【Time of Travel】
January ~ April: Personally, I think it’s the best time! The weather is good, airfare and hotel prices are relatively cheap, and it’s off-season
May~June: Outdoor temperatures are very high and are recommended to be enjoyed at all inclusive hotels
July~October: This is the rainy season. Check the weather well in advance before you leave. The beaches have a lot of seaweed. Hotel prices will start to go down around September
November~December: Due to the proximity of the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, airfare and hotels need to be booked in advance, and they can all be very expensive.
【Entry Visa】
Just have one of the following
- United States and Canadian citizenship
- U.S. Green Card/Canadian Maple Leaf Card holder
- Valid U.S./Canada/Japanese/UK Schengen Visa
- Valid U.S. Student F1 Visa (must bring Form 1-20)
- Valid Canadian student visa + vaccine proof
【Internet Access and Currency】
Search the nearest OXXO convenience store can be bought, there are many kinds of local phone card packages, usually buy 3GB / 30 days / 200peso is enough, the hotel and play the attractions are basically free Wi-Fi.
The common currency in Cancun is the peso, and most hotel attractions can also be used in US dollars, but it’s easier to use the peso to take public transportation or to go to the stalls. If you rent a car, you’ll need more pesos because toll booths don’t accept dollars. The exchange rate varies from place to place. You can exchange dollars for pesos for shopping, and local banks can do the same.
Bank opening hours are: Monday to Friday 09:00-13:30, but the bank in the airport is open all day!
【Means of Transportation】
Some hotels have pick-up service, confirm in advance.
Shuttle bus: can be booked in advance can also be handled at the airport, a person more than ten dollars can be sent directly to the 7 word area of the hotel, the staff will confirm with you the itinerary to pick you up to the boarding location. This is very reliable!
USA Transfer: book in advance in the app, the driver will be on time to the agreed location waiting, will not delay the trip. Also support district playa and tulum side, the price is cheaper than taxi.
Taxi: Big car is almost double the price of small car! If you don’t have a lot of luggage, you can choose a small car, and you must negotiate a good price or meter before you get into the car.
Rent a car: Mexico car rental is more pit, not familiar with the local traffic regulations are very easy to violate, Mexico traffic police also like to stop the car rental company’s car to engage in revenue
generating activities, it is very not recommended to rent a car. To go to x paradise / Chichen Itza and other attractions have a day trip Tour, this is very convenient.
Public Transportation: If you’re in the 7-letter district, just take the R-1, and 12 pesos in cash, you can get change. Buses run once every few minutes and stop when you wave. When you get on the bus, show the address to the driver and make sure you can get there. Route search app: Moovit
Bus: ADO air-conditioned buses run between Cancun and Tulum. You can specify your seat when you buy your ticket, which costs 128 pesos in cash. Remember to bring your ID.
【Accommodation Recommendations】
Some hotels are more popular and need to be booked in advance. It’s best to email the hotel right after you book a room. They will tell you how to make a reservation. When you check in, you can go straight there. So you won’t be disappointed if you can’t eat the signature dishes.
Hotels with ocean views in the 7 word zone.
Hyatt Ziva: The best ocean view in Cancun, you can bring your kids to stay there.
Grand Fiesta: great for the elderly and children, large rooms.
Le Blanc/Live Aqu: These two hotels are famous for their food, so if you have high requirements for food and drink, you should give priority to them.
Near the Women’s Island, relatively quiet and isolated.
Finest: you can bring children to stay, kids club has a lot of activities, and there are also Disney special shows.
Atelier: This is a new hotel, only built a few years ago, the facilities and services are very good.
If you want to play in the park, go to Xcaret, absolutely no regrets!
Xcaret Mexico: you can bring children, provide free children’s stroller, go to the park is only $19 days, baby life jacket industry crib are provided, you can avoid a lot of luggage.
Xcaret Arte: adults only, you can go to Mexico side of the restaurant to eat and use all the facilities, equivalent to spend a penny to play two hotels!
La Casa: No.1 in the hotel industry, evaluating their stay is God really not exaggerated, to go where there are luxury car transportation. And play paradise project without queuing, all day 24h butler. You can also customize your travel experience. You can watch the show in the front row, or go backstage and so on ….
【Attractions Program】
Chichen Itza
One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, about two hours or so from Cancun. Chichen Itza is the most well-preserved Mayan site, and it is recommended to go with a tour. Not only is it easy to get around, but there are guided tours.
Ancient City of Tulum
The only Mayan ruin built on the beach, the Great Temple of Castillo stands spectacularly on the cliffs along the azure Caribbean Sea.
X-Park
A must for your first time in Cancun!
Note: Before you go down river rafting, make sure you read the baggage storage process and ask the staff if you can’t find it, the storage bag is allowed to be brought to the end ! Because from this point to float to the next point is not the original way to float back, if your luggage shoes and so on stayed in the locker of your downriver point, you have to barefoot through the small half of the park from the end of the walk back ……
Women’s Island
Time enough can stroll, from the hotel district pier by boat only takes 20 minutes to arrive. The vicinity of Woman’s Island is very suitable for snorkeling, with clear water and abundant marine species. You can rent a golf cart leisurely around the island, the island has a lot of colorful buildings suitable for photographs, you can also go to visit the sea turtles, farms, and rare white sea turtles close contact.
Underwater Museum
The world’s largest underwater museum. The sculptures inside are made from special materials that allow coral to grow phantom, showcasing art and allowing marine life to thrive on them.
Pink Lake
More than 3 hours away from Cancun, consider visiting if you’ve played all the other places. I personally don’t really recommend it though. The lake doesn’t look pink at all if the weather is bad. The main thing is that it’s so far from the hotel area that it’s too tiring to drive, expensive to take a taxi, and takes a long time to get there and back once each way.
Flamingo Nature Reserve
The largest flamingo nature reserve in North America, with over 200 species of wildlife. It is very close to Pink Lake, and the two programs are usually bundled for 1-day tours. As usual, visit it if you have a very good amount of time.
Sinkholes
With over 6,000 sinkholes in Cancun, cave diving can be lover’s paradise! There are dive clubs that come to Cancun specifically to dive the sinkholes. There are 3 main types.
Cenote: Open cenotes, head up to the light, accessible to the general public without diving training.
Cavern: Semi-open cave, can dive into the top closed but turn around to see the light source of the area, OW license to dive.
Cave: Fully closed cave, completely dark underwater, only professional divers with cave diving training can enter.
【Precautionary Note】
1. In case of emergency, call the National Tourism Ministry of Mexico City (5-250-01-23/800-90392), a 24-hour hotline for tourists, or go to the nearest police station with your passport!
Emergency numbers:
Police 066
Hospital 065
Fire 068
2. There is a tax refund system in Mexico, but only for stores that are members of the TAXBACK program, so check with the store to see if they are a member of the program.
3. Don’t use your credit card when you are out of the country, it is easy to be stolen.
Finally, all information is derived from personal experience and collated collection, and local policies may change or be updated over time. You should refer to this guide with the actual situation in mind.
We hope you can step on fewer traps and spend less money. Have a happy and wonderful vacation!