Cancún Mexico
Known for its all-inclusive resorts on pristine white sand beaches with sparkling blue waters there will come a time when you are tempted to visit this paradise. It is known for its resorts and party scene, but it has so much more to offer. You will be overwhelmed with the number of options for accommodation that you have. From the hotel zone, the city, the bay side, hotels, B&Bs, and all-inclusive resorts. You cannot go wrong when visiting this place but there are several things to consider when it comes to selecting if you want to do an all-inclusive versus not.
Cancún all-inclusive or not?
As a forewarning, I am not typically an all-inclusive type of girl, but I am completely capable of seeing why they are so fabulous. When I travel, I typically like to check out a bunch of places and explore a bunch of different restaurants and spots and the idea of staying on the same resort for a few days with endless food and drink for me can only be done for one to two days max. I also not a huge fan of the idea wasting free food and drinks (which isn’t free because you are paying for it in the price of your stay) to go out somewhere else/try more local places. So, while I think many travelers to Cancún, love to indulge in all-inclusive resorts when we went, I wanted something a little different. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a great way to relax and not have to worry and I know there are tons of advantages to resort stays. If you are planning a boozy or relaxing trip, then that is worth it for sure. Plus, Cancún is known for snagging some sweet deals to some of these places so if it is your vibe you should totally check it out.
top pros for all-inclusive stays in Cancún
- Cancún is known for incredible and cheap all-inclusive packages. If you will be spending a lot of time at the hotel in the end will be cheaper since all meals included.
- Less planning. You can truly relax and enjoy when you don’t have to worry about where to eat next, what to fill day with or where to or how to get there because all options are available right from your hotel.
- Free activities. Many all-inclusive include a bunch of activities for free. From pools, snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, golfing and more. Make sure to fully look at your package to see what is included. Having these activities already included may cut down on costs of finding your own tours.
- Meeting other travelers. You can meet other people or families on the resort or with resort activities.
top cons of all-inclusive stays in Cancún
- Less interaction with the local culture, people, and economy. You will have to leave your resort to get out into the community, go to local restaurants or join local tours to promote the local economy.
- Stuck with the food for better or worse. You get to your all-inclusive and you get to the buffet and realize you do not love the food. Well, you are stuck with it for your stay unless you want to go off the resort to restaurant. There also is a guilt aspect of not eating the food you basically already paid for in the cost of your stay at the resort.
- Stuck on the resort. For various reasons such as location, activities, food you may feel stuck at your resort. Make sure to do a lot of research in advance to make sure you are in a convenient location Plan in advance if you want to get off the resort for the day.
Cancún what we did
We decided to stay at a nice hotel outside of the hotel zone and more in the city. This hotel had beautiful pool, breakfast, a gym and was linked to a hotel located on the beach in the hotel zone. We stayed at the Smart Cancun by Oasis. They offered a day trip to an all-inclusive including pick up at the hotel and drop off at end of day. So, if you want that all-inclusive feel you could get it for just the day which is just my style. Because this hotel was off the beach the price to stay was 1/3 the price of the cheaper options in hotel zone. Conveniently, there is a public bus that goes from the town through the hotel zone and down the beach area with multiple stops. The cost per ride is less than $1. The main routes are R-1, R-2 and R-27. We would pick up this near our hotel and head to one of the many public beaches on the coast. We also took the same bus down to the Zona Arqueológica de El Rey. This small site is a small ruin of the Mayan civilization and it is covered with amazing iguanas. After visiting the ruins, you can cross the street to the Playa Delfines and the Cancún letters. We also checked out Playa Marlín which is another local beach. You can drink on the beach so you can also buy beers at a local store and just bring them to the beach which is much cheaper than many tourist bars (if you are trying to cut back on costs). We checked out a bunch of local restaurants and shops. One of our favorites was Los de Pescado which was a casual fish taco place for very affordable prices. We stayed a total of 4 nights but arrived later in evening and left earlier in the morning so was like 3 full days. With day tours or trips you could definitely add on more time.
While in Cancún you must consider checking out some of the top sites and activities including:
Chichén Itzá, Isla Mujeres, Cenotes, Snorkeling, Whale Shark tours, Xcarat Park, Day trip to Tulum, Mercado 28, among many more.
