, especially during the months of June to September. You’ll very likely have several chances to take Instagram-worthy pictures and have close encounters with these creatures.
Take a Catamaran Cruise: Travel to Cancun
Among all the activities available in Cancun, this one is really good for a relaxing change of pace. Some of these cruises include open sea, reef and shipwreck snorkeling. There are different options from maritime tour companies. Some catamaran trips are actually dinner cruises, which conjoin beautiful sunsets and gourmet meals; some are dancing cruises featuring music, singing and dancing onboard, combined with amenities such as an open bar.
Beach-Going in Cancun
Most of Cancun’s resorts offer direct access to its beaches. The water here is generally green and clear. The beaches typically feature crystal clear waters with scenic views that you can enjoy. The resorts and others offer watersports, from parasailing to jetpacking, typically conduct, if not on the beach, then otherwise along the shoreline. There are, of course, plenty of other activities available in Cancun. For example, you can visit the Paseo Kukulkan, where you can play golf at the public golf course popularly known as Cancun Golf Club at Pok-ta-Pok.
Visit El Rey Maya Ruins: Travel to Cancun
These ruins can found at the Punta Nizuc end of Cancun. The Punta Nizuc was name after a mask that was found here. That mask was believe to dedicate to the sun god. The sites house the remains of 47 buildings, many of them tombs that were built by the Mayans beginning in 900AD. Two main platforms, hosting temples, are the highlight of the ruins. These were part of the marketplace and important ceremonial areas before they were destroy. As a bonus, a population of iguanas in and around the ruins are very much in evidence and themselves are an attraction.
Swim the Underwater Museum
There is an underwater art museum locate between Cancun and Isla Mujeres known as the Cancun Underwater Museum (MUSA). The museum hosts more than 500 sculptures, the work of a handful of artists, that were done in order to encourage the growth of coral and otherwise to help replenish the habitat of the tropical marine life in the area. You can explore MUSA via a glass-bottom boat, by snorkeling for the two locations or by scuba diving in and around Isla Mujeres. To find out more about MUSA and even schedule a visit, one can contact MUSA directly for information.
Visit El Meco Archaeological Site
At the northern end of Cancun’s beaches, one finds a stunning historic area (yet another!) easily accessible from Cancun’s main resort area. This site has an iconic history. It is known as variously as El Castillo and the Temple of Kukulcan. It’s a 98-foot tall Mesoamerican step-pyramid dominating the central area of the Chichen Itza archaeological site in Tunim in the Mexican state of Yucatán (archeologists have formally designated the building as Chichen Itza Structure 5B18). Construct in the 8th to 12th centuries, the elevation of its base is 55.3m or 181 feet. Excavations adjacent to El Castillo began in 2009. A fun activity is to hike to the top of the pyramid. There on can see the remains of an old temple, along with hypnotizing views of the coastline and Isla Mujeres.
Expert Travel Tips for Visiting Cancun
- You should avoid drinking from the tap. Stick to bottled water, which is free at most resorts. Also use bottled water for brushing your teeth.
- The hurricane season in Cancun runs from August to November. Again, that means fewer travelers and lower rates. If you want to visit during hurricane season, it’s probably all-important to purchase travel insurance.
- Most restaurants, cabs, and hotels in Cancun accept USD, but often at a premium. Thus, you should try to always pay in pesos in order to avoid overly high prices and the inflation of your overall travel costs.
- Taxis in Cancun are not metered and they are quite expensive. At least, however, they follow a set price. If you can possibly use buses as an alternative to taxis, you will likely find them reliable, inexpensive and frequent.
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