Cancun

When to visit Cancun

December to April is the dry season, with daytime temperatures of 27C to 30C, sea around 26C and the biggest crowds. May to October is humid and hot, days of 32C to 34C and short afternoon downpours. June to November is the Atlantic hurricane season and September and October carry the highest risk; prices drop in this period but plans should stay flexible. Sargassum seaweed can wash up in spring and summer, and north facing beaches and Isla Mujeres are less affected.

Things to do in Cancun

Chichen Itza

The Maya city 200 kilometres west of Cancun has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988 and was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. The four stairways of the 30 metre Pyramid of Kukulcan at its centre total 365 steps, and on the equinoxes the shadow on the north stairway forms the outline of a serpent. The great ball court, the observatory and the sacred cenote are on the same site. Going early in the morning avoids both the heat and the crowds.

Tulum archaeological site

The walled Maya city 130 kilometres south of Cancun stands on 12 metre cliffs above the Caribbean and lived as a port between the 13th and 15th centuries. El Castillo, the largest building, sits right at the edge of the sea, and there is a swimmable cove below the cliff. The site is small and two hours are enough; iguanas sun themselves on the stones. The nearby town of Tulum and its beach strip deserve a separate day.

Isla Mujeres

The seven kilometre island 13 kilometres off Cancun is 20 minutes away by ferry from the Puerto Juarez pier. Playa Norte at the northern tip, shallow and free of waves, is the most loved beach in the region; Punta Sur at the southern tip has cliffs, the remains of a small Maya temple and a sculpture park. The island is toured by golf cart in an hour, and it quietens down once the day trippers leave in the afternoon.

Playa Delfines

This public beach at kilometre 18 of the Hotel Zone is the only wide stretch of sand with no hotel behind it, so it gives the most open sea view in Cancun. The viewing terrace above the road and the colourful Cancun letters are the most photographed spot in the city. Waves and currents can be strong, so the lifeguard flags matter. Unlike the hotel beaches there are no sunbeds, and shade and water come with you.

Maya Museum of Cancun and San Miguelito

Opened in 2012 at kilometre 16 of the Hotel Zone, the museum shows more than 350 pieces from the Maya finds of Yucatan in three halls and gives the context before a visit to Chichen Itza or Tulum. Its garden opens onto the San Miguelito archaeological site, where a path through mangrove and forest passes 800 year old house remains and a small eight metre pyramid. One ticket covers both and half a day is enough.

Cenote Ik Kil

Three kilometres from Chichen Itza, Ik Kil is the best known and most photogenic of the thousands of cave lakes in the limestone floor of Yucatan: an open well 60 metres across, ringed by plant roots hanging down to the water 26 metres below the surface. A stone stairway leads down, the water is more than 40 metres deep and life jackets are provided. It fills with tour buses around midday and is calmer first thing in the morning or near closing.

Flights from Turkey to Cancun

Flights to Cancun from Turkey leave Istanbul Airport on Turkish Airlines; the service makes a stop in Mexico City and continues on the same aircraft, for a total of about 18 hours 40 minutes from Istanbul to Cancun. In the return direction the aircraft flies nonstop from Cancun to Istanbul in about 12 hours 15 minutes. The route runs six days a week on a Boeing 787. Cancun Airport is 16 kilometres from downtown and about 20 from the Hotel Zone; ADO buses run to the centre and to Playa del Carmen, and hotel transfers are arranged in advance.

Cancun FAQ