Katherine & Zachary
Things To Do
Cenotes
Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is famous for its amazing cenotes, natural sinkholes filled with water formed in limestone caves. The entire Riviera Maya is covered with thousands of cenotes, and many of them you can swim in. Cenotes are created when the limestone surface collapses, creating an opening into the Yucatan’s large underground river system. Most people visit them to go swimming, scuba diving or snorkeling. Some of the best cenotes near Cancun are located along the Ruta De Cenotes (Cenote Route) near the city of Puerto Morelos, about a 30-minute drive away. Here you’ll find Cenote La Noria, Verde Lucero, Cenote Mojarras, and Cenote Selvatica among many others. Verde Lucero even has its own zipline! If you don’t want to drive yourself, there’s a fun guided cenote tour which leaves from Cancun called the Xenote Experience.
Snorkeling in Cancun - Cancun Excursions
Snorkeling turquoise blue Caribbean waters is an ocean activity you can’t miss while visiting Cancun. One amazing underwater attraction is the Underwater Museum — or MUSA. 500 sculptures were created from materials which encourage coral reef development. Huge hands, statues of locals and VW Beetles, the exhibits are surrounded by ocean wildlife giving you a really unique experience. MUSA continues to expand, as more sculptures are added, while the old ones are being eaten away by marine creatures. You can book a snorkeling tour directly starting at $30 USD.
Chichén-Itzá
The Mayan city of Chichen Itza, famous for its amazing ancient pyramids, is one of the new seven wonders of the world. The oldest building in Chichen Itza dates from the 5th century. The most impressive structure of the city is the 98-foot tall pyramid Temple Of Kukulkan (aka “El Castillo”). The nine terraces around it symbolize the belief in heaven with nine levels. Chichen Itza is well preserved so you can get a glimpse of how the ancient Maya people lived. It’s located about 2.5 hours away from Cancun by car, or 3 hours by bus, and is the Yucatan’s most popular Mayan site.
Jungle ATV Tour, Ziplining, and Cenote Swim
Zip lining is one of the hallmark adventures to do in Cancun, so you can’t miss it, even if you think you’re afraid of heights. In fact, it’s even better if you are! There are a couple of different theme parks near Cancun with zip lines. The closest theme park where you can enjoy zip lining is Selvatica. They offer multiple packages with 10 different zip lines. Xplor Adventure Park also has two zip line circuits, each with 7 different routes, with the highest point at 45 m (147 ft). All these adventure parks usually have other activities too, like ATVs and cenotes.
Mercado 28
Mercado 28 (Market 28) is a huge shopping center in downtown Cancun. This isn’t your typical mall, instead it’s a giant flea-market that boasts 600 vendors who sell pretty much everything. From textiles to maracas and leather items, you can find some cool Mexican souvenirs at Mercado 28. Many items are handcrafted and unique, so they make great travel gifts. Feel free to test your bargaining skills here. Resist the seller’s first price and you can walk away with a great deal. Stop by one of the local restaurants for food at a fraction of Hotel Zone prices too! Mercado 28 is easy to reach by bus from the Hotel Zone, but if you have a rental car, remember which lot you park in, as there are 4 different entrances and parking lots that look very similar.