Cancun Activities

Cancun is an ideal holiday destination for the whole family, with many activities designed especially for children. Manmade entertainment options are plentiful and include amusement parks, nature walks, beaches and zoos as well as some educational-orientated museums and attractions.

Interactive Aquarium
Located at Plaza La Isla in the hotel zone, Cancun’s aquarium is ideal for children, with fascinating as well as educational features and displays. As the first interactive aquarium in Latin America, it offers visitors to Mexico the opportunity to get up close to a wide variety of fish that are native to the Caribbean Sea. The shark tank is a highlight.

Torre Escenica
Also situated in the hotel zone, this tower rises 110 meters (363 feet) high and offers stunning views across the city and the Caribbean Sea. Visitors and children can climb up the steps to enjoy the views, but be warned, the trip up can be a hot and sweaty one if you don’t choose the right time of day to commence the climb.

Wet ‘n Wild
Featuring slides, a wave pool, sandy beaches and other water-orientated adventures, kids will love a trip here. There is also plenty of opportunity for adults to relax, with activities well-monitored by life guards. Situated in the hotel zone, in Punta Nizuc, this water park is an ideal daytrip for families.

With two of Mexico’s most prominent archaeological sites within close proximity of Cancun, the city is the perfect base for exploring these ancient ruins and learning about the pre-Hispanic Mayan civilisation. Both Chichen Itza and Tulum will take you back in time with these well-preserved sites providing stunning photo opportunities. Those with an interest in the stories behind the ruins should check out the city’s museums, with Cancun Archeological Museum detailing the history of the Maya.

Cancun Archeological Museum (Museo Arqueologico de Cancun)
This museum will appeal to history buffs and those looking for a more cultural experience than the beach or their hotel restaurant. Housed next door to the convention center, the museum is connected to the National History and Anthropological Institute (INAH) and displays more than 100 artefacts, all of which have been excavated from Mexico’s most significant pre-Hispanic sites. This museum is worth a visit if you intend to travel outside of Cancun to some of the nearby historical sites, as it provides a good outline of the country’s ancient history.

Chichen Itza
Another of Mexico’s significant sites containing archaeological ruins, Chichen Itza makes for an essential daytrip from Cancun. The Maya ruins here are open to visitors, who can climb on and enter the ancient pyramids. This pre-Columbian ancient city was once a centre of pilgrimage for the Maya, attracting Mayans for over 1,000 years who came here to worship their gods. Nowadays, Chichen Itza is the most visited of Mexico’s ancient ruins and makes for a fascinating and memorable trip.

El Rey
This archaeological site dates from the Postclassical period (1250 to 1521) and was once an important ceremonial centre. The archaeological remains here resemble those found at Tulum, Xel-Ha and El Meco, while many of the smaller objects found here are on display at the Cancun Archaeological Museum. Situated in the hotel zone on Kukulkan boulevard, the site may have once housed a king’s tomb, hence the name El Rey, which translates as ‘the king’.

Mexico Museum of Popular Art (Museo de Arte Popular Mexicano)
Situated next to the Cancun Theatre, at the Embarcadero, here you will find exhibits of popular arts and crafts. Artists featured are Mexican, with examples of artwork from the country’s different cultural regions.

Tulum
A 2 hour drive from Cancun, Tulum is one of Mexico’s most significant historical sites and should be a must-see on any visitor to Cancun’s holiday itinerary. These well-excavated structures have a beach backdrop and attract hordes of tourists, making it wise to make an overnight trip so you can view the monuments in the morning before the crowds arrive.

Features here include the Muyil archaeological site, Grand Cenote,Cenote Calaveras, Dos Ojos Cenote, Maya Spa (a holistic spa specializing in Mayan treatments) and Tres Rios Ecopark.

Dining in Cancun is part and parcel of the evening entertainment. Dinner doesn’t usually get started until late, with many people only recovering from their siesta and lunchtime meals in the early evening. With such a lively choice of dining and drinking establishments on offer, it won’t take you long to discover Cancun is quite a party town, with it not being uncommon to find yourself dancing in a conga line through a restaurant once the party has begun.

Vegetarians are also well-catered for here, while other dining choices include steakhouses (try Cambalache); grills (try Laguna Grill); seafood (along the beach) and traditional Mayan and Mexican establishments. With over 500 restaurants to choose from, you will have no difficulty finding a place to eat, with plentiful Mexican and international choices on offer.

Mayan specialties to try include spiced pork, chicken and rabbit dishes; el tikinxic (barbequed fish prepared Mayan style) and pan de cazon (shredded shark baked in a tomato sauce and served on a tortilla), while the staples here are beans, corn and Serrano and Habanero chilli peppers. Seafood is widespread, with everything from lobster, sea snail and grouper to snook and red snapper featuring on the menu.

Shopping experiences in Cancun can be varied depending on where you choose to shop. Outlets range from traditional market stalls to the designer label boutiques.

At the city’s colourful markets, visitors should be prepared to barter for their purchases, with popular buys including Mexican handicrafts and knick-knacks, jewellery and cowboy hats. Those looking for a more modern shopping experience can head to La Isla, Cancun’s huge indoor mall. Featuring both Mexican and American chain outlets, here you will find everything from clothes to electronics to restaurants.

The hotel zone offers the most extensive choice of shopping opportunities including Plaza Caracol, Plaza Flamingos and Plaza Kukulkan. Meanwhile, Downtown Cancun has Plaza Las Americas as well as traditional crafts for sale along Tulum avenue and at Mercado 28.

Shopping outlets are normally open from 09:00 to 22:00, with some places closed during lunch hours from 14:00 to 16:00.

With the city’s main draw being its beautiful beaches and abundant marine life; it is no wonder many visitors are attracted to Cancun by the abundant water sports available here. Meanwhile, within easy driving distance of the city, Tres Rios Ecopark provides a great escape for those wanting to enjoy nature walks among native birds and plants. Adventure sports are also becoming more popular here, with bungee jumping being one of the city’s crazes.

Bungee Jumping
As the first city in Mexico to offer this adventure sport, Cancun now has three bungee platforms, with the most well-known one being on a dock at Fat Tuesday’s at Playa Tortugas. The platform here is 20 meters (66 feet) high, allowing the brave-hearted the opportunity to freefall into the water below.

Tres Rios Ecopark
Situated 10 minutes drive south of Playa del Carmen, this park is a popular daytrip from Cancun, allowing visitors an opportunity to explore the nature in this tropical reserve. In addition to nature trails and wildlife, the park also offers scuba diving

Water Sports
The crystal clear water is probably Cancun’s biggest draw, offering endless opportunities for beach activities and water sports. Popular activities include banana boat rides, volleyball, sunbathing, swimming, jet-skiing and windsurfing. There are numerous beaches to choose from including the popular beaches in the hotel zone and along Kukulkan Boulevard. There are also fine stretches of beach along Isla Mujeres as well as Playa Norte, at the northern end of the island. Scuba diving and snorkelling are hugely popular here, with an abundance of marine life waiting to be discovered in the waters surrounding the city as well as sponges, crustaceans, anemone, tunicates, molluscs and stunning reefs.