Tulum – Best attractions close to Cancun

A lot of the best attractions of Cancun are really not in Cancun. Visit Tulum, swim with dolphins, manatees and sea lions in Isla Mujeres and go to Chichen Itza to experience a magnificent historical site. We think that these are much better alternatives than going to Xcaret, Xel-há and Playa del Carmen. Check here the tips about the Riviera Maya.

1)TULUM – BEST ATTRACTIONS CLOSE TO CANCUN

Tulum – Best attractions close to Cancun

We went to Tulum a couple of times and we loved every minute we spent there. There is no doubt Tulum is one of the best attractions close to Cancun. Tulum is an archeological site with the only Mayan ruins beside the beach, that is sensational. Besides, what makes Tulum different from other ruins is that it is walled and well preserved. In fact, it was a port of commerce of Jade and Turquoise.

Tulum is located close to Cancun (less than 100 KM) and there are many tourism companies that can take you there for one day. We usually prefer to rent a car to have more flexibility. There are great beaches between Cancun and Tulum that you can explore if you are driving.The road is OK and it takes around 1h driving from Cancun.

The beautiful Tulum temple sits in a cliff 12m high. The other 3 walls of the ruins are very thick, with 7m width and 5m high. Probably, that’s why it is preserved!

Tulum – Best attractions close to Cancun

TIP OF THE BEST ATTRACTIONS CLOSE TO CANCUN – USE THE BATHROOM AND BUY FOOD AND BEVERAGES IN THE SMALL SHOPS IN FRONT OF THE PARKING LOT!

VISITING TULUM

From the parking lot, you will cross a small village with some shops, bathroom and restaurants. Make sure you have everything you want before going to the ruins.

Then you will walk around 1,5 km to arrive to the archeological site. If you prefer, you can take a bus that connects the mall and the ruins to avoid the hike.

Our recommendation is: buy your ticket, visit the ruins first and enjoy the beach.

Besides the the beach in front of the ruins, there is another one called Santa Fé. It is worth to visit: exiting the archeological area, don’t go back to the parking lot. Instead, make a turn to the right side of the ruins and walk 20min until get to the public beach. Last time we were there (March), the water was great, but there were lots of seaweeds. Between July and August it is always perfect, less windy and no seaweeds. 

Santa Fe Beach beside Tulum – Best attractions close to Cancun

2)CHICHEN-ITZA – BEST ATTRACTIONS CLOSE TO CANCUN

Chichen-Itza is another of the best attractions close to Cancun. In fact not so close, but  we strongly recommend visiting the place. It was one of the largest cities in the Mexican northeast between 600 and 1200 a.C. This archaeological site, preserves several architecture styles from the Maya period. It is worth to drive the 200 Km (2h and 30 min) and hire a Mexican guide to show you around. They are very helpful to explain some of the aspects of Chichen-Itza. Our tour was 4 hours long. We specially recommend going to Chichen Itza if you are interested in History and Mysticism.

There are some tours from Cancun. We spoke to some of the people that made it and we didn’t recommend doing this way. They told us it takes a full day.The bus stops for a long time for lunch and shopping in a terrible place, in the middle of nowhere. We recommend doing like us and renting a car to visit Tulum and Chichen-Itza. 

Tulum – Best attractions close to Cancun

3)CIRQUE DU SOLEIL – BEST ATTRACTIONS CLOSE TO CANCUN

Cancun is one of the few cities in the world with a permanent Cirque du Soleil show all year round. Last time we visited we decided to watch it and was amazing. For sure, it is included in our list of the best attractions close to Cancun.

The show playing nowadays is the same we went, called Joya. It is presented in a small village called Vidanta, 32 Km from Cancun. The theater has a great structure and is well decorated. Arrive early, enjoy the place, go to the bar and then watch the show. Not taking into account the bar stools, all the seats are well located, with a nice view of the stage. We bought the ticket for the show only. There are other options including dinner.

ADDRESS:

km 48, Carretera Federal Cancun Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo, México

TICKETS:

-Stools at the bar: MXN$ 1463,00;

-Show only: MXN$ 1786,00;

-Show + Champagne + appetizers : MXN$ 2508,00;

-Show + dinner + Champagne: MXN$ 3458,00

-VIP+ best table+dinner+Show + Champagne: MXN$ 4712,00.

4)ISLA MUJERES – BEST ATTRACTIONS CLOSE TO CANCUN

The boat trip is great already…only 20 min from the turquoise waters of Cancun, departing from the Aquatours marina.

Sea Lion at the Dolphin Discovery in Isla Mujeres – Best attractions close to Cancun

SEA LIFE DISCOVERY PLUS PROGRAM

My daughter (Luiza) and me, we went to the Dolphin Discovery and did the Sea Life Discovery Plus Program. We swam and played with dolphins, manatees and sea lions. We had a blast, really loved it…we have spectacular pictures of Luiza hugging all of them and laughing. It is not cheap, but it is worth every penny.    

Dorsal Tow in Isla Mujeres – Best attractions close to Cancun

The Sea Life Discovery Plus Program is the full option. It includes the ferry boat round trip from Cancun to Isla Mujeres, a breakfast in the boat, lunch, the sessions with the dolphins, manatees and sea lions. At the Beach Club you will have access to showers, swimming pool, chairs and lockers. It is a full day event.

Foot push in Isla Mujeres – Best attractions close to Cancun

Playing with the dolphins was sensational. We did the foot push (2 dolphins push your feet making you surface, also known as superman) and the, dorsal tow (holding the fins). You can kiss, dance and hug them. The interaction is guaranteed.

Isla Mujeres – Best attractions close to Cancun

We loved to learn that the animals are not locked in small pools, but in a much larger area of the sea. The groups of people are small (maximum 10 people) and everyone has the chance to play. I had the opportunity of doing it in 02 different occasions and in both, everything was perfect.

Manatee in Isla Mujeres – Best attractions close to Cancun

WHAT ELSE?

You can include a trip to the park El Garrafon, also in Isla Mujeres. We have never been there, but based on what we learned, we do not recommend. The attractions at the Discovery Cove are enough to fill a day and we prefer to enjoy each attraction fully. Another reason is that people we know that went there, didn’t like it

  TIP: CARRY SOME LOCAL CURRENCY CASH WITH YOU!

5)WHAT WE DO NOT RECOMMEND  – BEST ATTRACTIONS CLOSE TO CANCUN

Playa del Carmen – The best attractions close to Cancun

There is a huge offer of tours in Cancun and your choice will depend on your taste and how much you want to spend. Some tours that we went and didn’t like: Xel-Ha, XCaret and Playa del Carmen. In the other hand, we visited another attractions that we loved: Tulum, Chichen-Itza, Cirque du Soleil and just enjoying the beach.

6)XCARET AND XEL-HÁ 

It is too tourist oriented and crowded. On both parks, we were frustrated with the crowds and the profile “the more the better”.

In Xcaret, we snorkeled in the underground river and couldn’t see a single fish. The bottom of the river was made of stone or concrete and the river itself was too narrow, impossible to exit in the middle of the tour. Some people couldn’t swim and it was difficult to move. In Xel-Há the water was dark and we couldn’t see much during the snorkelling.

In our opinion, it is much better to enjoy the beach and save the money for better tours.

TICKETS 2017:

Xcaret

• – Normal: US$ 99,00;

• – Online: US$89,00;

• – Buffet: US$27,00 per person;

• – Transportation: US$27,00 per person.

Xcaret + Xel-Há

– Normal: US$ 218,00;

– Online: US$185,30.

7)PLAYA DEL CARMEN

Mamitas Beach at Playa del Carmen – Best attractions close to Cancun

Playa del Carmen is another place that is not worth visiting in our opinion. You will take at least 1h to go, since it is 70 Km away from Cancun and the views and beaches are not comparable to Cancun. Playa del Carmen is a choice if you are looking to party and drink heavy.

The sand lane of Mamitas beach, the most famous and central, is very narrow, the beach club is paid and you can only eat and drink things you buy in the beach club. The music is very loud and the people in general drink too much, falling asleep at the ground.

OTHER OPTIONS OF GREAT BEACHES AROUND THE WORLD

If you still don’t know in which beach to spend your next vacation, try the Portuguese beaches of Algarve, maybe Santorini or Rangiroa, in the French Polynesia.

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Tulum – Best attractions close to Cancun

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