Where To Stay In Cancun

Finding the right place to stay is one of the most important decisions to make when traveling. Investigating where you would like to stay and making that decision well in advance of your trip will ensure everyone enjoys their trip to Cancun. Cancun, an island created to be a tourists’ mecca, boasts approximately 21,000 hotel rooms. Determining which of those rooms is the right one for you, the type of vacation you’re planning and your budget is the key to making your vacation restful and stress-free.

The Hotel Zone and El Centro

The city of Cancun is divided into two areas—the Hotel Zone and El Centro, also known as Cancun City. The Hotel Zone is the tourist haven, with hotels, restaurants, shopping and water activities. El Centro is where the majority of the year-round residents live, but it is also where many of the cultural activities are centered.

Hotels, bed and breakfasts, inns and hostels are all available in Cancun. The rates range from the really inexpensive to rooms that cost more than $1,000 per night. It is often helpful to work with a website like Book-A-Room.com to book a vacation package that includes airfare and hotel. This will help minimize the surprises and stress awaiting you upon arrival.

There are often bargain vacation packages to Cancun throughout the year. Keep an eye out for them and investigate them thoroughly to ensure each part of the package meets your needs. When making a decision about where to stay, consider your budget, whether you would like to be in the Hotel Zone or another part of the city, investigate whether the hotel is family-friendly, if the hotel has the features you want, the accessibility of the hotel to sightseeing, shopping and other activities and your mode of transportation while you are in Cancun. Some of the resorts in Cancun are all-inclusive, meaning that meals, drinks, entertainment and other activities are included in the cost of the room. Keep in mind that this will not cover any meals, souvenirs, or activities you do outside of the hotel.

How to Get Around in Cancun

Transportation while in Cancun is also a matter of personal choice. If you rent a car, reserve it before you arrive. Prices at the airport are often more expensive than if you rent in advance. It is important to note that American driver’s licenses are valid in Mexico, but American auto insurance is not. If you are in an accident and do not have adequate Mexican auto insurance, you could be jailed until liability is determined.

Liability insurance is often included in car rental fees, but it is low and you should purchase additional coverage, just in case. Cancun has a bus system that runs frequently and is inexpensive. The buses operate from 6 a.m. until midnight and run from the mainland to most of the beaches. Taxis are available and safe, although they are more expensive than the bus system. Prices are regulated and price lists should be available upon request from the driver or your hotel. Ferries and water taxis are also available for day trips to the islands off Cancun. Isla Mujeres is accessible by ferry from Cancun and Cozumel can be reached via ferries from nearby Playa del Carmen. Walking is also an attractive transportation in Cancun. There is a lot to see and experience and doing it on foot is often the best way to see a new place.