Cancun Travel Guide

Cancun, a lustrous jewel in the Mexican Caribbean, beckons with beach-front high rise hotels, white sandy beaches dotted with grass-thatched huts, and the clearest, blue-glass water around.  As the most popular travel destination in Mexico, a Cancun vacation is high on the travel agenda of many people. Crowning the sunny coast of southeastern Mexico, on the Yucatan Peninsula, Cancun is a playground for snorkelers, evening revelers, and those interested in the Mayan history just a historic stone’s throw away.

Airports and Ground Transportation

Rest assured that even if you purchase discount airfare to Cancun the facilities you find will be modern and easy to use. Cancun International Airport (CUN) is the second-most used airport in Mexico, but has received its top rating for security, facilities, and equipment. Because it’s such a sought-after destination, cheap flights to Cancun can be easily arranged from many US cities. For example, if you choose to fly from Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO), you might take advantage of the $325 discount airfares offered to Cancun by Alaska Airlines.  If you’d like a winter break from the Chicago (ORD) chill, discount airfares to Cancun on American Airlines can be as low as $450 and take fewer than four hours each way. Many east coast residents may fly from New York (JKF), cheap airfare to Cancun is $375 round trip on Jet Blue.  At those prices, it’s time to say asta la vista to the cold!

If you’re able to fly with little lead time, you can often find discount airfares to Cancun with last minute airline sales.

Taxis are available to collect you from the airport and bring you to your resort, and taxis are also available to travel within the area itself. However, there are two separate taxi systems; the airport runs its own taxi service. Expect to pay between $20 and $40 for a taxi to your hotel, as always, while in Mexico; agree on the taxi fare before getting into the taxi. If you’d like to take a taxi from your hotel to anywhere else on the peninsula, you can usually find a rate sheet at the front desk outlining typical taxi fares.

There is also both fast and slow ferry service from Playa Tortugas, in Cancun’s Hotel Zone, for those who wish to visit Isla Mujeres. There are a wide variety of day bus tours available for those wishing to visit Mayan ruins that are further out from the heart of the action.

Best Times to Go, Best Things to Do

Cancun has two rainy seasons, a short one for the months of May and June and then a longer one from October through December. The other months are nearly dry, though a short burst of rain may appear for an hour or two before welcoming back deep blue skies.  Because it’s in a temperate, tropical zone, you’re nearly guaranteed weather in the 80s and 90s most of the year. Light breezes help to make Cancun’s moderate humidity a nonissue.

The siren call of clear, bright water is what draws snorkelers, swimmers, and splashers to a Cancun vacation. Take a dive lesson, get a tan. After you’re done swimming for the day, you might want to take a guided Jeep tour through the “jungle”; explore the area and learn about Mexican culture and history. Watch out for the iguanas! The El Rey Ruins are close at hand, right in the hotel zone. For evening entertainment, a plethora of clubs, discos and shows abound. Don’t miss Coco Bongo, a fusion of dance, performance, acrobatics and Margaritas.

Hotels and Lodging

Every kind of hotel imaginable perch at the edge of the powdery beaches. You might try high end, the elegant Ritz Carlton Cancun with its salmon pink masonry or the friendly and affordable Royal Sands. There are villas and condos for family rental, and spas for girlfriend getaways. Coming for spring break? Cancun even has a student hostel.  Wherever you stay during your Cancun vacation, be certain that it will be muy bonita!