Think of Cancún and you may picture yourself lazing around on powdery white-sand beaches, swimming in the warm turquoise sea, kicking back poolside in dazzling hotels and painting the town. In short, a typical day in the hotel zone.
If you could travel back to Cancún in a time machine, perhaps with the dial set at 1965, you wouldn't recognize what's known today as the hotel zone. What you'd see instead is an undeveloped, L-shaped barrier island flanked by a rugged jungle-fringed coast and vast wetlands teeming with wildlife. Even the color of the sand would look different - back then, the mere thought of pumping white sand onto the shoreline in the name of beach nourishment would have seemed absurd. Fast-forward nearly 60 years, and Cancún's expansive Caribbean coast is filled to the brim with glitzy high-rise hotels, thumping discos, modern shopping malls and fancy restaurants serving up seafood and international cuisine. Some even go so far as to compare Cancún's gleaming hotel zone strip to the main drag in Las Vegas - but without the flashy casinos, of course. Cancún was first developed as a hotel zone and later came downtown, the residential part of the city. Both have their own unique charm, but more often than not, it's the hotel zone's splendid tropical beaches that get top billing - and after one look at their sheer natural beauty, you'll understand why. The hotel zone, or zona hotelera in Spanish, feels less like a neighborhood and more like a sprawling tourist district connected by a 14-mile stretch of a dozen or so beach pockets. It's a place where you won't find much in the way of neighborhood bars or mom-and-pop corner stores because most locals live on the mainland, the part of Cancún known as El Centro. Most of the action in the popular tourist area known as zona hotelera unfolds along the broad palm tree-lined Avenida Kukulcan and because it's fairly spread out, getting around from one beach area to another often requires a bus or taxi. The heart of the hotel zone (around kilometer marking Km 9) is home to some of the city's biggest nightclubs and the buzzy party scene there is palpable, but elsewhere along the coast, you get a mostly chilled-out vibe.
Bus routes R-1, R-2 and R-27 all go from downtown Cancún to the hotel zone. If you’re coming from the ADO bus station on Avenida Tulum, hop on the R-1 bus, which runs the entire length of Avenida Kukulcan, the hotel zone’s main avenue. The buses cost around M$12 ($0.67) and the drivers carry change. Taxis ply the same route but it will set you back about M$300 ($17) to reach the center of the hotel zone.
From the airport, you can take an ADO bus to the downtown terminal, then climb aboard the R-1 to reach the beaches. Alternatively, shuttles and taxis will take you directly to the hotel zone. Shared shuttles usually start at about M$270 ($15) per person while their private vans cost around M$716 ($40). Expect to pay roughly M$806 ($45) for an airport taxi.
Ferries running to and from nearby Isla Mujeres, a popular day trip destination, depart from hotel zone docks at Playa Caracol, Playa Tortugas and El Embarcadero.
Long before the Spanish conquistadors arrived on the peninsula in the 16th century, Cancún was home to several Maya fishing-and-maritime settlements and some of those ancient structures are still standing at the San Miguelito archaeological site. What’s more, in the adjoining Museo Maya de Cancun (Maya Museum), you can see some of the artifacts that were unearthed in Cancún and other nearby sites. If you plan on visiting some of the city’s other ruins, such as El Rey or El Meco, or perhaps venturing out to some of the renowned outlying sites at Coba or Chichen Itza, hit the Maya Museum first for a preliminary crash course in ancient Maya history and culture.
This one-of-a-kind underwater museum’s life-size sculptures are a sight to behold. You can visit the submerged galleries while snorkeling, diving or aboard a glass-bottom boat. There are actually two sites you can check out, one off the coast of Punta Nizuc, and a deeper one off the southern tip of Isla Mujeres. MUSA was created with the purpose of diverting divers away from deteriorating coral reefs. Most dive shops and tour outfits conduct trips to this captivating aquatic attraction.
To see Cancún’s quieter side, head south to Punta Nizuc, a stunningly beautiful neighborhood where you can grab lunch at Nizuc Resort’s breezy Peruvian restaurant, Ni. On the way back, stop at the Maya archaeological site El Rey, then cool off with a swim at Playa Delfines, one of the city’s cleanest and prettiest beaches. Across the road, you’ll see Club Golf, one of several hotel zone courses overlooking the Nichupte Lagoon. Should you decide to hit the links, don’t get alarmed if you have a croc sighting.
A one-stop shop for water activities, this hotel zone tour operator conducts snorkeling outings to the aforementioned MUSA, day trips to limestone swimming holes, shipwreck and reef dives, and it also operates a semi-submarine ride that lets you observe a variety of tropical fish species in their natural habitat. Or try one of Aquaworld’s newest activities: a water jet-propelled hydro flighting device that allows you to fly 30 feet above the waters of the sparkling Nichupte Lagoon.
The hotel zone is overflowing with humming restaurants, bars and nightclubs clustered around Avenida Kukulcan, the lagoon and the beach. Seafood, of course, is the main draw and in many establishments it comes with spectacular vistas. La Palapa Belga, for instance, serves its signature mussels in white wine broth on a deck that affords awesome sunset views of the lagoon. Also along the lagoon shore, you’ll find the popular Fish Fritanga, which prepares delightful fried fish and tuna tostadas in an open-air restaurant with sand floors.
Do not drink the tap water and when eating street food give the place a look over to make sure it has acceptable hygiene practices, such as not handling money and food at the same time. Your tummy will thank you later!
For tacos, Taco y Tequila, in La Isla Shopping Village, is pricier than your average taqueria but their spit-cooked marinated pork tacos go down oh so nice with a refreshing mojito. And if you’ve been carousing in the busy bar zone, the late-night taco joints beside Mercado Coral Negro got your back.
As you’ve probably heard, the zona hotelera has a legendary party zone in the area around Playa Forum (aka Playa Lagarto), where some of the city’s largest and loudest nightclubs compete for tourism dollars. Coco Bongo, Mandala, and The City, the latter claiming to be Latin America’s largest nightclub, stage huge late-night dance parties replete with live entertainment and open bar service. They also operate beach clubs that throw wild daytime pool parties. If the hefty cover charges turn you away, there’s no shortage of smaller bars in the area with live bands, dancing and plenty of boozing. Or if you really just want to get away from the madness, wander a quarter mile south and pull up a stool at the Surfin Burrito, a great little hangout where you can engage in friendly banter over supersized cocktails.
For an even more subdued scene, we can’t recommend enough Cantina La 20, a tastefully designed contemporary bar and restaurant in Marina Puerto Cancún. Go here for the top-shelf tequilas such as Tequila Ocho and you’ll never want to drink mediocre agave spirits again.
In addition to some pretty cool water features, such as its charming artificial canals, the open-air La Isla Shopping Village boasts a slew of chic boutique shops and several noteworthy attractions. You can’t miss the 230-foot-high Ferris wheel and you should definitely check out the interactive aquarium with a large glass tank that doubles as a wall for a Thai food restaurant. Here you can also gaze up at the so-called Papantla Flyers, who perform an ancient rainmaking ritual as they swing upside down from a high pole while attached to a rope. And then there’s La Isla’s latest addition: Luchatitlan, a professional wrestling arena where you can watch Mexico’s masked marvels battling it out in the ring. All that to say, if the thought of shopping makes you yawn La Isla has you covered with plenty of distractions, not to mention several good waterfront restaurants specializing in Asian cuisine.
For Cancún’s most upscale shopping experience, look no further than Marina Puerto Cancún, an airy mall with expansive views and an ample offering of international retailers, refined restaurants, gourmet coffee shops, and not unlike La Isla, entertainment options galore. Again, if shopping isn’t your thing, you can escape to the IMAX cinema or a zip-line that whizzes you 60 feet above the harbor. In high-end stores, you’ll find everything from designer sunglasses to fashionable swimsuits and beach clothes.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for Mexican crafts, browse the aisles at Mercado Coral Negro in the center of the hotel zone. You’ll have to pick through the touristy knick-knacks but you can usually score decent handbags, hats, beachwear and wrestling masks.
Most visitors staying on this side of the city settle into the large resorts, which range from family-friendly all-inclusive and adults-only setups to exclusive luxury hotels. The east-facing coastal properties such as Live Aqua cost a pretty peso but you’re paying for the sophisticated rooms with stunning ocean views and the attractive beachside pools, not to mention all the other amenities that one would come to expect from hotels of this category.
When traveling with children, keep in mind that the calm waters of the hotel zone's northern beaches are much safer for swimming.
The towering resorts stand in stark contrast to several of the smaller budget-friendly accommodations along this stretch of coast. Hostel Cancún Natura, perched above a healthly food restaurant, affords glorious sunset views of Laguna Nichupte from the rooftop common area. Meanwhile, just across the street, you get even better lagoon vistas at Mayan Monkey, a hybrid hotel and hostel that puts you within stumbling distance of the nearby party zone.
For midrange digs, there are some good deals to be found on the north-facing strip of the hotel zone, such as the popular Suites Sina, where the grassy pool area allows you to appreciate Nichupte Lagoon in all its splendor.
The hotel zone caters to travelers of all budgets and tastes. Vacationing families gravitate toward the large all-inclusive resorts, most of which have kids’ clubs, play areas and multiple swimming pools to keep the little one amused for hours on end. Business travelers and couples often stay in the adults-only and luxury hotels, which provide easy access to the beach and above-and-beyond service and amenities. You’ll even find some budget-friendly and midrange accommodations scattered around the central part of the zona hotelera, where most of the nightclubs and bars are concentrated. When deciding on where to stay, keep in mind that the hotel zone has a more touristy vibe than what you’ll find across town in Cancún Centro, meaning downtown could be a better fit if you prefer a neighborhood with more local flavor. Also, be aware that nearly everything in the hotel zone costs more, so if you’re traveling on a tight budget the pricier taxis, meals and some of the upscale attractions can start to add up.
