Fun in the Sun
There's probably nowhere else where you can have more fun in the sun than in Cancún. With miles of talcum-powder-soft beaches and warm Caribbean waters, it's the next thing to paradise.
Beach It
Cancún's eleven magnificent beaches are its main attraction. The first six with gentle surf — Playas Las Perlas, Juventud, Linda, Langosta, Tortugas, and Caracol — face the Bahía de Mujeres and are the best for swimming. Those facing the open Caribbean — Gaviota Azul, Chac-Mool, Ballenas, Marlin, and Delfines — have broad sands and stronger surf. You should swim closer to shore to avoid the undertow. Playa Las Perlas is best for families, while Playas Linda and Langosta are departure points for boat tours.
FAST FACT
All beaches are free in Mexico — even those fronting posh resort hotels.
Boat It
With so much water surrounding Cancún, it's only natural to want to get out on it. Rent a Sunfish or Hobie Cat and explore the lagoon on your own. Or take a one-or two-person Jet Ski™ or speedboat and tour the mangroves in the lagoon. Mangrove swamps in places along its edge provide shelter for wildlife and birds. If you wish to take someone along, then rent a WaveRunner. The marinas in Cancún offer a variety of activities. Some specialize in diving, offering equipment and excursions to the best diving areas, while others specialize in sailing and waterskiing, and still others are departure points for sightseeing and dinner cruises:
• Aqua Fun: Sailing, snorkeling, diving (Omni Hotel, Km. 16.2, 998-885-3260)
• Aqua Rey: Watersports center (Lorenzillo's Restaurant, 998-883-3007)
• Aqua Tours: Fishing, waterskiing, snorkeling, lobster dinner cruises (Fat Tuesdays Restaurant, 998-883-0400)
• Aqua World: Watersports, sportsfishing (Meliá Cancún, Km. 15.2, 998-848-8327)
• Barracuda: Banana boat rides, WaveRunners, waterskiing (Km. 14, 998-885-2444)
• Club Lagoon: Jungle speedboat tour (Club Lagoon, 998-883-3109)
• Del Rey: Waterskiing (998-883-1748)
• Mundo Marina: Snorkeling and diving (Km. 5.5, 998-883 0554)
• Punte Este: Watersports, diving, fishing (Km. 10.3, 998-883-1210)
• Royal Yacht Club: Sailing (Royal Mayan Hotel, 998-885-0391)
If you'd rather explore under the sea, you can take floating submarine tours aboard the Nautibus (998-883-3552), a double-keeled boat with transparent panels below the water line so you can see the fish and coral without getting wet. The two-hour trip includes all the sodas and beer you can drink for $35 per person.
Or you can take the Sub See Explorer from AquaWorld, a glass-bottomed boat with a deep draft and portholes below the water line that enable you to see marine life underwater, also for $35, including lunch, beer and soft drinks. If you wish, you can combine it with a trip to Paradise Island, a man-made reef platform for swimming and snorkeling for $45 per person.
To dive in an actual submarine, you'll have to climb aboard Destination Atlantis (998-883-3021), which shuttles you to Isla Mujeres for a ride aboard the Atlantis Submarine, a passenger submarine for underwater excursions over the reefs. It departs every hour from the Embarcadero at the Playa Linda pier (Km. 8, 998-883-4963).
For a super high-speed ride, you'll love the Shotover Jet motorboat rides, a forty-five-minute high-speed tour along Cancún's beaches. The price of $45 per person includes admission to Wet ‘n’ Wild. Tours depart daily from Parque Nizuc from 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. Children must be at least four feet tall to ride. Be sure to reserve two days in advance (Km. 25, 998-881-3000).
After speeding around all day on the lagoon, it's time to take your family on a five-hour Pirate's Night dinner cruise aboard a fake pirate ship, with three-course buffet and live entertainment for $50 per adult, half price for kids under twelve. Dress-up costumes are provided (998-883-1488).
Snorkel, Scuba, Fish
If you like to snorkel or dive, Cancún is the place. Snorkeling is best at Playa Tortugas, Punta Nizuc, or Punta Cancún. With a depth of just thirty-three feet and great visibility, Arrecife de Manchones (Manchones Reef), off Isla Mujueres, an island just beyond Cancún, is ideal for learning to snorkel. You can take a family-oriented snorkeling tour with Cancún Mermaid (998-843-6517).
Offshore diving is best at Arrecife de Chital or Arrecife de Cuevones, part of El Gran Arrecife, otherwise known as the Great MesoAmerican Reef, the fifth-largest reef in the world. Shallow Arrecife de Chital, with depths to 108 feet, lies north of the Hotel Presidente, and Arrecife de Cuevones, with depths to 146 feet, lies north of Punta Cancún. More experienced divers prefer it because of its series of caves and immense brain and elkhorn coral formations. While Cancún has many dive shops, three of the largest and best equipped are Scuba Cancún (998-849-7508,
The waters around Cancún offer some excellent sportsfishing.
Whether you'd rather troll for big-game fish like marlin, tuna, dorado, and wahoo, or angle in the lagoon or inlets for snook, tarpon, barracuda, or needlefish, you'll definitely bring home the catch of the day. While April to September offers the best varieties of fish, sailfish run from March to mid-July; bonito and dorado run from May to early July; and wahoo and kingfish from May to September. Barracuda, red snapper, bluefin, grouper, and mackerel are plentiful all year. Fishing charters on a thirty-one-foot boat for up to six fishermen costs about $320 for a half day and $520 for a full day.
TRAVEL TIP
For a truly unique fishing experience, try the Naviera Asterix party cruise, on which you catch your dinner and the crew cooks it for you for $50 per person, including bait and tackle, departing from Club Nautico (998-886-4847).
Parasailing, Waterskiing, Windsurfing
Experience the thrill of being strapped into a colorful parachute and dangling high above the clear waters of the lagoon or sea as you “fly” behind a speedboat for ten minutes, to then be deposited back on the sand. Perhaps you and a son or daughter will want to try the Skyrider Parasail at Marina Aqua Ray, a two-seater attached to the parachute. For a solo flight, reserve through Lorenzillo's Restaurant (998-883-3007) or at your hotel.
If you'd rather fly across the surface of the water, then you shouldn't miss a chance to waterski on the calm waters of Laguna Nichupté. Sailboarding, or windsurfing as it's commonly known, is also a popular sport on the lagoon. You can learn how at the International Windsurfer Sailing School (Playa Tortugas, Km. 7, 998-884-2023).
Horseback Riding and Bicycling
To go horseback riding, try Rancho Loma Bonita (998-887-5465), a bit of a distance down Highway 307. It's the largest ranch around, with 150 horses, and offers rides over 987 acres through jungle and mangrove swamps. Organized trail rides cost $72 per adult, $65 per child (ages six through twelve), including transportation from your hotel, guide, lunch, and instruction.
Cancún is the ideal place to rent a bike and ride the 8.7-mile serpentine bike path that weaves among topiary trees and flowers along Paseo Kukulcán from downtown to Punta Cancún. It's best to do this early in the morning before the heat and humidity get oppressive. You can rent bikes for about $6 an hour from the Cancún Bicycle Club at Plaza Las Glorias or the Radisson Sierra Plaza Hotels. Kiosks along the path rent inline skates for about $7 an hour. There's a discount for multihour rentals.
Golf
Every other hotel seems to be cashing in on the golfing craze, with putting greens and chip-and-putt courses. Three championship eighteen-hole courses, plus two executive par-three courses, at the Meliá Cancún (Km. 16.5, 998-885-1100) and the Oasis Cancún Hotel (Km. 17, 998-885-0867), should provide plenty of play. If you're a serious golfer, you may want to also play some of the courses along the Riviera Maya. (See Chapter 9.)
