Things To Do in Cancun

Burritos, guacamole, tortillas, fajitas, refried beans – Cancun comes up with all the Mexican classics. There’s a great choice of fish and seafood here, too, so look out for white clams, baby shark and lobster tails. You’ll find top-end restaurants in both the Hotel Zone and downtown. For a truly authentic experience, team up your food with live mariachi music and a glass of bitter tequila.

Cabaret meets disco at this hugely popular club. The place puts on regular themed party nights like Elvis, Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera – with flying acrobats and rock ’n’ roll bands thrown in for good measure. On the playlist you’ve got everything from Seventies classics to trance and hip-hop, while soap bubbles and balloons ramp up the fun factor.

At this lagoon-side distillery and restaurant, the menu is loaded with local specialities. You might want to try the torta ahogada – a pork sandwich dunked in spicy hot sauce – or birria, which is a goat broth. Many of the dishes come with a choice of mole sauces – pronounced mo-lay – made with chillies and chocolate. Afterwards, you can take a tequila tour here if you fancy it.

If you fancy a change from the bars and clubs of the Hotel Zone, have an evening out downtown. Lots of places here have live music, like Roots Jazz Club on Tulipanes Street. Elsewhere, you can listen to Sixties and Seventies hits or dance to a salsa band. As for drinks, join the locals in a glass of michelada – it’s like a Bloody Mary, made with beer instead of vodka.

Cancun couldn’t do more to lay on the retail therapy. In the Hotel Zone, there are shopping malls wherever you go. Kukulcan Plaza and La Isa Shopping Village rack up Mango, Zara, Hugo Boss and Diesel, while Luxury Avenue comes up with Cartier and Louis Vuitton. Meanwhile, at downtown Market 28, you’ll find hand-painted Mexican bowls, embroidered purses, Talavera pottery and silver jewellery – haggling is essential, though.

This popular downtown bar is in the Hotel Xbalamque. It’s got a bohemian atmosphere and comes with comfy sofas and cushions, and warm lighting. The real draw here, though, is the live music – local bands play everything from Spanish rock to ballads and folk. Drinks-wise, there’s a good choice of wines, beers and spirits, and you can order food from the hotel’s restaurant. It’s open ’til 3am.

Panama hats, pottery, wool rugs – you name it, Cancun sells it. A good place to get the retail therapy rolling is Mercado 28 in the downtown area. It’s a huge mishmash of shops and stalls with a flea market vibe – great for jewellery and leather goods. If it’s luxury brands you’re after, though, La Isla Shopping Village has over 150 stores to get round.

At the last count, Cancun had about 500 restaurants. From beachfront shacks to top-notch places, between them they serve up burritos, Cajun curries and Polynesian noodles. For a real Mexican flavour, head downtown to try an authentic dish like tikin xic – fish done Mayan-barbecue style with orange and lime juice. And just for authenticity, wash it down with a tequila, straight.

Come Revolution Day, Cancun takes to the streets to celebrate. After the opening parade, the armed services like to put on a good show – so look out for their human pyramids and daredevil dives through hoops of flame. Luckily, you’ll be expected to do nothing trickier than enjoy the music, food and dancing.

The party really kicks off here around 10pm when people spill out of the bars and into the clubs. You’ll find most of the big players in and around the Hotel Zone pumping out a dance mix of pop, reggae, R’n’B and hardcore techno. Entrance price often comes with an all-you-can-drink deal – it’s going to be a long night, so you might want to pace yourself.

For a beach hop, you could start off on Playa Langosta on the northern edge of the Hotel Zone – it’s popular with the locals and has plenty of eating places. From there, about 10 minutes by bus gets you to the shallow waters at Playa Caracol. And if you go on to Playa Gaviota Azul you’ve got a breezy spot that’s great for surfing and sailboarding.

A 20-minute ferry ride from the Hotel Zone’s Gran Puerto gets you to Isla Mujeres. For snorkellers, there’s a fascinating underwater sculpture museum with over 400 life-size figures to see. Or you can swim with dolphins at Garrafon Natural Reef Park. Plus there are trips to Punta Sur Cliff. Some 20 metres above sea level, this spot comes with great views and the ruins of a Mayan temple.

Whichever sandy spot you choose, you’ll always be close to bars and restaurants in Cancun. And there are plenty of watersports hire centres. You can go kayaking on the Nichupte Lagoon, which is right by the Hotel Zone, or if you fancy trying body surfing head to the north side’s Playa Gaviota Azul. Also in this direction is Dolphin Beach, with the small Mayan ruins of El Rey close by.

At this elegant lagoon-side restaurant, lobster bisque and vodka with shrimp fettuccini happily share menu space with Mexican and Caribbean classics, like lime-flavoured soup and chicken baked in banana leaves with achiote seasoning. Lemon sorbet is served between courses, and if you order the Mayan coffee you’ll get a fiery floorshow at your table. The place comes with fabulous sunset views and Mayan dancing twice a week.