Where to stay on a long weekend in Cancun?
March 13, 2016 10:38 AM Subscribe
Isla Mujers? Tulum? Playa Del Carmen? Given this vague itinerary where should we stay?
I'm going to the Yucatan peninsula for 4 nights in April and I'm (delightfully) overwhelmed with the possibilities.
I'm going with a friend, we are two women in our early 30s. We want to go scuba diving with the statues in the underwater museum. I'm certified, but rusty and she's not certified but has dived a few times before. We also want to go see the caves and do some snorkeling. We're interested in other outdoor activities with the caveat that my friend is recovering from an injury so long walks are out. This makes me think that the Mayan ruins in Tulum would be a bad idea?
We have three solid days to do stuff, but we'd also like there to be some nightlife. We don't want to be doing shots at Senor Frogs like we're on Spring Break, but we also don't want to be in bed by 10 every night.
Isla Mujers looks wonderful, but I'm worried it's too sleepy and that we will have fewer options for daytime excursions. We also couldn't have a car, which may be preferable so my friend can stay off her feet as much as possible.
I hear super mixed things about Playa Del Carmen. It's been recommended by acquaintances as an awesome beach town, but after some googling it sounds like the Mexican Ibiza. However, maybe this would be a good home base to come and go from?
Tulum has equally mixed reviews. I'm not sure how a place can be both an idyllic hidden paradise and a truck stop strip mall on a beach? It also sounds like that if we want to get any beach time we will need to stay on a beach front resort, which isn't out of the question, but not really our preference. Tulum is also significantly farther from the airport than Playa Del Carmen or Isla Mujeres. However, it also sounds like Tulum might be a more mature version of Playa Del Carmen, which is sort of what we're looking for. Could we still easily go scuba diving with the statues if we stayed in Tulum?
I'm having a really hard to time getting a sense of what any of these places are like. They all sound wonderful (and problematic) in their own ways.
General and specific recommendations are welcome!
I'm going to the Yucatan peninsula for 4 nights in April and I'm (delightfully) overwhelmed with the possibilities.
I'm going with a friend, we are two women in our early 30s. We want to go scuba diving with the statues in the underwater museum. I'm certified, but rusty and she's not certified but has dived a few times before. We also want to go see the caves and do some snorkeling. We're interested in other outdoor activities with the caveat that my friend is recovering from an injury so long walks are out. This makes me think that the Mayan ruins in Tulum would be a bad idea?
We have three solid days to do stuff, but we'd also like there to be some nightlife. We don't want to be doing shots at Senor Frogs like we're on Spring Break, but we also don't want to be in bed by 10 every night.
Isla Mujers looks wonderful, but I'm worried it's too sleepy and that we will have fewer options for daytime excursions. We also couldn't have a car, which may be preferable so my friend can stay off her feet as much as possible.
I hear super mixed things about Playa Del Carmen. It's been recommended by acquaintances as an awesome beach town, but after some googling it sounds like the Mexican Ibiza. However, maybe this would be a good home base to come and go from?
Tulum has equally mixed reviews. I'm not sure how a place can be both an idyllic hidden paradise and a truck stop strip mall on a beach? It also sounds like that if we want to get any beach time we will need to stay on a beach front resort, which isn't out of the question, but not really our preference. Tulum is also significantly farther from the airport than Playa Del Carmen or Isla Mujeres. However, it also sounds like Tulum might be a more mature version of Playa Del Carmen, which is sort of what we're looking for. Could we still easily go scuba diving with the statues if we stayed in Tulum?
I'm having a really hard to time getting a sense of what any of these places are like. They all sound wonderful (and problematic) in their own ways.
General and specific recommendations are welcome!
I think what's throwing you is that these towns have different parts that have different feels -- people are just talking about different areas. I've been to all of these spots, so I'll give you a run-down. I usually stay at hostels, or I camp right on the beach, which is probably not what you're looking for. I'm sure others will have good suggestions for hotels/resorts.
I am not a huge fan of Cancun. The whole 'Disneyland does Mexico' vibe really squicks me out. The beaches are nice, but the clubs and restaurants are kind of awful.
Isla Mujeres is really lovely, and there's lots to do there, but maybe not your best choice if you want to go clubbing.
Playa del Carmen is awesome, depending on your definition of awesome. I found the public beaches to be full of jet skis and the water smelled noticeably of gasoline. Not my favorite. Go to the beaches by the resorts. The restaurants and clubs are great, waaaay nicer than Cancun, and the town is much prettier. It's a fairly sizable place, so it has both quieter neighborhoods as well as the strip.
I love Tulum, and I can see where people are coming from with both of those statements. The 'town' part is a long strip of shops and restaurants. I would not call it a more mature Playa. It's just a less-developed town. There's not much nightlife as I recall. You can get to Cancun from there, it's only a couple hours away by car.
The part of Tulum that's on the actual ocean is a string of moderate to really fancy resorts. However! There are plenty of (nice) public beaches that you can get to. And many of the resorts will let you on to their (even nicer) beaches if you buy a couple drinks at their restaurant. Just walk in and act like you're staying there, they won't care. The ruins are not all that big, I think you could see the whole thing in an hour? Even if you bail halfway, it's only like $5 to get in. Don't miss the cenotes if you're in the area! Grand Cenote and Dos Ojos are my favorites.
I think you might book a room in one of the hotels in Playa that's not super close to the strip so you can have nightlife when you want it, and easily take day trips to the other places you want to see.
I do want to just mention that the best diving in the area is on Cozumel (an hour by ferry from Playa) -- it's a world top ten dive spot for the colorful coral, tons of fish, and total water clarity. The statues in Cancun are cool, but Cozumel is off-the-chart amazing :) Have fun on your trip!
posted by ananci at 11:40 AM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
I am not a huge fan of Cancun. The whole 'Disneyland does Mexico' vibe really squicks me out. The beaches are nice, but the clubs and restaurants are kind of awful.
Isla Mujeres is really lovely, and there's lots to do there, but maybe not your best choice if you want to go clubbing.
Playa del Carmen is awesome, depending on your definition of awesome. I found the public beaches to be full of jet skis and the water smelled noticeably of gasoline. Not my favorite. Go to the beaches by the resorts. The restaurants and clubs are great, waaaay nicer than Cancun, and the town is much prettier. It's a fairly sizable place, so it has both quieter neighborhoods as well as the strip.
I love Tulum, and I can see where people are coming from with both of those statements. The 'town' part is a long strip of shops and restaurants. I would not call it a more mature Playa. It's just a less-developed town. There's not much nightlife as I recall. You can get to Cancun from there, it's only a couple hours away by car.
The part of Tulum that's on the actual ocean is a string of moderate to really fancy resorts. However! There are plenty of (nice) public beaches that you can get to. And many of the resorts will let you on to their (even nicer) beaches if you buy a couple drinks at their restaurant. Just walk in and act like you're staying there, they won't care. The ruins are not all that big, I think you could see the whole thing in an hour? Even if you bail halfway, it's only like $5 to get in. Don't miss the cenotes if you're in the area! Grand Cenote and Dos Ojos are my favorites.
I think you might book a room in one of the hotels in Playa that's not super close to the strip so you can have nightlife when you want it, and easily take day trips to the other places you want to see.
I do want to just mention that the best diving in the area is on Cozumel (an hour by ferry from Playa) -- it's a world top ten dive spot for the colorful coral, tons of fish, and total water clarity. The statues in Cancun are cool, but Cozumel is off-the-chart amazing :) Have fun on your trip!
posted by ananci at 11:40 AM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
I spent a week in/around Tulum a couple of years ago. It's a nice place. I think the mixed reviews are mostly from the fact that it's quite small: there's only one main strip and it's mostly crappy souvenir shops. But we had some good food (if you like steak we enjoyed El Asadero for a 'nicer' meal--make a reservation) and weren't really there for the nightlife.
The ruins in Tulum are not super large (at least compared to Coba and Chichen Itza), and assuming you can drive all the way in to the actual entrance to the ruins (I am not sure where parking is) you can go in and take a look around without too much walking.
Be aware that most of the resorts in Tulum are on the pricey side. We stayed here and liked it, but it's probably not what you're looking for unless you want to bike everywhere. Great breakfast, nice crowd of mostly Europeans and Canadians when we were there.
Getting to the beach shouldn't be a problem: there are several public access points to the beaches, or you can park at one of the beach clubs.
I highly recommend checking out a cenote.
posted by quaking fajita at 11:47 AM on March 13, 2016
The ruins in Tulum are not super large (at least compared to Coba and Chichen Itza), and assuming you can drive all the way in to the actual entrance to the ruins (I am not sure where parking is) you can go in and take a look around without too much walking.
Be aware that most of the resorts in Tulum are on the pricey side. We stayed here and liked it, but it's probably not what you're looking for unless you want to bike everywhere. Great breakfast, nice crowd of mostly Europeans and Canadians when we were there.
Getting to the beach shouldn't be a problem: there are several public access points to the beaches, or you can park at one of the beach clubs.
I highly recommend checking out a cenote.
posted by quaking fajita at 11:47 AM on March 13, 2016
Isla Mujeres is a paradise. I recommend it every time anyone is talking about anything in the Cancun area. It's a lot lower key than the Zona Hotelera in Cancun, but I certainly wouldn't describe it as sleepy. There are some pretty nice little night danceclubs, and the beachside bars are usually bouncing well into the night.
I also love Tulum, and you have to recognize that there are basically three different Tulum's and look at the reviews through that lens. The town of Tulum is about 3km inland from the beach and is a very forgettable highway stopover kind of place. There are some gems hidden there, including a few very good restaurants, but it's not what anyone other than a Tulum local is talking about when they say "Tulum."
There's also the ruins and the whole tourist trap built up around them. When you arrive at the entrance to the ruins (whether by bus, taxi, or rental car), there's a parking lot and a little market bazaar, which I find charming. One of the nicer things about Tulum is that it is primarily a destination for domestic tourists. The ruins themselves are really cool, even if they aren't the biggest. It's a little bit of a walk from the parking area to the ruins themselves, but not terrible. You have to walk probably about half a kilometer in total in a visit.
Finally, there is the beach, which is adjacent to, but not easily accessible from, the ruins. The beach is one of the nicer beaches in Mexico and, like every beach in the country, it is entirely free and open to the public along its entire length. There are a bunch of hotels, dive shops, and a few smaller restaurants. If you're on a budget, you can rent a cabana on the beach for a pittance. Things tend to quiet down around dusk though, unlike on Isla.
It's not that hard to get on and off of Isla Mujeres, so I would maybe suggest planning on staying on Isla as home base and take a day trip to Tulum in a rental car. It would be a long day, but it's totally doable.
One thing I should warn you of though is that I found the underwater MUSA pretty disappointing. The turtle sanctuary, the lighthouse park and Punta Sur, the beaches, and the charming town. Those are the real highlights of Isla Mujeres.
Enjoy your trip! I'm jealous.
posted by 256 at 11:51 AM on March 13, 2016
I also love Tulum, and you have to recognize that there are basically three different Tulum's and look at the reviews through that lens. The town of Tulum is about 3km inland from the beach and is a very forgettable highway stopover kind of place. There are some gems hidden there, including a few very good restaurants, but it's not what anyone other than a Tulum local is talking about when they say "Tulum."
There's also the ruins and the whole tourist trap built up around them. When you arrive at the entrance to the ruins (whether by bus, taxi, or rental car), there's a parking lot and a little market bazaar, which I find charming. One of the nicer things about Tulum is that it is primarily a destination for domestic tourists. The ruins themselves are really cool, even if they aren't the biggest. It's a little bit of a walk from the parking area to the ruins themselves, but not terrible. You have to walk probably about half a kilometer in total in a visit.
Finally, there is the beach, which is adjacent to, but not easily accessible from, the ruins. The beach is one of the nicer beaches in Mexico and, like every beach in the country, it is entirely free and open to the public along its entire length. There are a bunch of hotels, dive shops, and a few smaller restaurants. If you're on a budget, you can rent a cabana on the beach for a pittance. Things tend to quiet down around dusk though, unlike on Isla.
It's not that hard to get on and off of Isla Mujeres, so I would maybe suggest planning on staying on Isla as home base and take a day trip to Tulum in a rental car. It would be a long day, but it's totally doable.
One thing I should warn you of though is that I found the underwater MUSA pretty disappointing. The turtle sanctuary, the lighthouse park and Punta Sur, the beaches, and the charming town. Those are the real highlights of Isla Mujeres.
Enjoy your trip! I'm jealous.
posted by 256 at 11:51 AM on March 13, 2016
I love Isla Mujeres and send everyone there, *but* I might not recommend it if you're going to be leaving the island a bunch to do other things. It's about a 30m ferry ride back to Cancun, and then if you're going South again toward or past Playa del Carmen that's another 30-60 minutes or more.
It's been many years since I've stayed in PdC, though I seem to have friends who pass through every year, and it seems to still be what it is. I don't know that it's Ibiza exactly, the crowds tend to skew a little older than that, but there is plenty of nightlife on offer. It is an excellent home base, though, and all the services and places and activities will have a means of access/transportation from there, and for that reason it might be a better place to stay. If you don't stay right on Quinta Avenida (the last real street before the beach), and go up one of the side streets between 10 and 30th avenues, you can be 5 minutes' walk from the beach and most of the tour offices without having the loudest of the music broadcast straight into your hotel room.
Or split the difference. Do your first 2 nights in Playa and do your mainland activities from there, then go spend 2 nights on Isla Mujeres and do the local diving/snorkeling and the trip to Isla Contoy, and then head back to Cancun and the airport from there.
Tulum is harder to get in and out of and is farther away from a lot of what you wanted to do, but I always recommend the hotels on the south end of Boca Paila road (the opposite end from the megaresorts) with the sweet little beaches, if you go. It's not a place where you go to DO much, though, I feel like. You go to Tulum to chill.
I like it in the Riviera Maya well enough in the spring, but use real DEET and pack your preferred antihistamine (and some back-up Benadryl if that isn't your preferred) and the neosporin with pain reliever. Even traveling there from Texas, where the mosquitoes are by no means messing around, I've never had bites so painful that swelled so badly as in rainy-season Mexico. It was significantly worse in central Playa than in either Tulum or Isla Mujeres.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:52 AM on March 13, 2016
It's been many years since I've stayed in PdC, though I seem to have friends who pass through every year, and it seems to still be what it is. I don't know that it's Ibiza exactly, the crowds tend to skew a little older than that, but there is plenty of nightlife on offer. It is an excellent home base, though, and all the services and places and activities will have a means of access/transportation from there, and for that reason it might be a better place to stay. If you don't stay right on Quinta Avenida (the last real street before the beach), and go up one of the side streets between 10 and 30th avenues, you can be 5 minutes' walk from the beach and most of the tour offices without having the loudest of the music broadcast straight into your hotel room.
Or split the difference. Do your first 2 nights in Playa and do your mainland activities from there, then go spend 2 nights on Isla Mujeres and do the local diving/snorkeling and the trip to Isla Contoy, and then head back to Cancun and the airport from there.
Tulum is harder to get in and out of and is farther away from a lot of what you wanted to do, but I always recommend the hotels on the south end of Boca Paila road (the opposite end from the megaresorts) with the sweet little beaches, if you go. It's not a place where you go to DO much, though, I feel like. You go to Tulum to chill.
I like it in the Riviera Maya well enough in the spring, but use real DEET and pack your preferred antihistamine (and some back-up Benadryl if that isn't your preferred) and the neosporin with pain reliever. Even traveling there from Texas, where the mosquitoes are by no means messing around, I've never had bites so painful that swelled so badly as in rainy-season Mexico. It was significantly worse in central Playa than in either Tulum or Isla Mujeres.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:52 AM on March 13, 2016
Playa del Carmen is like Disneyland and Las Vegas had a baby in a shopping mall. It's convenient to Tulum ruins and cenotes, but otherwise I cannot recommend it. (the cenotes are really awesome though!!!)
Isla Mujeres, as many have mentioned, is a chill beautiful delight. be sure to eat at La Lomita if you stay there.
posted by supermedusa at 1:40 PM on March 13, 2016
Isla Mujeres, as many have mentioned, is a chill beautiful delight. be sure to eat at La Lomita if you stay there.
posted by supermedusa at 1:40 PM on March 13, 2016
I've been to most of these places, except Mujeres.
You need to prioritize here. If you aren't renting a car it's a lot harder. You also don't have a lot of time.
My instinct is to get out of Cancun as fast as possible, but if you really want to see the underwater museum go right after you get off the plane or right before you get on the plane. The airport is small and manageable and surprisingly organized.
I really think Cozumel is overall your best fit. You can get a flight directly there or go to Playa del Carmen and take the ferry. I think it's about 45 minutes from
Cancun to Playa, and the ferry is another 45 minutes or so. Great diving in Cozumel, and from what I hear, not as sleepy as Mujeres and not as ...Ibiza... as Playa Del Carmen. If you are clever you can probably take a cheap city bus from the airport to Playa instead of expensive tourist transfers.
Or, you could stay in Playa del Carmen as a base. On diving day you probably want to take the ferry to Cozumel or the bus/taxi to Puerto Morelos. You can also take a taxi to the Ruta de Cenotes near Puerto Morelos. It probably would be cheaper to get a car. Or, tour operators (they are everywhere! You can book last minute) will take you to Puerto Morelos for these things from Playa. The Tulum ruins are nice and you can use a tour operator to get to Tulum. If walking is a real problem, you could go to Coba instead and ride to all of the sites via bike taxi. Bring a tip for your bike taxi driver.
On beach day, keep in mind that all Mexican beaches are public property. Don't let the resorts keep you out. You can find beach clubs that will serve you drinks all day or do it the Mexican way: bring your own cooler and have a picnic and your own tequila, some beach clubs rent you the table and umbrella. If you can get to the Tulum beaches, Paa Mul, Akumal, Half Moln Bay, maybe Maroma those could be good. Tulum or Akumal are probably best.
Your description of Tulum is good. I think it's too small for you.
Not sure where you should stay because we don't know your budget. I stay away from the resorts in favor of Air Bnb type places. Lots of condos to rent everywhere.
posted by littlewater at 2:54 PM on March 13, 2016
You need to prioritize here. If you aren't renting a car it's a lot harder. You also don't have a lot of time.
My instinct is to get out of Cancun as fast as possible, but if you really want to see the underwater museum go right after you get off the plane or right before you get on the plane. The airport is small and manageable and surprisingly organized.
I really think Cozumel is overall your best fit. You can get a flight directly there or go to Playa del Carmen and take the ferry. I think it's about 45 minutes from
Cancun to Playa, and the ferry is another 45 minutes or so. Great diving in Cozumel, and from what I hear, not as sleepy as Mujeres and not as ...Ibiza... as Playa Del Carmen. If you are clever you can probably take a cheap city bus from the airport to Playa instead of expensive tourist transfers.
Or, you could stay in Playa del Carmen as a base. On diving day you probably want to take the ferry to Cozumel or the bus/taxi to Puerto Morelos. You can also take a taxi to the Ruta de Cenotes near Puerto Morelos. It probably would be cheaper to get a car. Or, tour operators (they are everywhere! You can book last minute) will take you to Puerto Morelos for these things from Playa. The Tulum ruins are nice and you can use a tour operator to get to Tulum. If walking is a real problem, you could go to Coba instead and ride to all of the sites via bike taxi. Bring a tip for your bike taxi driver.
On beach day, keep in mind that all Mexican beaches are public property. Don't let the resorts keep you out. You can find beach clubs that will serve you drinks all day or do it the Mexican way: bring your own cooler and have a picnic and your own tequila, some beach clubs rent you the table and umbrella. If you can get to the Tulum beaches, Paa Mul, Akumal, Half Moln Bay, maybe Maroma those could be good. Tulum or Akumal are probably best.
Your description of Tulum is good. I think it's too small for you.
Not sure where you should stay because we don't know your budget. I stay away from the resorts in favor of Air Bnb type places. Lots of condos to rent everywhere.
posted by littlewater at 2:54 PM on March 13, 2016
Response by poster: This is all really great information! I'm leaning towards renting a car and staying in a quieter part of Playa del Carmen. I think chances are we will spend at least 2 of the 3 days (and possibly all 3) going scuba diving or to the caves or other excursions. I'll save Isla Mujeres for when I want a more relaxing, low key vacation. Right now I think we are both really excited to see and do everything.
Our budget is flexible, but I'd like to keep the hotel around $150, maybe $200, a night.
The suggestions to check out Cozumel diving is something I hadn't really considered. I think I also need to reconsider whether I'm passing up on some amazing diving in order to go see the statues. I had written off Cozumel as being home to a bunch of all inclusive resorts, but maybe I need to give it a second look.
posted by whoaali at 3:22 PM on March 13, 2016
Our budget is flexible, but I'd like to keep the hotel around $150, maybe $200, a night.
The suggestions to check out Cozumel diving is something I hadn't really considered. I think I also need to reconsider whether I'm passing up on some amazing diving in order to go see the statues. I had written off Cozumel as being home to a bunch of all inclusive resorts, but maybe I need to give it a second look.
posted by whoaali at 3:22 PM on March 13, 2016
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posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 11:10 AM on March 13, 2016