Riviera Maya
These two beautiful, protected bays are separated by a narrow point, 123km south of Cancún and 11km north of Tulum. To get here, head east (toward the…
Must-see attractions in Quintana Roo
Isla Cozumel
About 17km south of San Miguel, Palancar is a great beach to visit during the week when the crowds thin out. It has a beach club renting snorkel gear (US…
Cancún
In the Zona Arqueológica El Rey, on the west side of Blvd Kukulcán, there’s a small temple and several ceremonial platforms. The site gets its name from a…
Isla Mujeres
At the island's southernmost point you’ll find a lighthouse, a sculpture garden and the worn remains of a temple dedicated to Ixchel, Maya goddess of the…
Cancún
A beach club and rustic cabins on a lovely stretch of white-sand beach overlooking Isla Mujeres. Get here before the big hotels attempt to completely take…
Riviera Maya
Paamul, 87km south of Cancún, is a de facto private beach on a sheltered bay. Like many other spots along the Caribbean coast, it has signs prohibiting…
Chetumal
The Museo de la Cultura Maya is the city’s claim to cultural fame – a bold showpiece that's beautifully conceived and executed, though regrettably short…
Laguna Bacalar
The fortress above the lagoon was built in 1733 to protect Spanish colonists from pirate attacks and rebellions by local indigenous people. It also served…
Riviera Maya
A rocky, reef-hugged point 65km south of Cancún, Punta Bete is reached by a dirt road that runs past a housing development and weaves 2.5km from Hwy 307 …
Cancún
A favorite spot for Cancun athletes. Set where the Zona Hotelera meets Cancún Centro, Kilometer Zero has a lush green outdoor gym in the middle of the…
Cancún
Beloved by local nature-lovers and fitness-lovers alike, this jungle park in the city remains mostly untouched. Runners and walkers flock to the 1.9-km…
Isla Cozumel
To reach the far northeast of the island you're best off heading out on an off-road tour to avoid getting stranded on the remote dirt road. The tour makes…
Puerto Morelos
About 5km south of Puerto Morelos you can wet your whistle at this roadside Mexican craft-beer brewery, where they run daily tours at noon and 3pm…
Cancún
In the middle of the north end of Zona Hotelera, Playa Langosta is a gem of a place for swimming. Facing Bahía de Mujeres, the beach is coated with Cancún…
Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen’s most iconic park is bordered by the famous Quinta Avenida on one side and by a popular local beach on the other side. Here, kids can…
Playa del Carmen
Two blocks west of the highway, this pretty park has play areas for kids, shady picnic spots and walking trails as well as activities such as movie…
Tulum
This is the temple where Stela 1 was found, an artifact now on display in the British Museum. Based on the stela's inscriptions, it is believed it was…
Isla Mujeres
To say that this beach club has a maritime museum is a bit of a stretch, but it's as close as the island comes to having some culture, plus you get to see…
Tulum
A small tomb was found in this house, which gets its name from a cenote found at its southern base. The Maya believed cenotes were gateways to Xibalbá …
Isla Mujeres
The lagoon separating a large hotel complex from the rest of the island has a shallow swimming spot that's ideal for kids. Despite the depth (or lack of…
Cobá
This is a tidy, semicircular stepped building, almost fully restored. Its name means 'the Crossroads,' as it marks the juncture of four separate sacbés …
Cancún
A long, lovely stretch of sand with lifeguards on duty and deck chairs, umbrellas and tables for rent. There’s no food, but there is an Oxxo out on Blvd…
Cancún
Next to the Isla Mujeres ferry dock, this tiny stretch of sand is probably the least inviting of Cancún's beaches, but you can head left when you hit the…
Cancún
With no parking, this is one of the quieter beaches in Cancún and there's usually a lifeguard on duty. There's no food, but there are stores and…
Cancún
One of the busiest beaches around, with loud music, cheap restaurants, deck chair and umbrella hire. Access from the ferry terminal, where there is free…
Isla Mujeres
About 5km south of town, this beach is less attractive than Playa Norte, but kayaks and SUPs can be rented if you're up for some water activities. A taxi…
Cancún
Popular with families for its calm, shallow foreshore. There’s free parking (but tip the guys ‘minding’ your car). Access is by the huge flagpole flying…
Mahahual
The beach right off Mahahual’s beautiful malecón (waterfront promenade) has powdery white sand, plus water so shallow you can swim out a good 100m.
Cancún
An outdoor venue for free concerts, dance performances and other cultural events. Vendors sell affordable snacks on and around the square.
Cancún
A long, quiet stretch of beach squeezed between luxury hotels. Access from the dirt road on the south side of Golden Parnassus hotel.
Cancún
A beautiful little curve at the end of the bay, mostly monopolized by beach clubs. Access is from the north side of Cocobongo’s.
Playa del Carmen
Restaurants, bars, stores and craft stalls line a 2km stretch of this busy pedestrian thoroughfare.
Cancún
Built into the Plaza de Toros are several bars, some with music, that draw a largely local crowd.
Isla Mujeres
A 19th-century slave trader and reputed pirate, Fermín Antonio Mundaca de Marechaja fell in love with a local woman known as La Trigueña (The Brunette)…
Isla Cozumel
This Maya ruin, a fertility temple, is the oldest on the island. It’s the size of a small house and has no ornamentation. El Cedral is thought to have…
Isla Cozumel
Down the same intimidating road that leads to Punta Molas are the large Maya ruins known as El Castillo Real (The Royal Castle). The archaeological site,…
Costa Maya & Southern Caribbean Coast
Folks come from all over to pray before this shrine dedicated to the talking cross, a symbol of the Maya people's struggle against inequality and…
Cancún
Also known as the Templo del Alácran (Scorpion’s Temple), Yamil Lu’um was used between AD 1200 and 1550, and sits atop a beachside knoll in the parklike…
Riviera Maya
Xpu-Há (shpoo-ha) is a beach area about 95km south of Cancún that extends for several kilometers. It’s reached by numbered access roads (most of them…
Casa de la Cultura Felipe Carrillo Puerto
Costa Maya & Southern Caribbean Coast
On the plaza, the cultural center has art exhibitions, a video of the city's history, workshops and the occasional exhibit on the War of the Castes. Be…
