We would like to take the bus from our hotel (Holiday Inn Arenas) to downtown to check out restaurants, shopping, etc. I know there is a bus stop near our hotel but does the bus stop anywhere when we want to get off or are there specific stops to get off and on. Where would we get off to go to La Parrilla in downtown Cancun? Is there a bus labeled 'downtown 'specifically?
Hi there! All the buses going north will take you downtown - the trick is getting on the bus that will take you where you want to go once you get there. La Parilla is located on Yaxchillan Avenue which is the street after Avenida Tulum - these are the two main tourist avenues in downtown. The R1 will take you down Avenida Tulum so you won't want that one. The R2 will take you a little further past Avenida Tulum and then you can get off just before Yaxchillan. The restaurant is about 5-10 minutes walk down Yaxchillan. This map might help http://www.cancun.bz/cancun_downtown_map.htm There are small streets connecting Avenida Tulum and Avenida Yaxchillan so you could also take the R1 to Tulum and walk through - as shown on the map. Sounds complicated but it's easy really.
There are designated bus stops in Cancun, and only rarely will the driver stop elsewhere. Know where you want to get off, stand up and walk toward back door. Most buses also have a buzzer you press so the driver knows to stop -- don't assume you standing up alone will ensure he/she will stop; many drivers will just keep going!
An alternative suggestion might be to take any bus downtown, get off at Av Tulum by the town hall and then just get a cab to La Parilla. A taxi should costs you no more than $2. It's easy for Jen and I but if you're not familiar and dont have a map then if you dont know the exact way from Tulum to Yaxchillan then it might be difficult to find imho. That said a taxi from the hotel to La Parilla direct should cost no more than $5 or $6 ........ but they will probably try and charge more.
Here is my two cents worth. My friend Jen (congratulations on the new restaurant by the way) mentions buses going north. I should point out that when you get to Party Center, the road starts going to the west. You may have heard that the Hotel Zone is shaped like a giant "7". Your hotel is actually where the road is running E/W, between km 2 and km 3. km 0 is at Av. Bonampak and the next light is Tulum. If you take the R-2, Yaxchilan is the 2nd light AFTER Tulum, the first light being at a crosswalk at the hospital. The map that Jen sent the link to is not oriented to the north. North, on this map, is to the right. At the bottom where it says Hotel Zone, you are really coming in from the East. As to Steve's comment, I am one of the people who can get around. So I would take the R-1 bus. When it makes the right turn onto Tulum, I would get off at the 2nd (or maybe the 3rd) stop, anyway, the one in front of Palacio Municipal, which will be decorated for the holidays. Then walk across the street and go down the side street beside Burger King. Then you will walk through our famous park, which unfortunately is undergoing a remodeling. When you get to the busy street, that is Yaxchilan where you hang a right and La Parilla is about 200 yards from there. A taxi will be $18 pesos, or about $1.60 US, from anywhere in downtown to anywhere else downtown, EXCEPT when you catch a cab at a Sitio, or taxi stand. After dinner, get back to Burger King and you can catch the R-1 or any other bus that says Hotel Zone, Hoteles or Zona Hotelera on the same side of the street as BK and you will be all set. The bus stops are numbered so when you catch the bus, note your stop as things look different at night after a few margaritas.
