Cancun - where to go, what to do?

[UNCjigga]

I booked a last minute getaway to Cancun this weekend (going with a buddy of mine) and I really have no idea where to go or what to do. The last time I was in the area was when our cruise ship docked at Cozumel, so we were only there for a day and our excursions were pre-planned. The only thing we booked for this trip were flights, hotel and rental car.

FYI, we're between the ages of 28-30 so while we'd love to hit up the bars and clubs, we're not really looking to hang out with the high school/college "Spring Break" type crowd. We're probably looking to do a lot of beach activities and some exploring around the Yucatan as well. Any recommendations on beaches, restaurants, sights to visit (Chichen Itza etc.?), or other towns we should drive to? Also, since this was a last-minute trip we're on a frugal budget, so we want to get the most bang for our buck.

 

[Scarpozzi]

There are a lot of tours in the area that can be had for $45-55 US. There's a jungle tour that allows you to drive little speed boats. There are some catamaran trips to Isla Mujeras and a few to the Ruins.

It's touristy enough that you should have no problem finding a lot of stuff to do when you get to the lobby of your hotel. Hopefully though, you're staying in an all-inclusive so you can just drink and hang out all day. Honesty, when I went, I didn't do much...I just hung out at the hotel.

Buses in Cancun are cheap and they go from the strip to Market 28 and Walmart...so you can get just about anything you need without having to rent a car.

 

[herm0016]

stay in hostles, ride the city bus. there is a great one on isle muharaus. also the soberans in down town cancun is nice. they are on the order of 10 bucks a night. the one on the island has its own beach. also on the island dont forget to hit " the monkey" its a great little bar near the hostle. http://www.pocna.com/ is the hostle that we stayed at for a few days on the island. the island is great, relaxed, good for snorkerling too. for our week down there we each spent about 600 bucks total including our airfare. edit: link for place downtown. http://www.soberanis.com.mx/

 

[Zolty]

Originally posted by: herm0016
stay in hostles, ride the city bus. there is a great one on isle muharaus. also the soberans in down town cancun is nice. they are on the order of 10 bucks a night. the one on the island has its own beach. also on the island dont forget to hit " the monkey" its a great little bar near the hostle. http://www.pocna.com/ is the hostle that we stayed at for a few days on the island. the island is great, relaxed, good for snorkerling too. for our week down there we each spent about 600 bucks total including our airfare.

I am a firm believer that if you can afford a hotel then stay in one, there is no sense in removing your sense of security just to save a few bucks.

 

[UNCjigga]

Originally posted by: Zolty

Originally posted by: herm0016
stay in hostles, ride the city bus. there is a great one on isle muharaus. also the soberans in down town cancun is nice. they are on the order of 10 bucks a night. the one on the island has its own beach. also on the island dont forget to hit " the monkey" its a great little bar near the hostle. http://www.pocna.com/ is the hostle that we stayed at for a few days on the island. the island is great, relaxed, good for snorkerling too. for our week down there we each spent about 600 bucks total including our airfare.

I am a firm believer that if you can afford a hotel then stay in one, there is no sense in removing your sense of security just to save a few bucks.

Like I said, we already booked the hotel and we don't want to hang with high schoolers, so there's no sense talking about hostels now! But I appreciate herm's adventurous recommendation!

Unfortunately we did not book an all-inclusive since the cost was prohibitive when trying to book last minute. We figured restaurant food would be better anyway, if a bit pricier. Any recommendations on restaurants? Also, know of any places to avoid? (we don't want to get sick, but we're bringing the immodium just in case!)

 

[herm0016]

my sense of sucurity was never removed! have you been to these places? I have. they all have lockers for you to put you stuff in when you leave it there. just bring a lock with you. I never once felt like i was not in a good place. all the people i met were more than helpful. I also had a lot of fun meeting and talking to the people that stayed with our group in the hostles. a guy fromkey west that had been traveling for a few months, a guy from the netherlands, a couple from canada. I have a lot more fun exploring the culture of other places than i do going to a place to stay in a resort that i can find in america. if you really want to have an adventrue you have to be willing go do differnent things.

 

[Stifko]

Playa del Carmen (Carmen Beach) is worth the trip. It'd be nice to even stay there too.