Best things to do and see in Cancun and around

Cancun is the main entry point for most tourists to Mexico, especially coming from Europe as it’s the cheapest flight. But what to expect from Cancun and the surrounding area?

Cancun:

Cancun is probably the most touristic and especially the most prominent tourist and party place I ever saw. I mean Thailand is significant and very tourist, but Cancun has one enormous 5-star hotel after the other and that for around 10 km or more. I couldn’t stay in one of them as they are about 500 – 1000 USD per night, especially during Christmas, but it’s impressive to see, and there are some public beaches you can visit in the “Zona Hoteleria.” Other then the 5-star Hotels, Cancun has a crazy party scene to offer. At the beginning of the Hotel Zone are a bunch of huge nightclubs, beach clubs, bars, and restaurants. Here you can party the night away and that 365 days a year. Coco Bongo is the most famous of the organizations, and it’s a combination of Nightclub and show. But all of this comes with a price tag. Restaurants have European prices, and we paid 155 USD for the NYE party at Coco Bongo.

Other the parties and all-inclusive Resorts, there isn’t much to do in Cancun. There are only a few public beaches, and they are overcrowded, and the downtown is has nothing worth seeing.

Isla Mujeres:

Just a 20 min boat ride from Cancun away, there is the Island called Isla Mujeres. It’s a small tropical Island, which is definitely worth to visit; one day is enough, though. The Island has the main tourist center on the north side of the Island. Again, it’s super touristy there, and prices, especially for accommodation, are high. The best way to enjoy your day is by bicycle. You can rent a bike for 120-150 Pesos per day and drive all over the Island. There is a turtle farm where you can see the turtles from babies to old ones which are about to get released. Other places to visit are the southernmost point of the Island, which has a beautiful walk and the north beach.

Playa del Carmen:

Probably the most prominent tourist place you can go to. I enjoyed the playa because there are many good restaurants and bars. From there, you can also visit the Maya site Chichen Itza. But the playa isn’t that nice and super crowded. There are several night clubs which you can find in Cancun too like the coco bongo, and you can visit some cenotes around.

Tulum:

Tulum has a beautiful beach and many good restaurants as well. Other than that, you can just cycle to the beach or along the hotel zone. After arriving in the hotel zone, you can enjoy the beach or have fantastic ice cream at the Origami Gelato. There are some fabulous restaurants too, but the prices are incredibly high.

There are many things to do in Cancun and the surrounding area. My favorite things are the cenotes and Chichen Itza. But this region isn’t Mexico, it’s a tourist magnet but doesn’t represent the real Mexico. Prices are extremely high too, but therefore you find excellent accommodations and restaurants. I spend around two weeks in that region, which was a reasonable amount of time because Christmas and New years eve fall into that period, else 7-10 days is fairly enough time.