Cancun is a tale of two cities, with the Zona Hotelera offering majestic Caribbean beaches and Maya culture and Cancún Centro providing the local flavour. One look at Cancún’s aquamarine Caribbean waters and it makes perfect sense why planners back in the 1970s were so eager to develop the area as Mexico’s next big resort destination. With about 19km of powdery white-sand beaches in the Zona Hotelera and a quieter 15km stretch of coast north of downtown, Cancún is a beach bum’s haven. You’ll find some of the most swimmable waters on the Zona Hotelera’s north side, between Km 4 and Km 9, while north of Cancún Centro, Isla Blanca beckons with its long stretch of relatively undeveloped coastline.

Our journey to Mexico was a long one, we started out from Osaka Kansai Airport, arrived in Haneda, then had some time to meet my Japanese aunt for lunch before checking in for our next segment at Narita airport. Upon landing in Mexico City on a comfortable ANA flight across the Pacific, we then took a domestic flight on Volaris to reach Cancun. It was around 25 hours journey including stopovers before we finally got to sleep on a proper bed again. By the time we landed in Cancun, it was already 8.20pm local time.

Cancun is famous for its beaches of course. You can spend the whole day sunbathing on its white, sandy, powdery beaches. For those looking for a slice of adventure, diving and snorkeling sites are nearby, including a famous underwater sculpture museum. You can sign up for tours to explore nearby cenotes (limestone sinkholes) and their fascinating underwater cave systems. Nature enthusiasts will enjoy a day trip from Cancún to Isla Contoy, an uninhabited island that provides great hiking, bird-watching and snorkeling opportunities.

Zona Hotelera

Along the Zona Hotelera, you can catch a bus which runs frequently along the highway, making several stops at various beach resorts along the way. The bus fare is cheap, around 13MXP per ride. The main bus routes are R1 and R2, which shuttle passengers between the downtown area and the hotel zone. Encompassing several subdistricts, the lively Zona Hotelera area is home to all-inclusive resorts, international restaurants, and relaxing sandy beaches. 

At the top floor of Chedraui Cancún Zona Hotelera (Punta Cancun, Hotel Zone, 77500 Cancún), there is a food court which serves decent Mexican food at affordable prices. There are also pizza and pasta options if you feel like trying international cuisine. The gelato that we had to end off our meal was also wonderful. The food court has balcony with a bar that serves oysters and beers, but this area is open only in the evening. The veranda of the food court overlooks the lake, which apparently has crocodiles. Some silly drunken tourists did not heed the sign, and ended up being mauled to death a few years ago.

Museo Maya de Cancun

Holding one of the Yucatán’s most important collections of Maya artifacts, this modern museum is a welcome sight in a city known more for its party scene than cultural attractions. On display are some 400 pieces found at key sites in and around the peninsula, ranging from sculptures to ceramics and jewelry. One of the three halls shows temporary Maya-themed exhibits. Many of the pieces in the collection are from Chichen Itza.

Details

Blvd Kukulcán Km 16.5 Hours:9am-6pm Tue-Sun

Price:adult/child under 13yr M$75/free

Cancún’s original anthropology museum shut down in 2004 due to structural damage from hurricanes. The new museum features hurricane-resistant reinforced glass. The price of admission includes access to the adjoining San Miguelito archaeological site.

Cancun Centro

As for the city centre, even though we stayed in the city, but we were busy making daily trips to the hotel strip or our day trip to Chichen Itza, so we did not explore much of the city centre. We only rented a car at Walmart Downtown and got a pizza on our first night in Cancun. We also had some amazing tacos for dinner in the city area.

My advice to travellers is to use Cancun as a transportation hub (international airport and downtown bus station) rather than as a destination. From Cancun there is abundant public transportation to relatively close places that are less touristy and also more interesting.

• ◙ A slower Caribbean beach town with low rise rather than high rise accommodations, more specifically a place such as Puerto Morelos (1/2 hour from Cancun Airport), Isla Mujeres (1 1/2 hrs), Playa del Carmen (1 hr) or Tulum (2 hrs).
• ◙ Further inland, the large town/small city of Valladolid (4 hours from the airport) is worth checking out. Valladolid dates from Spanish colonial times and it is located near local cultural attractions, such as cenotes and the Mayan ruins of Ek Balam and Chichen Itza.