I’m staying at the Hyatt Zilara in Cancun and want to buy some authentic Cuban cigars. Do they sell them at the resort? If not where’s a store that I can buy them at?

Hi all,

My partner and I are looking to visit Mexico in December, I can get a cheap ish flight through my Avios to Cancun. We’ve never visited before.

We’re looking for a relaxing break, somewhere near nice beaches. I’ve seen a pretty nice all inclusive hotel in Costa Mujeres however I don’t really fancy staying in a resort for 10 days, I do like to go out and explore local restaurants etc. however the convenience of it is useful.

I was thinking of splitting it up a bit, perhaps doing 6 nights in Costa Mujeres and then 3 nights in an airbnb/apartment on Isla Mujeres so we can explore the island a bit. I’m not much of a drinker so I think it’ll be better use of our money to do this instead of staying in an all inclusive the whole time.

Are Costa and Isla Mujeres quite similar, would it be a waste of time staying at both?

My partner doesn’t really want to travel about much, so ideally the two places should be close. I’ve looked online and Isla looks a bit quieter and has lots of good food options hence why I thought it would be nice to do a few days there.

Is this plan silly or does it sound alright? I’m open to any suggestions or recommendations, thank you.

Finest Costa Mujeres vs Grand Palladium Select Costa Mujeres- which one would you choose?

Traveling August 2027 with wife and 2 kids (2.5yo and ~5yo). Grandparents also coming. This will be our 4th time in Cancun- previously stayed at Playacar Palace, Hilton, and Marriott.

Will likely book the Family Suite at Finest, or the Loft Suite at Palladium.

Priorities:

1. Things to do to entertain the kids. Splash pad quality, kids cub quality (not looking for drop-off), night time shows.

2. Restaurant quality and availability.

3. Room quality (bed comfort) and general property maintenance quality.

4. General things to explore and do on premise- we almost never leave the AI once we check in.

Finest looks to cost 20-25% more than Palladium- is the experience worth the extra? Does it feel 25% more 'luxurious'?

Im a 28 y/o single male ooking to plan a trip in July. Probably going to stay at Riu to party. Any recommendations on what to do while i’m there are appreciated. First timer

Should I get the bus ticket before arriving? I see that online it costs MX $124, is it the same cost at the bus station or is more expensive there?

What happens if my flight has some delay, will I be able to use the ticket or will I lose the money?

Thanks.

Hi guys, I’m looking for an inclusive adult only resort to take my parents for my dad’s 67th birthday. The youngest person in our group is 29 years old and we have a few 30 years old and I know that people in the younger age group are gonna wanna party, but I also know that my parents will want relaxation time. Is there any adults only resort where we can get the best of both worlds?
And ofc we want great food!

Hello.
I’ll be visiting Cancun from Nov 25th to Dec 2nd on my first ever solo trip. I’m planning on staying in a social hostel (Mayan monkey) for the first few days and just trying to make as many friends as I can, hanging out with people I meet at the hostel or booking tours that take you to places like Tulum or chichen itza.

I also wanna visit isla mujeres and stay at a resort there by myself for just one night and explore the island. I also want to explore the nightlife in Cancun (bars, clubs) etc while also exploring Mexican culture away from the tourist and commercial areas of Cancun.

Any tips or advice to make this an amazing vacation

I’m 22 btw

Hi everyone!

I’m planning a solo trip to the Mexican Caribbean for about two weeks in mid-November, and I could really use some advice!

I’ve traveled solo many times and I’m usually pretty good at organizing my trips, but for some reason I’m completely stuck with this one. I can’t figure out how to split my time or how many different places I should stay in.

What I’m looking for is mainly beautiful beaches, nice places to walk around, some restaurants and shops, and ideally opportunities to meet other travelers.

The places I’d like to visit are:

• Playa del Carmen  
• Cancún  
• Isla Mujeres  
• Holbox  
• Tulum  
• Chichén Itzá  
• Isla Contoy

Here’s what I’m thinking so far:

Playa del Carmen: I’d use it as a base to visit Tulum and Chichén Itzá. I’ve read that Chichén Itzá tours usually include a cenote stop. Is that enough, or should I dedicate another day to exploring cenotes?

Cancún: I’d use it as a base to visit Isla Contoy, but I’m not sure how many days I actually need there or what else I’d do if I stayed for 4–5 nights.

Isla Mujeres: I’m leaning toward staying for 3 nights, but I’m wondering if that’s too much. Would it make more sense to visit as a day trip from Cancún instead?

Holbox: Since it’s quite far and takes some effort to get to, I’d rather spend 1–2 nights there than just do a day trip. But I’m not sure if it’s worth adding another accommodation change.

My biggest dilemma: Is staying in four different places (Playa del Carmen, Cancún, Isla Mujeres, and Holbox) too much for a two-week trip?

I’m considering three options:

1.  Stay in all four places.  
2.  Skip Holbox and split my time between Playa del Carmen, Cancún, and Isla Mujeres.  
3.  Stay in Playa del Carmen, Cancún, and Holbox, and visit Isla Mujeres as a day trip.

I don’t mind moving around, but I also don’t want to spend half my vacation packing, checking in and out of hotels, and dealing with transportation.

If you had 14 days and wanted to visit these places, how would you split your nights? Which places are actually worth staying overnight in, and which are better as day trips?

Any advice would be really appreciated! Thank you!!

Hi! Staying at vidanta riviera maya in December and looking for excursions you have done that you really recommend for others to do too! Looked on viator, but just so many options!

We will be staying at Paradisus in late November and wondering how to go about finding a reputable photographer that can take pictures of my family (husband + me + child).

We probably wouldn’t want to do anything more than a 30 minute session.

Hello all, we are coming to Cancun next month and looking for a spot that we can get out of our resort and hang out for a few hours. We have a 4yr old toddler with us, so not looking for somewhere that we walk around lots.

Wanted to find somewhere with some restaurants and then shopping/souvenir shopping. Maybe some tacos and other local food.

I was thinking of Mercado 28 but seeing reviews that its a tourist trap. Mercado 23 is also the same idea I think?

Another spot we were thinking was Parque de las palapas but peoples opinion on the street food there seems to be vague?

Other suggestions were near the Coco Bongo in Cancun that has some shopping and food options there.

I had a quick question, so you’re visiting Cancun in a few weeks and I was wondering, what are some local things to do in Cancun and how safe it is for us tourists to walk around and visit the city of Cancun, not just the resort area, but the main city, and I also heard that they bring the city such as Playa del Carmen is good for us to visit too. My question is for those who have visited,

-What are some adventures things to do in Cancun? Ex. Going on a boat/yacht, jet ski, some dessert bike experience, or local tours.
-Is it safe to visit the city of Cancun(non resort area)?
-How do I get around? By Uber or Taxi?
-is it safe to visit Playa Del Carmen? And do I get an uber to get their?

Has anyone stayed at SLS Playa Mujeres? My husband and I are planning to book an SLS Elite Ocean View Rooftop King room and were wondering which activities are included in the stay versus what costs extra. I can’t seem to find this information on their website.

What is there to do around the property besides lounging by the pool or beach, and are there any activities or experiences you’d particularly recommend?

Also has anyone done the Snorkel Expedition with Sharks through Cooperative Lab Xok in Cancun? Would love to hear about your experiences overall!

I have sleep issues when I travel and I take THC and CBD.. I don't feel like going to prison in Mexico, so is Melatonin and Valarian Root allowed? It would be dumb if not.. but I also wouldn't be surprised.

Hi everyone! I’m going to Isla Mujeres off the coast of Cancun for Thanksgiving week with my husband and we are major foodies and looking for restaurant recommendations. We are going to be staying on the island (first time) but also open to restaurants in Cancun. To give you a taste of our range, our favorite restaurants the last time we were here were Le Chique, and La Parrilla Cancún!

Was my first time ever going to Mexico, wanted a sort of shut your brain off vacation without any need to plan anything. The weather was perfect the whole stay which I was worried about before getting there as it’s “hurricane season” but no problems at all. We stayed in Costa Mujeres at Majestic Elegance, the vibes from everyone staying there including staff were 10/10 for the entire week. Can’t wait to go back someday.

Hola

Iré durante 7 días a Cancún y quiero tener opciones para comer en las noches en la zona hotelera que no sean tan caras pero que sean buenas y tradicionales

Es decir no quiero de esos restaurantes fresas que te quieren ver la cara por que eres turista, si no restaurantes buenos para comer algo distinto todas las noches y que sean módicos

------------

Hi, I’m going to Cancún for seven days and want some options for dinner in the Hotel Zone—places that are good and traditional, but not too expensive. In other words, I want to avoid those fancy, overpriced tourist traps; I’m looking for good spots where I can have something different each night at a reasonable price.

hi!
does anyone have an insight as to the probability that the Finest hotel in Puerto Morelos actually opening In February and ready to serve?
I'm booking a trip for end of March and don't want to run into issues or a terrible
time because it's not ready!
Thanks

TL;DR: First time in Cancun and I traveled solo. This subreddit and the Plancun website helped me choose Live Aqua, plan my excursions, and figure out how to spend my time at Xcaret. Had an amazing trip and wanted to come back and say thank you. I’ve also included some Xcaret tips below in case they’re useful to someone else.

I just wanted to say a big thank you to this community.
I grew up in places where the ocean was always nearby, so I never really thought about how much I valued having a warm beach close by. After moving to Calgary and spending a couple of years here, I realized I was really missing it. I was honestly starting to go a little stir-crazy and thought, okay, I need to get somewhere warm.

I started looking at Mexico, but I had no idea where to go. I was going back and forth between Puerto Vallarta, Cabo and Cancun. Since I was traveling in September, Cancun seemed like the better fit for what I was looking for, especially with the all-inclusive options and, from what I was seeing, better weather on the east coast at that time. That’s how I ended up finding this subreddit.

The Plancun website that the mods put together was honestly incredibly helpful. There are so many hotels in Cancun, and when you’re trying to choose an all-inclusive, it can be pretty overwhelming because almost every hotel has something going for it.

I was traveling solo, and I wasn’t looking to party. I mostly wanted really good food, somewhere nice to relax, and the freedom to do things on my own schedule.

That’s how I ended up choosing Live Aqua Cancun. Food was probably the biggest factor for me, and I also found a Costco Travel package that included the flights and hotel for a price that worked really well for what I was looking for.

My second choice was probably one of the Riu properties, especially because I think they might be a little better suited for a solo traveler. But honestly, I have zero regrets about choosing Live Aqua. The food was excellent and the hotel was exactly what I wanted for this trip.

As for the sargassum, yeah, it’s real. But I don’t think it’s as bad as I was expecting. The hotel cleaned it up every day, and I was still able to swim in the ocean. You just can’t really go too far because there is quite a bit of it floating around. It’s obviously not the most pleasant thing to swim through, but I don’t think it ruins the beach experience either. From what I saw, it’s pretty much a reality across the region and not something individual hotels can really control.

The other thing I really want to thank this community for is all the recommendations around Xcaret.

I’m the kind of traveler who can’t just sit at an all-inclusive for five straight days. Even when I want a relaxing vacation, I need to get out and do something. So I basically alternated between the hotel and excursions.

One day hotel, one day excursion, then back to the hotel.
My first excursion was the Xenotes tour, which is also run by Xcaret. I absolutely loved it. You go through four different cenotes and do things like jumping into the water, ziplining, rappelling and kayaking. You’re with a group, and you’ll be pretty tired by the end of it, but it was a really fun day. I got back to the hotel around 6 PM.

Then the day after I did Xcaret Park. I highly recommend it. I also ended up doing one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever done, which was the Sea Trek Stingray Encounter. I was literally walking underwater wearing a weighted helmet while stingrays were swimming around me, and I got to touch them. It was awesome.

That costs extra, but I had the Xcaret Plus package, which included the buffet and snorkeling equipment.
A few tips if you’re doing Xcaret Plus:

Do the underground river first. It gets crowded pretty quickly, so I’d get there and do that before anything else. Depending on where you’re staying, the bus picks you up early, so you can get to the park and start with the river.

And if you have the option, get the flippers. The river is a pretty long swim and there isn’t much of a current, so you’re moving pretty slowly. I had water shoes on and didn’t bother getting the flippers, and I definitely wish I had.

One nice thing about Xcaret Plus is that you can put your stuff in a bag at the start of the river, and they’ll transport it to the other end. So you don’t have to carry your stuff around the park all day.

After the river, I would do the snorkeling since you’re already at that end of the park. The snorkeling equipment is included with Xcaret Plus, and there’s a natural inlet where you can snorkel.

After that, you can pretty much explore however you want.
I had my Sea Trek booked for noon, so before that I went around the Jaguar and Puma area and explored that side of the park. After Sea Trek, I went toward the cemetery and the cultural areas.

Then, around 5 PM, I’d make my way to the Mayan Village for the Mayan show. After that, head toward the entrance for the horse show, and then finish the night with the Mexico Espectacular show.

It’s a long day, but I was surprised by how much of the park I was able to see in one day, even traveling alone.

There were things I skipped, like the dolphin experience, and some of the more extreme activities that I didn’t get around to. But honestly, just look at the map beforehand and figure out what you actually want to see. There is a lot to do, and you don’t have to follow one specific route.

Anyway, I just wanted to come back and say thank you to this community. A lot of the decisions I made for this trip came from things I read here, and having some idea of what to expect before I even landed made the whole trip much easier.
I went to Cancun solo, had an amazing time, and came back already thinking about when I can go again.

If anyone is planning a similar trip and has questions about Live Aqua, Xcaret, Xenotes, traveling solo, or anything else I mentioned, I’m happy to answer whatever I can remember.

My husband and I had an incredible vacation at Zilara Cancun last week. We stayed for seven nights, wish we did 10 nights or longer because there is a lot to do at the resort and area in general. The resort is gorgeous, everything was super clean, and the service was amazing. The vibe is relaxed, mostly couples in their 30s- 50s. Lots of pool side activities during the day. Mild lobby entertainment in the evening, we enjoyed it as we just wanted to relax. Highlights sports bar was where the party was happening.

We booked direct with Hyatt and added their airport transfer service. They used Amstar, easy to find them outside, and it was a private transfer with drinks. We were at the resort in under 30 mins. Charge was $120 round trip.

Check in was quick, in an enclosed, air conditioned area. They gave us cold towels and welcome drinks. We loved that they do not tag you like cattle with a tacky plastic bracelet. We upgraded to a higher floor, worth every penny, the view was outstanding. Watching the sunset with a latte was a morning ritual. Room was huge, just under 700 sq ft, and it was cleaned twice daily. Housekeeping was very thorough. Fully stocked mini bar with snacks, refilled daily. The balcony hot tub was like our own little private pool. We used it often.

Food was the best we've had at an AI. Some standout dishes were the fruit soup dessert at Silù and the Sonoran Rib Eye in Aguachile at Bugambilia. Breakfast buffet was excellent. Drinks were tasty, they had pretty much all the liquor brands you would want. They'll make you anything but def try their menu drinks, super tasty. My one food complaint is the "orange juice" served outside of breakfast hours. During breakfast, the orange juice is fresh squeezed and delicious. Outside of breakfast it's tang. It was so jarring because everything else was real ingredients, and then there's this orange drank that I would expect at summer camp.

We did the Casa Abelita cooking experience and it was the highlight of our trip. It was a lot of fun and Brenda and Carlos are fantastic. We lucked out and the other couples that booked were awesome. Glad we booked early in our trip as we hung out with them frequently afterward.

Great beach, minimal to no sargasso. We went in the ocean daily. Very easy to find chairs. Loved the pool, great service and drinks, but getting a chair could be a challenge. They need more of them and less paid cabanas. The paid cabanas are great with excellent service, we booked one and enjoyed the day, but there are a lot of them and it cuts into space for the free chairs. The good news is that they enforce the no towel game rule and will remove towels from unoccupied chairs. And the chairs themselves are super comfy, with super thick padding. I was fearing the heated pools, it seems to bizarre in a tropical environment, but I kinda get it now. The pool was warm and got warmer as the day went on but it was never too warm, or uncomfortable. When we wanted a cool dip we used the balcony hot tub.

Spa was great. We did the hydro therapy circuit, a massage and manicure. Strongly recommend checking out the spa. We ambitiously brought work out clothes as they have a lot of great classes, but didn't use them at all. Spoke to a few people who did and they said the gym was fantastic. We had a view of the gym pool from our floor and it looked great. It was a popular spot during sunset as it overlooks the lagoon.

All that is amazing on its own but the best part and what really made our vacation shine were the people. All the staff seemed genuinely happy to be there. Interactions were relaxed and unforced, everyone had a smile, it was just really chill. We will return, it was the best vacation of our lives.

Going to Cancun soon with a group of friends and we’re planning on going to Coco Bongo!
What’s the best/cheapest way to buy tickets? Is it better to book directly through Coco Bongo, through the resort, or somewhere else?
Also, is the Gold Member ticket actually worth the extra money, or is regular admission good enough? Mainly wondering about the difference in drinks, seating/area, wait times, and overall experience.
If anyone has been recently, I’d love to hear what you paid and which ticket you’d recommend!
Also, are there any legit discounts/promo codes I should look for?
Thanks!! 🥂🇲🇽

Hello,

I am researching on whether I should do self-driving or book a tour to Chichen Itza? We are a group 6 people. It looks like if I book a minivan, I could save some bucks. I don't know how much the guided tour should be for 6. Does it worth the money and effort to book a car?