Cancun Mexico Vacation Questions

[Matt5266]

Just got back 2 weeks ago from Riu Latino. It was awesome. Adults only and all inclusive. They take you to the other resorts via bus for some of the parties if you want to go. Plenty of fun and activities at the resort. Good atmosphere. Was only about 40 minutes from the airport. Wasn’t sketchy at all. 10/10 would go again

Awesome. Thanks, good to hear

 

[DTOM83]

Safety is no issue. I recommend going to the one in playacar. The whole playacar beach area is gated and then there’s also security at the entrance of the resort. Playacar has nice beaches and there’s a couple playacar resorts there that I’ve seen. We stay at Royal hideaway and love it but it’s definitely not a party crowd. If you’re looking for a balance then check out valentin imperial.

 

[bojangles808]

safety is a non issue. the issue with May is the sargassum seaweed can get pretty bad depending where you go. we went in may 2013 to secrets maroma and royal hideaway and in may 2023 to Andaz mayakoba and Hyatt zilara Maya riviera and the seaweed was much worse the second time we went as it's gotten a lot worse over the years. Its peak is may June iirc. We went to vieques Puerto Rico in the spring 6 or 7 years ago and the sargassum made the beaches unbearable for us there, it can really ruin things if you're main focus is the beaches

Somewhere like mayakoba is nice because its a little more laid back and they have a barrier off shore that protects the shore from the seaweed and mexicans picking up what does make it to shore where as Hyatt zilara didn't have that like mayakoba and it ruined the beach. definitely recommend adults only and The Hyatt ziva/zilara Cancun (they're next to each other) if you did stay cancun might be worth a look as its at the tip of Cancun so you have two beach options facing different directions so you theoretically should have one side that's seaweed free. ocean tours Isla contoy Isla mujeres was a pretty fun adventure or the Tulum ruins/ cenote swim tours are also a fun time, look up ratings on trip advisor to find the reputable ones.

here you can see how the barrier protects mayakoba and makes the beaches still very nice for swimming. Andaz is getting renovated to Alila there and there's also a Fairmont and some other resorts in the complex.



Isla contoy

 

[Matt5266]

safety is a non issue. the issue with May is the sargassum seaweed can get pretty bad depending where you go. we went in may 2013 to secrets maroma and royal hideaway and in may 2023 to Andaz mayakoba and Hyatt zilara Maya riviera and the seaweed was much worse the second time we went as it's gotten a lot worse over the years. Its peak is may June iirc. We went to vieques Puerto Rico in the spring 6 or 7 years ago and the sargassum made the beaches unbearable for us there, it can really ruin things if you're main focus is the beaches

Somewhere like mayakoba is nice because its a little more laid back and they have a barrier off shore that protects the shore from the seaweed and mexicans picking up what does make it to shore where as Hyatt zilara didn't have that like mayakoba and it ruined the beach. definitely recommend adults only and The Hyatt ziva/zilara Cancun (they're next to each other) if you did stay cancun might be worth a look as its at the tip of Cancun so you have two beach options facing different directions so you theoretically should have one side that's seaweed free. ocean tours Isla contoy Isla mujeres was a pretty fun adventure or the Tulum ruins/ cenote swim tours are also a fun time, look up ratings on trip advisor to find the reputable ones.

here you can see how the barrier protects mayakoba and makes the beaches still very nice for swimming. Andaz is getting renovated to Alila there and there's also a Fairmont and some other resorts in the complex.

View attachment 947949

Isla contoy

View attachment 947948

Awesome thank you for the advice

 

[Matt5266]

Safety is no issue. I recommend going to the one in playacar. The whole playacar beach area is gated and then there’s also security at the entrance of the resort. Playacar has nice beaches and there’s a couple playacar resorts there that I’ve seen. We stay at Royal hideaway and love it but it’s definitely not a party crowd. If you’re looking for a balance then check out valentin imperial.

Thanks I'll look into that

 

[Maverick1]

went to an all inclusive in Cancun a few years ago. Stayed on the compound and felt safe. Shortly afterward quite a few stories started showing up online and in the news about people vacationing in Mexico dropping dead from drinking something and floating in pools, almost like an overdose. And the stories followed with subsequent coverup by the “authorities” there. Probably would be safe in general but my passport expired so I have no plans to go back.

 

[McCrapper]

Just stayed in Playa del carmen 3 nights and 1 night in Cancun last week. If i would ever go back I would skip the all inclusive and explore more. I'm not much on eating or drinking in excess so I'd rather check out the local fare and sights around the area.

 

[UpNorth89]

Just stayed in Playa del carmen 3 nights and 1 night in Cancun last week. If i would ever go back I would skip the all inclusive and explore more. I'm not much on eating or drinking in excess so I'd rather check out the local fare and sights around the area.

This. You miss out on a lot going AI.

 

[schmalzy]

Went to Royalton Chic (all inclusive no kids) back in April with my wife, Also mid/late 30s. We had a great trip. Food wasn’t amazing but certainly wasn’t bad either. Grabbed street tacos a few times. Would definitely go again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[String&stick]

Did Excellence Cancun in march, great food, great drinks, both party fun and relaxation if you want it. Took a bike tour a couple miles to the local touristy sales area and bought some souvenirs at the market. Bought a stone turtle off a guy on the beach next to the resort (not allowed on the resort). Took a tour inland to tour the cenotes (Zipline, cliff jump, swim, etc).

Always felt safe. Had private transfer from the airport to the resort provided as part of the stay, excellent driver that talked to us about life in Cancun, the area etc.

As others have said, don't go off resort at night, if you do, go to clubs with lots of people from around the world, and if you do that. . . Don't start shit with anyone and if someone starts shit with you be apologetic anyway and smooth things over with a drink!

 

[tony]

Is this all inclusive where they try and sell you a spot?
We did that and I’m really not surprised I didn’t end up in a Mexican jail.
The “sellers” are Americans, the rest of the staff is Mexican and they were fine people.
We booked a few side excursions while there. Chichen itza is a must see. Swam in a few cenotes. Ate at a traditional Myan buffet. Toured a small town tied to the Myans.

Take small U.S. dollars for tips.
Most everyone speaks some English .
Don’t wander off the resort property
And if you see them, the dudes in white multi cam are the Mexican national guard. There were a few out in about when were sight seeing. I walked up and started talking to them nice troops.

 

[Gbrecka]

We went to Riu Latina last year, adults only, new resort, we had fun

 

[Marble]

We travel to Mexico atleast twice a year. We primarily stay on the resort. We will hit the pharmacy and that's about it.

I'm a retired cop and based on what I have seen and experienced down there, I'm comfortable enough to let my daughters go there without me should they choose to. That is if they stay on the resort.

The place I go to is like springbreak
For Adults. If you want to chill out there is a pool that is quiet. But otherwise, the main pool is where the party is.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[Marble]

Haha no bugger sugar for me

That's funny!! A full carrier in LE and working narcotics and I've never heard it called that.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[Macintosh]

We took my MIL and wifes brother to playa del carmen march of 2023. My wife and i had some time in cancun ahead of their arrival. We rented a car and rented an apartment on the outskirts of pdc, went to grocery store to get food and cooked for ourselves some meals, ate all sorts of street food, walked around town and went to restaurants, public beaches, drove to some cenotes and swam, took a trip to chichinitza and had lunch and wandered around valladolid as well as a few smaller towns, etc. Its a cool area, if youre in an all inclusive I think you’d miss most of the good stuff, but if thats your cup of tea it seems that would be way safer than most US cities. Otherwise, while gritty outside the tourist areas, it did not feel unsafe, and people were very friendly especially if you try to speak a little spanish. There were folks that cleaned up the sargasso weed every other day on the public beaches, but on the off days it was certainly a thing.

 

[grfox92]

Tourists towns in Mexico are arguably safer than any big city in the US. Its the border towns, and little cartel towns in the middle of no where that are dangerous.

Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk

 

[SloppyJ]

We went on a 10 day trip during Covid and bounced around AirBnbs all across the Yucatan. Stayed a couple nights in Playa, Tulum, Valladolid, and Holbox. Ended up missing the ferry back to Cozumel due to weather and stayed an extra night there too.

My wife can fumble around some Spanish and it saved our ass. Was it a bit sketch, yes, did I enjoy that part too? Yes. One of my best friends lives in Merida and the best advice he gave me is to bring a few hundreds and a couple hundred in 20s and that will be able to get you out of anything.

The things we did and got to see would be impossible at a resort. The people we met that were genuinely great people and wanted to teach you about their culture was very heartwarming. Some of the best food I've ever had was on that trip and it cost me like $2 in pesos. I left them a $5 bill and we stopped back by on the way back from Holbox and they remembered exactly who we were. Probably the only two white tourists crazy enough to ever stop there.

So my advice, go get the real culture and ditch the BS resorts. Go to Sac Actun cenote and take a tour, it's really amazing. Go take a fishing charter for a day, go visit the ruins, it's not as scary as people make it out to be and there's some real culture there.

 

[CHSD]

Had a friend who visited with a few of his friends. Right after they got off the plane they went to go try to buy some weed. Well it was a sting operation and he spent the first 3 nights in a Mexican jail. He said it was not so pleasant.

I've enjoyed my times in Cancun. I like to stay at the resorts and not venture to the shopping centers as I am not a fan of people constantly trying to sell me cheap products.

Now I am a much bigger fan of going on cruises. Highly recommend trying one sometime.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Just got back 2 weeks ago from Riu Latino. It was awesome. Adults only and all inclusive. They take you to the other resorts via bus for some of the parties if you want to go. Plenty of fun and activities at the resort. Good atmosphere. Was only about 40 minutes from the airport. Wasn’t sketchy at all. 10/10 would go again

Isnt that a swingers resort??? Not judging but….gross bro.

 

[Matt5266]

Did Excellence Cancun in march, great food, great drinks, both party fun and relaxation if you want it. Took a bike tour a couple miles to the local touristy sales area and bought some souvenirs at the market. Bought a stone turtle off a guy on the beach next to the resort (not allowed on the resort). Took a tour inland to tour the cenotes (Zipline, cliff jump, swim, etc).

Always felt safe. Had private transfer from the airport to the resort provided as part of the stay, excellent driver that talked to us about life in Cancun, the area etc.

As others have said, don't go off resort at night, if you do, go to clubs with lots of people from around the world, and if you do that. . . Don't start shit with anyone and if someone starts shit with you be apologetic anyway and smooth things over with a drink!

Haha good advice thanks. My fighting days are over.