Cancun is a destination I have been to a few times now. Each visit was slightly different, with the common theme of enjoying the warm carribean water and weather.

Here is a small list of what I saw, did and ate in Cancun:

Visit the Pyramids/Ruins of Chichen Itza

I opted to see Chichen Itza through a tour group.  The tour included pick up/drop off at the hotel, the visit to this amazing site, a swim in a cenote and a delicious lunch.

Chichen Itza is located in the Yucatan Peninsula and is ruins of an old Mayan City. The main and most famous part of it, pictured below, is called ‘El Castillo’, meaning ‘castle’ in Spanish. An interesting tidbit about this section of the park is that if you stand at the bottom of the steps and clap, the sound echos back and sounds like a bird. Unfortunately the stairs are not climbable, but the beauty here is so surreal and it is even listed as one of the Seven Wonders of The World as well as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Admission to Chichen Itza is around 533MX or $27 USD and you can pay on site. Surely worth a visit and an amazing place you will never forget!

Swim In a Cenote

Swimming in a cenote is a must-do when in Mexico. There are many of these, not only throughout the Cancun area, but all over Mexico as well. Cenotes are essentially large sinkholes or caves, usually found in limestone, that have filled with cool, clear groundwater and rainwater over time. Not only are they very beautiful to look at, but they are an awesome place to swim in and cool off from the heat. The cenote I visited was called Cenote Samula. I loved this cenote, and even despite the rain, enjoyed my afternoon there.

Scuba Dive

In 2025 while I was in Cancun I had planned to do a two-tank dive off Isla Mujeres to complete my Open Water Certification I started in Fiji. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and I was left with only the option of completing my two dives in a Cenote in Playa Del Carmen (roughly an hour drive from Cancun). Diving in a Cenote was a unique experience that I am glad I had the opportunity to do. Hopefully next time I am in Cancun I will get the opportunity to dive in the sea from either Isla Mujeres or Cozumel.

Go Back In Time in Valladolid

Valladolid is a city on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Its colonial buildings include 16th-century Convent of San Bernardino of Siena, with an ornate wooden altarpiece, and baroque-style San Gervasio Cathedral. I enjoyed our time walking around this interesting city and we found many things to purchase as well.

Get a little R and R at a resort

There are so many resorts along the beach in Cancun and ours certainly did not disappoint! I chose to stay at the JW Marriott and I loved everything about this hotel. They had an amazing infinity pool and hottub with a swim-up bar and their own private beach where you could order drinks or food as well, right to your beach chair! This hotel also offered an all-inclusive option but I  chose to just eat food on my own,

After you’re relaxed and rested from your day at the pool and the beach, it’s very easy to get into town from this conveniently-located hotel as well! The bus stop was right near the hotel and it was an approximate 10 minute ride to the main part of the town, which includes bars, clubs, shopping and of course tacos shops practically at every corner. The bus costs a couple of peso each and run all night.

Another convenience about this hotel was that it offered covid testing on-site, with results around an hour for rapid testing. Travel, though not impossible during the pandemic, comes with a unique set of challenges and the JW Marriott made everything so easy & smooth: make appointment @ the check-in desk, show up for appointment, get results and you’re good to go!

Oh. and the view from my balcony didn’t suck either 😉

In addition to the above resort there are a variety of other resorts with a variety of different vibes. On other resort I stayed at was a bit more focused on parties and music and dancing and drinking. I had my first even foam party at Oasis Grand Resort. The resort itself was not my favorite, as far as customer service was concerned in the hotel itself, it was more of a factory and sort of a fend for yourself vibe. The parties were pretty good, but I will not be going back to that resort, it just wasn’t my vibe.

I also got to stay at a Adults only Barcelo resort in Playa Del Carmen which I thought was great. The room, the service, the vibe, and the food were all excellent.

Eat All The FOOD

Travel isn’t just about doing and seeing things, but about eating all the local foods as well. I happen to think Mexico has some of the best food around and I got to try a vast array of tacos, sauces, margaritas, fish … practically anything you could ask for!

And of course no trip to Cancun is complete without tacos! On a recommendation from my sister, I headed to a little spot in town called Camineiro. I enjoyed the variety of tacos, sauces and margaritas offered here. Traditional Mexican tacos are smaller than the ones we’re typically used to here in the states and come with a variety of meat to try such as al pastor, suadero, chorizo and carne asada … but can be served with chicken or fish as well. Sauces range from varying degrees of heat and come in many colors of red and green. One other big difference between these tacos and ones at home – they are not served with cheese.

I enjoyed the many tacos I tried and would eat them everyday if I could.

Next I decided to go out for a nice dinner at Fred’s. near our hotel. They had delicious drinks and a large selection of fish.

Ceviche and Aquachile are very popular things to eat while in Cancun.

Other Activities

I usually only end up having a short amount of time in Cancun, so my list is just a short list of what to see and do but certainly is not a list of everything to see and do. If you are lucky enough to have more time there, than I did, you can also do some of the following activities & much more:

• One of the many Xcaraet Tours
• Snorkeling with Whale Sharks and other fish
• Scuba Dive Isla Mujeres and/or Cozumel
• Visit Tulum Ruins

If you have any recommendations for me or other travelers, feel free to leave me a comment below.

Saif Travels