Best Places to Visit in Cancun + 3 Other Places to Visit in Mexico

Cancun is a destination that you have to visit at least once in a life, filled with impressive turquoise water beaches, Mayan ruins, exclusive bars, and restaurants that will make your vacations more pleasant - this is what this guest post is about, written by a friend of ours. We have not been to Cancun yet, these are some places that have been recommended to us by our friend - here's an excerpt of our travel plans to Cancun, Mexico (in addition to visiting the Chiapas region and the Zapatistas :)

Best Places to Visit in Cancun

Do not miss anything on your visit and explore every corner of Cancun. Here are some things you must do on your visit.

#1. Playa Delfines

Beaches are probably one of the main reasons to visit Cancun and the rest of the Riviera Maya, and with all the options that you will find in Cancun, it can be difficult to choose just one. All beaches in this city are public, but there are some with restricted entrances because they are part of hotels or resorts.

As a first option, Playa Delfines or Dolphin beach is pretty famous among the tourist and local people since it is the perfect place to have a relaxed time and enjoy the sun and the Caribbean Sea. This beach has a tropical climate and is far from big hotels and crowds, so you can enjoy the impeccable white sand and crystalline blue waters without worries.

Like most of the Cancun beaches, it is perfect for families because it is a fully supervised area by well-trained lifeguards, also perfect to learn to surf and snorkeling or scuba diving.

#2. Playa Langostas

Playa Langostas is another good option for your visit to Cancun. The beach is near the hotel zone so you can easily go by bus or get private Cancun transportation. The recommendation is to get there early so you can find a good spot and calmly enjoy the turquoise waters or get a tan on its white sand. Playing soccer, tennis, or volleyball with your friends is also a good option in Playa Langostas. This is definitively a family beach, with sea waves very calm to take a bath, also at the entrance there is a children's playground which makes it an ideal place to enjoy with your kids. In case you are more adventurous, you can go from there to Isla Mujeres since on the beach there is a small dock from where ferries depart.

#3. Nichupté Lagoon

Nichupté is a lagoon of approximately 3,000 hectares with beautiful landscapes of crystalline waters and mangroves that is located in the heart of Cancun and is nowadays one of the favorite attractions of tourists. The lagoon is connected to the Caribbean Sea through the Sigfrido and Nizuc channels and is also home to different types of birds, marine animals, and reptiles living in the ecosystem. There are many options to explore this beautiful place at your own pace, whether in a speedboat, kayak, jet ski or wave runner. You can also help on the reforestation and mangrove care campaign, just ask the staff all the options.

#4. “El Rey” Archeological Zone

Not as popular as other archeological zones like Coba or Chichen Itza, but this is one of the most interesting places to visit with a great story behind it. If you want to do something different in Cancun, you can visit El Rey and take a leisurely stroll and know a little more about this archaeological site. It is one of the few cultural places related to the Mayan culture in the Hotel Zone, so the access is not a problem, either you want to go by yourself in a bus or get a tour that most Cancun airport transportation companies offer.

#5. Coco Bongo

Last but not least, Cancun is well known for its nightlife and on your visit you can not miss the opportunity to go to Coco Bongo. This nightclub is recognized for its spectacular shows that include acrobats, gymnastics, live music, and recreation of scenes of popular movies. Coco Bongo creates a unique experience for the visitors that keep dancing all night. It is recommended to get your tickets in advance or arrive as early as possible to get a good table to enjoy the show, since it is a very requested attraction. The entrance fee is around 50 dollars and includes an open bar until 3 in the morning.

Three Other Places To Visit In Mexico

I had a date the other day that didn't end so well (they wrote me a bunch about wanting me to sit on their face, we arranged a second date, and then boom, out of nowhere they blocked me, lol). In my usual Laura style of 'advanced' suppression of emotions and avoiding hard topics I went on an online rampage, looking at places to go and flights to get there. Of course I looked at Mexico, because a big chunk of my blogger/vlogger friends have run away from covid via Mexico - either 'escaping' their home countries to veg out there, or by using Mexico as an easy access point into Central America and from there, South America.

I 'wasted' a good couple of days looking at what I wanted to see in Mexico, before realising it probably wasn't the right place for me at the moment (see last paragraph). I put my laptop down and started doing the work picking apart why one bad date led me to thinking the appropriate reaction was skipping the continent.. But my days won't be wasted, I'm putting down what I learnt (at least about Mexico lol) here, on the off-chance you can visit, ethically, right now. Or for you to bookmark for the future. I apologise in advance, the first two are really cliche... I can't help it, I'm sorry, I hope you enjoy :)

#1 Chichén Itzá

Chichén Itzá is actually a city, the iconic pyramid pictured above is called Temple of Kukulcán. Like the Rome Colosseum, it was used to entertain and to slaughter. Among other things. I don't know what it is about impressive architectural pieces that have withstood the test of time (thus far) anddd were used back in the day to sacrifice humans, but I find them fascinating. It's, of course, one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico, so if/when you do visit make sure you opt for tours / guides that are ethical and kind.

#2 Las Coloradas, Mexico

Ever since I was in Australia and I saw a photo of a hard-to-get-to pink lake, I've wanted to visit a pink lake. Maybe it's because I love p*ssy. Mexico's Pink Lake is called Las Coloradas which means the coloured. According to wiki it's not as romantic as instagram makes it out to be, but I prefer to see for myself rather than blindly trust wikipedia (especially when they're using the word 'romantic').

aka those pink lakes you see on ig all the time. Above photos by @misspatitadeperro and @rod_victoria 

There are flamingos there that are originally white-feathered, but go pink when they eat the algae and shrimps and that there (oh yeah, side-note, the lake is pink cause of algae). Las Coloradas are relatively easy to get to from Cancun, but easier from Tulum, thus I plan on going from Cancun to Tulum, spending time in Tulum and then going on to Las Coloradas.

#3 Mexico City

I don't want to be another trashy blogger that just visits Mexico for the insta-good beaches and the ancient human slaughter houses, I want to really experience the real life and meet the actual people. In my humble experience, the best place to start doing this is in the capital city, and Mexico's capital is, you guessed it, Mexico City! Also, Mexico City has over 80(!) vegan restaurants. I CANNOT wait to try finally try Mexican cuisine that is both authentic and conscience friendly.

So why we're not in Mexico right now?

So after my crazy Mexico binge I realised Mexico was not the place for me right now. Who am I to spend dollars on a flight that pollutes the environment, when people are losing their jobs left right and centre and can't afford rent?

"But the people whose livelihoods depend on tourism need tourism"

Correction: people whose livelihoods depend on tourism just need cash, not tourism, you could easily help them in another way without demanding an experience in return - just be content with doing something selfless for another human being. Sure you could pay $300+ on a flight to Cancun and then support the local Cancun Airport Transportation when you get there. OR you could send that $300+ to someone who really actually needs it, and, talking directly to the bloggers/vloggers now: you could just support these industries with backlinks and shout-outs, without getting a free experience (or even dollars) in return. No shame, just an idea xx

Wrap Up: Best Places to Visit in Cancun + 3 Other Places To Visit In Mexico

There you have it, a list of the top 5 places to visit in Cancun, our planned travel destinations + other three places I'm dying to visit in Mexico and a couple of reasons why I'm not there right now. There's this song I'm obsessed with, with a lyric "I am not the only traveller, who has not repaid his debt" and I think a lot about how lucky I was to travel the world, and the ways I can pass on that luck to others. I'm always open to ideas and you can find me on Instagram if you want to tell me yours :)

P.S.: If you're interested in a way of travelling and getting accommodation cheaply, you might wanna check out house sitting. Trustedhousesitters.com was kind enough to provide us and our readers with a 10% discount, feel free to click on the link to use it :)

Share this:

ABOUTME

We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.