Cancun and the Rivera Maya are favorite destinations for newlyweds, kids on their end-of-year trips, and many other people who are looking for sunshine, crystal-clear waters, white sand and lots of fun in this corner of Mexico. Traveling to this beautiful destination to stay all the way cooped up in a resort can be overwhelming and even boring. The offer of excursions and visits outside the resort is very wide so in this post I’ll tell you everything to see and do in Cancun and Riviera Maya.
WHERE TO STAY IN CANCUN AND RIVIERA MAYA
The hotel offer in the whole state of Quintana Roo is very wide so in Cancun and the Riviera Maya you will not have any difficulty in finding impressive hotel complexes to suit your needs.
If you are looking for some nightlife, I recommend you to stay in Cancun, because the Riviera Maya is a more family and couple oriented destination, so you will not find much of a party. Otherwise, you will have all you want in Cancun.
In the following links you can compare the prices of the different hotels and book them. Many of them have free cancellation!
WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN CANCUN AND RIVIERA MAYA
Among the many activities to do in Cancun and Riviera Maya you can’t miss the following.
NIGHT VISIT TO CANCUN
A visit to the “Miami of Mexico” can be a lot of fun. From being a fishing island surrounded by virgin jungle and unknown beaches, it is now, along with Acapulco, the most recognized Mexican tourist center in the world. The city of Cancun is famous for its lively nightlife, the main discos in the city are located in the hotel zone near the most frequented restaurants and hotels, and share a single location called Party Center, where all the bars and clubs of Cancun’s nightlife are concentrated.
But remember that if you are going to party and have a great time in Cancun, you will need a transportation to go to your hotel, the easiest and safest option is to hire some transportation service to avoid any kind of accident. A company that I really loved is eTransfers, because with their Cancun airport transfers service, you will easily get to your hotel.
Every day of the week, the clubs in Cancun have different promotions and offers so it is worth checking their websites to verify the daily promotions. Enjoy these clubs in Cancun:
Coco Bongo
Located inside the Forum Mall, in the Party Center area of the Hotel Zone, it is the most frequented nightclub and its visit is one of the most recommended things do in Cancun and Riviera Maya. Praised by various international media such as Rolling Stone magazine, MTV, E Entertainment, Billboard Magazine among others, Coco Bongo offers live shows for the attendees with acrobats, imitators of world renowned artists, lights, special effects and lots of fun on stage.
It’s not your average disco, but rather a fusion of disco, theater and musical, so it might disappoint some, but Coco Bongo is the most famous disco in Latin America.
Dady’O
The building simulates an underwater cavern emerging from the waters of the Caribbean. It’s one of the most popular nightclubs in Mexico. In Dady’O you can listen and dance to the best mix of 80’s and 90’s music, electronic and hip hop, it has state of the art technology in sound systems, ambience and lights. It also has a 3D laser system representation every night. They have different party themes every night like: Super Sexy Blackout Party, Men Bodies Contest, Sensual Party, Beach Party, Play Boy Party, and many others!
The City
Going to this nightclub is one of the best things to do in Cancun, considered the largest nightclub in Latin America with a capacity of 5,000 people. The City has 4 levels, with an impressive laser light system, mobile dance floors and an incredible sound system. It also hosts performances by world-class artists.
Mandala
Exclusive discotheque belonging to a chain of international scope, they offer good music and excellent service, characterized by always being in fashion and the vanguard.
VISIT TO THE MARKET 28
This is one of the main places to see in Cancun, this is a market where you can buy all kinds of souvenirs, besides finding many shops of all kinds of crafts, you will also find restaurants, banks, jewelry stores, shoe shops, clothing stores, supermarket, herbal shops, Internet cafes, pharmacies, post office, couriers and a lot of shops that serve tourists and locals of Cancun.
At this point, as the tour will be a little long, the best and easiest, it will be very convenient to rent a car in Cancun and drive around it as you wish.
EXCURSION TO TULUM AND XEL-HÁ
One of the most recommended excursions to do in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, is the visit to the Tulum Ruins, the only archaeological zone that sits on the seashore. This is also the most photogenic place in the region and perhaps in the whole country.
Tulum was a Mayan fortress that lived its moment of glory at the end of the classic period (around 1000 AD). Also in this place you can find one of the most beautiful beaches you have ever seen, where you can take a good bath and which is considered one of the best beaches in the Caribbean.
As for Xel-Ha, it is considered the largest natural aquarium in the world, where 70 marine and fresh water species live together. Because it is the space of numerous specimens of flora and fauna of the region, Xel-Ha was granted the title of Natural Wonder of Mexico.
EXCURSION TO XCARET
Another of the most recommended places to see in Cancun and the Riviera Maya is Xcaret, an ecological theme park.
No doubt you will have a lot of fun, you will be able to see marine species as well as many other animals such as panthers.
You will also be able to do activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming with dolphins, or swimming in an underground river.
One recommendation is to go to the main pavilion to watch the magnificent final show.
EXCURSION TO COBA
Coba was one of the largest and most important Mayan cities. It is home to the tallest pyramid in the Mexican Mayan world, Nohuch Mul, which in Mayan means “large mound”, more than 40 meters high.
This excursion is one of the most recommended to do in Cancun and Riviera Maya, you can climb the great pyramid to enjoy one of the most beautiful landscapes of Mexico, in addition to walking through the jungle, rappelling, ziplining, bathing in a cenote and you may even find some howler monkeys.
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