Cancun - Mexican city along the Caribbean
Cancun is a beautiful Mexican city bordering the Caribbean sea. Also, one of the seven wonders of the world, the Chichen Itza, is just a 3 hour drive from Cancun. Cancun is either hot or hotter. So, the best time to visit is from December to April, when temperatures are reasonable and between 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. As a tourist, you can divide Cancun into the hotel zone and the rest of the town. Most of the tourists will stay for weeks in the hotel zone and never go to the actual town. But it's interesting to just drive or take a local bus to the downtown from the hotel zone to see the contrast between the hotel zone and the downtown.
If you are from India, you will find many similarities between India and Mexico.
Here are the majors attractions and the things to do in Cancun.
The Chichen Itza
Its' a pyramid like structure constructed by the Mayan civilization. It's one of the seven wonders of the world due to its large concentration of culturally-significant, ancient man made wonders. It's a 3 hour drive(200 km) from Cancun to the Chichen Itza. Make sure you visit this place with a tour guide that explains the background of this place. Its interesting to know about the Mayan's culture, the Temple of the warriors, the wall of the skulls, and the Ball game they used to play in the ball court at the Chichen Itza. Though you can drive to this place on your own, without knowing the history or background of the place, it will just be a pyramid-like structure and you might not appreciate it.
Cenotes
A cenote is a large sinkhole or cave that is filled with cool and clear ground water and the rain water. The Mayans believe that cenotes are the gateway to the underworld, the god of rain. Normally, the Chichen Itza tours combine the visit with one of the cenotes. Make sure you put on your bathing suit and life jacket and then get into the cenote.
Isla Mujeres
This is a Caribbean island 13 km from the coast of Cancun. You can use the ultramar ferry https://ultramarferry.com/en to reach this island.
The best way to roam around this Island is by golf cart.
Don't miss to visit the "Playa Norte" on one end of the island and the "Punta Sur" on the other end of the island. Spend some time at Playa Norte and then go all the way to the other end of the island in your golf cart, covering anything interesting you see.
Musa Underwater Museum
This is the largest museum in the world of its kind (under water). Its located between the northern point of the hotel zone and Isla Mujeres. You can't just go there on a boat and start looking. The best option is to book a tour through a tour operator. There are multiple ways to visit this museum. Scuba diving, Snorkeling, and from a glass bottom boat. You can choose whichever you are comfortable with.
Google earth Video of Musa Underwater Museum (Length : 1 Minute)
Playa Tortugas
By now, you might have understood "Playa" means beach. Though Playa Tortugas is not the best beach you can find in Cancun, it has a lot of water sports to offer. Try jet skiing, parasailing, and bungee jumping.
In addition to this, Cancun has a lot more to offer with respect to adventure activities like zip-lines, ATV tours .. etc.
Below are some questions that came to my mind while planning for the trip. I am going to list them with the answers.
Do we need to carry Mexican currency?
Mexican currency is Pesos and at the time of writing this article, around 20 pesos is one dollar. In Cancun, most of the places you can pay with either American dollars or Mexican pesos. You can give your American dollars and get Pesos at your hotel front desk. Though the American dollars will work at most of the places, its a good idea to carry some pesos. You might want to pretend like the a local, paying exactly 12 pesos for the bus ride :-)
Is the driving the same as in the USA and do you need a rental car?
Similar to the USA, you drive on the right side of the road. Though rental cars have their merits, you can easily manage with Taxis, Ubers, and local buses. Outside every hotel in the hotel zone you will find taxis are lined up. So, you need not really book and wait for the uber to arrive. The local bus is definitely much cheaper but you should be ready to do your acrobats while crossing the roads :-). The pedestrians don't have the privilege, like in the USA. If you are from India, you know what I mean. I felt at home while crossing the roads :-)
What are the top three Spanish words to know for Cancun trip?
Buenos Días - Good Morning
Hola - Hello
Gracias - Thank You
That's a wrap. Wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year ahead!!
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