Cancun travel guide: the Hotel Zone, Downtown and the Riviera Maya
The first thing a Cancun travel guide should show you is the map: a strip of sand shaped like the number 7. That’s the Zona Hotelera, a barrier island 22.5 km long between Laguna Nichupté and the Caribbean. Its one road, Blvd. Kukulcán, uses kilometer markers as addresses. Km 0 is at the Downtown end, and the numbers climb south toward Punta Nizuc and the airport. Once you’ve got that, the city’s easy to read.
Hotel Zone or Downtown?
The Hotel Zone holds more than 190 hotels and around 35,000 rooms. Choose by kilometer: low numbers put you nearer Downtown, high ones nearer the airport.
Downtown, which locals call Centro, is laid out in blocks called supermanzanas along Av. Tulum and Av. Yaxchilán. The city itself only dates from April 20, 1970. Parque de las Palapas reopened in July 2024 with a food court and a craft pavilion. Mercado 28 on Calle Xel-Há sells crafts, souvenirs and Yucatecan food. The Puente Vehicular Nichupté, open since May 2, 2026, is toll-free and cuts the crossing from about an hour to roughly 10 minutes.
Things to do in Cancún along the Hotel Zone
Most things to do in Cancún start on the sand, and all of it’s public by law. Playa Langosta sits at km 5, Playa Tortugas at km 6.5, Chac Mool at km 10 and Marlín at km 13. Playa Delfines, at km 18, has the big Cancún letters, a lookout and lifeguards. The surf’s strong there. Sea turtles nest on it from May to September.
A rainy morning isn’t wasted. Museo Maya de Cancún, at km 16.5, shows more than 350 Maya pieces. Foreigners pay 210 pesos as of 2026, and it’s closed on Mondays. Offshore, MUSA has set about 500 sculptures on the seabed at depths of 3 to 6 m.
Airport, buses and the Tren Maya
Cancún International (CUN) runs Terminals 2, 3 and 4, under 10 km from the Hotel Zone. Uber, DiDi and Cabify can’t pick up at the airport, so you’ll leave by licensed taxi, transfer or ADO bus. ADO to Playa del Carmen costs about 270 pesos as of July 2026 and takes 1 h 30 to 1 h 50. The Tren Maya’s been back on that run since August 15, 2026, and it’s quicker at 46 to 52 minutes.
Day trips from Cancún
Everything below fits into a day, though Holbox and Chichén Itzá make it a long one. Watch the clock, too: Quintana Roo keeps UTC-5 all year, and Yucatán runs an hour behind. Chichén Itzá opens at 8:00 local time (that’s 9:00 in Cancún), and the last entry’s at 15:00 local.
| Destination | How to get there | Time | What is there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isla Mujeres | Ultramar ferry from Puerto Juárez or Playa Tortugas | About 30 min from Playa Tortugas | Playa Norte, on an island about 7 km long |
| Tulum | Tren Maya to Tulum Aeropuerto, or 128 km by road | About 2 h by train | Walled Maya city on the cliffs; 265 pesos for foreigners in 2026 |
| Chichén Itzá | 197 km on the 180D toll road | 2 h 20 to 2 h 30 by car | El Castillo, on the UNESCO list since 1988 |
| Ruta de los Cenotes | By car on the Puerto Morelos to Leona Vicario road | About 40 km from Cancún; it starts about 5 km from Puerto Morelos | More than 60 cenotes along one road |
| Holbox | Road to Chiquilá, then the ferry | About 2 h from Cancún airport to Chiquilá, plus 25 min on the ferry | No cars, golf carts, whale sharks in summer |
When to go
The city’s tourist office splits the year in three. High season runs December to April, when it’s dry. May to August is hot and humid. September to November is low season, with more rain and a real chance of a hurricane.
A week on the Riviera Maya
Seven days covers the coast if you don’t mind an early start or two. Keep Cancún as your base, then move south.
1
Days 1 and 2:
the Hotel Zone beaches, with Playa Delfines late in the day and a morning at Museo Maya.
2
Day 3:
Isla Mujeres. Take the boat from Puerto Juárez and spend the afternoon at Playa Norte.
3
Day 4:
Chichén Itzá, leaving early on the 180D. Stop in Valladolid on the way back for a swim in Cenote Zací and a look at the Convento de San Bernardino de Siena.
4
Day 5:
the Ruta de los Cenotes near Puerto Morelos. Regular sunscreen isn’t allowed, only biodegradable, and you’ll shower before getting in.
5
Days 6 and 7:
move to Playa del Carmen by train or ADO, cross to Cozumel for the reef, then see the Tulum ruins on their 12 m cliffs.
What visitors ask about Cancún
When is hurricane season in Cancún?
Officially June 1 to November 30. The busy stretch runs mid-August to mid-October, and the peak falls around September 10. That overlaps the city’s low season, September to November.
How bad is the sargassum?
It’s been a record year. The coast usually gets it between April and October, heaviest June to September. By September 8, 2026 the navy had collected more than 123,400 metric tons, against 92,782 for all of 2025.
What’s VISITAX, and how do I pay it?
It’s a state tax every foreign tourist in Quintana Roo owes, kids included. Pay on visitax.gob.mx or through a state-authorized agent, then download the QR receipt with your passport number. You can pay any time before you leave Mexico. Sources quote different amounts, so check the figure when you pay.
Are the beaches in Cancún public?
Yes. Federal law treats a 20 m strip of firm ground along the shore as a federal zone. Anyone may use it, subject only to restrictions the rules spell out.
How do the R1 and R2 buses work?
They’re the city buses linking the Hotel Zone with Downtown. Since December 1, 2025 the fare’s 15 pesos in the Hotel Zone and 13 in town, cash only. The R1 comes every 5 to 10 minutes, and the R10 goes to the Puerto Juárez ferry.
Should I pay in dollars or pesos?
Pesos. Dollars are accepted around Cancún, but the rate’s poor and your change comes back in pesos. Change money at a bank or a casa de cambio.
What do people tip in Cancún?
Ten to 15% in restaurants, closer to 15% in tourist areas. If you’re tipping in dollars, use bills, never coins. A compulsory tip is illegal: in early 2026 PROFECO warned Cancún businesses that were adding a 15% service charge on their own.
What happens at immigration in Cancún?
With a US or Canadian passport, you won’t need a visa for a tourist stay. Nobody hands you a paper form on arrival. Your entry’s recorded as a digital FMM, and the officer enters an exit date, up to 180 days out. In 2023 INM said the airport’s e-gates were open to US and Canadian citizens.