I’ve been on the road nonstop this summer, so my blog posts in August will touch on different destinations I’ve been lucky enough to visit over the past two months.
First up: Cancun. And you should be able to tell by the fact that I’m writing this that no harm came to me in Mexico. The bottom line: The drug war violence is in the border regions (most especially Laredo and Tijuana, which I do not recommend visiting right now), and Cancun is well more than 1,000 miles away (that’s the distance between Los Angeles and Denver). Plus, police presence on the streets of Cancun is high, and the city seems as calm and safe as ever.
With that out of the way, I thought it might be helpful if I dispelled some other myths about Cancun:
1. Cancun no longer has any beaches. Not true. While storms do wash the sand away from certain areas of Cancun’s hotel zone, they don’t from all. The area is shaped like a “7,” and the beaches in the crook of the 7 actually get the sand that is drained from other beaches (some have more sand than they did a decade ago). The easiest way to see if the resort you’re considering has a sand problem is to view the live “beach cams” now available on many resorts’ Web sites. Even better, the problem may soon be in the past: While I was there, the Mexican government started a huge project to re-sand and better protect the city’s beaches.
2. Cancun is only for spring breakers. While the city has some wild nightclubs (hit CocoBongo — its legendary stage shows leave those of Vegas in the dust), most of the resorts cater to families and honeymooners. And they do so quite creatively. I stayed at one family resort where the kids’ club was a wonderland of water slides and organized games; it even boasted a private spa for tots who wanted to have their hair braided and nails done. On the romantic front, I stayed at another resort so relaxing that a masseuse steps in to rub your hands as you check in (easing away the pain of handing over your credit card!).
3. Cancun and the Yucatan aren’t for folks who want to get out in nature. Again, not so. While the hotel zone of Cancun is as glitzy and artificial as Dubai, there are many places within easy driving or boating distance where one can escape the hustle and bustle. I’m talking underground rivers and caverns called cenotes open for crowd-free exploration (I swam in one where the sunlight hitting the water created a blue that was nothing short of divine). There’s also the adventure of swimming with whale sharks. These massive, beautiful creatures live off the coast of Cancun from May through September, and snorkeling among them (as I did) is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There are also excellent nature preserves, ziplines for adrenaline junkies, quiet beaches … you name it.
4. Cancun’s gotten very pricey. Nope, it’s currently a bargain. The events of the last few months in Mexico have seriously hurt business, and prices have plunged, sometimes by as much as 50 percent (and that’s true even at the five-star properties). To get the best deals, book a package that bundles airfare and hotel (that way the hoteliers can deeply discount without losing face). And it’s not just hotels that are cheap. Even such usually pricey activities as sport fishing are affordable (to save the most, head for the rainbow-painted shack at the piers in nearby Puerto Morelos; there, you can book, direct from local fishermen, a four-hour fishing trip for four people for just $125 total).
I’m curious to hear what other recent travelers to Cancun and the Yucatan thought of it. Did you feel as safe as I did? Did you have as many adventures? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
Dear Pauline,
THANK YOU SO MUCH for writing this article! You really help us a lot by doing so! We have got a lot of negative press recently, and a positive article like yours, telling the truth about the myths regarding Cancun couldn't have come at a better time.
I'm doing a private project to promote the image of Cancun , Riviera Maya and Costa Maya called Cancun is safe, I cordially invite you to check it out:
www.cancunissafe.com
twitter.com/cancunissafe
www.cancunissafe.com/facebook
http://cancunissafe.tumblr.com
Again, thank you and glad you like Cancun! Next time you plan to come down, let me know!
Cheers from Cancun,
Camilo Olea
I would venture to say that Cancun and Riviera Maya represent the best vacation value currently available to US travelers. Great service, outstanding resorts, a great beach and climate - you can't beat it, especially at the prices the hotels are offering.
A great destination for a fun, safe, and memorable vacation.
Too bad, summer has gone too fast. I've not even prepared the travel plan yet. As it seems cancun and those caribbean travel are my top choices for now.
If there's anyone used to have gone there during Aug - Dec please let me know, I really want to know how was the trip.
Thanks for dispelling the myths about Cancun. Despite the drug wars, I find Mexico exciting because of its rich history.
The fifth myth this year was swine flu virus in Cancun & Riviera Maya. This forced numerous travelers to cancel their vacations. Many resorts now days have 10-30% occupancy rate. Let's hope next year things will get back to normal.
I'm so heartened to see all these positive posts about Cancun. I really did have a spectacular time on my recent visit.
For Michael: As I said in the post, air/hotel packages tend to be the most cost-effective way to book, and prices in September, October and November always hit rock bottom because of hurricane season. (Tip: hurricane season is pretty much over by the end of October, but low prices remain for the months of November and in early December. Those are great times to score a deal). I've seen particularly impressive packages of late from BookIt (www.bookit.com), Expedia (www.expedia.com), Mexicana Vacations (www.mexicanavacations.com), American Airlines Vacations (www.aavacations.com), Vacation Travel Mart (www.vacmart.com) and Liberty Travel (www.libertytravel.com). Which company is best for you will really depend on your home gateway. (In preparing my book, Pauline Frommer's Cancun and the Yucatan, we spent hours tracking and graphing the costs of air/hotel packages and these ones came up on the top of the heap; from my recent looks, they still seem to be there).
Cordially,
Pauline
I just got back from the Grand Velas Riviera Maya resort just south of Cancun in Playa del Carmen. It was the best vacation of my life. The beach was idyllic. The food was unbelievable. And the staff was ready for anything. I felt completely safe the entire time, and to top it off I didn't even have any timeshare people attack me in the Cancun Airport. Definite 5 Star Experience and I would go back in a heartbeat.
Pauline,
What a great post about Cancun! We're happy to see travel experts like you help spread the truth about Cancun and Mexico. There are so many wonderful things to do and see and it sounds like you've done some of the exciting ones!
We are fellow travelers at Mexico's Tourism Board. We want to share information, experiences, and tips about traveling to Mexico. Everyone's welcome to join in and share. We want to talk about great places, people, activities, culture and food.
We just launced some new sites to help people find information and talk to each other and we also want to help people find good sources of information like yours.
www.facebook.com/.../109538027341
Thanks again for your great post!
Jeff
We Visit Mexico
This is great information, I was thinking if going to Cancun was a good idea and this made me decide that I will be spending my 3-year anniversarry there in October. Any suggestions on activities, places to eat, etc? Thanks for posting this helpful information.
Good info! how close can you be to a whale shark? how much is an excursion? please give me more information as I love to do something like this. Thanks. Karen.
Puerto Morelos makes a nice change from glitzy Cancun. It's very laid back, good restaurants, quiet beach and great access to the reef. Waves are smaller too, so good for the little ones.
We own the bookstore in Puerto Morelos, biggest in the Mayan Riviera. We've lived in Puerto Morelos for 7 years, and we just love how little it has changed!
I love Cancun, I think its a place that has a tourist an commercial area, an adventure side, a sophisticated face with the spas, super hotels. I really think that the best thing is to research a little before heading to Cancun to know the activities you are looking for. I love adventure and ecotourism and I know Cancun and Quintana Roo had plenty of things to do from under river swimming, jungle forest tours, swim with dolphins, manatees and the whale shark, cenotes, you name it. For sure my next vacation will be Cancun and the surroundings. With Pauline blog I have no doubt about security issues.
I have just been with a group of friends in Tulum and visited Cancun, it is as enchanting and beautiful as always. I went to Holbox to swim with the whale shark and its an amazing experience. I definitively recommend this trip.
Love Paulines blog. Its balance, helpful and reassure me that I make the best selection for my next trip to Cancun.
Hey Pauline, love this post and how you are telling the truth to those out there who don't know how great Cancun is. I hope to go again soon and swim with the whale sharks too!
