Cancun, Part 5, Beaches

Cancun, Mexico, January 2015

Beaches

The best beaches are supposed to be in the Hotel Zone. It's best to do some research beforehand, though. We simply checked the map and aerial image and went to the closest thing to us that looked like a beach, close to the Puerto Juárez harbour. It did have some exclusive resorts there with private beaches (I suppose we were trespassing), but their quality was very poor to be honest. Lots of seaweed, not very nice sand and so on. That taught us a lesson that proper googling is required for the desired outcome.

We did enjoy a lovely day at the beach in Isla Mujeres, but more about that later on. We didn't really get a good look at the beaches at the Hotel Zone. They are supposed to be extremely nice, but also the waves are said to be very big. The beaches are facing the open sea, so the waves have a clear access to reach the unassuming swimmers. Now this might be a good or a bad thing, depending on your preferences. There are some beaches that are more protected and better-suited for families, however. But don't wander off to the other side: the lagoon between Cancun downtown and the Hotel Zone is inhabited by crocodiles. And not just "those tiny cute ones", but actually the "horrible big ones". There are warning signs all over and a few croc attacks have been reported over the years. Though this is nothing to be overly concerned about, it's still a good thing to keep in mind, when playing golf for example.

Not the best beach in town

Keep in mind that during the spring break the Hotel Zone is filled with American students. Quite literally girls gone wild. During that time it is probably not the best place for families with smaller children. The Hotel Zone is filled with nightclubs, bars and even the odd pub or two to keep the party going 24/7. So if you feel at home in the parties in Sunny Beach or Ibiza, maybe Cancun during the spring break would be right up your alley? Beach, sun, parties and drunk people.

To be continued...