Best Things To Do in Cancun Beyond the Beach

Image: Sunset view in Cancun, Mexico. (photo by Eric Bowman)
Image: Sunset view in Cancun, Mexico. (photo by Eric Bowman)
by Alberto Lozano
Last updated: 12:00 AM ET, Mon September 12, 2022

As the most popular destination in Mexico, Cancun offers its visitors a great variety of things to do beyond enjoying its gorgeous turquoise seas and white-sand beaches, with different sports and cultural options.

Cancun is the right place to visit for nature lovers and adventure seekers since there are plenty of things to do. Visitors can dive or practice snorkeling in the cenotes nearby (limestone sinkholes) or enjoy the day on any of its 10 Blue Flag beaches along a 6,200-mile-long coastline, jet skiing, or parasailing.

MUSA, the Underwater Museum of Art, is in the National Marine Park of Cancun and Isla Mujeres. It has more than 500 sculptures installed on the seabed distributed in three galleries: Manchones Gallery, in Isla Mujeres, where the sculptures are located 8 meters. (26 ft.) depth; Punta Nizuc Gallery and Punta Sam Gallery, both in Cancun, with sculptures at a depth of 4 meters. (13 ft.).

In Cancun visitors are encouraged to lounge in the sun or spa or spend a day at one of its seven golf courses, admiring its gorgeous turquoise seas.

The best option to feed the Instagram account is Playa Delfines Photographic Parador, where visitors will attest to the imposing Caribbean Sea.

For a taste of culture, there is the Mayan Museum of Cancun, home to hundreds of artifacts uncovered at some of the most prominent archeological sites on the Yucatan peninsula. There is also the option to check out the archeological sites that pepper the surrounding region, such as El Meco, El Rey, San Miguelito, Tulum, Cobá, and Muyil.

A visit to Palapas Park is a must. Located in the heart of the city, just a few blocks from Mercado 28, tourists can eat Mexican snacks, get ice cream to relieve heat, buy hippie crafts, watch public shows or musical groups, and sometimes cultural shows.

In Mercado 28, in the center of the city, visitors can find many Mexican souvenirs and handicrafts and typical restaurants with a perfect atmosphere.

Hotels, restaurants, malls, and nightclubs line on either side of Boulevard Kukulkan, known as the Hotel Zone, which runs down the middle of the 15-mile-long sandbar. This is where visitors will find many of the city's all-inclusive hotels catering to families on vacation, couples on their honeymoon, and everything in between.

Cancun is renowned for its delectable cuisine and is home to some of the best restaurants in the region. Here you can find a wonderful mix of authentic Mexican fare and laid-back restaurants downtown, as well as upscale Mexican and international cuisine throughout awarded restaurants and nightlife options, including restaurants that overlook the Caribbean Sea and the beautiful Nichupté Lagoon.


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Alberto Lozano

Editor - Mexico & Latin America

Journalist and professional in social communication, S.M., & P.R., Alberto Lozano worked previously as travel editor for...

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