Hubby and I hope to visit Cancun for the first time early next year. We don't like hot weather, so we're thinking maybe early to mid February? Don't party, prefer less noise, although we don't mind being around some daytime kid noise, as long as we can have quiet in our room when we want to sleep. We're looking at All-Inclusive options. Prefer ocean-view room w/balcony or patio. We'll probably be there 5-7 nights. Activities: We plan to do a little snorkel, sightseeing, take in a ruin or two (full day), see downtown Cancun, maybe play on the beach and splash in the ocean some (we're not much for just laying around on the beach), drive down the coast, maybe do a day trip to Cozumel, etc. Want to do some little shops and outdoor markets - no interest in glitzy stores and transplanted Americana. We LOVE to eat, especially outdoors, especially local! Some questions: 1) So far, Crown Paradise Club looks pretty good, probably a Crown Club room w/Jacuzzi in the adult section of the property. Price seems better than some other places for what's offered. Various reviews I've read seem pretty positive. Is this a good option, considering our activity plans?? Any other places we should look at in the same price range? 2) Considering our lack of interest in partying, would we be better off looking at the Riviera Maya area instead? 3) If we had to pick either Chichen Itza OR Tulum (in case we only have time for one), which would you choose? 4) If we only have one day to snorkel, what's a good option? Beginner's snorkel level, have our own gear. 5) Pretty safe renting a car to drive ourselves around? Or are we better off doing bus and tours? We have International Driving Permits, if that's relevant. Thanks for everybody's comments and suggestions. I'm having a good time reading the messages here! H
Cancun weather in February - Ave High: 82°F/28°C - Avg. Low: 68°F/20°C It's usually pretty dry in February with an average of 4 days with any rain at all. Plenty of people come to Cancun and don't go clubbing, don't worry about that. Instead decide what activities you want to do and whether Cancun is the best jumping off place to do them from. And make sure you stay at a hotel that doesn't cater to partying teenagers, if you stay at a decent hotel that caters to adults then you'll have the peace and quiet you want. I recommend renting a car if you plan to venture out of Cancun and do day-trips. The bus system here is pretty good, but I personally don't like bus-loads full of tourists, I would rather drive. If you want to go to Cozumel go for more than one day, I just went over there for a day-trip last weekend and it was exhausting. From Cancun to get to Coz you have an hour to Playa del Carmen, then you have to hustle to the ferry, then you have 45 mins on the ferry. That's basically 2 hours of travel each way for one day? If you stay in Cancun and want to do an island day-trip go to Isla Mujeres, it takes less time to get there and you can see a lot more of the island on-foot or in a rented golf-cart. Coz is just too big to see much of in a day-trip, especially if you are coming from Cancun and have to spend so much time getting there and back. If you are choosing between ruins at Tulum or Chichen Itza then Chichen Itza is hands down way more interesting. Tulum only ever had about 600 full time residents. Chichen Itza had 50,000 residents. A lot more happened there, and the buildings and history are vastly more interesting. Imho what's interesting about Tulum is the location, it's on a cliff overlooking a nice beach. The ruins themselves are small and crooked and not well-preserved, but the site is gorgeous. Whenever I get dragged to Tulum I just bring a book and go sit on the beach while my tourist friends do their tourist thing. Imho you go to Tulum for the beach, not the culture, so if you DO go to Tulum bring your bathing suits!!! If you want to get off the beaten path you might go to the ruins at Coba or at Ek Balam. Both of them were pretty large cities in their heyday, Coba had about 50,000 residents and if memory serves Ek Balam had around 40,000, but I'm fuzzy on that. Both sites are really fascinating. Coba is big and spread out, so most folks who go there rent bikes to tour the site, and the castillo in Coba is the tallest one in the whole Yucatan, you can see forever from up there. Coba also has an amazing amount of birds for some reason, if you like birding that would be a good spot to do some (especially in the winter). Ek Balam has an amazing carved portico which is absolutely worth seeing, it's incredibly beautiful, and well-preserved. It takes my breath away every time I see it. Ek Balam is my personal favorite site around here. If you want to snorkel you could go to Puerto Morelos and catch a local boat to the reef there, this would be a decent choice if you have your own car. Pto Morelos is a nice town to have dinner in too, so you could make a day trip to Pto Morelos. Other snorkeling places are Xcaret and Xel-ha, they are both big parks with lots to do besides snorkeling; they also have crowds and food, they are fun but big. If you have a car you could also drive down to Akumal and go snorkeling in Yal-ku lagoon. Yal-ku is my personal favorite place to snorkel. It's small but big enough, they charge a fee to get it but it's not a lot. Yal-ku is nice for beginners because there's not a lot of wave action like you would get out on the reef. A trip to Yal-ku could be done easily on the way back from Tulum (or you could go to Yal-ku by day and hit Pto Morelos for dinner on the way back to Cancun, that's what I would do). Renting a car is safe, but Hertz car rental here at the Cancun airport has tried to rip off 3 of my friends. So don't use them. In each case when my friends went to return the car Hertz tacked on a bunch of charges, and my friends all had planes to catch and no time to fight. If you rent a car make copies of everything, copy all the reservation details and then when you get the car stop in any paperleria (office supply store) and make a photocopy of the full contract. That way, if you have a problem when you return the car, you have evidence to refute any charges with the parent company after you are home If you rent a car you have a lot more freedom than most tourists who visit here. You sound like adventurous people so don't hesitate to rent a car and just do your own thing, it's much nicer to go where you want when you want than to have to wait for some bus to pick up you and your 40 bus-mates. If you want to eat local, like from street taco stands, then go and get Hep A shots, do it now because you need two shots, one a few months after the first one. This will protect you from the worst case disease you could catch by eating in local eateries, not that I think you will get sick, but Hep A is horrible and preventable so you might as well prevent it. Hope this helps.
I might recommend somewhere in Playa, Playacar or on the RM coast. In Playacar there are many nice AI's if that is what you are looking for. The beaches in Cancun are unpredictible if even present...sad, but true. If you like to just walk the beach and dip your toes in, the RM coast is your best bet. You would be closer to the areas you speak of visiting. Don't get me wrong we have been LONG time visitors to Cancun and RM. Unfortunately, the beaches have taken such a toll that the pools at resorts are often overcrowded because of this. You can PM me if you would like more detailed info if you would like. Cindy
Sounds perfect! We keep our house at 64°F in the winter, so lows of 68°F will seem balmy. I figure that places which cater to families will probably have less chance of partying teens. Besides, the teen crowd would probably be pretty turned off having 50-somethings crashing their party anyway. :lol: I'll see what other properties people recommend other than the place I was looking at already. Still researching... a timeshare swap is also an option for us, or maybe even a VRBO. Yeah, I was thinking bus mainly for around downtown Cancun if we went there for the day. Thanks for reassurance about the car - I wasn't sure how common it was to run into hassles with the police (mordida). Good advice. Maybe we'll save Cozumel for a separate trip. I think we'd rather have the extra day for visiting more ruins or snorkeling. I'm sure we'll have more to do on the mainland than we'll have time for. Isla Mujeres sounds like a better option if we just want to do an island. I'll pass on all your comments about the ruins to hubby. His BA is in ancient history (mainly Greece, Rome, Egypt, etc), so he's the one most interested in seeing the Mayan locations. I figure I'll let him pick which one(s) he wants to see. I bought him a large book on Incan and Mayan sites to prepare for the trip. We watched a video about some of the ruins... I think I remember Coba. From the air, you mainly see the large pyramid rising out of the jungle and greenery all around?? Birding would be a plus - we are low-key amateur birders. Thanks for the suggestion. Xcaret and Xel-ha also sound intersting as day trips. It seems like there are just so many great places to snorkel around there. We've only been snorkeling a few times... twice on Disney's island during their cruise, and a couple times in Hawaii. Loved it whenever we've been, especially since getting hubby a prescription mask and fins that properly fit us. We'll definitely try to fit this into our plans. Good suggestions. We often do use Hertz since we're members of their Gold club and it's pretty convenient, but we often rent with other companies, too... whoever has the best rates and gets good reviews for the area we're visiting. I'll do more checking on the various companies that operate there. Yeah, we love to explore places, so a car is best as long as it's pretty safe. We've only been to Mexico once before (Guad & Lake Chapala area - researching retirement there), but didn't drive during that trip. I wasn't sure what to expect trying to drive around the Yucatan. We really want to get at least a block or two off the beaten path and avoid just going to places that cater to tourists. We'd much rather eat at little open-air taco stands where everybody is speaking Spanish than at a chain restaurant. And we have no interest in fancy stores... would much rather shop at the mercado. We visited a huge mercado in the historic area of Guadalajara a couple years ago and I could have spent the whole day there! Interesting. I wouldn't have thought about that. I went to my doctor before visiting Mexico a couple years ago and asked if there were any vaccinations, etc we should get before traveling and he wasn't concerned. Certainly didn't mention Hep A shots. We ate local when we were in Chapala and Ajijic with no problems, but we did stick to places that were pretty busy and favored by locals. Don't know if that's relevant. I'll do some research on Hepatitis and see what the doctor thinks. Hubby may have already had shots for that since he's a dental tech and works on stuff that came out of peoples' mouths. Thanks so much for your thoughtful and informative response! We're really looking forward to exploring another area of Mexico. Hoping to hit two locations on this excursion (not sure yet where the 2nd will be). Heather
We haven't totally decided yet on the AI. If we decide we're going to be doing day trips the whole time we're there, AI would be less important. Why pay for all that food if we're going to eat elsewhere most days? But then, we could still have breakfast before leaving and dinner after we get back, so I dunno... We might also consider a rental or timeshare that has a kitchenette, although we don't tend to eat in much when we have one of those. I'm on vacation... I don't want to cook!! Thanks, Cindy. Yeah, we're more the toe-dipper types. We like to take out food and sit at a beach to eat, watching the waves. Since we're from Kansas, watching the ocean is pretty awesome entertainment in itself! If we put on bathing suits, it's because we're going to get in the water to play, not because we're going to lay on the beach. The crowds can have the pools... we almost never use them. If we do, it's more likely to be after sundown, for just a quick dip. I don't really mind the beaches being unpredictable. We just love to look around and enjoy whatever is there. We were in Hawaii this past April, so we did beach stuff there (with NO crowds! ). There's so much do to in and around Cancun that we'd be plenty happy even if we didn't get in the water other than walking the shore barefoot. I'm really looking forward more to sightseeing, doing some ruins, and experiencing some of the local culture/dining/shopping. If the beaches are there, we'll use them. If not, we'll enjoy watching the waves pound against rocks. There are certain advantages in being easy to please. Heather
If your looking for local eats, skip the Hotel Zone, at least in my opinion. Much better local places downtown. Skip the AI too unless your buffet fans. Heck you can get a huge breakfast for dimes on the dollar.
I would recommend staying at one of the Royal Resorts (Mayan, Islander, Caribbean or Sands). I have stayed there numerous times with young and old and everyone enjoys the resorts. You can never leave if you want or book excursions daily. Food is good but I would recommend getting out and trying the local eateries.
I would ditto what Rivergirl says, but add the following: Suggest and recommend Executive Car Rental. If you pick it up at the downtown office you save about 12% in taxes, but they are still 10%. Make sure you can turn in the car at the airport without penalty. You can make reservations online at www.executiive.com.mx. No matter where you rent a car, peel off the decal bumper stickers. They are magnets for cops, especially just as you enter downtown from the HZ, but also in the HZ. Unless you are going to hang around your hotel and do lots of eating and drinking you are better off without all inclusive. It seems like a bargain if you compare ala carte prices from the menu but food and beverage prices are deadly at the hotels. You don't have to pound food and drinks 24/7 and there are soooo many great places to eat not only downtown but in the HZ as well. Just wonderful prices downtown. Have fun. T.J. Cancun, QR, Mexico
Rental Cars Hmmm IMHO I drove a rental car for nearly 5 months with the rentals logos and I didn't have one single problem with the police. When I broke down outside the Moon Palace the police where extremely helpful. Yess
I most admit, i didn't read all the replies you got fully, so I might give you information that has been given to you. This are my responses to your original post. 1) Can't help you there. I have stayed at very few hotels here in Cancun, and since I have stayed for free or almost free I have had zero complaints myself. 2) I don't say Cancun is better than PDC or vice versa, but based on what you have stated, yes it seems PDC would be a better fit for your needs/wants. By the way PDC is Playa del Carmen. Riviera Maya is pretty long, but since AI is not a most, being close to PDC would be a good fit for you guys 3) Between Tulum vs Chichen Itza, Chichen Itza hands down would be the one to visit, although it is much farther away than Tulum. If you do decide to go to Chichen Itza try to make it to Balam kanche caves and Dzitnup cenotes. Most people talk about Ik Kil which is a nice cenote, but they go there because the tour bus takes them there. Dzitnup cenotes are not that exploited with tourist yet, but they are just breath taking, specially if you go there between 12 and 1pm (when the sun is at its highest pint). If you guys like "long days" you can also stop by Ek Balam before heading back to Cancun. By the way, best place to eat would be in Valladolid. My fav restaurant is Oasis (ask any local they will tell you how to get there) 4) Puerto Morels is a good place, but you do have to "buy a tour" as they take you out to the reef by boat. They tour takes about 1.5 hours, but you are actually on top of the reef for about 30 to 40 minutes top. Rest of the time is spent in the boat, or swimming to/from the boat. Best snorkeling spots for beginners IMHO would be Akuaml. Yal Ku lagoon (in Akumal) for early snorkeling, and Turtle Bay (in Akumal) for evening snorkeling. You can snorkel Turtle bay at any time, but if you go about 1 to 2 hours before sunset, you will have a better chance to run into some sea turtles which is a pretty neat experience 5) Yes it is relatively safe to rent cars here in la Riviera Maya. You will hear/read many myths on how cops are "out to get" tourists, but that is not true. There are a few scams that they run when renting cars. For example, most rental places will quote you in dollars, and when you go pay with a credit card they will come up with your "total" in pesos, using a significantly higher exchange rate that favors them (if 1 dollar = 13 pesos, they will do the math at 15 pesos per dollar). Best way to get around this issue is to pay your rental fees when you return the vehicle in cash. If they quote prices in USD they have to accept USD. Also you will find extremely low rates on the internet, $7 per day!!!! This is not the "real" price, since when you go pick up the car they will add a mandatory "insurance" Hope my info was not too repetitive and that you find it useful
