- Marquesitas and elote on the hotel zone beaches
- Tacos al pastor downtown on Avenida Yaxchilan
- Ceviche and seafood at Puerto Juarez before the Isla Mujeres ferry
Cancun Travel Guide
Playa Delfines, the public beach of Cancun's hotel zone. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Cancun is Mexico's purpose-built Caribbean resort city: a 22-km hotel zone of white-sand beaches on one side, and a real Mexican downtown on the other. Most visitors never leave the hotel zone, but the city rewards those who do.
The hotel zone's beaches face the open Caribbean with proper surf; the calmer north-facing beaches suit swimming. Downtown's markets and taco streets show the working city underneath the resort.
What to do in Cancun
Hotel zone
- 1
Playa Delfines The best public beach: wide sand, surf and the CANCUN sign. - 2
Museo Maya de Cancun The archaeology museum and San Miguelito ruins in the hotel zone. - 3
Isla Mujeres day trip The ferry from Puerto Juarez to Playa Norte and the island town.
Downtown and around
- 1
Mercado 28 The downtown market for crafts and local lunches. - 2
Cenote route day trips The inland cenotes around Puerto Morelos and Valladolid. - 3
Chichen Itza day trip The great Maya city, about 200 km west. Go with an early tour.
Cancun Hotel Guide
How to choose the best places to stay in Cancun. Verified properties below; for the full list, search live availability on Booking.com.
Luxury
Hyatt Ziva Cancun
All-inclusive on the Punta Cancun peninsula with ocean on three sides.
View on Booking.com
Mid-range
Hotel NYX Cancun
Downtown business hotel, good value near the bus station.
View on Booking.comWhere to eat
Getting there and around
Cancun International (CUN) is 20 minutes from the hotel zone; ADO buses run to downtown and along the coast. The Maya Train connects the airport to Playa del Carmen and Merida.