Cancun Quintana Roo Mexico, Riviera Maya
Frequently Asked Questions
They do not: Cancún has no deep-water berth. The few ships that call are small vessels that anchor offshore and tender passengers into the hotel zone, sea conditions permitting.
The Museo Maya and the San Miguelito site, linked by a walkway, fill two hours and put this coast in context. Add Playa Delfines for the beach, or the El Rey site. Downtown, across the bridges, offers a welcome contrast.
Playa Delfines, at kilometre 18 of Boulevard Kukulcán: the big public beach with no hotel sitting on the sand, and a lookout over kilometres of turquoise coastline. The surf runs stronger here, so swim near the flags with lifeguards watching.
Yes, two sites. San Miguelito, a former trading post whose foundations emerge metres from the big hotel pools, and El Rey, some fifty low structures along a shaded path where iguanas rule the warm stones.
Yes. It holds one of the richest archaeological collections in Quintana Roo: ceramics, ornaments, sculpture and offerings recovered from cenotes. Note that it closes on Mondays, so have a backup plan if your call falls then.
The Mexican peso. US dollars circulate throughout the hotel zone, but change usually comes back in pesos. Cards work well along the boulevard, less so at Mercado 28.
The R-1 and R-2 buses run the length of Boulevard Kukulcán cheaply and serve the museums, beaches and downtown. Taxis have no meters: agree on the fare before getting in.
Yes, for an hour or two. Across the bridges, Mercado 28, the street murals and the taquerías of Parque de las Palapas show the real city, where you hear Spanish rather than English.
Yes, frequent ferries link the hotel zone and Puerto Juárez to the island in about twenty minutes. Check return times before boarding: the margin matters more than the crossing itself.
Yes, particularly around the Nichupté lagoon and the shaded Maya sites. The lagoon, metres from the roar of the boulevard, is best seen by kayak among the mangroves, in calm water shared by herons and silver fish.
