Cancun, neighbourhood by neighbourhood
Where you stay changes the whole trip. 5 areas, compared without the sales pitch, so you book the one that fits.
Hotel Zone
Cancun's 22 km beach strip of resorts, public beaches, the Party Center and the lagoon, linked by the 24-hour R-1 bus.
Downtown Cancun
The real city: Avenida Tulum, Parque de las Palapas, Mercado 28, the ADO bus terminal and the cheapest hotels and food in Cancun.
Playa Mujeres and Costa Mujeres
The quieter all-inclusive coast north of Cancun, facing Isla Mujeres, with calmer water and large resorts but little public transport.
Riviera Cancun
The resort coast south of the Hotel Zone, near the airport, with big all-inclusives and easy access to Puerto Morelos and the Riviera Maya.
Isla Mujeres
A small, laid-back island 20 minutes from Cancun by ferry, with calm Playa Norte, golf carts and quiet evenings after the day-trippers leave.