Cancun, Mexico, is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Why? What is it that draws millions of people each year to this part of the world?

You may quickly answer that to yourself, “That’s easy–warm weather, palm trees, sandy beaches, and the crystal clear Caribbean Sea.” And, without a doubt, you’d be right!

Cancun draws people for various reasons though and here are a few of them. If you’re thinking of visiting Cancun for the first time, or you’ve been before and want to change things up from your usual vacation routine, some of these ideas may help!

Be an All-Inclusive Beach Bum

This may be the most popular option for many visitors that choose Cancun as a vacation destination–wanting to escape the hectic pace of life to just power down for a few days!

Depending on where your resort is located on the Hotel Zone in Cancun, you’re about a 10 – 15 minute shuttle ride from the airport. If you’re staying at a resort that is further south along the Riviera Maya coastline, prepare for a longer shuttle ride. It could be up to almost 2 hours if you’re staying somewhere closer to Tulum. A hotel shuttle is the simplest and most stress-free option for transportation, but taxis and buses are also available.

Once you enter the gates of your resort, you’ll be pampered the rest of the way with no need to do anything except choose a lounge chair, and a restaurant!

Booking a Vacation Home or Condo

This is another very popular option, which offers a lot more freedom than an all-inclusive but also requires more planning. There are so many gorgeous properties to choose from, typically in places like Isla Mujeres, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum.

Most who choose this route will rent a car (the best choice if you want to venture out frequently), or pay for taxies to haul them around.

When you choose this type of vacation, generally you get far more privacy, with no crowds of tourists around. A beachfront home gives you more of a local experience than a resort does. This has HUGE appeal to many travelers who want a bit of peace and quiet!

Staying at a Boutique Hotel

This is a combination of the two vacation options mentioned above. These are much smaller hotels (15 to 30 rooms), where you can have privacy if you choose or you can mingle and socialize with other visitors.

Here you will often receive a lot more personalized concierge service if you desire. In many cases, the hotel has its own restaurant and bar too, so you don’t necessarily have to go out. As it’s not all-inclusive, there are additional costs for food and drink.

Excursion/Activity Seekers

Cancun is full of all kinds of unique activities and excursions for you adventure seekers! The list is long. There are adventure parks, ATV tours, zip-lining experiences, Cenotes and Mayan Ruins to explore. Swim with dolphins, go horseback riding through the jungle and on the beach, or snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing and golfing. There are beautiful islands you can scout out, and many exclusive and remote beaches to enjoy. Other water sports include wake-boarding, kite-boarding, fly-boarding and paddle-boarding.

Most all of these activities can be easily arranged from anywhere you choose to stay. There are tour operators everywhere! It’s just a matter of how much you’d like to spend.

Golfers — Cancun has some fantastic and scenic golf courses, including some by world-renowned designers (Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Pete Dye). There’s even a PGA course which hosts the OHL classic every year (Mayakoba Resort).

Divers — Starting in Cancun and running all the way down to Honduras is the second largest barrier reef in the world, teeming with schools of fish and living coral formations to explore. One of world’s best diving locations is off the island of Cozumel, which sits about 12 miles from the coast of Playa del Carmen.

Puerto Morelos also has some stellar dives (wreck sites and pristine reef), for those looking to spend a lot of time under the water. Looking for something spectacular and unique! Try cenote diving, where you’ll explore underground freshwater rivers and caverns.

Fishing — In many circles, the waters south of Cancun are known as the sailfish capital of the world! Over 500 species of fish live in these waters, including some fantastic game fish. The unique topography of the ocean floor in this area brings these massive game fish extremely close to shore for sports fishermen to do battle with!

It’s All Good

No matter what your itinerary holds, Cancun can accommodate a wide variety of tastes and options. From shopping to hitting the clubs and anything in between, you can enjoy a fantastic vacation in this part of the world. (It seems most people have figured this out, since it hosts over 10 million visitors per year!)

Bienvenidos!