Where To Stay In Cancun Mexico – Heading to Cancun this year? Plan your trip with my tips on the best places to stay in Cancun, including neighborhoods that fit your budget and vacation goals!
Mexico’s beautiful Yucatan Peninsula is home to beautiful sandy beaches and Mayan ruins. One of the most popular places to base yourself is the city of Cancun, known as a gateway to the Riviera Maya.
Where To Stay In Cancun Mexico
Formerly known as Nizuc or ‘point of grass’ to its Mayan inhabitants, the city now called Cancun means ‘enchanted snake’ or ‘nest of snakes’.
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But it’s far from a nest of snakes. As the entry point to Mexico – Cancun is a vibrant city that is home to crystal clear waters, white sand beaches, luxury resorts and a thriving nightlife scene.
The perfect base for exploring the Mayan Riviera, Cancun is also well connected to Isla Mujeres, Tulum, Chichen Itza, Playa del Carmen and more.
Your stay in Cancún will introduce you to Mexican delicacies, nightlife and street food. It will also be the perfect chance to go scuba diving, snorkeling, explore nearby Mayan ruins, go shopping and join in some cultural experiences.
If you are looking for the best hotels in Cancun to enjoy your stay, read this free guide to the best areas in Cancun and find the perfect accommodation for your budget!
Cancun City Guide
Mexico is open again to most travelers, including American tourists. However, you need proof of your COVID-19 vaccination(s) or a negative test result before you are admitted.
Many hotels, attractions and private tours are open with new health and safety protocols in place, and you still need to follow certain guidelines.
Zona Hotelera is Cancun’s main tourist district where you will find the luxury resorts that cater to tourists. Stay here and you’ll find restaurants, shopping and an eventual nightlife scene. It stretches all the way from Puerto Cancun to Punta Nizuc. It is also where some of the best beaches in Cancun are located.
The place to be if you want to feel the heartbeat of the city. Watch busy residents go about their days, eat street food at stalls, or visit affordable nightclubs and restaurants. El Centro offers more affordable accommodation options than other parts of Cancun.
Hotels In Cancun
At the far northern end of the Zona Hotelera sits Playa Mujeres (Costa Mujeres) – a newer developed luxury resort area of Cancun. A little closer to El Centro and Puerto Juarez, this area is not as crowded as Zona Hotelera. If you’re looking for a little more peace and quiet on a vacation with the family, Playa Mujeres is a top choice.
Located about 2 km from the center of Cancun, Puerto Juarez is another good place to stay in Cancun if you are on a budget. It’s quieter than the city center, but not as touristy as Zona Hotelera. It’s also the perfect place to stay if you plan to visit Isla Mujeres, as the Ultramar ferry to the island departs twice and hourly from here.
It depends on what you are looking for. If you want to save money, and see the “real” Cancun, the El Centro neighborhood is where you want to stay. If you’re visiting Cancun to party, or stay on the beach, Cancun’s popular hotel zone is where most people stay.
Cancun’s top nightclubs and attractions are located around the Hotel Zone (Zona Hotelera). Specifically the Punta Cancun area.
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Mexico has its share of drug cartel problems, but overall Cancun is pretty safe compared to other regions of Mexico. Petty crime like theft can be a problem, so don’t leave things in your rental car or unattended on the beach!
Don’t forget travel insurance! Protect yourself against possible injuries and theft abroad. Read why you should always carry travel insurance.
I hope you enjoyed my guide on where to stay in Cancun! Hopefully you found it useful. Here are some more wanderlust-inducing articles I recommend you read next:
Do you have any questions about where to stay in Cancun? Planning a trip to Mexico? Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to share!Cancun, Mexico, specifically the bustling Cancun Hotel Zone, is one of the most popular tourist resort destinations in the world. Visiting is easily one of the best things to do in Mexico. That’s because not only is it home to some of the biggest and best all-inclusive hotels in North America, but it also has epic white sand beaches, a cool Museum of Underwater Art, and the family-friendly Interactive Aquarium Cancun.
Where To Stay In Cancun
Apart from that, there are tons of water sports on offer here. I promise that once you see the sparkling blue water in the Cancun Hotel Zone, you’ll be itching to get in!
However, with so much going on, the Cancun hotel zone can be a bit overwhelming. I mean there is so much around you, so where do you spend your time?
To help plan your upcoming trip, in this blog I will share everything you need to know about visiting the Cancun Hotel Zone. It includes the best things to do in Cancun (in both the Cancun Hotel Zone and the nearby area) as well as details on the best hotels, restaurants and how to get around.
The Cancun Hotel Zone, also known as Zona Hotelera, is home to all-inclusive resorts, massive international hotels, excellent restaurants and white sand beaches. This is where most tourists to Cancun choose to stay.
Where To Stay In Cancun, Mexico
The area itself is 22.5 kilometers (14 miles) long, and is not to be confused with downtown Cancun (also known as Cancun Centro), which is a more traditional Mexican city and is where most of the locals live and do not visit The Cancun Hotel Zone is a 20-minute drive from Cancun Centro, and numerous buses ply this route. In fact, a bus runs this route every 5 minutes, 24 hours a day.
Would you believe there are over 70 hotels in the Cancun Hotel Zone? Most of these hotels are luxury all-inclusive hotels that tend to be quite expensive. As a result, this area attracts travelers looking for a luxury holiday, with couples and families especially loving this area. I should note that if you are a budget traveler, the Cancun Centro area will be more suitable for you!
There are also dozens of restaurants in this area, most of the restaurants are located in the hotels and can be expensive, but there are also more casual taco and burrito restaurants here as well.
The great thing about the Cancun Hotel Zone is that it offers tourists a safe place to relax and hang out. Most people also speak English here. In addition, there are tons of attractions in the hotel zone, including ancient Mayan ruins and beautiful stretches of beaches.
Where To Stay In Cancun, Mexico (2023 Hotel Guide)
Those visiting this area should try to spend at least a week here. That way you can relax, unwind and explore!
Yes, the Cancun Hotel Zone is one of the safest areas in Cancun and is patrolled by the police.
Yes, you can walk around the Cancun Hotel Zone, but be aware that the area is large, so you may want to take the bus or a taxi.
Yes, the Cancun Hotel Zone is one of the most expensive areas in Mexico. Having said that, it is cheap on the global stage for luxury places to visit.
Find The Best Hotels In Cancun
Yes, the Cancun Hotel Zone is the ideal place to stay in Cancun for those on vacation. With many attractions, restaurants and hotels it is very convenient and beautiful!
As mentioned earlier, the bus system in Cancun Hotel Zone is great, with buses running 24 hours to Cancun Centro, stopping at various times along the way, so of course you can hop off wherever you like on the route.
There is a bus stop outside most of the hotels in the Cancun Hotel Zone, and the bus stop is clearly marked with a sign. The most common buses are the R1 and R2 routes, but there are also the less frequent R15 and R27 routes.
The R1 will take you to downtown Cancun or to the bus station. I should also mention Bus One, which is a white bus that only runs the length of the Cancun Hotel Zone. It is perfect to explore the activities in the blog without taking a taxi.
Cancun Hotel Zone
A one-way ticket costs just 10 pesos (50 cents) which is really good value. The buses are modern but do not have air conditioning (an exception to this is Bus One). The buses in Cancun are also considered safe and I take them all the time.
Alternatively, taxis are readily available in Cancun – your hotel can call you one, you can hail one on the street, or you can use Whatsapp (which seems to be the most popular method). You will also notice numerous taxi ranks along the hotel zone and in downtown Cancun. Taxis can be expensive, so it’s best to negotiate your fare before getting in.
A more affordable alternative to taxis is Uber which is available in Cancun through the Uber app. Although, I must mention there is some controversy surrounding Uber in Cancun. Local taxi drivers have been fighting to get rid of Uber since 2016, and as a result, it can be difficult to
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