The best zones to stay in Cancun are the Hotel Zone, the Downtown, and Isla Mujeres , each one is very different from each other, and besides these three we recommend some more.
Cancun is a member of the top of the most recognized Mexican tourist destinations in the world.First time visitors can’t help but be surprised by the beauty of its beaches of fine white sand, and the sublime blue tones of the sea , which range from emerald to turquoise.
The city is in the middle of the Mayan jungle, a tropical paradise full of wonders.it is the home of Xel-Ha , an ecological park located right where the underground currents meet the Caribbean Sea.Not surprisingly, it is a scene rich in fresh and salt water species, a true natural aquarium.
Here is also located Rio Secreto , a turquoise underground tributary that passes just below a gallery of stalagmites and stalactites.
Cancun also has remarkably preserved vestiges of one of the most developed civilizations of pre-Columbian America.Such is the case of the sites known as the Temple of the Scorpion and The King .
For its part, Xcaret combines the best of both worlds: natural and cultural treasures.It houses a park with exuberant vegetation, cenotes, hidden rivers and Mayan ruins.
Also, the destination has a peculiar underwater museum that can only be visited with the proper diving equipment and some of the best night clubs in the country.
The best areas to stay in Cancun
Depending on what you are looking for you can sleep in Cancun in one area or another. We basically recommend 5 big areas with well differentiated profiles: Downtown Cancun, the Hotel Zone, Puerto Juarez, Playa Mujeres and Islas Mujeres.
1.Downtown Cancun
Only five kilometers after the hotel zone, there is the city center , known by the Anglo-Saxon tourists as Downtown Cancun.
We recommend you to visit El Meco , an interesting archaeological site that many tourists miss when they come to the city due to the little publicity it receives, compared to Tulum and Chichen Itza.
Its main building is El Castillo, a five-story pyramid.At the foot of its central staircase there are two representations of Kukulcan, one of the many deities worshipped by the Mayans.
Its more than twelve meters in height make it the highest pre-Hispanic structure in the northern part of the Quintana Roo entity.
At lunch time, you can go to La Habichuela , a popular restaurant very popular with locals and visitors alike.the garden, slightly lit up, has the perfect atmosphere to enjoy a romantic dinner outdoors.
The specialty of the house is Yucatecan food, as well as various dishes of Caribbean cuisine and international haute cuisine.don’t leave without trying the famous Cocobichuela.
Downtown Cancun is the ideal place to enjoy the classics of rock music, many of the bars located along Yaxchilan Avenue offer live music of this genre almost every night
Generally, the bands play from midnight to 4 a.m. However, depending on the capacity, the performance could extend until dawn.The best place to go is El Asador, El Chikito, Los Arcos and Route 666.
For shopping, nothing better than , Mercado 28 , a complex with dozens of shops selling crafts, clothing, ceramics and souvenirs.If the Hotel Zone is predominantly all-inclusive, downtown Cancun has a variety of hotels that offer more traditional urban formulas and with a wide range of prices .
We suggest you stay at the Ibis Cancun Centro, the One Cancun Centro, the FourPoints by Sheraton Cancun Centro, the City Express Junior Cancun Oficial or the Hotel & Spa Xbalamque Cancun Centro.
– Downtown Accommodation Cancun
2.Hotel Zone
It is to be expected that one of the Caribbean’s must-see destinations will have a great infrastructure in terms of services and accommodation to make visitors feel welcome, this is especially true in Boulevard Kukulkan, the tourist zone par excellence Here you will find options suitable for the whole family.
You can’t leave Cancun without coming to Ventura Park , a water park with a view of the Caribbean Sea.
On the other hand, history lovers will be able to learn more about the culture that predominated in the southeast of Mexico and part of Central America, before the arrival of the Spanish, when they visit the Museo Maya de Cancún .
Isla Cancun Shopping Village is a modern plaza located on the shores of the Nichupte lagoon, the ideal place to go shopping and spend unforgettable moments.
Fun is guaranteed in the Cancun Wax Museum , with very realistic wax representations of more than a hundred celebrities.
It doesn’t matter if you prefer to practice water sports or a quiet ride on the water aboard a yacht.Lighthouse Marina offers you both modalities.
You can’t miss a visit to the Island Shopping.This mall is also home to the Interactive Aquarium Cancun , where you can swim with dolphins, sharks and manta rays, enjoy a live animal show and see more than 140 aquatic species on display.
As night falls, the party continues in the Forum By the Sea , a complex with access to the beach that brings together the best clubs in the city , such as Cabana Beach, Coco Bongo, Daddy’O, Mandala and The City.
Get the best view of the city , and perhaps the Mexican Caribbean, from the Torre Escénica Cancún , a building of almost thirty meters high with a panoramic elevator.Enjoy scuba diving, jungle tours, jet skiing, fishing and sky riding at Aquaworld Cancun.
Many of the best accommodations in Cancun are in the hotel zone.Our selection for you includes hotels with affordable prices and All Inclusive packages , like Aquamarina Beach Hotel, Holiday Inn Cancun Arenas, Calypso Hotel Cancun, Flamingo Cancun Resort and Beach House Dos Playas by Faranda Hotels.
However, those who are looking for a luxurious and comfortable stay in Cancun can choose to stay at the Ritz Carlton, Royal Hotel Cancun, Le Blanc Spa Resort Cancun, JW Marriott Cancun Resort And Spa and Live Aqua Cancun All Inclusive.
– Hotel Zone Accommodation
3.Puerto Juarez
North of Cancun, traveling on the road to Punta Sam, you will arrive at Puerto Juarez, from where ferries depart for Isla Mujeres .The service from the island to the port runs every half hour between six in the morning and nine at night, and every hour outside that time.
However, Puerto Juarez is more than just a gateway to another destination. Like the rest of Cancun, Puerto Juarez has dream beaches In addition, its privileged location allows you to get an unbeatable view of the Caribbean Sea.
As a destination less crowded than the Cancun Hotel Zone , the atmosphere is more tranquil, therefore, it is an excellent alternative for those who wish to enjoy the sun, sea and sand in a relaxed environment
Along the road that passes through Puerto Juarez there are several establishments with palapa roofs where eat delicious seafood dishes .One of the best is the Restaurant & Bar Flamingos.dare to ask for the exquisite octopus on the coals.
Puerto Juarez is a good place to sleep in Cancun, away from the hustle and bustle of the busiest area of the city and very close to Isla Mujeres.good that there are good options for accommodation.
You can book a room at Hotel del Sol, Casa Mexicana and Mayambe Private Village.do you have a trailer?You’ll find parking space and all the services at Trailer & Cabañas Mecoloco Inn, and if you want something even further away from the conventional, then you can rent a houseboat at Boat and Bed Ocean View.
– Lodging in Puerto Juarez
We recommend that in addition to this post on the best areas to stay in Cancun you read these others: Where to stay in Mexico City, where to stay in Playa del Carmen
4.Playa Mujeres
Another alternative to the tumult that characterizes the downtown area and the Boulevard Kukulkán is Playa Mujeres, a place that preserves its original wild look .
The Isla Mujeres, which is in front of the coast, looks even more beautiful at night, offering a front row show for those who contemplate its coastline from the beach of the same name.The best thing is that you don’t have to leave Cancun to enjoy the charms of Playa Mujeres.9 about twenty minutes from downtown , heading north, is enough to get there.
Visiting this site is equivalent to making a return to a time before the tourist boom that has suffered the city and virtually the entire coast of Quintana Roo.
The few hotels that are currently in this place had to comply with a series of measures in order to inflict the least possible damage to the environment.
Each hotel has its own viewpoints that make it possible to contemplate nature without problems, and the regulations require that earthy tones be used when painting the exterior of the buildings, thus ensuring that is fully integrated into the environment .
And since these tourist projects are recent, visitors who choose to sleep in Cancun on this beach will spend their stay in modern facilities , with all the comforts they could wish for.
This list includes four and five star resorts such as Beloved Playa Mujeres, Secrets Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort, Finest Playa Mujeres, Dreams Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort and Excellence Playa Mujeres.
– Playa Mujeres Accommodations
5.Isla Mujeres
In our list of places to visit, we could not miss a fascinating island located less than thirteen kilometers north of Cancun’s coast.We are talking about Isla Mujeres , a place whose attributes have made it very popular in recent years. When you visit this site you will feel like in paradise
The ideal means of transport for tourists in this small piece of paradise are the golf carts , you can rent them for a full day or half a day.Take a tour of La Granja de Tortugas to admire the newborn turtles and other marine species.
At certain times of the year, anyone is invited to join the sea turtle release , an event in which humans help the hatchlings make their way from the beach to the sea. Templo de Ixchel , a vestige of the Mayan civilization, is located at the southern tip of the island.
In the center and north of Isla Mujeres you will find a with a wide range of restaurants In many cases, their seafood was caught the same day by local fishermen: literally, from the sea to the table.
The nightlife on the island is almost non-existent It’s true that there are a few bars open, but nothing compared to the clubs on the mainland, and of course there’s always the option of taking the ferry back to the city, where you’ll find plenty of options
The hotel offer on Isla Mujeres is extensive for the small size of the island.
What is the best area to stay in Cancun?
With its endless kilometers of paradisiacal beaches, luxury accommodations and nightlife, the city of Cancun is one of the most popular destinations in Mexico.Located along the Yucatan coast, Cancun was once a quiet town, but now it has become the life of the party and is visited by thousands of tourists every year. Without a doubt, one of the main reasons is its wonderful tropical climate, which keeps the temperature and the sea warm all year round.Besides partying and more partying, in Cancun you can also find museums, parks, gardens, all kinds of leisure activities, excellent shopping opportunities and a wide range of restaurants and accommodations for all kinds of needs and pockets. Cancun is the perfect place to discover Mayan ruins, learn about ancient civilizations, and taste the tropical climate of Mexico.
If you want to spend your vacation in Cancun and are looking for a place to stay, the area we recommend is the Hotel Zone .It has a wide range to choose from of hotels of high standing and category, and the site offers all kinds of amenities: restaurants, shops, cafes, pubs , night clubs… it is located along the 22 Kilometer peninsula that extends into the Caribbean Sea, next to many wonderful beaches to explore.In the area there are also all kinds of tourist attractions and activities for all ages.
If you are interested in knowing where to stay in Cancun you may also be interested in knowing where to stay in Playa del Carmen, where to stay in Puerto Vallarta and where to stay in Mexico City.
Hotel Zone, the best area to stay
Cancun is one of the most beautiful destinations in Mexico, and together with Playa del Carmen and Tulum the most visited ones in the Rivera Maya.It presents the perfect combination of beaches, party and culture, allowing its visitors to alternate between days of sun and fun and tours of impressive ruins of ancient civilizations.the best area to stay in Cancun and enjoy the city is, without doubt, Hotel Zone.
Hotel Zone is the heart and soul of tourism in Cancun.you can enjoy miles and miles of heavenly beaches that seem to have left a postcard, and stay in some of the most luxurious hotels in the country.The entire area was built on purpose to accommodate incoming tourists, so it is prepared to cater perfectly to all kinds of needs; most visitors choose to stay in one of its accommodations, as it is one of the safest areas of the city.the hotel zone has excellent connections to Cancun’s international airport, just a few miles away by car, and with many bus lines in its wake.You’ll also find buses and taxis that connect the Hotel Zone perfectly with all parts of the city, so you won’t have any transportation problems.
The beaches along this stretch offer beautiful white sand and crystal clear turquoise water.along the beach zone you’ll find a brilliant selection of cafes and shops where you can have a drink, buy beach equipment, clothes and all kinds of products -even jewelry and precious stones of the highest quality-.In addition to swimming and sunbathing, the beaches also offer the possibility of practicing all kinds of water sports: scuba diving, parasailing, jet skiing, sailing…
For those who want to enjoy the attractions and museums of the area, visit the Museum of Cancun, a brilliant piece of modern architecture, which will present a large number of exhibitions related to the history of the city, and you can see many objects and items on display.Go to the Interactive Aquarium, although it is small, and you will enjoy the spectacle of watching an impressive variety of Cancun’s marine life, including rays, sharks, starfish, jellyfish, crabs… and you can even swim with dolphins!
For those moments of relaxation, there are several parks where you can play sports like tennis, soccer, basketball or squash .If you don’t feel like doing sports, relax with a delicious picnic and enjoy the magnificent views of the beach, or take advantage of the wide range of shopping options in the area: you will find shops all along the beach, and also some shopping centres, such as La Isla Mall, one of the most attractive buildings on the site and home to a variety of designer shops, supermarkets, fashion shops, jewellery stores and all kinds of establishments.At Hotel Zone you will also find golf courses, movie theaters and numerous beach resorts to explore.
In this area there are some of the best restaurants in Cancun.Take the road to Boulevard Kukulcan and you will find all kinds of cuisine: Mediterranean, Argentinean, Italian, Japanese, seafood… Hotel Zone is also the favorite place to party, and there are endless bars and clubs that are home to international DJ’s and live bands.Enjoy your cocktail and move around in some of the most famous clubs, with direct views of the beach.
At Hotel Zone, living up to the name of the area, you will find an endless variety of options, most of them with excellent views and exceptional customer service.Almost all hotels offer all-inclusive packages, and the rate will include all meals and beverages. There are also some hotels for adults only, which guarantees that there will be no children, and that you will be able to enjoy the activities and parties organized by the hotel.
Hotels in the Hotel Zone of Cancun
Other areas where you should stay
Downtown
If you don’t want to stay in a tourist-only area and want to soak up the atmosphere of the locals in Cancun, Downtown is the place for you.You will also find hotels that will show you the art of local, regional and international artists, and wonderful parks with green areas where you can relax. If you want to go shopping don’t forget the markets, where you can haggle with the vendors to get wonderful pieces.
In Downtown there is a wide variety of restaurants, shops, cafes, pubs , clubs and hotels, most of them around the central square.They are much smaller than the Hotel Zone hotels, and cheaper.
